Published in 1963, Cat's Cradle is one of Kurt Vonnegut's most famous works, surpassed in popularity only by Slaughterhouse-Five. After serving in the military during World War II, Vonnegut returned to America, where he found a job in General Electric's public relations department. His job was to interview the many scientists working for GE, looking for interesting stories about their research. Eventually, Vonnegut met a man named Irving Langmuir, a man who showed an indifference to how the world might use his scientific discoveries. Langmuir became the primary inspiration for Dr. Felix Hoenikker, the central character in Cat's Cradle.
Cat's Cradle is a cautionary tale: written in the...
