Slaughterhouse Five is a mostly fictional work about from the mind of somebody that has been impacted by war. Billy Pilgrim has been kidnapped by aliens from Tralfamadore and now must live all life at the same time. The experiences in World War II (especially the Dresden Fire Bombings) are impactful to him. He knows what will happen in his life, but can't change it. The culture of the aliens is different from his. They can't understand some basic concepts of his life, while he can't understand some basic ones of theirs. However, he does live through this all time experience. Things are streaming in and out of his mind. He does meet one of the great science fiction writers (who is pretty much a loser in his life.) He struggles with war, loss, religion and more and a future as a "zoo animal" for aliens. What is real and what is fantasy created by a mind warped by these experiences? Or is this somewhat more truthful? It doesn't really matter. (In an afterward, Vonnegut does mention that he is not Billy Pilgrim - but the character was based on a real life person.)
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