The Wreck of the Titan

by Morgan Robertson, Sam Leith (Foreword)

Once seen as a prediction of the sinking of the Titanic , this novella was written 14 years before that ill-fated event of 1912—now, on the centenary anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, the striking similarities can be examined again in this new edition



John Rowland, a disgraced former Royal Navy lieutenant, has taken employment as a lowly deck hand aboard the largest ship ever to have sailed, the Titan . One night in deep fog, the ship strikes a gigantic iceberg and sinks almost immediately. Written 14 years before the Titanic's sinking, this novella has been hailed in equal measures as a prophetic work and the work of pure coincidence. Certainly the similarities are two unsinkable ships steam ahead in treacherous conditions, carrying privileged passengers, with insufficient lifeboats aboard.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Adventure, Historical, Novels

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

Morgan Andrew Robertson (1861 - 1915) was an American author of short stories and novels, as well as the self-proclaimed inventor of the periscope.

He is best remembered today as the author of Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan , an 1898 disaster novel noted for its similarities to the sinking of RMS Titanic fourteen years later.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated 23/06/2023: Bumping this review again because people don't learn a thing from either fact or fiction and keep tempting fate by both naming a submersible "Titan" and skipping on safety & precautionary measures.
__________________________

I am shocked at how similar this 1898 novella is to the sinking of the Titanic! Either the author inherited Jules Verne's crystal ball or this is the biggest coincidence ever. I'll have to do a bit of research on what proof there is for the publication date being fourteen years prior to the Titanic's disaster, because the coincidences, from the name of the ships to the lack of enough lifeboats to ramming a ship before colliding into an iceberg are just too much to digest without looking further into all this.

As for the story, it was nice. I think it'd make for a good Titanic II type of film, especially as it has what the mostly romantic-focused plot of the original film with Winslet and DiCaprio lacked. There's even an insurance fraud side plot that's sure to refloat (har!) the conspiracy theories about that being the case with the Titanic. There's survival drama, human pettiness, on ship rivalries and backstabbing, squabbling over who's to blame for the sinking and who's to pay for it, sailor heroics, and even a wee bit of romance, all of which more than compensate for the writing itself, which isn't so good.

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a work of fiction. I say that because it has an eerie similarity to the story of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. But this story was written in 1898, 14 years before the real disaster. Similarities like the name, Titan. 3,000 people on board, not enough lifeboats, traveling to fast for the conditions, striking an iceberg. It's almost like Robertson took a peek into the future and gave them a warning.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

WARNING: Here there be unmarked spoilers!

I thought this would be really interesting and mysteriously spooky as a predictor of the Titanic disaster that occurred years after the publication of this book. However, this is just a so-so mystery/courtroom drama about redemption of one of the main characters where the sinking of the ship is an afterthought to the main storyline. If I wasn’t going in with bigger expectations for the shipwreck being the key event of the story, I may not have minded its barely being included.

Note: This novella was published as “Futility” and not changed to “The Wreck of the Titan” until right after the Titanic sunk. Talk about cashing in on a tragedy.

Learning about the pitiful life of John Rowland and watching him dig his way out of the hole of his tragic past is interesting and worth giving a shot. But, SERIOUSLY, the ship and it’s sinking are very minor characters/events so PLEASE do not go in expecting anything like the last two hours of the movie Titanic with action and drama as the ship slowly sinks into icy waters. If you go in expecting any more than a couple of pages related to the ship’s sinking, I guarantee disappointment.

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my video where I talk about the eerie comparisons to the Titanic sinking that happened 14 years AFTER this book was originally published: https://youtu.be/-ipPQ24h0XQ

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story about an unsinkable ship that hits an iceberg and sinks. You might have some knowledge about something like that happening in real life. That is how this short story is trying to sell itself. It was written years before the tragedy of the Titanic and how this fictional work has some eerie similarities to the tragedy.

I would say this short story is told in two parts. The first part is the incident of the ship hitting the iceberg. I will admit there are some similarities to the actual event. I don't know if I would say they are strong enough that they were predictions of something to come. I was really interested in the first half and discovering the similarities. I do find that stuff kind of eerie. Unfortunately the "eerie" factor never truly materialized in this story. That being said I was giving this a four star rating up to this point. The second half turns out to be a courtroom drama that is over so quickly that if you blink you might miss it. This missed the mark for me and why I had to lower my rating.

This was an interesting read and I am glad that I read it. I liked it but I think I was expecting something else. Something where fictional events mimicked actual events events and freak me out. This book never really achieved that even with its loose connections to the actual tragedy.

