Kurt Vonnegut
1922 - 2007. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential writers of his generation. Known for his dark humor, pessimism and sharp edge, he was the author of 14 novels - notably Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions - and other works of fiction and nonfiction.
His stories of human folly and cruelty have been assigned reading for at least two decades in college literature classes around the world! Most readers interested in the fantastic in literature are familiar with Kurt Vonnegut, particularly for his uses of science fiction. Many of his early short stories were wholly in the science fiction mode, and while its degree has varied, science fiction has never lost its place in his novels.