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Something's Alive on the Titanic
A legacy never to forget…
Something is alive on the Titanic — something powerful and malevolent that protects the once-great ocean liner from the rapacious intentions of those who would desecrate her grave.
It lurked unseen in the 1980s while three American and French expeditions, seeking to explore and document, visited the resting place of the world’s most famous luxury liner.
Whatever is down there first made itself known in 1975, encountered by a secret mission made before the later publicized ones — an undisclosed salvage attempts whose goal was not just scientific exploration.
Based on a scrap of decoded text from the Titanic’s cargo manifest, this first mission set out with the expectation of finding, and recovering, millions of dollars in gold believed hidden in Cargo Hold Three…an undertaking doomed to a tragic end.
Now, in 1993, a new group of men and women — scientists, adventurers, and the United States Navy — wants to retrace the steps of that original voyage to investigate…and succeed where the 1975 mission failed.
As they penetrate deep into the hull, the first people to see the interior in eighty-one years, they find they are not alone.
At first skeptical of the reports from the first mission, which tell of monsters and apparitions that reason says cannot exist, they soon begin to believe.
What they discover is extraordinary, something none of them has ever experienced before…and something none of them ever wants to experience again.
Something’s Alive on the Titanic dazzlingly brings the ill-fated ship to life in brilliantly dramatic scenes.
Something is alive on the Titanic — something powerful and malevolent that protects the once-great ocean liner from the rapacious intentions of those who would desecrate her grave.
It lurked unseen in the 1980s while three American and French expeditions, seeking to explore and document, visited the resting place of the world’s most famous luxury liner.
Whatever is down there first made itself known in 1975, encountered by a secret mission made before the later publicized ones — an undisclosed salvage attempts whose goal was not just scientific exploration.
Based on a scrap of decoded text from the Titanic’s cargo manifest, this first mission set out with the expectation of finding, and recovering, millions of dollars in gold believed hidden in Cargo Hold Three…an undertaking doomed to a tragic end.
Now, in 1993, a new group of men and women — scientists, adventurers, and the United States Navy — wants to retrace the steps of that original voyage to investigate…and succeed where the 1975 mission failed.
As they penetrate deep into the hull, the first people to see the interior in eighty-one years, they find they are not alone.
At first skeptical of the reports from the first mission, which tell of monsters and apparitions that reason says cannot exist, they soon begin to believe.
What they discover is extraordinary, something none of them has ever experienced before…and something none of them ever wants to experience again.
Something’s Alive on the Titanic dazzlingly brings the ill-fated ship to life in brilliantly dramatic scenes.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1990
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July 2, 2023
“There was a man standing in the center of the room…Wearing the bridge coat of the Royal Merchant Marine. A black officer’s cap, with the White Star insignia. Under the peaked cap was a face – square-jawed, stern, very British…On the right temple was a tiny black hole, jagged around the edges as if a bullet had penetrated there. Into the oceanographer’s numbed mind came the realization that he was looking at William Murdoch, Titanic’s first officer. Murdoch, who had been in charge of the bridge at 11:40 p.m., April 14, 1912. Murdoch, who had given the fateful command – “Hard a starboard” – the command that turned the ship into the hidden ice spur that ripped out her guts in thirty seconds. Murdoch, who, according to several eyewitnesses, had shot himself in the temple just before the giant liner sank. The figure was shaking its head…
- Robert Serling, Something’s Alive on the Titanic
Figuratively speaking, not judging a book by its cover is really good advice. It means you should take people as they are, not as they look. It’s really just Humanity 101, but no less important for that.
Literally speaking, though, I judge actual books by their covers all the time. Back when I used to spend inordinate amounts of time in physical bookstores, it was sort of my thing. If I saw a good title or a sharp piece of artwork or design, I was sold. That is to say, the book I was holding was sold – to me.
I say this because that is exactly how I ended up purchasing Robert Serling’s There’s Something Alive on the Titanic at a soon-to-close B. Dalton Bookstore at a definitely-too-young age.
Start with the cover art.
You see the hull of a ship, underwater, encrusted with rust and barnacles. There is a wine bottle and glass nestled in the sand, alongside a half-buried life buoy. You might ask yourself, why did the buoy sink? That’s your first mistake with a book like this. Don’t ask questions. There is a porthole in the hull, within which you can see tables set for an elegant dinner. A ghostly green-yellow glow emanates from the interior. At this point, you might notice the disconnect. This seems to be a ship at the bottom of the ocean, yet the inside appears unaffected, which is not a normal condition upon a liner’s plunge to the sea floor.
What can be going on?
In case you haven’t figured it out exactly by now – judged solely by the cover, remember – there is that title: Something’s Alive on the Titanic. At this point, you smack yourself on the forehead. Now I get it! Some thing is alive on the Titanic. Not somebody. Something.
Hint: it’s not a humpback anglerfish.
***
Something’s Alive on the Titanic was written by the late Robert Serling, who also penned The President’s Plane is Missing and Air Force One is Haunted, demonstrating a penchant for informing the reader exactly what they’re going to find inside. It is the kind of book that defines the phrase “high concept,” meaning that it can be pithily summarized and easily pitched. Here, it all comes down to this: the wreck of the Titanic is haunted.
***
Serling’s novel is a fun mishmash of genres. Published in 1990, it came out during the heyday of the techno-thriller, and there is definitely a bit of Tom Clancy baked into this material, along with a goodly quantity of Clive Cussler, a teaspoon of Edith Wharton, and just a dash of trashy sex courtesy of Ken Follett.
There’s Something Alive on the Titanic starts in 1975, before Bob Ballard has discovered the famed ship, which sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg. A team of explorers, led by the intrepid John Hawke – the kind of name you only get if you’re intrepid – sets out to find the shipwreck and recover a fortune in gold believed to be hidden in the ship’s hold.
