Kurt Vonnegut, shown in a 1973 file photo, was revered for his ability to combine black comedy with an original imagination. Kurt Vonnegut, shown in a 1973 file photo, was revered for his ability to combine black comedy with an original imagination. (Jill Krementz/Associated Press)

Kurt Vonnegut's longtime publisher will release a sneak preview of a collection of his unpublished stories via e-book.

Two of the short stories will be released in the next few months — Hello Red on Aug. 25 and The Petrified Ants on Sept. 29.

Delacorte Press, which published most of the work of the American humourist, will issue the full collection of his unpublished stories, titled Look at the Birdie, on Oct. 20.

Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse Five and The Sirens of Titan, died in 2007.

Considered one of the U.S.'s greatest anti-war writers, he drew legions of fans with his black comedy and original imagination.

Delacorte worked with annotated versions of the unpublished stories released by Vonnegut's estate to create the new collection.

The full collection will be available via e-book in October. The two stories to be released early will sell for $1.99 US each.

"We haven't done an e-book initiative before, but this material lends itself to this promotion," Kerri Buckley, the book's editor, said in a statement. "Diehard fans will want an early taste, while new readers will be seduced by the individual stories."