History Creator / KurtVonnegut

* ARealManIsAKiller: Vonnegut told this story many times, both in speeches and in at least one book other than ''Timequake''. After he returned from WorldWarTwo, his Uncle Dan came up to him and clapped him on the back, proclaiming "You're a ''man'' now!" The [[UnfortunateImplications implication]] being that the only way for a boy to become a man was to kill people. Although Vonnegut had never had occasion to kill anybody during his military service, he had seen a ''lot'' of death and lived through the firebombing of Dresden, which wasn't a lot of fun. Imagine that you've just gone through the worst, most traumatic experience of your life, and before you've finished dealing with that trauma somebody comes up to you and ''[[BerserkButton congratulates you on it]].'' Yeah, [[{{Irony}} Kurt wanted to kill the guy.]]

* MechanisticAlienCulture: KurtVonnegut's Tralfamadorians, depending on the story or novel that features them, are either StarfishAliens or MechanicalLifeforms that replaced their organic ancestors (Vonnegut never makes it clear if there was a RobotWar or if this was a more benevolent [[TheSingularity Singularity-like event]]), their culture is perhaps [[UpToEleven even more]] [[BuffySpeak Starfish-y]] then their physical form (when Salo tries to explain their system of government in ''Literature/TheSirensOfTitan'', he sounds like [[TheStoner he's fraking stoned]]). So, they ''sometimes'' count as examples of this trope, depending on the story. Vonnegut's literary, AuthorAvatar, Kilgore Trout, [[ShowWithinAShow wrote several stories]] using aliens that had the stereotypical features of this trope, including a race of Car-People.

[[Literature/SlaughterhouseFive Listen]]: Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922 -- April 11, 2007) was an American science fiction writer. His work is known for its satirical, anti-authoritarian, humanist, absurdist and often [[CrapsackWorld brutally depressing]] [[SickSadWorld worldview]]. If this worldview can be pinned down to one event, it would be the bombing of Dresden.

-->-- ''Timequake'', his final novel

So it goes.

<<|{{Authors}}|>>

->Many people need desperately to receive this message: "I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. [[YouAreNotAlone You are not alone.]]"
-->--''from {{Timequake}}, his final novel''

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: deliberately invoked; as Vonnegut points out in the preface, neutron bombs do a ''lot'' more damage than is suggested in the story, where [[spoiler:a neutron bomb is dropped on Midland City and kills all its inhabitants, but leaves buildings intact.]]

Vonnegut served in WorldWarII. When in Germany he was captured by the enemy and brought to Dresden. Dresden was a German city known for its doll-making which, after conversion to war-production, produced light infantry equipment that was only of marginal military value. Because of those industries, and the railway lines which passed through it (and enabled German industries to continue functioning through the continued transportation of resources across the country), like all other German cities it was fire-bombed by the western Allies as part of their campaign to reduce German armaments production. [[CatchPhrase So it goes]]. This event would become a major theme in many of his books, especially the later ones.

Vonnegut served in WorldWarII. When in Germany he was captured by the enemy and brought to Dresden. Dresden was German city known for its doll-making which, after conversion to war-production, produced light infantry equipment that was only of marginal military value. Because of those industries, and the railway lines which passed through it (and enabled German industries to continue functioning through the continued transportation of resources across the country), like all other German cities it was fire-bombed by the western Allies as part of their campaign to reduce German armaments production. [[CatchPhrase So it goes]]. This event would become a major theme in many of his books, especially the later ones.

* MechanisticAlienCulture: KurtVonnegut's Tralfamadorians, depending on the story or novel that features them, are either StarfishAliens or MechanicalLifeforms that replaced their organic ancestors (Vonnegut never makes it clear if there was a RobotWar or if this was a more benevolent [[TheSingularity Singularity-like event]]), their culture is perhaps [[UpToEleven even more]] [[BuffySpeak Starfish-y]] then their physical form (when Salo tries to explain their system of government in ''TheSirensOfTitan'', he sounds like [[TheStoner he's fraking stoned]]). So, they ''sometimes'' count as examples of this trope, depending on the story. Vonnegut's literary, AuthorAvatar, Kilgore Trout, [[ShowWithinAShow wrote several stories]] using aliens that had the stereotypical features of this trope, including a race of Car-People.

