Kurt Vonnegut was an extremely popular American writer of humor and science-fiction novels and short stories. His novels are known for their dark humor and playful use of science fiction, as well as for their serious moral vision and cutting social commentary. Although his work has sometimes been criticized for being too simplistic, many consider his imagination and sense of humor to be singular and peerless. His work is at once irreverent and highly moral, and this rare combination made his voice integral to American literature.
Ironically, Vonnegut, one of the 20th century's great American pacifists, was born on Armistice Day. Born in Indianapolis on November 11, 1922, Kurt Vonnegut...