Kurt Vonnegut was an American author, satirist, and social critic. He is best known for his darkly humorous and satirical novels, such as Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions. His works often explore the absurdities of war, technology, and human nature. Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1922. He served in World War II, and his experiences in the war heavily influenced his writing. After the war, he attended the University of Chicago, where he studied anthropology and later worked as a publicist for General Electric. Vonnegut's writing career began in the 1950s, and he published his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952. His works often featured themes of alienation, absurdity, and dark humor. He was a vocal critic of the Vietnam War and the arms race, and his works often explored the consequences of unchecked technology and the dangers of nuclear war. Vonnegut's works have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He was awarded the American Humanist Association's Humanist Arts Award in 1984 and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1998. He died in 2007 at the age of 84.