Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Cat’s Cradle” and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” caught the temper of his times and the imagination of a generation, died last night in Manhattan. He was 84.

–From the NY Times Obituary 

He'd been mostly retired since publishing "Timequake" in the mid-90s, but still, what a bummer.  I'll just say that Mr. Vonnegut probably had a larger effect on my own developing personality in high school than just about anything else, hometown, parents, and Silkworm included.  Plus he looked like a big muppet.

People tend to steer readers toward "Cat's Cradle" and "Slaughterhouse-Five," but for me "Breakfast of Champions," the essay collection "Wampeters Foma & Granfalloons," and the aforementioned "Timequake" were where it's at.

Salut Mr. Vonnegut, I'm sorry you had to die while George W. Bush was president. 

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