The Wreck of the Titan

Originally published in 1898 as “Futility”, Morgan Robertson’s “The Wreck of the Titan” is the fascinating and gripping tale of bravery in the wake of catastrophe. Based on knowledge acquired during his many years spent at sea in the merchant service, Robertson weaves a believable and impressively detailed story of the tragic voyage of a fictional British passenger liner called the “SS Titan”. At the beginning of the tale, the “Titan” hits an iceberg while traversing the North Atlantic, killing nearly everyone on board since there were not enough lifeboats. Remarkable for its similarity to the real-life tragedy of the “Titanic” that occurred fourteen years after it was published, “The Wreck of the Titan” is also memorable for its central character, the disgraced former Navy officer turned deckhand John Rowland. The story’s unlikely hero saves the young daughter of his former girlfriend from drowning in the frozen sea, but is met with anger and suspicion when they are rescued by a passing ship. Robertson’s tale endures as an eerily prescient and tragic story.