I’m not going to spoil things and tell you precisely what they find, but you can surmise that they find something, and that thing is not necessarily gold, and is also alive.
This is Part I.
***
Part II you have to experience on your own, for though the title gives away a lot, I don’t want to be the one to give away the rest.
***
One thing is clear about this novel: it has a great name! But does its quality match the implied promise of its evocative cover? That depends on what you expect, and frankly, the title should help you to calibrate expectations.
If you open these pages expecting multidimensional characters, psychological complexity, snappy repartee, profound dialogue, dialectical arguments, or a learned exchange of philosophies, you will probably be disappointed. But you shouldn’t expect that, should you?
What you actually get is a novel that transcends its pulpiness, while also embracing its lower-brow aspects. It is a surprisingly seamless melding of history, technology, and genuine spookiness.
To his credit, Serling tries for actual characterizations, but in the end, almost everyone has one defining trait, ensuring that he or she acts exactly as the plot requires.
Where Serling excels is in working fascinating bits of Titanic trivia and deep-sea diving technology into the narrative. As a former amateur Titanic expert, I can vouch for most of his arcane factoids. In the first ten pages, for instance, Serling delivers an enjoyable journey through the ship’s manifest, noting the inclusion of a motion picture, William Carter’s Renault (which Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet defiled in James Cameron’s film), and a heroic 719 cases of sundry liquor. He even touches on the legend of the mummy’s tomb.
Serling’s ability to convey factual information in an entertaining way works equally well for Titanic buffs and Titanic virgins (such as Kate Winslet, before she got in William Carter’s car). If you’re a buff, you will enjoy seeing this information used to support a spook story; if you’re a newcomer, you’ll learn quite a bit. Of course, if you want to actually learn about the Titanic, you shouldn’t read a book called Something’s Alive on the Titanic. You should try A Night to Remember instead.
***
Along with the history, there’s also a lot of diving technology. Obviously, this part is now somewhat outdated, but the elemental physics hold true. For example, you will be told how many pounds per square inch are pressing down on our heroes’ heads when they slip beneath the waves in their submersibles; and you will be told exactly what happens when those pounds per square inch find a small crack.
***
When I first read this book, a long, long time ago, I did so because I was a Titanic nut who couldn’t resist that come-hither cover. I loved the Titanic before it became cool (when Cameron’s movie was released in 1997) and loved it after it became decidedly un-cool (at some point in 1999, when everyone who went to see Titanic five times started to pretend they had hated it from the start).
That said, it surprised me that the supernatural elements worked as well – or better – as anything else. Serling knows that the environment in which Titanic rests is already pretty terrifying. He also understands that submarines – combining claustrophobia with cold, darkness, and crush depths – don’t need a lot of goosing. The scare-stuff is just enough to give you chills, and complements all those other factors.
***
Just in case I haven’t sold you on this yet – and really, the cover is all you need – there is also a suitably horrible sex scene, told from the perspective of a man listening outside the door of two verbose lovers. Yes, you heard me correctly. The sex scene is presented as a dialogue between very loquacious and goal-oriented individuals, who have no qualms informing their respective partner what to do, and exactly how well they are doing it.
It’s on page 157. I know this because my twelve-year-old self broke the book’s binding at this spot when I showed it to my friends at the bus stop.
***
Bad sex. The Titanic. Ghosts. Submarines. A dude named Hawke. This is a winning combination, and if I can’t convince you…well, take another look at that cover.
- Robert Serling, Something’s Alive on the Titanic
Figuratively speaking, not judging a book by its cover is really good advice. It means you should take people as they are, not as they look. It’s really just Humanity 101, but no less important for that.
Literally speaking, though, I judge actual books by their covers all the time. Back when I used to spend inordinate amounts of time in physical bookstores, it was sort of my thing. If I saw a good title or a sharp piece of artwork or design, I was sold. That is to say, the book I was holding was sold – to me.
I say this because that is exactly how I ended up purchasing Robert Serling’s There’s Something Alive on the Titanic at a soon-to-close B. Dalton Bookstore at a definitely-too-young age.
Start with the cover art.
You see the hull of a ship, underwater, encrusted with rust and barnacles. There is a wine bottle and glass nestled in the sand, alongside a half-buried life buoy. You might ask yourself, why did the buoy sink? That’s your first mistake with a book like this. Don’t ask questions. There is a porthole in the hull, within which you can see tables set for an elegant dinner. A ghostly green-yellow glow emanates from the interior. At this point, you might notice the disconnect. This seems to be a ship at the bottom of the ocean, yet the inside appears unaffected, which is not a normal condition upon a liner’s plunge to the sea floor.
What can be going on?
In case you haven’t figured it out exactly by now – judged solely by the cover, remember – there is that title: Something’s Alive on the Titanic. At this point, you smack yourself on the forehead. Now I get it! Some thing is alive on the Titanic. Not somebody. Something.
Hint: it’s not a humpback anglerfish.
***
Something’s Alive on the Titanic was written by the late Robert Serling, who also penned The President’s Plane is Missing and Air Force One is Haunted, demonstrating a penchant for informing the reader exactly what they’re going to find inside. It is the kind of book that defines the phrase “high concept,” meaning that it can be pithily summarized and easily pitched. Here, it all comes down to this: the wreck of the Titanic is haunted.
***
Serling’s novel is a fun mishmash of genres. Published in 1990, it came out during the heyday of the techno-thriller, and there is definitely a bit of Tom Clancy baked into this material, along with a goodly quantity of Clive Cussler, a teaspoon of Edith Wharton, and just a dash of trashy sex courtesy of Ken Follett.
