U.S. literary great Kurt Vonnegut dies

NEW YORK, April 12 (UPI) -- Kurt Vonnegut Jr., whose novels such as "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat's Cradle" resonated with a generation, has died in New York at the age of 84.

Vonnegut died Wednesday from lingering effects of brain injuries he suffered when he fell several weeks ago, The New York Times said Thursday. His son, Mark, had been scheduled to appear for the elder Vonnegut at speaking engagements around the country during his recuperation.

Vonnegut's 14 novels, whether an early work such as "Sirens of Titans" or a later book like "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" achieved near-classic status within the American counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s.

Vonnegut's witnessing of the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, during World War II led to his seminal "Slaughterhouse-Five."

He also wrote essays, short fiction and plays, such as the off-Broadway production of "Happy Birthday, Wanda June."

By combining science fiction, dark humor and philosophy with his keen writing, Vonnegut was able to take on the idiosyncrasies of organized religion or the culture of consumerism, or paint a chaotic picture about the destruction of the environment or the redemption of society.

In 1997, Vonnegut published his last work, "Timequake."