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been interested in the Titanic for as long as I can remember I had often heard of this story and the uncanny similarities between the Titan and the Titanic. It was only recently that I actually got hold of this book and read it though.

And let me say that I think it's almost a shame that this story will forever be linked to the sinking of the Titanic instead of being known for it's own merits. Because this is a very entertaining story.

So there are a few similarities between the Titan and the Titanic: there are many more differences. Futility is a suspenseful story with dark conspiracies, lost love, survival and it has a man fighting a polar bear!

I had expected to be awed by the similarities, instead I was grabbed by the adventurous tale of a man down on his luck who then has to fight for his life against impossible odds. I found myself cheering the hero on and hoping that his struggles wouldn't turn out to be futile as the title of this book suggests.

The writing is a bit dated of course and there are some serious info dumps at the start, but all in all it's an easy, pleasant read.

I will most certainly reread this unexpected little gem in the future and can advice anyone who loves a good suspenseful story to read it as well.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years I have heard about this book. Many say this fictional tale about the sinking of a great ship, the Titan, mirrors the wreck of the Titanic in 1912. This fact is astounding because the book was written in 1898, 14 years before the Titanic sank after striking an iceberg. Robertson said the similarities were not because of clairvoyance on his part, but due to his knowledge of sailing and ship building trends.

The book was re-released in 1912 following the Titanic sinking, causing some to say Robertson was cashing in on the disaster. There were a few minor changes made in the 1912 re-print. For example, the weight of the Titan was increased in the 1912 version to better match the size of the Titanic. But, large changes in plot were not made. The coincidences between the fictionalized story of the Titan and the real life sinking of the Titanic are eerie. Both ships are British and quite opulent. Both sank in April in the Northern Atlantic after striking an iceberg on the starboard side. Both sank near midnight and had too few lifeboats. One notable difference: The fictional Titan only had 13 survivors, whereas 705 passengers aboard the Titanic survived the accident.

Despite being intrigued by the rumors surrounding this book for years, I never took time to actually read it.

Until now. And I'm so glad I did!

Of course, the language and writing style is dated, but Futility is still an enjoyable read. The book is short and a quick, exciting read. Despite the many similarities to the Titanic disaster, I think this is a wonderful adventure story that should be judged on its own merits.

The basics: John Rowland is a sailor down on his luck. He was demoted from an officer's position due to drinking and is sailing on the Titan as a common sailor. The ship is sailing from America to Ireland. On the first night at sea, the ship strikes another vessel, cutting it in two. Taking little to no damage herself, the Titan continues on its way, not stopping to attempt to save anyone from the sinking vessel. Officers on the Titan immediately start damage control.....looking for anyone who might have seen the accident and bribing (or threatening) them into silence. Rowland refuses to be bribed and says he will report the actions of the officers as soon as they reach port. The officers plan to discredit him before they reach port given his history of drunkenness. However, before they can attempt more than drugging the man into a stupor, the ship violently strikes an iceberg, listing and sinking almost immediately. Only 13 people make it off the ship alive. Rowland is stranded on the iceberg with a little girl, the daughter of a former love interest of his who happened to be a passenger on the Titan with her husband. Rowland braves a polar bear attack and extreme cold while stranded at sea -- and wily attorneys, stock holders, insurance companies, and even reporters after they are rescued. What an exciting story! The antiquated, larger than life, adventure story style Robertson uses to weave his tale reminds me a lot of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan books. While I was doing some research before writing this review, I found out that Burroughs was actually inspired by Robertson's writings! :)

So, although the story is similar to the Titanic disaster, most of it is completely different. It is still eerie that the ships are so alike. But as Robertson stated himself, it isn't because of anything supernatural but just a coincidence stemming from his knowledge of shipping, trends in shipbuilding and sailing. Read this story for the joy of adventure and the sea, not from a need to relate it to the Titanic disaster.

