Publication
Gutenberg, 2008, Original, McClure's magazine and Metropolitan magazine, 1914.
Status
Available
Description
Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan is Morgan Robertson's 1898 novella about the unsinkable ship Titan, which goes down after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Disgraced former naval lieutenant John Rowland is working as a deckhand on the Titan when it strikes an iceberg and capsizes. Saving the younger daughter of a former lover by jumping onto the iceberg with her, Rowland and his charge are eventually rescued and return to their homes. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
User reviews
LibraryThing member wnk1029
This book has been called "a nineteenth-century prophecy" due to its striking similarities to the actual wreck of the Titanic, which occurred fourteen years after this story was published. I had been wanting to read this book for some time to see for myself the "prophetic" story of an 'unsinkable'
Despite not meeting my expectations, I actually really liked the story that did take place, as it was a story of personal survival and redemption for the protagonist, who showed a lot more character than I had taken him for initially.
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liner named the Titan which struck an iceberg in the Atlantic one April, whose passengers perished due to a lack of lifeboats. This book wasn't exactly what I thought it'd be, probably since I had books like "A Night to Remember" in mind, where most of the action focused on the time immediately before and after the iceberg was struck. This story, on the other hand, wasted little time (a paragraph?) sinking the ship, and the rest of the book focused on the story of a survivor who beats the odds and rescues the small child of his former love interest.Despite not meeting my expectations, I actually really liked the story that did take place, as it was a story of personal survival and redemption for the protagonist, who showed a lot more character than I had taken him for initially.
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LibraryThing member Renzomalo
Not very well written, if memory serves, but interesting in its historical juxtaposition to the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Like the Titanic, Robertson’s Titan is, prophetically, the largest ship of its day and is carrying some of the wealthiest people in the world when it strikes an iceberg on
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its maiden voyage and sinks with a great loss of life and property. Unlike Titanic, Titan is powered by steam and sail and some of the survivors seek refuge on the icebergs with, of all things, polar bears, again if memory serves. It’s just another one of those mysterious “happenings” and circumstances surrounding the Titanic’s loss, adding to the mythology surrounding it. A must have for Titanic buffs but not for much else. Show Less
LibraryThing member JosephJ
Been a long time since I read this book. I remember i bought it around 97or 98 when James Cameron's Titanic was out. This book was written only a few years before the actual Titanic Tragedy occurred. Same story - an unsinkable ship winds up sinking because of an iceberg in the north Atlantic with a
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bunch rich and poor folk on the ships maiden voyage. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
Quite a famous story purely because, published in 1898 and featuring the collision of a luxury liner, the Titan, with an iceberg, it presaged the Titanic collision by 14 years. The similarities in terms of ship size, speed and lack of lifeboats are startling. Beyond this curiosity, however, it is a
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rather pedestrian story of nautical insurance fraud, an unlikely hero and improbable coincidences. Show Less
LibraryThing member edjane
Since I heard about the short story that seemly predicted the sinking of the Titanic I wanted to read it. It's bizarre how close the ship details and the description of the sinking of the Titan and Titanic. If the Titanic had never sunk this would have been an interesting obscure short story
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published in 19th century. Nevertheless it is an entertaining short story on its own. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hana.Dooren.Richter
Got it because of the story accompanying the actual book. As a Titanic afficionado, I had no idea. Quite a good story, with some very interesting elements. Smooth reading as well.
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
The Gutenberg edition includes another Novella, 'The Pirates' and two shorter pieces, 'Beyond the Spectrum' and 'In the Valley of the Shadow'. I found all four pieces very interesting. Beyond the Spectrum seems to describe lasers, and I found it hard to remember that this was written before WWI, as
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it seemed to fit the beginning of WWII. An amazing author! Show Less
LibraryThing member neverstopreading
This book is evidence that time travel isXXX coincidences are a real thing.
LibraryThing member Toast.x2
The Wreck of the Titan (Futility): Stays afloat even after 120 years
I read the 1912 ‘Autograph Edition’ of Morgan Robertson’s short stories/novellas collection. It was quite good considering its age. I enjoyed the entire 4 story collection (some more than others), but will focus on the
In The Wreck of the Titan: Lieutenant John Rowland is on a several year bender after being rejected by a maiden, wanting nothing of him. After learning he is an Athiest, she feared his ‘evil blood’ and sent him packing. Rowland crews several boats and drinks his pay from port to port.
Rowland drunkenly stands aboard the ‘unsinkable’ Titan, watching for any object ahead which could decrease structural integrity of the ship if plowed through at full velocity.
After the Titan carves through a small craft murdering all aboard, Rowland begins to mentally sober up. When provoked and bribed, he stands his ground, sees fit to put the Titan’s Captain in a paupers prison. The Captain has a different plan, drugging Rowland on the job to discredit him and ruin him.
I was brought to this public domain book by an internet meme. I was presented with a picture of a boat and a ‘creepy fact’ that this fiction book ‘predicted’ the sinking of the Titanic, 14 years before its fatal accident. Speculation of coincidences lead to a bunch of nonsense. The only real coincidence is the name ‘Titan’.
