Kind of sad to hear of his death. I really liked his writing. He was one of my favorite authors.

Don't know why, but I never read any of his work, altho I've long recognized his name.

Mr. Vonnegut, you were the best writer of 20th Century American literature!

Bummer.. I was a fan. However, John Steinbeck is without question the best writer of 20th Century American literature. Kurt was pretty darn good though.

Steinbeck comes in distantly after Vidal, Faulkner, Hemingway, and Miller.

Hey now... let's NOT forget those other literary giants of the 20th century... Jaquelline Suzanne and Danielle Steele!

I loved "Slaughterhouse Five".

Dont forget Stephen King and Louis L'amour.

Louis L'amour.. read every one and love them. Tell ya what, put three holes in a Sackett and let him crawl off into a cave and get some Bacon and coffie in em and two days later they are healed and your screwed. Plus, "they never, ever... screw the girl" they just ride off into the sunset to find some more bacon and coffie.

Still sticking with Steinbeck as our greatest 20th century writer. Papa was a close second.

I used to read L'amour in 6th grade, that is until I realized that each one was a formulated repeat of the one before. Unfortunately his last & best book, "Last of the Breed" was a dated cold war turd that "could've been" had it not been so indicative of that late 80's coldwar propaganda idiocy--a "Red Dawn" for wilderness fans if you will.
Steinbeck, in my honest opinion is one of the great American Socialist Writers and he runs right up there with Upton Sinclair, but just doesn't quite make the top five.