From the acclaimed author of Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, and Timequake comes this new compilation of short fiction, twenty-three previously uncollected stories. These vignettes of American life draw on Kurt Vonnegut's World War Two experiences and the resolute optimism of the country after the war. Together, they present a poignant and humorous portrayal of an America peopled with overzealous high school band directors and their students ("Ambitious Sophomore"), rebellious housewives ("Custom-Made Bride") and boasting salesmen ("Bagombo Snuff Box"), soldiers misplaced during the war ("Der Arme Dolmetscher") and people lost in their own gadget-filled homes ("The Package").

In an era before television, Kurt Vonnegut found a ready and willing audience in the readers of such magazines as Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, Argosy, and Redbook. These rare, rediscovered tales give us a glimpse into a more innocent America -- and into the developing genius of one of the greatest writers of our time.