People should read this for what it is. A time capsule from a time when distance and time kept drunken sailors searching for an improved mousetrap and financial glory. Unsinkable boats and the risk/reward they brought were likely a hot topic for seafaring entrepanuers as a form of near-future scifi. Robertson, being son of a captain and a 33 year merchant marine had as much time as any to dream up an infallible monolith, only one of many which were dreamed up and forgotten in a drunken fog.
The unsinkable ship was a pipe dream. The iceberg was a boogeyman in a pre-radar world. Lieutenant John Rowland is a mess of anti-god man logic who deserves his own movie.
I read the 1912 ‘Autograph Edition’ of Morgan Robertson’s short stories/novellas collection. It was quite good considering its age. I enjoyed the entire 4 story collection (some more than others), but will focus on the
Show More
longest and namesake novella here (from 1898)-In The Wreck of the Titan: Lieutenant John Rowland is on a several year bender after being rejected by a maiden, wanting nothing of him. After learning he is an Athiest, she feared his ‘evil blood’ and sent him packing. Rowland crews several boats and drinks his pay from port to port.
Rowland drunkenly stands aboard the ‘unsinkable’ Titan, watching for any object ahead which could decrease structural integrity of the ship if plowed through at full velocity.
After the Titan carves through a small craft murdering all aboard, Rowland begins to mentally sober up. When provoked and bribed, he stands his ground, sees fit to put the Titan’s Captain in a paupers prison. The Captain has a different plan, drugging Rowland on the job to discredit him and ruin him.
I was brought to this public domain book by an internet meme. I was presented with a picture of a boat and a ‘creepy fact’ that this fiction book ‘predicted’ the sinking of the Titanic, 14 years before its fatal accident. Speculation of coincidences lead to a bunch of nonsense. The only real coincidence is the name ‘Titan’.
People should read this for what it is. A time capsule from a time when distance and time kept drunken sailors searching for an improved mousetrap and financial glory. Unsinkable boats and the risk/reward they brought were likely a hot topic for seafaring entrepanuers as a form of near-future scifi. Robertson, being son of a captain and a 33 year merchant marine had as much time as any to dream up an infallible monolith, only one of many which were dreamed up and forgotten in a drunken fog.
The unsinkable ship was a pipe dream. The iceberg was a boogeyman in a pre-radar world. Lieutenant John Rowland is a mess of anti-god man logic who deserves his own movie.
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LibraryThing member Arkrayder
This was an okay book. The main thing it has going for it is it’s foreshadowing of the sinking of the Titanic. It was a little eerie some of the similarities of events in the story and real life.
LibraryThing member lamb521
Title: The Wreck of the Titan
Author: Morgan Robertson
Pages: 108
Year: 2012
Publisher: Pocket Star
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Don’t let the length of the novella make you think there isn’t much there as that would be a grave mistake. Here is a tale that was written before the true disaster of the
The main character is a disgraced sailor named Rowland who understands the seas but loses his battle with the bottle often. Once a man of seas with a title, he is now a regular seaman who longs for a lost love he cannot have under any circumstance. When he sails on the Titan, who should be aboard but the long-lost flame and her husband along with their small daughter. What ensues is a tale of lost love, life, tragedy, and redemption!
The story is unlike any I have read, and I hope readers will take time to enjoy a masterpiece from the past brought to the present day as it was written for new audiences to revel in. Grab a copy and then enjoy a couple of hours in the best story you’ve enjoyed in a long time! The ending is a stroke of genius that surprised me! The redemption of a man who worked hard even when falsely accused and thrown aside is simply moving! Don’t pass this gem up! Read it and let others know about The Wreck of the Titan!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
Author: Morgan Robertson
Pages: 108
Year: 2012
Publisher: Pocket Star
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Don’t let the length of the novella make you think there isn’t much there as that would be a grave mistake. Here is a tale that was written before the true disaster of the
Show More
Titanic. There are some similarities with the true event in this tale, but there are also vast differences. The novella was originally penned in 1898. While there are a few places of antiquated language, most of the story is quite gripping and easy to read. It was amazing to read about a fictional ship that was created before the real ship, Titanic, existed. Most readers have read several novels based on the Titanic, and I am one of them. However, this novella I found to be enthralling and spellbinding for the few hours I sat and read.The main character is a disgraced sailor named Rowland who understands the seas but loses his battle with the bottle often. Once a man of seas with a title, he is now a regular seaman who longs for a lost love he cannot have under any circumstance. When he sails on the Titan, who should be aboard but the long-lost flame and her husband along with their small daughter. What ensues is a tale of lost love, life, tragedy, and redemption!
The story is unlike any I have read, and I hope readers will take time to enjoy a masterpiece from the past brought to the present day as it was written for new audiences to revel in. Grab a copy and then enjoy a couple of hours in the best story you’ve enjoyed in a long time! The ending is a stroke of genius that surprised me! The redemption of a man who worked hard even when falsely accused and thrown aside is simply moving! Don’t pass this gem up! Read it and let others know about The Wreck of the Titan!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1898