The Cat's Cradle is a satirical postmodern novel, with elements of science fiction, by the American writer Kurt Vonnegut.
Vonnegut's fourth novel, first published in 1963, in which the author examines key issues of science, technology, the purpose of religion, and the arms race, often using black humor.
The novel Nevolje sa Tiho was originally published in 1961 and in a sense marks the end of the first phase of Simak's creativity - namely, the one dominated by the "space opera" tradition.