The Sirens of Titan

Kurt Vonnegut · 1922–2007 · USA

Why it matters

Malachi Constant, the luckiest man in America, is swept to Mars, Mercury, and Titan to learn that his entire life, and all of human history, was stage-managed by a stranded alien messenger in need of a spare part. Vonnegut's debut novel already has the cosmic shrug fully formed.

At a glance

Breezy, plot-forward science fiction, though its cosmic irony rewards a second look.