As in most larger-than-life old school adventure tales, this story is not realistic. I don't believe anyone on a ship would be oblivious to the fact it collided with another vessel, cutting it in half. The story relates that most of the passengers were asleep and not awakened. Not possible. The iceberg that Rowland and the little girl are stranded on seems to be huge....much larger than possible, really. And I doubt a polar bear would be on an iceberg 900 miles off the American coast, but I could be wrong. I'm not a polar bear or iceberg expert. In this instance, I just chose to suspend reality and go with the flow. It's a very testosterone-y, macho, man-against-the-elements-and-evil-assholes kind of story.....and if Robertson wanted a polar bear to be on a huge freakin' iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic, then so be it. I'm all for it! Sometimes you just have to enjoy the adventure and forget about how things really work. :)

As it is in the public domain after nearly 120 years, the full text of the novel (and also the book The Pirates, also by Robertson) is available for free online here: https://archive.org/details/wrecktita... Look for the Download Options heading and pick what format you'd like to use. I loaded a copy onto my Kindle App on my Iphone and PC quite easily. There are many websites that list the similarities between the two ships, information on Robertson, and about the construction and sinking of the Titanic. I found a nice comparison of the book to the Titanic sinking here: http://www.historyonthenet.com/the-ti... . There are also some nice links to Titanic facts at the bottom of that page.

Robertson wrote more than 100 books and short stories before his death in 1915. Unfortunately, most people are only familiar with Futility. After reading this one story, I'm going to find more by this author and enjoy some more adventures! The Grain Ship and Where Angels Fear To Tread & Other Stories Of The Sea are available for free through Project Gutenberg.

[iris [updating reviews] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor Rowland really suffered.

[Anjalique · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this review I will discuss two things: 1) The story of the Titan as it relates to the wreck of the Titanic and 2) This 1994 reprint, and the author's actual writing skill, on their own merits.

1) Yes, this book was added to my "Titanic" bookshelf collection because of the similarities between the fictional and actual wrecks. I've done a bit of reading online about the original 1898 edition, and from what I gather, the following changes were made to most subsequent printings (beginning in the year of the "Titanic" disaster, 1912) to create more similarities between ships: The gross tonnage, the amount of water displacement, horsepower, the use of the word 'unsinkable,’ and the changing of the title "Futility" to "Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan." Also, subsequent printings are said to have given the story a happier "Hollywood"-type ending.

2) I have a 1994 edition that was printed by Buccaneer. I was disappointed to discover that "Futility" was only one short story amongst four short stories in this volume, the others being "The Pirates"/"Beyond the Spectrum"/"In the Valley of the Shadow."

"Futility": Despite its short length, I enjoyed this story and thought the writing was well-done (if the actual events a bit fantastical). Being an atheist myself, I was pleasantly surprised to read large sections of 'flow of consciousness' from the protagonist, who also identifies as atheist. His musings were intelligent and interesting, and he addressed the fact that even an atheist may encounter such desperate circumstances that it would be tempting to turn to "God" for help or deliverance.

If I had read only this story, and without the meddling alterations (which I had originally thought to have been made by the author, but have come to believe were the responsibility of zealous editors), I would have given it four stars.

"The Pirates": Because "Futility" was so brief, I kept expecting this story to end much sooner than it actually did. For that fact, I felt that it dragged on and on. And once again, the author has a penchant for almost ridiculous, fantastical coincidences.

"Beyond the Spectrum": Actually a very interesting concept for a novel, but because it was so undeveloped, I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

"In the Valley of the Shadow": Not only undeveloped, but laugh-out-loud melodramatic. Reads like an extremely rough draft of what ought to have been a 300-page novel, but only took me about fifteen minutes to read.

As I stated above, I would have given "Futility" itself four stars, but each subsequent novella following was worse and worse, until I came to the final decision of only two stars for the entire volume.

[moi, k.y.a. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tanrı'nın bile batıramayacağı gemi sloganıyla yola çıkan RMS Titanic 15 Nisan 1912'de, Kuzey Atlantik'te, gemi saatiyle 23.29'da buz dağına çarparak batmasına kadar giden facianın ilk adımı atıldı.
Kayıpların hepsi ihmalkârlık -bknz: gemiye yerleştirilmiş filika sayısı- nedeniyle verildiği için komplo severlerin eline bol malzeme veren bir olaydır. Evet, ben de onlardan biriyim o yüzden bol bol bunları okudum.



Kitap ise bu olaylardan 14 yıl önce yazılmış olup hayret verici benzerliklere yer verir. Elbette baştan aşağıya aynı değil ancak benzediği yerleri de insanı tuhaf bir şekilde heyecanlandırıyor.

Robertson'ın kitaptaki gemisine "batmaz" demesi, geminin adının Titan oluşu ve batış nedeni, filika eksikliği gibi noktalar vardı. Onun dışında hoş bir kitaptı ama benim aklım hâlâ ve hâlâ o teorilerde. :-D
Hele hele yazarın Titanik'in batışından iki yıl sonra ölmüş olması ve hiçbir röportajı-konuşması olmadığı için aklımı kurcalıyor. Çünkü birkaç yerde yazarın ölüm nedeni olarak zehirlenme ihtimaline değiniliyor.
Bir de yanlış anlamadıysam kitap 1997'de halka açılmış ve benim bulduğum orijinal baskı tarihinden sonra en eskisi 1998 yılına ait. Yani yasaklı gibi bir şeymiş kitap.
Neyse, bir gün tüm soruların cevabı ortaya çıkar diye umuyorum.

