Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle is a satirical science fiction novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut. It was published in 1963.

Cat's Cradle

Author	Kurt Vonnegut
Language	English
Genre	Science fiction, satire
Published	1963
ISBN	0-385-33348-X

Plot

The book's narrator is writing a book called The Day the World Ended about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He talks to Newt Hoenikker, whose father Felix helped make the atomic bomb. He learns that Felix also made ice-nine, a type of water that causes freezing of nearby water.

A magazine company tells the narrator to go to the island of San Lorenzo. On the plane ride there, he learns about Bokononism, a religion created on the island. The narrator meets the island's dictator "Papa" Monzano. Monzano has cancer, and chooses Felix Hoenikker's son Frank to be the next dictator. Frank declines, and chooses the narrator instead.

Monzano kills himself by eating some ice-nine given to him by Frank. The island has an air show to celebrate the narrator's inauguration. One of the planes crashes into the palace, and Monzano's body falls into the sea. This causes the ice-nine he ate to freeze all the world's oceans. This destroys the environment and causes mass extinction.

The narrator survives in a bunker and later comes out to find most people dead. He eventually finds Bokonon, the founder of Bokononism. The book ends as Bokonon finishes his religious book and talks about human stupidity.