Timequake

What is the main conflict in Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut?

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Timequake does not follow the typical novel structure. Rather than telling a story in a straightforward manner, Kurt Vonnegut decides that only the good parts should be included. This leads to a novel that is partly science fiction and partly philosophical musings and observations. The science fiction plot is simple. The universe, for some unknown reason, stops expanding for a period of ten years. All the people in the world find themselves back exactly one decade to the day and must repeat exactly what had already happened during the decade. This means that free will is suspended. Cars, trucks, airliners and any other mechanical transportation mode drive themselves without human intervention. People move through the decade on autopilot, but when the timequake ends, trouble begins.