Kurt Vonnegut's reputation as America's funniest and most original satirist was cemented with the success of his 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five. This third volume of the definitive edition of his fiction collects four novels written in the 1970s and '80s, when Vonnegut was at the height of his storytelling powers.

Slapstick (1976) takes the form of the post-apocalyptic memoirs of Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain, architect of a brilliant scheme to rid mankind of loneliness. Jailbird (1979) is a political fable of our time, the biography of a good man who becomes embroiled in several of the worst political scandals of the American Century. Deadeye Dick (1982) depicts a talentless playwright's struggle to atone for the crimes of his youth, and the sins of his country. Galápagos (1985), a favorite of the author's among his books, tells the story of how and why a million years ago—during the global ecological disaster of 1986—humankind embarked on an unlikely evolution.

The volume is rounded out with an assortment of Vonnegut rarities: speeches, essays, and commentary from the period that touch upon the themes, incidents, and particulars of the novels. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation's literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America's best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

The four novels collected in this volume showcase Vonnegut's storytelling prowess in the 1970s and 1980s. Slapstick presents the post-apocalyptic memoirs of Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain, who devises a plan to alleviate human loneliness. Jailbird is a political fable centered on a good man embroiled in national scandals. Deadeye Dick follows a talentless playwright's attempt to atone for his past misdeeds and those of his country. Galápagos, Vonnegut's personal favorite, depicts humanity's unlikely evolutionary path following a global ecological disaster in 1986.

Supplementing these novels are Vonnegut's rare speeches, essays, and commentary from the era, which provide further insights into the themes, incidents, and particulars explored in the fiction. The Library of America, an independent nonprofit dedicated to preserving America's literary heritage, has published this definitive edition, featuring high-quality, long-lasting volumes that showcase the country's most significant writings.

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