Cat's Cradle is a satirical postmodern novel, with science fiction elements, by American writer Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut's fourth novel, it was first published in 1963, exploring and satirizing issues of science, technology, the purpose of religion, and the arms race, often through the use of morbid humor.
First edition hardback cover
A 1965 photograph of Vonnegut by Bernard Gotfryd
Kurt Vonnegut was an American writer and humorist known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. He published 14 novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfiction works over fifty-plus years; further collections have been published since his death.
Vonnegut in 1965
Vonnegut in army uniform during World War II
Dresden in 1945. More than 90% of the city's center was destroyed.
Vonnegut with his wife Jane and children (from left to right): Mark, Edith and Nanette, in 1955