Bunun üzerine de bir Titanic izlerim ben. ;-)

[Tabuyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me fijé en este libro por narrar, 14 años antes, lo que le ocurriría al Titanic.

Es una historia muy cortita de poco más de 100 páginas y la he disfrutado muchísimo.

Creía que se iba a centrar en el viaje y naufragio del Titán pero por desgracia el hundimiento se produce bastante pronto.
Mas de la mitad de la historia trata el después, tanto del protagonista como de los accionistas del barco y de las aseguradoras.

[Alexandria Brim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the story of the grandest ocean liner to sail the Atlantic. She sails fast through the cold water on her maiden voyage. On a clear night, she ends up hitting an iceberg and sinking. Only a few people make it to the lifeboats and there is a great loss of life.

Sound familiar? The story was published in 1898, fourteen years before the Titanic sailed (and sank). After the Titanic disaster, this story was added to all those "spooky coincidences" list. But when you read the story, it's not an exact account. In fact, the story more resembles the Poseidon Adventure. This is really John Rowland's story.

Who is John Rowland? He is a naval officer who has let his vices get the better of him to the point he is a deckhand on the Titan. Prior to the start of the story, he had been courting a young woman named Myra. But his vices and atheism drove her away. We learn all of this in a clunky infodump. Myra is aboard the Titan. She freaks when she sees her former suitor, scooping up her daughter (also named Myra) and rushing to tell this all to her husband. Myra the Mother is convinced that Rowland is stalking her and wishes to get back at her by kidnapping Myra the daughter.

Myra the Mother is a bit self-absorbed. Okay, she's very self-absorbed and paranoid. It's hard to see why Rowland was interested in her in the first place. I assume the alcohol and her money must've played a big role in it. She's not a great example of a woman character and is the only one in the story. Even compared to other women in literature around this time, she is a rather poorly developed and dislikable character.

Meanwhile, Rowland is soon mixed up in fishy business with the officers. He witnessed the ship—ordered to go at full speed—slice a smaller ship in two, killing crew members aboard the other ship. The captain and his officers agree to cover it up, deny it ever happened. At first, they aren't too villainy—just towing the company line and acting in their best interests. But Rowland balks, feeling they should take responsibility. And here the captain and his officers go from self-preserving villains to mustache-twirling ones.

They decide to use his vices against him--his drinking, namely. Who is going to trust the word of a drunk? Especially one also taking drugs! Yes, they drug him so he's hallucinating. And Myra the Mother helps them with her paranoia. She catches Rowland teasing her daughter, saying he'll toss her overboard in a playful manner. Myra the Mother accuses Rowland of attempted murder. For some reason, they decide to keep drugging Rowland and keep him on watch so that there are witnesses to his behavior. Since the boat is considered safe, this doesn't strike them as dangerous but it is as the boat strikes an iceberg that Rowland begins to trip.

Here is where Titan's fate is different than the Titanic's. Titanic sank straight down (for the most part) for over 2 hours. The Titan capsizes, preventing most passengers from getting to the lifeboats. Myra the Mother manages to do so though she is separated from her husband and daughter. Rowland leapt from the sinking ship onto a passing iceberg. He also fishes Myra the Daughter from the water and despite the drugs in his system, keeps the both of them safe.

The time spent on the iceberg goes into "highly unbelievable" territory. At first, it's a great survivalist piece...until the polar bear shows up. I think Mr. Robertson mistook an iceberg for a glacier or even the polar ice caps. It was an exciting piece of writing and it made a hero of Rowland, but even I was wondering where the polar bear was hiding on the iceberg.

There is a happy ending--Rowland is hailed as a hero and the Myras are reunited. It is implied that Rowland is to reunite with Myra the Mother as well but I hope not. He deserves better than that shrieking harpy.

The story is an interesting study. It probably wouldn't pass muster today but is the example of what people thought of writing back in the latter part of the 19th century. Today, Robertson would be told he was telling too much and should try to show. He also tends to infodump a lot—throwing a lot of backstory out in a somewhat unnatural way. I suggest it for people who wish to experience older writing and how it has changed.