There’s Something Alive on the Titanic starts in 1975, before Bob Ballard has discovered the famed ship, which sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg. A team of explorers, led by the intrepid John Hawke – the kind of name you only get if you’re intrepid – sets out to find the shipwreck and recover a fortune in gold believed to be hidden in the ship’s hold.
I’m not going to spoil things and tell you precisely what they find, but you can surmise that they find something, and that thing is not necessarily gold, and is also alive.
This is Part I.
***
Part II you have to experience on your own, for though the title gives away a lot, I don’t want to be the one to give away the rest.
***
One thing is clear about this novel: it has a great name! But does its quality match the implied promise of its evocative cover? That depends on what you expect, and frankly, the title should help you to calibrate expectations.
If you open these pages expecting multidimensional characters, psychological complexity, snappy repartee, profound dialogue, dialectical arguments, or a learned exchange of philosophies, you will probably be disappointed. But you shouldn’t expect that, should you?
What you actually get is a novel that transcends its pulpiness, while also embracing its lower-brow aspects. It is a surprisingly seamless melding of history, technology, and genuine spookiness.
To his credit, Serling tries for actual characterizations, but in the end, almost everyone has one defining trait, ensuring that he or she acts exactly as the plot requires.
Where Serling excels is in working fascinating bits of Titanic trivia and deep-sea diving technology into the narrative. As a former amateur Titanic expert, I can vouch for most of his arcane factoids. In the first ten pages, for instance, Serling delivers an enjoyable journey through the ship’s manifest, noting the inclusion of a motion picture, William Carter’s Renault (which Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet defiled in James Cameron’s film), and a heroic 719 cases of sundry liquor. He even touches on the legend of the mummy’s tomb.
Serling’s ability to convey factual information in an entertaining way works equally well for Titanic buffs and Titanic virgins (such as Kate Winslet, before she got in William Carter’s car). If you’re a buff, you will enjoy seeing this information used to support a spook story; if you’re a newcomer, you’ll learn quite a bit. Of course, if you want to actually learn about the Titanic, you shouldn’t read a book called Something’s Alive on the Titanic. You should try A Night to Remember instead.
***
Along with the history, there’s also a lot of diving technology. Obviously, this part is now somewhat outdated, but the elemental physics hold true. For example, you will be told how many pounds per square inch are pressing down on our heroes’ heads when they slip beneath the waves in their submersibles; and you will be told exactly what happens when those pounds per square inch find a small crack.
***
When I first read this book, a long, long time ago, I did so because I was a Titanic nut who couldn’t resist that come-hither cover. I loved the Titanic before it became cool (when Cameron’s movie was released in 1997) and loved it after it became decidedly un-cool (at some point in 1999, when everyone who went to see Titanic five times started to pretend they had hated it from the start).
That said, it surprised me that the supernatural elements worked as well – or better – as anything else. Serling knows that the environment in which Titanic rests is already pretty terrifying. He also understands that submarines – combining claustrophobia with cold, darkness, and crush depths – don’t need a lot of goosing. The scare-stuff is just enough to give you chills, and complements all those other factors.
***
Just in case I haven’t sold you on this yet – and really, the cover is all you need – there is also a suitably horrible sex scene, told from the perspective of a man listening outside the door of two verbose lovers. Yes, you heard me correctly. The sex scene is presented as a dialogue between very loquacious and goal-oriented individuals, who have no qualms informing their respective partner what to do, and exactly how well they are doing it.
It’s on page 157. I know this because my twelve-year-old self broke the book’s binding at this spot when I showed it to my friends at the bus stop.
***
Bad sex. The Titanic. Ghosts. Submarines. A dude named Hawke. This is a winning combination, and if I can’t convince you…well, take another look at that cover.
March 18, 2020
Derek Montague and a group of explorers discover the wreck of the Titanic in 1975. Allegedly there are 30 crates of gold inside the ship. They fail to salvage the gold. 18 years later Drek is back with a Navy unit. Can they salvage the gold this time? There seems to be a curse on the sunken Titanic. Some unknown entity seems to guard the ship and its content... This was an extremely compelling and at parts creepy novel about discovering the Titanic on the ground of the Atlantic. The characters were well crafted and there were many allusions to other ships (e.g. Mary Celeste) or the foreboding novel 'Futility' that was written many years before the Titanis sank. It's a novel about greed, treasure hunting, human hubris and the enormous graveyard the Titanic represents. The author did a very good job here. You feel part of the team exploring the Titanic and looking for the gold. Creepy, good, and really recommended!
November 12, 2022
How possibly could the "Ghost Story Junkie" resist a title like this? It had a supernatural element along a really great story based on some truths and some things entirely from the imagination of the author. Sometimes it was difficult to tell them apart. I have always been fascinated with the history of this great vessel and how she met her fate...this story uses those facts but adds a delicious element of pure terror. The story starts with the 1975 expedition, one which ended in tragedy in very unusual circumstances. This is based on documented facts. It continues 18 years later with the sole surviving member of that original crew and adds some new characters all with the same purpose...find the treasure...and they get the same response...something says, "Go Away". The message is delivered in the strongest and most deadly terms possible. The story is fun while also being a little fanciful...but as I said there is an element of truth woven throughout. It’s really not hard to imagine that the Titanic is a haunted ship...but exactly what forms the haunting takes? That is what makes this story so haunting, and terror filled as well as making it interesting for lack of a better word. Ask yourself just what would it be like to search a wreck where more than 1,500 people died? Being on the bottom of the sea just adds to the atmosphere. What spirits would haunt those old staterooms? What wants the living gone? Well...here’s your chance to find out.
March 19, 2017
Is it just me or does this remind anyone else of the movie Ghost Ship? With less people being cut into pieces by wire and a good deal wetter? Hmm.
