Book Review: Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cat's Cradle by Kurt VonnegutA writer named Jonah (or possibly John) looks back on his adventures, and his conversion to a religion known as Bokononism, while conducting research for a book about the late Frank Hoenikker, one of the fathers of the atomic bomb. The first leg of our hero’s journey takes him to Hoenikker’s hometown of Ilium, NY where he meets two of Hoenikker’s three adult children. There, Jonah learns that each of the children possesses a piece of Ice-Nine, a dangerous substance their father developed for the military.

He later learns that Hoenikker’s oldest son is a high-ranking official on the Caribbean Island of San Lorenzo, home to one of the poorest populations in the world. As it happens, Jonah accepts an assignment that takes him to the island and finds himself on the same plane as Hoenikker’s other two children.

Shortly after his arrival on San Lorenzo, Jonah finds himself in an unimaginable position just before all hell—and a lethal quantity of Ice-Nine—breaks loose.

With Cat’s Cradle, Vonnegut delivers a satirical tale of religion, destiny, futility, and the end of days. It’s a delightful and quick read with most chapters no longer than a page.

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, the folks at Good Story Company offer tips on writing active protagonists, realistic dialogue, and child characters.

Juliet Kemp discusses the basics of strong prose while Diana Urban provides a guide to social media for writers. How effective are author newsletters and what are the reasons to use them? Bookbub’s AJ Jack provides metrics and testimonials to answer all of your questions.

On the business side, Lauren Aratani spotlights Barnes and Noble’s second wind while David Barnett examines the often painful reality of being a debut author.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Authors on Social Media: Choosing Platforms and Avoiding Burnout by Diana Urban

Writing an Active Protagonist by Michal Leah

Tighten Up Your Writing by Juliet Kemp

Tips for Writing Child Characters by Good Story Company

Amazon Doesn’t Care About Books: How Barnes & Noble Bounced Back by Lauren Aratani

Writing Realistic Dialogue by Michal Leah

State of the Author Newsletters: Data from 500+ Authors by AJ Jack

Debut Authors Find Publishing ‘Disappointing’ — Sorry, What Do They Expect? by David Barnett

Writing Is Much Too Important to Be Left to Copywriters by Mike Reed

Know Your Story’s Selling Points by Paula Munier