[Lectora Empedernida · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 🌟

A esta historia llegué debido a que es famosa por narrar una tragedia muy similar al naufragio del Titanic, con la extrañeza de que fue escrita 14 años antes de ese suceso. Ciertamente, nos habla de un transatlántico, el Titán, "era el barco más grande del mundo que surcara los mares y la más fabulosa máquina creada por el hombre" con unos datos y descripciones bastante similares a las del Titanic, y sí, también choca con un iceberg en pleno Atlántico...

Pero esta historia es más, no solo se centra en el Titán, se centra en Rowland, protagonista que conocemos en un momento no muy afortunado, el cual perdió su rumbo al enamorarse de una mujer que no sentía lo mismo por él, que cae y acaba embarcado con un bajo rango en el Titán; en este barco se reencuentra con esta mujer casada y con una hija y veremos cómo se da dicho reencuentro. También seremos partícipes de los tejemanejes del capitán y del oficial del barco, de los acontecimientos que ocurren más allá del choque con el iceberg y cómo tras dicho choque, nuestro protagonista tendrá que luchar por la supervivencia.

Me ha gustado Rowland, sus reflexiones y su crecimiento personal que se observa a lo largo de la novela... He disfrutado de esta novela corta, que sí que tiene cierta conexión con el Titanic, pero no todo es tan idéntico como dicen así que no solo hay que quedarse con eso o leerla únicamente por este motivo, esta novelita es algo más. Y me ha merecido la pena su lectura, se me ha hecho amena y se lee en un ratito.

[Sol M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

“El naufragio del Titán” nos cuenta la historia del transatlántico más moderno de su época, hecho con los mejores materiales, manejado por los mejores oficiales y declarado prácticamente insumergible. Razón por la cual no llevaba suficientes botes salvavidas para la cantidad de pasajeros que había.

¿Suena a una adaptación del Titanic?¿No?. Lo interesante de este libro es que se publicó 14 años antes del hundimiento del Titanic.

Además del barco, la historia se centra en un marinero perdido y borracho enamorado de una mujer que también viaja en el barco, y que al momento del naufragio se ve obligado a cuidar a la hija de esta y mantenerla con vida.

Es un libro breve, que intenta tocar varios temas, pero que no termina de desarrollar ninguno, aún así, en parte me gustó, lo leí por pura curiosidad y cumplió.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The similarities between this book and the Titanic sinking are eerie. The story of Rowland is fascinating but too short.

[G.G. Melies · Rating 3 out of 5]

¡Wow! Podemos decir que el destino hizo copycat con este libro. Las casualidades son demasiadas.
Se trata de un libro escrito catorce años antes del hundimiento del Titanic. En esta historia el barco se llama Titán, y se hunde frente a las costas de Terranova por chocar contra un iceberg. Por supuesto, no existían suficientes botes salvavidas, a pesar de ser el barco más grande, inhundible y recién inaugurado. Una visión espantosa del futuro próximo. No creo que en la literatura haya escrito algo tan profético y preciso.
Bien escrito, bien narrado y entretenido. Vale la pena.

P.D.: Junio de 2023. Otra vez se vuelve profético con la implosión del sumergible Titán.

amazon.com/author/ggmelies

[Jelena Nemet · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Before Rowland could reply a shout from the crow’s-nest split the air. “Ice,” yelled the lookout; “ice ahead. Iceberg. Right under the bows.” The first officer ran amidships, and the captain, who had remained there, sprang to the engine-room telegraph, and this time the lever was turned. But in five seconds the bow of the Titan began to lift, and ahead, and on either hand, could be seen, through the fog, a field ofice, which arose in an incline to a hundred feet high in her track. The music in the theater ceased, and among the babel of shouts and cries, and the deafening noise of steel, scraping and crashing over ice, Rowland heard the agonized voice of a woman crying from the bridge steps: “Myra—Myra, where are you? Come back.”

[Adam Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

When disenfranchised atheist, John Rowland, takes a job as a sailor on the largest steamship ever constructed, the unsinkable Titan, all he cares about is getting a whiskey at the end of the day, but when the massive Titan sinks another ship and the captain demands his silence, Rowland elects to do what's right and speak out as soon as the ship reaches land. Irritated at his refusal, the captain and his officers turn their attention to discrediting Rowland only for the Titan collide with an iceberg and sink. Now stranded on an iceberg with the daughter of the woman he once loved, Rowland must find a way beyond his doubts and find a way to survive.

