# General > Book & Author Requests >  No Kurt Vonnegut?

## drunkenKOALA

There is no forum for Kurt Vonnegut? How come?

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## Statistic

Due to copyright law, works published after 1923 can't be posted on this site, so no Vonnegut books, no Vonnegut forum. At least I think that's why.

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## Niamh

yes that is more or less the reason.  :Nod:  the general literature area is here for that purpose of discussing everyone else.

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## drunkenKOALA

I just checked. There is no Hemmingway? But there is Orwell--was 1984 published before 1923? 

Anyways, can't we have forums for discussion without posting the works?

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## JBI

Orwell gave away his own copyrights. Those discussions are meant for this forum, though why anyone would want to discuss Vonnegut... I guess he just isn't my thing.

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## Chester

"Harrison Bergeron" stands as one of my all-time favorite short stories.

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## Trystan

> though why anyone would want to discuss Vonnegut...


Because he's clearly one of the best post-war American authors.

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## PabloQ

I don't think 1923 is a magic number; I think it has to do with the rights to certain author's body of work or certain works. It has to with who owns the rights and whether the works are considered to be in the public domain. For instance, I believe Scribners and Sons own the rights to Hemingway's works and their exclusive publishing rights would prohibit publishing on the Internet.
So let's clear one thing up instead. Is this thread to discuss Vonnegut's works or to discuss why his and other author's works aren't available on the network.
As you can tell from my signature, I have a preference.

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## Niamh

Pablo, if you look over the forum rules, and most of the book requests, please read before posting threads e.t.c. you will find that it IS mainly to do with the copyright laws of 1923, and that nearly all the works (Orwell being an obvious exception) available on the site were published pre 1923. :Smile:  
I think this more for less answers the OP's question as to way there is no Kurt Vonnegut forum on the site. If he wants to discuss Kurt Vonnegut, there have already been a few threads in the General literature forum, which can be found via the search forum function.

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## PeterL

Basically, copyright protection extends for 75 years after the death of the author. That's where 1923 comes from now. There are exceptions. For example, until some time in the 1970's copyrights had to be renewed every so many years, and some works were not renewed for whatever reason. That's why That Jimmy Stewart is shown so often; someone forgot to renew the copyright, so it became public domain. Most of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft also entered the public domain in the same wy; his literary executor neglected the renewals.

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## drunkenKOALA

> "Harrison Bergeron" stands as one of my all-time favorite short stories.


lol damn that's Kurt Vonnegut? I remember reading that.

I am reading slaughterhouse five right now, and am interested in reading some discussions on it. 

I don't see how not posting the _works_  affects the site's right and ability to host a _forum_. A self-imposed rule of no posted works, no forum? Doesn't that strike a bit odd to anybody?




> Orwell gave away his own copyrights. Those discussions are meant for this forum, though why anyone would want to discuss Vonnegut... I guess he just isn't my thing.


The thing with him is, he actually talks like that, from what I read of his speeches, interviews. So it's more like him talking, or writing a free form journal, than him writing a story--he probably isn't even trying to, or doesn't care. 

Slaughterhouse Five is really sarcastic, and I find some parts of it funny. It's just Vonnegut talking about "random" **** and being sarcastic. The irrelevant and unrelated stuff he spews in his works is part of the sarcasm, I think.

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## Statistic

H.P. Lovecraft stuff is legal to post on this site???!!! Ooooh! Ooooh!

Oh, but I guess that'd be too much to ask of the, um... _literary_ folks around here *sigh*

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## motherhubbard

> I don't think 1923 is a magic number;


Pablo- three is the magic number
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11N-BD1aBo0

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## slobone

I'm a newbie here, but I'm surprised to find out that an author can't have a forum unless his works are also made available there. I guess that explains why there's no Waugh forum.

So I guess for Vonnegut -- start a thread. But threads disappear, forums (fora?) don't.

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## Logos

Oh, where to begin... :Tongue:  

George Orwell's literary estate is managed by A. M. Heath. His works *are* copyright protected in the United States of America and elsewhere.

As far as *why* some authors do not _currently_, or might not ever, have their own sub-discussion forum is explained in the below-linked thread  :Smile: 

http://www.online-literature.com/for...d.php?p=378962

--

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## Lily Adams

I was wondering this very same thing. He is amazing. Oh well...

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