Ilium (Kurt Vonnegut)
Encyclopedia
Ilium is a fictitious town in eastern New York
state, used as a setting for many of Kurt Vonnegut
's novels.
The name most likely refers to Troy, New York
("Ilium" was the name the Romans gave to ancient Troy
), although Troy is mentioned as a separate city in Player Piano
. In all other respects, Ilium very closely resembles Schenectady, New York
, with the fictional Iroquois
river standing in for the real Mohawk River
, which flows west-east through Schenectady. The Ilium Works is in roughly the same geographic location as the General Electric
plant in Schenectady, where Vonnegut worked as a public relations writer. Still, the city of Ilium is quite clearly distinct from Schenectady, as characters in Player Piano
, Cat's Cradle
, and Slaughterhouse-Five
refer to Schenectady as a separate place. Though , Schenectady was in a real sense divided into three parts as was mentioned in Player Piano. Schenectady proper Scotia across the Mohawk River and Niskayuna , NY.
Cohoes
, longtime residence of Vonnegut's character Kilgore Trout
, is in the vicinity of Ilium and the towns that inspired it.
In Vonnegut's Galápagos, the character of Mary Hepburn was a High School teacher in Ilium, and in Cat's Cradle, it is the former home of Dr. Felix Hoenikker - one of the fathers of the atomic bomb - and, thus, the town that John visits to interview Dr. Asa Breed, Hoenikker's former supervisor. In Player Piano, it is where most of the action takes place. In Slaughterhouse-Five, it is also the home town of the book's primary protagonist, Billy Pilgrim
.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state, used as a setting for many of Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's novels.
The name most likely refers to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
("Ilium" was the name the Romans gave to ancient Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
), although Troy is mentioned as a separate city in Player Piano
Player Piano
Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first novel, was published in 1952. It is a dystopia of automation and capitalism, describing the dereliction they cause in the quality of life. The...
. In all other respects, Ilium very closely resembles Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, with the fictional Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
river standing in for the real Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
, which flows west-east through Schenectady. The Ilium Works is in roughly the same geographic location as the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
plant in Schenectady, where Vonnegut worked as a public relations writer. Still, the city of Ilium is quite clearly distinct from Schenectady, as characters in Player Piano
Player Piano
Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first novel, was published in 1952. It is a dystopia of automation and capitalism, describing the dereliction they cause in the quality of life. The...
, Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle is the fourth novel by American writer Kurt Vonnegut, first published in 1963. It explores issues of science, technology, and religion, satirizing the arms race and many other targets along the way...
, and Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
refer to Schenectady as a separate place. Though , Schenectady was in a real sense divided into three parts as was mentioned in Player Piano. Schenectady proper Scotia across the Mohawk River and Niskayuna , NY.
Cohoes
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
, longtime residence of Vonnegut's character Kilgore Trout
Kilgore Trout
Kilgore Trout is a fictional character created by author Kurt Vonnegut. He was originally created as a fictionalized version of author Theodore Sturgeon , although Trout's consistent presence in Vonnegut's works has also led critics to view him as the author's own alter ego...
, is in the vicinity of Ilium and the towns that inspired it.
In Vonnegut's Galápagos, the character of Mary Hepburn was a High School teacher in Ilium, and in Cat's Cradle, it is the former home of Dr. Felix Hoenikker - one of the fathers of the atomic bomb - and, thus, the town that John visits to interview Dr. Asa Breed, Hoenikker's former supervisor. In Player Piano, it is where most of the action takes place. In Slaughterhouse-Five, it is also the home town of the book's primary protagonist, Billy Pilgrim
Billy Pilgrim
Billy Pilgrim was an American folk rock duo based in Atlanta, Georgia, comprising Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush. The band's name was taken from the time-traveling anti-hero of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five. The name was adopted in 1994; prior to that the duo simply billed itself as...
.