Coincidence. The world we live in is an astonishing and infinitely complex machine. Sometimes strange and unlikely things happen. We usually don't notice them until long after the fact. This book is one of them. Written fourteen years before the disaster of the Titanic, Wreck of the Titan has some scarily similar parallels that have not gone unnoticed. Details that are so close that you begin to question how such a thing is possible. However, the focus of this story has very little to do with the Titan itself. The details might be the same (down to the number in places), but very little else is the same. There are probably thousands of books like this with the only exception being that events happened to align in such a way that people took notice. If the events of the Titanic had taken a different path this book would have remained forgotten. Who knows what other stories exist that are there but for the grace of god?

This story is a mess. It feels more like a fever dream than a narrative. From everything I'd heard about it, I was expecting this story to detail the actual sinking of the Titan, but the sinking itself was only a three paragraph entry that was confusing and over as soon as it started. The Titan held very little importance, more emphasis was placed on the Royal Age, the ship sunk by accident at the beginning of the story. No real mention is given to the Titan or the people who died. Rowland is the only character who gets any characterization. Many others don't even get names.

I get the feeling that the coincidences (and there are many) have been overhyped and blown out of proportion. Of course, the similarities will be impressive if you ignore every other thing in the story. If the story had been about the sinking, I might have agreed, but it isn't. It's about an atheist who keeps having bad things happen to him. Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence, but what I am left asking is why the writer created the Titan in the first place, it seems out of place compared to the rest of the story. Almost like he heard the story secondhand and decided to write from there.

Freaky coincidence, but not as much as I thought it'd be.

***Reading Challenge 2015: A book more than 100 years old***

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written 14 years before the Titanic went on her fatal maiden voyage, 'Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan' was published in 1898 as a novella. The author, Morgan Robertson was called 'a clairvoyant' for the work, though he denied it.

However, the similarities between the Titan and the Titanic go far beyond their names and fatal icebergs. The length of the Titan was 800 feet, the Titanic 882 feet. The speed at which the Titan crashed into the iceberg was 25 knots, while the Titanic’s was 22.5. The Titan held 2,500 passengers, whereas the Titanic held 2,200, yet both had a capacity of 3,000 passengers. Both ships were British owned. Both ships were hit on their starboard bow, both around midnight. Both sank in the North Atlantic precisely 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland. Both had a severe lack of lifeboats, the Titan holding 24, and Titanic carrying just 20. Both had a triple screw propeller. Robertson's work was truly prophetic.

But Robertson's novella was also prophetic in a different way, one that is almost completely unknown. It showed almost 100 years before the overacting and terrible dialogue of James Cameron's movie 'Titanic'. It was able to accomplish this by inserting it's own dialogue worthy of being printed on toilet paper, while maintaining a plot that is so ridiculous, it is almost laughable. Here is one of those torturous dialogues before mentioned:

"What ails me?" He gasped. "I feel as though I have swallowed hot coals. And my head! And my eyes! I can't see!" The pain left him in a moment and the laughter returned. "What's wrong with the starboard anchor? It's moving! It's changing! It's a-what? What on earth is it? On end, and the windlass, and the spare anchors, and the davits - all alive and moving!" 

This torturous dialogue runs throughout the book. The plot is just the same. Our antihero, drunkard John Rowland is poisoned aboard the Titan, escapes the sinking ship, finds himself on the very iceberg that sank the mega steamer, brings a polar bear to a knife fight and kills it, saves a little girl in the process, only to have the mother, whom Rowland loves madly, throw the man in jail for kidnapping. I'm surprised soap operas haven't picked this plot up to run daytime specials! Sadly, Cary Grant's screams on the rope bridge in 'Gunga Din' were more believable than any of this occuring.

Being the book that prophesied the worst maritime disaster in history, I admit I had high hopes for this novella. However, the book was simply not able to deliver a coherent sentence, (let alone good writing skills, character development, or an engaging plot) and sounded much like a speech given by the 46th President.

[Marceline · Rating 3 out of 5]

14 years before the tragic sinking of the Titanic, this eerily similar yarn was spun and published. The similarities are clear: An April night, the largest ship of its time, the newspapers calling it an unsinkable ship, going faster than it should have been, an iceberg, a significant loss of life, not enough lifeboats, and a close name of the ship.

But the actual events of this book remind me more of other tragic losses of ships during this time period such as the Empress of Ireland, the Atlantic, and the Lusitania. Yes, the iceberg plays a large part, but the Titan hits her head on, somehow runs aground of her, then rolls off, killing most inside-- reminds me so much of the SS Atlantic that rolled on rocks. When the ship rolls/slides off, half the lifeboats are disabled-- reminds me of the Lusitania where half her lifeboats were disabled because they would not be launchable without them tipping over... the very, very quick sinking-- the Empress of Ireland and the Lusitania again.