The first part of the story is based in 1977 with an expedition to find the Titanic, which they do and then things occur leaving just one survivor and lots of questions. Part 2 is set in 1993 when the Navy decide to go back to the Titanic and try and find gold they believe to be still in the cargo bay/hull of the ship (like government sanctioned pirates), taking along the survivor of the 1977 debacle.
Spooky shenanigans, lots of characters introduced and lots of water everywhere, this book was a fun read for me and makes me want to confiscate my nephews Titanic book to have a damn good read of it.
It's a little hokey in parts but overall it's a good story and I really did enjoy it.
*Huge thanks to Robert J. Serling, Endeavour Press and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
The first part of the story is based in 1977 with an expedition to find the Titanic, which they do and then things occur leaving just one survivor and lots of questions. Part 2 is set in 1993 when the Navy decide to go back to the Titanic and try and find gold they believe to be still in the cargo bay/hull of the ship (like government sanctioned pirates), taking along the survivor of the 1977 debacle.
Spooky shenanigans, lots of characters introduced and lots of water everywhere, this book was a fun read for me and makes me want to confiscate my nephews Titanic book to have a damn good read of it.
It's a little hokey in parts but overall it's a good story and I really did enjoy it.
*Huge thanks to Robert J. Serling, Endeavour Press and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
June 25, 2019
So ridiculous. So fun.
February 7, 2017
Review of SOMETHING'S ALIVE ON THE TITANIC
Robert J. Serling
An absorbing fictional narrative of two expeditions to the sunken Titanic, in 1977 and a followup in 1993, SOMETHING'S ALIVE ON THE TITANC is a page-turner extraordinaire, rife with Titanic history and lore, as well as culture of the Edwardian era. Never dry, it presents the Titanic's story and aftermath in a humanized and vivid fashion. In addition to juggling a sizable cast of characters, the autfhor also extols for us technology and history, cryptography and oceanography. The characters are realistic and true-to-life, most eliciting our empathy, all awakening our emotions and intrigue. For readers who are skeptic, there's a number of cynical or overly rational characters aboard the story's many ramifications to balance the potentially supernatural or supranatural plot themes. The novel admirably succeeds in terms of history and roller-coaster paced thriller.
SOMETHING'S ALIVE ON THE TITANIC was initially published in 1990, and is now reprinted by Endeavour Press in January 2017.
Robert J. Serling
An absorbing fictional narrative of two expeditions to the sunken Titanic, in 1977 and a followup in 1993, SOMETHING'S ALIVE ON THE TITANC is a page-turner extraordinaire, rife with Titanic history and lore, as well as culture of the Edwardian era. Never dry, it presents the Titanic's story and aftermath in a humanized and vivid fashion. In addition to juggling a sizable cast of characters, the autfhor also extols for us technology and history, cryptography and oceanography. The characters are realistic and true-to-life, most eliciting our empathy, all awakening our emotions and intrigue. For readers who are skeptic, there's a number of cynical or overly rational characters aboard the story's many ramifications to balance the potentially supernatural or supranatural plot themes. The novel admirably succeeds in terms of history and roller-coaster paced thriller.
SOMETHING'S ALIVE ON THE TITANIC was initially published in 1990, and is now reprinted by Endeavour Press in January 2017.
August 26, 2016
Well that was certainly better than I thought it might be. I wasn’t sure what to expect with such a title but right from the beginning I was pleasantly surprised. This novel is broken into two parts, the first taking place in 1975 when a somewhat amateurish crew discovers the wreck of the Titanic (the actual discovery took place in 1985) based on some decrypted evidence of gold bullion on board. The second half of the novel takes place in 1995 where an almost entirely different set of characters takes advantage of new technology and techniques to once again go after the rumored crates full of gold bullion on board the wreckage.
The title certainly suggests this to be a horror novel but most of the book is better classified as scientific adventure. I found the science of deep-sea diving and salvage operations in both eras to be quite interesting, and the build-up of suspense on what the characters might find within the hull of the doomed ocean liner was well done. Lots of historical tidbits were included as well. Once the wreckage was reached, there were horror elements introduced which began to drive the plot but even these supernatural reveals were also discussed among the two separate crews in a rather scientific manner…and quite plausibly. The horror, for the most part, was fairly subtle but had huge impacts on the plot. It struck a nice balance that included some moral lessons about greed and guilt.
Interestingly, this novel was written and published only a couple of years before James Cameron’s “Titanic” burst on the movie scene, so at the time of publication I think a reader might have been a bit more intrigued by the wonder and mystery that surrounded the Titanic’s sinking. Today it is hard not to picture scenes from the movie when reading this novel. Nevertheless, I was happy to take a chance on this one and I enjoyed it quite a bit. This author intrigues me so I may just have to seek out more of his work.
The title certainly suggests this to be a horror novel but most of the book is better classified as scientific adventure. I found the science of deep-sea diving and salvage operations in both eras to be quite interesting, and the build-up of suspense on what the characters might find within the hull of the doomed ocean liner was well done. Lots of historical tidbits were included as well. Once the wreckage was reached, there were horror elements introduced which began to drive the plot but even these supernatural reveals were also discussed among the two separate crews in a rather scientific manner…and quite plausibly. The horror, for the most part, was fairly subtle but had huge impacts on the plot. It struck a nice balance that included some moral lessons about greed and guilt.
Interestingly, this novel was written and published only a couple of years before James Cameron’s “Titanic” burst on the movie scene, so at the time of publication I think a reader might have been a bit more intrigued by the wonder and mystery that surrounded the Titanic’s sinking. Today it is hard not to picture scenes from the movie when reading this novel. Nevertheless, I was happy to take a chance on this one and I enjoyed it quite a bit. This author intrigues me so I may just have to seek out more of his work.
