JEFFREY BROWN:

Kurt Vonnegut's books, a reviewer once wrote, are "like nothing else on Earth." Several generations of readers agreed.

Known for his dark humor and often compared to Mark Twain for his social bite, the mustachioed, chain-smoking Vonnegut created alternate, fantastic worlds for his characters, many based on his own life.

Beginning in 1952 with "Player Piano," Vonnegut wrote 14 novels, including "Cat's Cradle," "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," and "Breakfast of Champions." The last, "Timequake," was published in 1997. He also wrote plays and nonfiction.

Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and served in the Army during World War II. He was held as a prisoner in the German city of Dresden during the allied firebombing of the city in which many thousands were killed. It was an experience that shaped his strong anti-war views.

Vonnegut spoke on the NewsHour on the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.