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Quick answer: If you like Kurt Vonnegut, read Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions, then Catch-22, Douglas Adams, Joseph Heller and George Saunders. All are satirical, funny and humane novels with a dark view of war and society.
Kurt Vonnegut was an American author whose novels, such as Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle, blend science fiction, satire and black humour with the trauma of the Second World War, including his survival of the Dresden bombing. The books below offer similar satire and absurd comedy.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slaughterhouse-Five | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | strange and funny |
| Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | satirical science fiction |
| Breakfast of Champions | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | surreal satire |
| Welcome to the Monkey House | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | dark satire |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Adult | cosmic comedy |
| Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders | Adult | ghostly voices |
| Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury | Adult | burning books |
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | George Orwell | Adult | surveillance state |
| Brave New World | Aldous Huxley | Adult | engineered happiness |
| Animal Farm | George Orwell | Adult | readers who want an allegory |
| A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole | Adult | comic classic |
| The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood | Adult | oppressive society |
| Candide | Voltaire | Adult | satirical adventure |
| The Master and Margarita | Mikhail Bulgakov | Adult | surreal classics |
1. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time. Dark and absurd.
Best for: strange and funny.
2. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
A writer researches the atomic bomb and meets odd people. Short and weird.
Best for: satirical science fiction.
3. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
A car dealer goes mad and meets a science fiction writer. Funny and odd.
Best for: surreal satire.
4. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut
A collection of Vonnegut's stories, including Harrison Bergeron. Wry and humane.
Best for: dark satire.
5. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent is whisked off Earth moments before it is destroyed. The classic of absurd science fiction humour.
Best for: cosmic comedy.
7. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Abraham Lincoln mourns his son's death while ghosts talk in a graveyard. Told through many voices and quotations.
Best for: ghostly voices.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A fireman starts to question his job. Short and lyrical.
Best for: burning books.
9. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Winston Smith rebels against Big Brother. Bleak and influential.
Best for: surveillance state.
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A society engineered for pleasure shows its dark side. A classic of the genre.
Best for: engineered happiness.
11. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Animals revolt against their farmer and create a new tyranny. Short, clear and sharp.
Best for: readers who want an allegory.
12. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Ignatius J. Reilly stumbles through New Orleans. Outrageous and unforgettable.
Best for: comic classic.
13. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
A woman lives under a theocratic regime. Chilling and unforgettable.
Best for: oppressive society.
14. Candide by Voltaire
A naive young man is told that all is for the best. Short, funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical adventure.
15. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Devil visits Moscow, and a writer's love story unfolds alongside. Satirical, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: surreal classics.
How to Choose
For more Vonnegut begin with Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle or Breakfast of Champions. For war satire choose Catch-22. For science-fiction satire pick The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Brave New World. For absurd comedy try A Confederacy of Dunces or Candide. Vonnegut's style is simple and darkly funny, so these picks suit readers who like wit with a point. Vonnegut was a prisoner of war in Dresden during the 1945 firebombing, which became the heart of Slaughterhouse-Five. His phrase so it goes appears throughout that novel.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kurt Vonnegut?
An American author of satirical science-fiction novels.
Where should I start?
With Slaughterhouse-Five.
Are his books science fiction?
Many blend sci-fi with satire.
Are they hard to read?
No, his prose is short and simple.
What does so it goes mean?
A recurring line he uses after death in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Is he dark?
Yes, with humour.
Are they taught in school?
Yes, in many places.
What should I read next?
Try Cat's Cradle or Catch-22.
Which book here is best for dark satire?
Try Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut, which suits readers looking for dark satire.
Which book here is best for ghostly voices?
Try Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, which suits readers looking for ghostly voices.
Which book here is best for engineered happiness?
Try Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, which suits readers looking for engineered happiness.
Which book here is best for oppressive society?
Try The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which suits readers looking for oppressive society.
Which book here is best for satirical science fiction?
Try Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, which suits readers looking for satirical science fiction.
Which book here is best for war satire?
Try Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which suits readers looking for war satire.
Which book here is best for burning books?
Try Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which suits readers looking for burning books.