The Sirens of Titan

In the late Kurt Vonnegut’s (1930-2007), book called “The Sirens of Titan,” the reader is tagging along in a strange journey through the solar system and beyond. The interesting characters and their journeys of time and space will compel the reader to take a step back at the way he/she looks at life, in order to see another perspective. Questions of time, mortality, and the meaning of life give this book an appealing undertone. The reader will first be introduced to an interesting character named, Malachi Constant, a wealthy playboy from Hollywood California. Constant is the richest man alive in the 22nd century. The man possesses profound and seemingly endless luck, which he uses to further build the estate that his very wealthy father had left him. When Constant realizes that he hasn’t really done anything of significance in life, and that he has no idea what his purpose for living is, an adventure ensues.

The reason I picked this book is because I was told that Vonnegut books were great. I discovered that he spent some time here in Iowa, at the University of Iowa, many years ago. Being an Iowa native myself, I thought it would be nice to read what this iconic writer shared with Iowa and the rest of the literary world. I also chose it because I like a well written futuristic type book from time to time. It turned out to be a good fit for me because it was unlike any other novel I had ever read. The book is not really as much a science fiction work as it is a satire novel about what it means to be alive as a human. This is one of those rare books that bridge the gap that separates sci-fi from great literary works. I didn’t regret the choice.

The character development of this book is well done, but it is also part of the mystery of the story that isn’t fully realized until the final quarter of the book. I thought it was easy to follow where the writer was going with each character’s personality because there was a lot of care and detail that went into them. Introductions were organized in an appropriate way, rather than jumping all over like some other character rich stories can be. In other words, while not being a shallow story by any means, it was fairly easy to follow.

The character dialogue was written in a way that makes the reader feel like they are in an actual conversation, rather than a novel—complete with individual character language style and varying levels of sophistication. For instance, there is a lot of focus on a gentle brut of a man named Unk. His struggles in life, and in his personal pursuit of answers, lead the reader to feel empathy for him. This man is soldier that seems to have a low level of intelligence, but he makes a valiant effort to find his estranged son, Chrono. One of the sadder parts of Unk’s story is that when he finally finds Chrono, Chrono wants nothing to do with him.

I liked the action of this book, though it did not exactly keep me “on the edge of my seat” the entire time. I was a little bored during the second quarter of the book where there were parts of the story that seemed to run on and on about nothing… or so I thought. Thankfully, it was not a total waste of time, as the “little nothings” added to the reward. This became especially noticeable during the last quarter of the book as Vonnegut so eloquently brought it all together. I began to see why Vonnegut was writing in a manner I have never before been exposed to in a novel. Vonnegut’s unique style of writing is better understood after a reader has at least one of his books “under their belt”, so to speak. I am not sure if it is common for Vonnegut, but this book offers a lot of lengthy detail that I thought was meaningless at first. Actually, it turned out to be a form of developing the readers understanding of the characters while experiencing the story along the way. That was kind of refreshing, as most authors tend to burn up the first several chapters with boring character introductions. This was a great way to get on with the story while imbuing it with a unique feeling that worked well with the story’s plot and conclusion.

The character interactions were interesting and even complex at times. Like when a sentient robot, from the future, is stranded in Unk’s time. He needs parts for his ship in order to get back home, but has no practical way of communicating with his colleagues of the future. He ends up leaving messages in significant locations on Earth that have lasted for thousands of years—like Stone Hinge, for example. In order for his future counterparts to get him the parts he needs, they have to alter the technological history of mankind. That way, by the time the robot gets stranded, Earth will have the capability to construct the parts he needs to fix his ship. Of course, this results in fascinating effects on the way the characters flow through the story. Not only that, but it calls into question the significance of man and if we are all controlled by a sort of puppeteer rather than being in charge of our own destinies.

To my personal delight, unlike what one might expect with a book such as this, there is very little sci-fi techno-babble. Though there are some interesting word choices, including some that the author likely made up himself. An example of that would be the phenomena that one of the characters interacts with called a “chrono-synclastic infundibulum.” The author does not try to explain such things scientifically, rather more simplistically, in a way that anyone would understand. This simplicity gives it a degree of believability even though it is obviously a fictional work. I feel that is what makes this book more of a literary work than a sci-fi or techno-adventure type book. Moreover, these sci-fi elements do not define the story. In fact, one could replace them with other words that we have heard of before, such as the Bermuda Triangle. Likewise, the location is basically irrelevant; it takes place in space and between planets, but could just as easily take place here on Earth between continents and major cities.

Reading this book does require a little open-mindedness and a good sense of humor. There is a lot more depth here than what initially meets the eye. Even after reading the book, ponderous thoughts continue to flow—so much so, that it is almost like reading a sequel as more and more of the details are linked together and their meanings become clear. Truly, this book has its own twists and turns that few writers can pull off in such an intricate, yet comprehensible way. This book has been hailed as one of the best literary works of it’s time. With all of the ‘simple-complexities’, interesting characters, and the profound implications, I can see why. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, if only for the sole purpose… to take the mind on a ride that is out of this world!