The characters are most detestable in this, you have a captain choosing to cover up the fact they "sliced" a ship in half and left it to sink with all on board, you have that same captain looking up drugs to smear the reputation of a member of his crew because he cannot be bribed to keep silent. You have some of the officers going along with it to save their hides. You have that crew member dangling a small child over the rails and threatening to drop her for... fun? Throw in a random polar bear fight that makes literally no sense to put in other than for some action. But hey, at least the ending was nice and that crew member with the conscience was able to turn his life around.

So the question is, did this predict the events of the Titanic? I'm gonna say no, not really. When you take into account the number of tragic disasters of ships around this time, and leading UP to this time period, and the fact that ships were growing larger, and faster, and companies were pushing for faster speeds on transatlantic crossings, he wrote a story about something that could plausibly happen. Eerily similar? Yes. A deadly premonition or prediction? Nope.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The overshadowing theme of James Rowland as a Christ figure is shown throughout the book: it was the love of a little child who saw it best, the true agape this man shared with the her. It took the pure heart of a little child to bring about Mr Rowland’s change from seeking a lost love for himself and for helping one whose life was solely dependent on him.
He never sought accolades for himself; his goal was obviously to impress Mrs. Selfridge, but he became more about impressing himself in showing just how far he would go to keep little Myra safe.
I truly believe in Myra he found
a reason to survive and had it not been for her he would have surely perished in that shipwreck. The superhuman strength he possessed to overcome every seemingly insurmountable challenge must have been possible by that adrenaline we hear of in crises - e.g. the woman who lifts a car off her child. Whether this is purely a chemical reaction or a gift from the divine, it doesn’t need defining in order to appreciate it.

He risked it all to tell the truth about the boat the Titan collided with. This is a subplot but gives us more insight into the extraordinary fortitude of character James Rowland possessed. Much like the little birds who are able to fly out of the nest well before they risk it- our hero already had everything he needed to do the right thing. He had The Right Stuff, as do each of us.
If this man can do what he did, what do I possess, already within me, to succeed in overcoming my personal obstacles.

I would love to know what happened at the end of the book and wish Mr. Robertson would have written a Part 2 to this story. I prefer a concrete ending to a book, rather than one that leaves it open to interpretation.

[Eos BookCar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questa breve novella, non ha tratto ispirazione per la sua stesura dal naufragio più famoso della storia, anzi, è stata pubblicata nel 1898...ben 14 anni prima di quella tremenda notte di aprile del 1912.
La nave del racconto, oltre ad avere il nome simile, lo è anche in alcuni particolari (collisione con un iceberg compreso), non mi è piaciuto molto che il susseguirsi degli eventi sembra quasi scritto di corsa, poche descrizioni, e personaggi poco delineati se non alcuni quasi accennati, resta comunque una lettura che può incuriosire soprattutto i fans della nave "inaffondabile".

[Takoneando entre libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

El libro hay que leerlo en principio como una mera curiosidad por lo que ya sabemos de la sinopsis. Qué fue escrito 14 años antes del naufragio del Titanic y que son muchísimas las similitudes que hay en la novela con respecto al desastre marítimo real.
Pero hay más, la trama que rodea la historia me ha resultado muy interesante... aunque sea todo un folletín como entonces se estilaba y que esté llena de clichés. Me ha resultado muy interesante cómo describe el barco, la jerarquía de los oficiales y en particular me he quedado enganchada con el tema de las aseguradoras y las cláusulas en las pólizas marítimas. Y lo que me ha encantado ha sido descubrir en internet la historia del gran emporio que es Lloyd's en Londres y la fascinante historia que tiene detrás.
¿Recomendaría esta novela? Pues sí, como una mera curiosidad premonitoria, está bien, como novela folletinesca cumple de sobra, pero yo le he sacado mucho jugo también al buscar información sobre cositas que iba leyendo (es una maldición, la verdad).
Y está bastante bien escrita por un señor que sabía de lo que hablaba ya que fue oficial de la marina mercante.

[Sylvia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sinopsis:
La historia trata sobre el transatlántico Titán y su hundimiento, el cual guarda muchas similitudes con el transatlántico Titanic, que se hundiría catorce años después. "En 1898 un palacio flotante zarpó desde Southhampton para cruzar el Atlántico. Era el crucero más grande y lujoso jamás construido, y sus pasajeros eran los mas distinguidos miembros de la burguesía mundial. Era descrito como inundible, pero estaba destinado a nunca alcanzar su destino: el casco sería abierto por un iceberg y se hundiría dejando apenas unos cuantos sobrevivientes. "

Mi opinión:
Siendo sincera, leí este libro porque me comentaron que la historia tenía muchas similitudes con todo lo relacionado al naufragio del Titanic, pero no fué de mi total agrado.