June 14, 2010
Ehhh...this book was not quite as good as I hoped it would be. I loved the premise (Ballard was not really the first one to find the Titanic, there was a first expedition in 1975 and the book is split in two between this first expedition and one in 1995) but the pacing of the book was off. It was too slow-moving when it should be faster and too brief where more detail would have been nice. What was interesting as well was that this book was first published about 7 years before the blockbuster film, _Titanic_. Several times while reading this book, I wondered if the screenwriters or director had read this as well. Aside from the terrible title, this book had a lot of potential so it is a real shame that its execution ruined it. The characters were not strong, or dynamic enough to make up for the pacing problem either. The point-of-view could have also been improved by sticking more to one central character. The book's originality though, did make it a worthwhile read.
September 16, 2017
The concept was interesting, I really wanted to like this book, but getting through this book is like trying to walk through knee deep snow. It's so hard, tiring and really doesn't seem worth it.
I'm not sure what page I've managed to claw my way to so far but it's less than a hundred. And the effort really just doesn't seem worth it. The writing is just so dry. What's happening or not is just so boring. I keep picking this book up and trying to read it, reading a few pages and putting it back down with a sigh.
I give up. Life is too short to read books like this. Maybe I'll read one of the books I have about the real Titanic.
Okay, I did stall badly around page 42. The book up until that point was so hard to get through but I picked up the book again and made much better progress.
I would say if the Titanic fascinates you then the book might be worth reading, otherwise, the book is just so-so.
I'm not sure what page I've managed to claw my way to so far but it's less than a hundred. And the effort really just doesn't seem worth it. The writing is just so dry. What's happening or not is just so boring. I keep picking this book up and trying to read it, reading a few pages and putting it back down with a sigh.
I give up. Life is too short to read books like this. Maybe I'll read one of the books I have about the real Titanic.
Okay, I did stall badly around page 42. The book up until that point was so hard to get through but I picked up the book again and made much better progress.
I would say if the Titanic fascinates you then the book might be worth reading, otherwise, the book is just so-so.
July 24, 2023
This was a very odd moment in history to finish reading a book about a submersible coming to grief as it explored the wreck of the Titanic, but that's how I choose what book to read... Two secret expeditions to explore, and salvage from, the doomed mail steamer go terribly awry. Combines features of Dead in the Water by Nancy Holder with William Hope Hodgson's haunted-sea tales and more than a whiff of "Forbidden Planet."
July 23, 2020
Absolute garbage.
I loved it.
I loved it.
Read
June 18, 2025I truly can’t recommend this book enough. The plot twists and story developments are INSANE, Characters come and go like ice in the North Atlantic Ocean and spooky spectres mixed with pages full of poker- what’s not to love!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this title. The Titanic is a subject that has always intrigued me. Even as a child I remember gobbling up any book that I could find on the Titanic from my local library. So when I saw the title and the blurb, I was instantly drawn to want to request it. Robert Serling's book was actually originally released in the 90's and has since been rereleased. The narrative switches back and forth from 1975, where an amateur group of researchers discover the wreck of the Titanic on the ocean floor. The second part of the story takes place in 1995 and also follows a group of researchers, with one difference. The researchers from 1995 have much better equipment at their disposal and as a result, are able to perform their search more effectively and with fascinating results. As the title suggests - something is truly alive on the Titanic, but the nature of that being or entity is a mystery. It is upon this mystery that the main plot of the story is built. I was pleasantly surprised that the cheese factor was less than I expected. The book is actually a very effective adventure story with a supernatural twist blended in. Now that's not to say that there aren't moments where the eyes roll, but I fully expected this to be nothing more than a mindlessly fun popcorn read. The science and marine biology aspects in my opinion were fairly well-researched and interesting. Another aspect that I was impressed with was how the history of the sinking of the Titanic was handled. In a story such as this one, it would have been easy to simply craft an adventure story with the wreck of the Titanic solely used as the background. Serling shows that he knows his stuff when it comes to that tragic event and uses part of his story to give us an interesting and compelling retelling while never losing the main mystery, that being the "thing" that happens to be alive on the ship. And it is there where the story slowly builds to a climax. Would the payoff of the discovery of that thing be worth the investment of reading 300 pages or so of info dumps and dual storylines? I am pleased to say that yes, the payoff was worth it! I recommend Something's Alive on the Titanic to readers who are looking for a light, fun, adventurous read. It is also a perfect book to read on a plane or to take to the beach. Despite the hokey title, it is a book that may surprise you and delight you at the same time. I found it to be a very entertaining read.
December 26, 2009
The title piqued my interest. I had previously read "The President's Plane Is Missing", by the same author, so I thought I'd give it a try.
The concept is good. An earlier expedition to the Titanic had failed; leaving only one survivor. Now, a second expedition is being planned by the US Navy--with more modern equipment and better trained people.
Serling does his research well; he sticks to most of the true facts about the Titanic--adding just one or two bits of fiction to base his tale on. The writing is competent; the characterization average.
So, why only two stars? Well, here comes a spoiler without too many details. Serling introduces supernatural elements into his tale. I do like supernatural books--Stephen King being a prime example. However, the supernatural elements did not seem to fit here. Or, maybe the way this author handles supernatural elements does not ring a bell with me.
If you like supernatural elements in your books, you may enjoy this book more than I. Had the explaination of events been different, I would have given three stars.
Still, a quick, fast paced decent read and a must for any Titanic buffs out there.
Btw, note for trivia collectors: Robert Serling is the brother of Rod Serling, of 'Twilight Zone' fame.
The concept is good. An earlier expedition to the Titanic had failed; leaving only one survivor. Now, a second expedition is being planned by the US Navy--with more modern equipment and better trained people.
Serling does his research well; he sticks to most of the true facts about the Titanic--adding just one or two bits of fiction to base his tale on. The writing is competent; the characterization average.
