Since his death in 1996, Tupac Shakur has still managed to release 8 albums.  Here's hoping that Kurt Vonnegut manages to be half as prolific in death.

His first posthumous release, "Armageddon in Retrospect," is a collection of essays and previously unpublished short stories on the subject of war and peace.  As with much posthumously released work, it appears in many cases unfinished and unpolished.  And unlike Tupac, KV can't have Nate Dogg come in and sing the hook while he just gives us a verse or two.  On their own, most of the stories fail to measure up to previously released work. 

Unless you are a Vonnegut completist (which is not a bad thing to be), there are still three reasons to take a look at AiR, which are the first three pieces in the book; none of them are short stories.

The introduction by son Mark is a comical and moving look at the writing habits of Vonnegut by a son who was clearly very influenced by his father as a writer.

The intro is followed by a photographic reproduction of a letter Vonnegut sent to his family after he escaped German capture towards the end of World War II.  His unit was captured when the German's briefly broke through at the Battle of the Bulge, and kept as a prisoner of war.  He eventually found himself hiding in a slaughterhouse during the firebombing of Dresden, which would become the foundation for many of the stories in this volume as well as his masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five.  Vonnegut was only 22 when he escaped capture, but this letter contains the same insight and dark humor he would retain his entire career.

Finally, we are given a transcript from a speech he wrote for the commencement ceremony for Butler University during the Year of Vonnegut in Indianapolis.  The year was 2007 - he would die in April of that year.  The speech was delivered in July at Clowes Hall by his son, Mark.