Para empezar, siento que todos los acontecimientos fueron demasiado rápidos, tanto que no permiten al lector adentrarse a la historia como debe ser.

Sé que es una historia corta, pero aún así no me llenó, punto...

[Joni Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard of this book for many years, since my oldest daughter became interested in the Titanic as a child. It was written in 1898, but only recently published in 1997 for the general public. It is an eerily similar story to the story of the Titanic, many say prophetic. That said, I was a little disappointed to realize that the main story did not really have to do with a shipwreck. I don't want to spoil the book for others who many be curious about it, but suffice it to say that there is a VERY interesting turn to this story that is totally unanticipated. A quick read, too.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did Morgan Robertson really predict the future or were there just a number of strange coincidences in his novella? The story of The Wreck of the Titan (or Futility as was its 1898 title) is a fast paced, enjoyable novella to read. What makes it all the more interesting is that fourteen years after it was written the Titanic sank. His description of the Titan (largest craft afloat, water-tight compartments etc.) certainly can allow the reader to think that Robertson was writing about the Titanic.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains four short stories, the main one, the title one, is the one most know. What make it particular is not the writing, same could be said about the others stories, not much in any of them, but the strange similarity between the story and the Titanic. It almost describe exactly the Titanic and how it sinks but it was published in 1898 and the Titanic sinks in 1912. This is kind of weird and make the book worth reading just for that. The rest of it is okay, but nothing noticeable in my opinion. An anecdotic read!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting the sinking of the ship to take place near the end of the story, but it happens before the 50% mark and was quite anticlimactic. What follows is a melodramatic mess, in which the main character escapes the sinking by climbing onto an iceberg, fights a polar bear with only a small knife (he lives, but the bear bites his arm off), rescues a little girl who happens to be the daughter of the woman he loves and keeps her safe until a passing ship saves them both, gets back to England and is involved in an insurance fraud case, brings the kid to her mother in the US where he is promptly arrested for kidnapping, faces the mother in court where she calls him out, he disappears for 2 years and then receives a letter from her telling him that she was wrong and it’s hinted that they reunite. THE END.

What???

First of all, where did the polar bear come from??? This is the middle of the ocean with absolutely nothing around for miles, but there was a polar bear randomly camped on an iceberg somewhere.

Myra, the mother of the little girl was a total shrew.

The insurance fraud part took up way too much of the story.

The part I was the most interested in (the sinking) had very little to do with the story.

It is interesting how many parallels there are to the Titanic, despite being written almost 15 years prior:

- ship described as “unsinkable”
- similar names
- ship hits an iceberg
- most of the passengers perish
- not enough lifeboats

Etc etc etc. Very eerie!

*read for book scavenger hunt - a book mentioned in another book** (this book is mentioned in “Queen of the Waves” by Janice Thompson)

[Matías Figún · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy interesante!
La premisa fue lo que me motivó a leerlo, pero no me esperaba todo el desarrollo que tuvo. Me gustó. Estuvo, repito, muy interesante.
Los personajes no me terminaron de gustar, hubo un par de cosas que no me gustaron en realidad.
Pero sí disfruté que casi pareció anecdótico por la forma de contarlo que tenía.
Y esas casualidades eran lo que más me impresionó.

[David D-M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo empecé a leer porque me encanta todo lo relacionado con el Titanic y lo que sucedió y por noticias en diarios del tipo: "La novela que anticipó el hundimiento del Titanic" y bueno, pues una novela sin más. He de decir que no soy un lector de novelas, pero no creo que esta sea de las que te enganchan al género.

La historia es corta y entretenida, pero noto que en la parte final del libro hay "exceso" de giros dramáticos un tanto predecibles algunos.

**Spoiler**: Este libro no es una profecía del hundimiento del Titanic. Al parecer el autor entendía bastante de barcos y lo que sí es curioso es que los detalles técnicos del barco son parecidos al barco que realmente se hundió. En mi opinión, es pura casualidad y, seguramente estaba de moda la construcción de este tipo de transatlánticos en aquella época. Quién sabe, quizás el ingeniero del Titanic se leyó este libro...

Le doy un 3 por estas curiosas casualidades.