So, why only two stars? Well, here comes a spoiler without too many details. Serling introduces supernatural elements into his tale. I do like supernatural books--Stephen King being a prime example. However, the supernatural elements did not seem to fit here. Or, maybe the way this author handles supernatural elements does not ring a bell with me.
If you like supernatural elements in your books, you may enjoy this book more than I. Had the explaination of events been different, I would have given three stars.
Still, a quick, fast paced decent read and a must for any Titanic buffs out there.
Btw, note for trivia collectors: Robert Serling is the brother of Rod Serling, of 'Twilight Zone' fame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2020
Academia meets pulp fiction!
The first part of this book contained so many technical facts about the Titanic that I was wondering if this was truly a ghost story or something pseudo academic. It was like wading through treacle, the narrative was that boring but, then the pace quickened up. I don't quite know how to categorize this book. It was an interesting take on the Titanic story but certain sections of the story were too drawn out and others were skimped. Overall though it was an enjoyable read.
The first part of this book contained so many technical facts about the Titanic that I was wondering if this was truly a ghost story or something pseudo academic. It was like wading through treacle, the narrative was that boring but, then the pace quickened up. I don't quite know how to categorize this book. It was an interesting take on the Titanic story but certain sections of the story were too drawn out and others were skimped. Overall though it was an enjoyable read.
June 19, 2018
My dad had this book and I decided to read it when I was visiting my parents several years ago. I actually read it so often that the front and back covers and the first few pages after fell off. My parents were nice enough to get the the book in hardcover for me one year for Christmas and I havent had that problem since. I highly recommend this book. It has a nice ghostly thing, an adventure thing... its just so good.
February 28, 2020
I've always had a fascination with the Titanic, it's story, the mysteries and if course the movies. I remember watching the black and white movie of Titanic as a kid and kind of being hooked into it's mystery. I've enjoyed watching documentaries and other shows talking about it. And of course we all know the 1997 film Titanic that still remains a favorite of mine.
Anyhow, I've gotten off topic there.
The title definitely drew me in and I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I didn't get into the book as much as I wanted to.
I really wanted to like this book, but I felt like the more I read, the more it felt I was dragging myself to get to the end.
While the story was interesting in parts, it was lacking depth and character connection in my opinion.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either.
If you're a Titanic fan, you could give this book a go to see how you like it as we all read and enjoy books differently.
Anyhow, I've gotten off topic there.
The title definitely drew me in and I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I didn't get into the book as much as I wanted to.
I really wanted to like this book, but I felt like the more I read, the more it felt I was dragging myself to get to the end.
While the story was interesting in parts, it was lacking depth and character connection in my opinion.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either.
If you're a Titanic fan, you could give this book a go to see how you like it as we all read and enjoy books differently.
January 23, 2024
6/10
At first I was surprised because I went into this expecting a junky pulp novel about horror on the titanic.
But what really sadly this book just went nowhere, at 50% it resets to tell the same story, and nothing even remotely scary happened till 70%, and even then it was only brief.
I don’t know what this book was trying to be.
At first I was surprised because I went into this expecting a junky pulp novel about horror on the titanic.
But what really sadly this book just went nowhere, at 50% it resets to tell the same story, and nothing even remotely scary happened till 70%, and even then it was only brief.
I don’t know what this book was trying to be.
October 14, 2024
4.5/10
Not bad but theres a lot more book without ghosts than with. If your into ships, you might find this interesting. I didnt hate it, it just needed more spooky.
Not bad but theres a lot more book without ghosts than with. If your into ships, you might find this interesting. I didnt hate it, it just needed more spooky.
June 28, 2023
3.5 stars but rounding up to 4. This book covers two journeys down to the Titanic (one in the 70s, and one in the 90s), where two groups of idiots people decide to try and find gold they believe is hidden in the Titanic. Only the Titanic is haunted by the spirits of those who died that fateful day, and they don't take kindly to the ship being plundered.
Firstly, yes, I DID read this because of the Titan submarine incident, and honestly, if you saw the coverage of that and thought "gosh, I'd love to read some undersea horror about the Titanic and submarines" then this is a great pick. It wasn't perfect, I did have some issues with it (most of them I think related to the time period in which it was written, and the fact that it was a male author), but I did overall enjoy it.
Cons: The combo of this being written by a male author in 1990 definitely impacted certain things in the writing that bugged me. This book covers 2 expeditions, one in the 70s and one in the 90s. Both expeditions have one single woman in them each, who are described in terms of their attractiveness (which does not happen to the men). The women in the older expedition has at least 3 men on the ship attracted to her and ends up sleeping with and somehow falling in insta-love with the expedition leader which sure was... something. The woman in the 2nd expedition gets off better, possibly bc she's Navy and not a civilian scientist, but they still make a point of describing her attractiveness and at one point, a character randomly says he hopes she and one of the other navy guys end up together romantically. Completely random, never comes up again. Why? There's also a line that's very language-of-the-90s, where the author says: "Hawke had known few blacks in his life." Yikes! The book was also a bit slow to start and dragged in the first 1/4th, before the first expedition finally got to the Titanic.
Pros: This book was slow to start, but once it got going 1/4th of the way in, it stays mostly at full-throttle and I really enjoyed it. There's a lot of spooky atmosphere, the ghosts are very well done and very eerie, especially in combination with the tension that came from them being 12k feet under water viewing what is essentially a mass-grave. There's also a lot of schadenfreude in this book, so if you love watching people make dumb decisions over and over and then reap the punishment, this is a great book for you. (Seriously, I had a lot of fun saying aloud to my husband things like "oh no, someone died, welp, better go down to the ship again!" or "oh no someone is worried about the safety of the sub, haha, I'm sure nothing could go wrong!") If you watched/read the recent Titan news and felt a lot of "ugh I wish people would be more respectful of the Titanic, where hundreds of people died" this book is a great read for you, because that's pretty much the whole message of the book.