Vonnegut served in WorldWarII. When in Germany he was captured by the enemy and brought to Dresden. Dresden was German city known for its doll-making which, after conversion to war-production, merely producing clothing and tents. Because it was of marginal military value due to those industries, and a railway hub, like all other German cities it was fire-bombed by the western Allies. [[CatchPhrase So it goes]]. This event would become a major theme in many of his books, especially the later ones.

Vonnegut served in WorldWarII. When in Germany he was captured by the enemy and brought to Dresden. Dresden was a large German town known for its doll-making that had little to no strategic military significance, yet was still fire bombed by the Allies into a smoldering charred pile. [[CatchPhrase So it goes]]. This event would become a major theme in many of his books, especially the later ones.

-->...I am going to sue the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company, manufacturers of Pall Mall cigarettes, for a billion bucks! Starting when I was only twelve years old, I have never chain-smoked anything but unfiltered Pall Malls. And for many years now, right on the package, Brown and Williamson have promised to kill me. But I am now eighty-two. Thanks a lot, you dirty rats. The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the planet were named [[GeorgeWBush Bush]], Dick and Colon.

* ArtisticLicenseScience: deliberately invoked; as Vonnegut points out in the preface, neutron bombs do a ''lot'' more damage than is suggested in the story, where [[spoiler:a neutron bomb is dropped on Midland City and kills all its inhabitants, but leaves buildings intact.]]

* FoodPorn: many delicious-sounding recipes are used as a framing device (although Vonnegut explains in the preface that he has tinkered around with the recipes and that they will not work if tried at home). They are also a reference to Rudy's abilities as a cook, and how he feeds and cares for his family as a means of atoning for the damage he has done.

* ArtisticLicenceScience: deliberately invoked; as Vonnegut points out in the preface, neutron bombs do a ''lot'' more damage than is suggested in the story, where [[spoiler:a neutron bomb is dropped on Midland City and kills all its inhabitants, but leaves buildings intact.]]
* TheAtoner: Rudy Waltz sees himself as this after he shoots Eloise Metzger. He becomes his parents' sole carer, and only when he leaves Midland City for New York does he realise that he was doing this as a way to atone for his crime.

[[Literature/SlaughterhouseFive Listen]]: Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922 -- April 11, 2007) was an American science fiction writer. His work is known for its satirical, anti-authoritarian, humanist, and often [[CrapsackWorld brutally depressing]] [[SickSadWorld worldview]]. If this worldview can be pinned down to one event, it would be the bombing of Dresden.

* JesusWasWayCool: Kurt writes that Christians always demand the Ten Commandments to be posted on public buildings, but never the Beatitudes.

[[Literatur/SlaughterhouseFive Listen]]: Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922 -- April 11, 2007) was an American science fiction writer. His work is known for its satirical, anti-authoritarian, humanist, and often [[CrapsackWorld brutally depressing]] [[SickSadWorld worldview]]. If this worldview can be pinned down to one event, it would be the bombing of Dresden.

* RapeIsLove: Quite gruesomely invoked in "Welcome To The Monkey House". Sex is repressed and discouraged to the point where a vigilante thinks the only way to convince women to try it is to rape them. The women he does this to end up being his loyal followers, and eventually help him do it to other women. It may sound unreal, but this happens in a lot of societies and cultural subgroups.

* RapeIsLove: Quite gruesomely invoked in "Welcome To The Monkey House". Sex is repressed and discouraged to the point where a vigilante thinks the only way to convince women to try it is to rape them. The women he does this to end up being his loyal followers, and eventually help him do it to other women. It may sound unreal, but this happens in a lot of societies and cultures subgroups.