Futility, Or the Wreck of the Titan

Written by Morgan Robertson

Narrated by LibriVox Community

This novel was published a full 14 years before the sinking of the Titanic, but listeners may be surprised at how many parallels this fictional tale has with subsequent true events.

The Titan is the largest and most technologically advanced steamship of her time. She is considered unsinkable. Her full speed crossings of the Northern Lane Route carry her rich passengers in the highest standards of luxury and comfort. The less well-off travel in rougher quarters but still benefit from the speed of travel. These crossings, however, are fraught with navigational hazards, the greatest of which is ice.

Unlike the ship, one member of her crew is not of the highest standard. At least, not anymore. John Rowland is a broken man who drinks to forget his past. However, when the Titan crashes into an iceberg during her attempt to break a speed record, he is forced to confront his past. Can he overcome his enemies and escape as the ship begins to sink? And can he make his way back to civilization and find self-respect once more? Adventure and soul-searching await Rowland, with a surprise ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LibriVox
• Release date: Aug 25, 2014

Morgan Robertson

Morgan Robertson (1861-1915) was an American novelist and short story writer. Born into a seafaring family, Robertson entered the merchant service as a teenager, rising to the rank of first mate by the time of his departure in 1886. With his sailing days behind him, Robertson studied jewelry making and worked in New York City as a diamond setter for 10 years. During this time, he also wrote sea stories and novels, including Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan (1898), a novel with a striking similarity to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Despite seeing his work published in McClure’s and the Saturday Evening Post, Robertson failed to make a living as a professional writer, leading to a deep dissatisfaction also fueled by the author’s claims to have not received credit for his invention of the submarine periscope. Despite his lack of popular success and critical acclaim, Robertson’s work is thought to have influenced such writers as Edgar Rice Burroughs and Henry De Vere Stacpoole.