After the end of World War II, Americans lived under the fear of nuclear war. The government built huge arsenals of nuclear bombs and used propaganda to allay the fear of the American people. The best-known example is the propaganda film Duck and Cover, in which Americans are told that a picnic blanket could protect them from a nuclear bomb (USA). To reflect these trends, fiction authors have written numerous novels hypothesizing what would happen in the event of a nuclear apocalypse (Brians). Some of these, such as Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon, simply described the effects a nuclear war might have on the United States (Frank). Similarly, Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz details the impact of the Bomb after humanity's advanced civilization was destroyed. Since its publication in 1960, at the height of the Cold War, A Canticle for Leibowitz has been highly regarded not only by the rather geeky science fiction community (often called the "Gernsback Ghetto") but also by the broader literary community because the post-The World apocalyptic finds strong resonance among literary readers who identify with the political and social message of the novel, thus transcending the Gernsback Ghetto. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As you might expect, literary writers often tend to write about the topics of their time as contemporary events provide inspiration and naturally resonate with their audience. Science fiction, which is very forward-thinking, generally does not follow this trend as it tells unrealistic stories based on unlikely settings. Stereotypically, it's about dragging readers into the future to face the fantastic future of aluminum. Canticle, on the other hand, draws on the real fear of nuclear war that Americans felt in the 1950s, to project a post-apocalyptic world. Nuclear war and its fallout were Americans' worst nightmare, and the book presents that nightmare as an alternative historical narrative mixed with science fiction. It takes a topic readers are familiar with (the enmity and standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War) and speculates on what might happen if relations between the two enemies grew even more sour and erupted. nuclear war. touches on the story cycle already familiar to readers. The first part begins in the dark ages of the future, 600 years after the 20th century and the disastrous nuclear war. The second part fast forwards 600 years to the Renaissance and shows a society rebuilding itself with all the necessary characteristics. It ends another 600 years with two superpowers finally destroying each other through nuclear war. Readers may recognize that this is the story of European civilization as it went from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and then back to the brink of nuclear destruction. Another way Miller addresses Americans' fear is by creating a world that is familiar to Americans. The book is set in the future, but it is a world that Americans know well. He cleverly reminds readers of this context on almost every occasion. For example, early in the book, Brother Francis finds Leibowitz's list of tasks. One of the tasks was “Remember: Collect Form 1040, Uncle Revenue,” a reference to the IRS form filled out by most Americans (Miller 26). By sprinkling these small references to contemporary American society throughout the text, Miller ensures that the real-life references in this novel are constantly visible to the reader. This..