Anyway, though I don't read books by men a lot (mostly for the aforementioned stuff), on a whole this was tolerable on that front, and enjoyable on the "creepy ghosts, terrifying ocean depths, and a healthy dash of schadenfreude" front, so, if you're looking for a post-Titan sub horror read, this is a great pick.
Firstly, yes, I DID read this because of the Titan submarine incident, and honestly, if you saw the coverage of that and thought "gosh, I'd love to read some undersea horror about the Titanic and submarines" then this is a great pick. It wasn't perfect, I did have some issues with it (most of them I think related to the time period in which it was written, and the fact that it was a male author), but I did overall enjoy it.
Cons: The combo of this being written by a male author in 1990 definitely impacted certain things in the writing that bugged me. This book covers 2 expeditions, one in the 70s and one in the 90s. Both expeditions have one single woman in them each, who are described in terms of their attractiveness (which does not happen to the men). The women in the older expedition has at least 3 men on the ship attracted to her and ends up sleeping with and somehow falling in insta-love with the expedition leader which sure was... something. The woman in the 2nd expedition gets off better, possibly bc she's Navy and not a civilian scientist, but they still make a point of describing her attractiveness and at one point, a character randomly says he hopes she and one of the other navy guys end up together romantically. Completely random, never comes up again. Why? There's also a line that's very language-of-the-90s, where the author says: "Hawke had known few blacks in his life." Yikes! The book was also a bit slow to start and dragged in the first 1/4th, before the first expedition finally got to the Titanic.
Pros: This book was slow to start, but once it got going 1/4th of the way in, it stays mostly at full-throttle and I really enjoyed it. There's a lot of spooky atmosphere, the ghosts are very well done and very eerie, especially in combination with the tension that came from them being 12k feet under water viewing what is essentially a mass-grave. There's also a lot of schadenfreude in this book, so if you love watching people make dumb decisions over and over and then reap the punishment, this is a great book for you. (Seriously, I had a lot of fun saying aloud to my husband things like "oh no, someone died, welp, better go down to the ship again!" or "oh no someone is worried about the safety of the sub, haha, I'm sure nothing could go wrong!") If you watched/read the recent Titan news and felt a lot of "ugh I wish people would be more respectful of the Titanic, where hundreds of people died" this book is a great read for you, because that's pretty much the whole message of the book.
Anyway, though I don't read books by men a lot (mostly for the aforementioned stuff), on a whole this was tolerable on that front, and enjoyable on the "creepy ghosts, terrifying ocean depths, and a healthy dash of schadenfreude" front, so, if you're looking for a post-Titan sub horror read, this is a great pick.
October 4, 2011
I get completely geeked out over the Titanic. I love to read books about her and yes, I have watched the 1996 movie multiple times. Don't judge, please. I had not heard of author Robert Serling but meshing the Titanic with the supernatural? Sign me up.
To start, the cover does a wonderful job of conveying the story hiding inside. It will make you wonder. Throughout most of the book. And in a good way.
Mr. Serling does an admirable job of taking the real 1985 dive of Robert Ballard and suggesting the unthinkable - - that an earlier journey, back in 1975, was actually the first to find the sunken ship. But something kept that expedition from making the history books and kept the Titanic and her secrets at sea.
Humans being what we are, of course, we cannot allow the ship and all the possible wealth that may have gone down with her, to remain in her watery grave. Is it possible that the expeditions are being met with nothing more than bad luck or does Titanic and her dead wish to remain as they are - - relics at the bottom of the ocean?
While I didn't find Something's Alive on the Titanic to be the type of horror you would associate with someone like Stephen King, I did find it to be mysterious and suspenseful. Just the thought of being many miles down, seeing a part of the ocean that most people never get to see, being the only visibly living thing . . . it made me feel almost claustrophobic. It added to the tensity of the book and gave it a sense of urgency.
This book may definitely cause your Titanic addiction to rear its head and while it does bring some actual people to life, it only scratches the surface of the actual Titanic story. If you are looking for an actual recounting of the Titanic's maiden voyage and sinking, this isn't the book for you. If, however, you are open to supernatural possibilities surrounding the Titanic, with some very intense and interesting flashbacks, you definitely want to pick this book up!
Fans of Peter Benchley and Steve Alten will certainly appreciate the deep sea adventure and Mr. Serling's tight and concentrated writing. Despite the propensity of many such books to make supporting characters little more than "victims", Mr. Serling gives each character individual and as the reader, you come away caring about them.
I thoroughly enjoyed Something's Alive on the Titanic and found it to be a fun and mysterious read.
Review Copyright © Psychotic State Book Reviews
http://www.psychoticstate.net
To start, the cover does a wonderful job of conveying the story hiding inside. It will make you wonder. Throughout most of the book. And in a good way.
Mr. Serling does an admirable job of taking the real 1985 dive of Robert Ballard and suggesting the unthinkable - - that an earlier journey, back in 1975, was actually the first to find the sunken ship. But something kept that expedition from making the history books and kept the Titanic and her secrets at sea.
Humans being what we are, of course, we cannot allow the ship and all the possible wealth that may have gone down with her, to remain in her watery grave. Is it possible that the expeditions are being met with nothing more than bad luck or does Titanic and her dead wish to remain as they are - - relics at the bottom of the ocean?
While I didn't find Something's Alive on the Titanic to be the type of horror you would associate with someone like Stephen King, I did find it to be mysterious and suspenseful. Just the thought of being many miles down, seeing a part of the ocean that most people never get to see, being the only visibly living thing . . . it made me feel almost claustrophobic. It added to the tensity of the book and gave it a sense of urgency.
