Product Description

The human survivors of the "nature cruise of the century", are quietly evolving into sleek, furry creatures with flippers and small brains. All other forms of humankind have ceased to exist, made redundant by their prized big brains. From the author of "Slaughterhouse 5".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24178 in Books
• Published on: 1994-07-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

Truly excellent - and fun
Once more, Vonnegut uses the genre of Sci-Fi to explore and give insight to the human condition. And he does it in such a way that it is almost but not quite believable and acceptable.

His ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek view (that the size of the human brain is the cause of all our problems, from sex to economics to world peace) doesn't seem either believable OR acceptable until you read the book.

Read it and understand that human intelligence is the cause of all of the ills in the world and when humanity is fully evolved (a million years in the future), we'll be less intelligent yet much happier.

This book is a lot of fun.

A uniquely obsurd view of humanity turned upside-down.
This is the first Kurt Vonnegut book I ever read and is by far the most unique, witty and insightful book that I have come across in many years. The book is narrated by a shipbulider who was decapitated 1 million years before, whos spirit currently resides amongst the only living decendants of mankind who have evolved into small seal like creatures. The story revolves around the last remaining people left to continue the human race after the virtual extinction of mankind. The tragic stories of the individuals brought together for the doomed 'cruise of the century' are pointiently described towards their eventual place in the continuation of the human race. Vonnegut effortlessly exposes the frailties of mankind and the obsurdities of modern civilisations in a way that is very profound and poetic. Anyone unaware of Vonneguts books will soon discover that he has a very unusual (to say the least) perspective on life, which he conveys with ease, writing in a way that makes you think that he believes that everyone thinks this way.

What a great idea!
Great idea for a novel (the human brain has evolved into something too big that can think too much), funny, thought prevoking. One of those books you find yourself thinking about for weeks afterwards.