The novel's main relationship to other works by Vonnegut is the character of Kilgore Trout, who appears in several of Vonnegut's novels. Trout appears in God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Slaughterhouse-Five, Jailbird, and Timequake. Trout has different roles and descriptions throughout the novels: in some, he acts as a kind of surrogate for Vonnegut himself.
In a broader context, Vonnegut's oeuvre and this particular work have been influential for the emergence of metafiction and post-modern American literature.
