Posthumanism in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut : Matter That Complains So

Posthumanism in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut: Matter That Complains So re-examines the prevailing critical consensus that Kurt Vonnegut was a humanist writer. While more difficult elements of his work have often been the subject of scholarly attention, the tendency amongst critics writing on Vonnegut is to disavow them, or to subsume them within a liberal humanist framework. When Vonnegut’s work is read from a posthumanist perspective, however, the productive paradoxes of his work are more fully realised. Drawing on new materialist, ecocritical, and systems theory methodologies, this book highlights posthumanist themes in six of Vonnegut’s most famous novels and emphasises the ways in which Vonnegut troubles human/non-human, natural/artificial, and material/discursive hierarchical binaries. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 7 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 SECTION ONE Comic Material 32 1 Cat’s Cradle: The Life and Times of Ice-Nine 34 2 Breakfast of Champions: Rebirth Suspended 61 SECTION TWO Environment and Evolution 82 3 Mother Night: A Nation of Two 84 4 Galapagos: Writing on Air 109 SECTION THREE Space and Time 142 5 The Sirens of Titan: Matter That Complains So 144 6 Slaughterhouse-Five: ‘Poo-Tee-Weet?’ 186 Conclusion 225 Works Cited 230 Index 246 Mother,Night:,A,Nation,of,Two;,The,Sirens,of,Titan:,Matter,That,Complains,So Mother Night: A Nation of Two,The Sirens of Titan: Matter That Complains So "Posthumanism in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut: Matter That Complains So re-examines the prevailing critical consensus that Kurt Vonnegut was a humanist writer. While more difficult elements of his work have often been the subject of scholarly attention, the tendency amongst critics writing on Vonnegut is to disavow them, or to subsume them within a liberal humanist framework. When Vonnegut's work is read from a posthumanist perspective, however, the productive paradoxes of his work are more fully realised"-- Provided by publisher Posthumanism in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut: Matter That Complains So draws on New Materialist, Eco-Critical and Systems Theory methodologies to highlight posthumanist themes in six of Vonnegut's most famous novels, challenging the prevailing critical consensus that he was a humanist writer.