This book may definitely cause your Titanic addiction to rear its head and while it does bring some actual people to life, it only scratches the surface of the actual Titanic story. If you are looking for an actual recounting of the Titanic's maiden voyage and sinking, this isn't the book for you. If, however, you are open to supernatural possibilities surrounding the Titanic, with some very intense and interesting flashbacks, you definitely want to pick this book up!
Fans of Peter Benchley and Steve Alten will certainly appreciate the deep sea adventure and Mr. Serling's tight and concentrated writing. Despite the propensity of many such books to make supporting characters little more than "victims", Mr. Serling gives each character individual and as the reader, you come away caring about them.
I thoroughly enjoyed Something's Alive on the Titanic and found it to be a fun and mysterious read.
Review Copyright © Psychotic State Book Reviews
http://www.psychoticstate.net
April 18, 2020
I really wanted to get into this tale of a haunted titanic, I really did. Something about the stiff-upper-lip style of the way things are written and played out made me uninteresting, considering putting it down once or twice throughout. The plot moves very slowly, especially the 1975-set bits, which almost all function as set-up and last for 190 pages of the 370-page book and could easily be cut down.
I was hoping, especially since this is a ghost story that allows you to actually revisit the past in the same way, that the human element of the titanic would be explored, but talking about the biggest human tragedy at sea is ignored in favor of listing off the weight and amount of items on board the ship. The author's other work is mostly 'airline histories' and one or two novels about planes being haunted, so I guess I should expect a disappointment, even with that great title, good cover, and interesting premise.
(Side note, but apparently Robert J. Serling IS the brother of Rod Serling, creator of the twilight zone. This book might have worked better as a big-budget episode of that.
I was hoping, especially since this is a ghost story that allows you to actually revisit the past in the same way, that the human element of the titanic would be explored, but talking about the biggest human tragedy at sea is ignored in favor of listing off the weight and amount of items on board the ship. The author's other work is mostly 'airline histories' and one or two novels about planes being haunted, so I guess I should expect a disappointment, even with that great title, good cover, and interesting premise.
(Side note, but apparently Robert J. Serling IS the brother of Rod Serling, creator of the twilight zone. This book might have worked better as a big-budget episode of that.
April 17, 2007
One of the scariest books I have read.
March 26, 2022
So if you're looking for an actual decent book, this probably isn't it. The characters are all caricatures of stereotypes and the pace is very, very slow. You know, it's an 80s potboiler. You can't expect much.
But if you're a Titanic buff, that probably doesn't bother you. If you're reading any Titanic book, you're looking for the accuracy and the atmosphere and everything Titanic connected. So in that respect, honestly, it wasn't bad. Most Titanic people are like me, they like their fiction peppered with every Titanic fact in existence. Which this book will deliver on because it had every fact that was known at the time (surprisingly accurate for something written in the 90s). There was one instance where it gave the ship's length as 833 feet instead of the true 882 1/2, but that was corrected later on so I think that was a type.
Except for the one decision to go with the "First Officer Murdoch shot himself" myth. Seriously, what is it with people and perpetuating this? *coughlooking at you James Cameroncough* HE DIDN'T SHOOT HIMSELF. THIS IS PROVEN. UGH STOP.
Other than that, the atmosphere was amazing. The idea of crawling around the Titanic's wreck is just SO atmospheric and creepy. If here is anything haunted on this planet, it definitely would be this wreck. Even if the science is too unbelievable (There's no technological advance on the planet that will ever let a sub let divers out at that depth. No diving can go on down there). But I didn't actually care about that since the payoff was actually pretty great.
Great idea, execution definitely needed some work. It's so interesting to read a book about the actual wreck, since most other Titanic books are set on the ship itself during the voyage, that I would love to see someone take this idea and do it better now.
But if you're a Titanic buff, that probably doesn't bother you. If you're reading any Titanic book, you're looking for the accuracy and the atmosphere and everything Titanic connected. So in that respect, honestly, it wasn't bad. Most Titanic people are like me, they like their fiction peppered with every Titanic fact in existence. Which this book will deliver on because it had every fact that was known at the time (surprisingly accurate for something written in the 90s). There was one instance where it gave the ship's length as 833 feet instead of the true 882 1/2, but that was corrected later on so I think that was a type.
Except for the one decision to go with the "First Officer Murdoch shot himself" myth. Seriously, what is it with people and perpetuating this? *coughlooking at you James Cameroncough* HE DIDN'T SHOOT HIMSELF. THIS IS PROVEN. UGH STOP.
Other than that, the atmosphere was amazing. The idea of crawling around the Titanic's wreck is just SO atmospheric and creepy. If here is anything haunted on this planet, it definitely would be this wreck. Even if the science is too unbelievable (There's no technological advance on the planet that will ever let a sub let divers out at that depth. No diving can go on down there). But I didn't actually care about that since the payoff was actually pretty great.
Great idea, execution definitely needed some work. It's so interesting to read a book about the actual wreck, since most other Titanic books are set on the ship itself during the voyage, that I would love to see someone take this idea and do it better now.
January 28, 2023
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars, because after reading the book I’m not sure exactly how I feel about the book. I guess I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the reading world, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Looking at the cover, I had a MUCH different idea of what the book was going to be like.
However; the book I read was not bad at all. The book takes place in two different time periods, something that took me by a pleasant surprise. The book really builds the anticipation of visiting the Titanic and I would say somewhat delivers. That’s what I think “disappointed” me. I guess since the book is fiction , I was expecting something more wild, than real life.
That’s not to say that the book isn’t full of fiction! I’m trying my best not to give spoilers, but every time I would start to anticipate what was going to happen, or what the explorers would see, it was nowhere close, and at times felt like I was reading a true life account of exploring the Titanic.
When the supernatural elements happen, that’s when the book is very hard to put down! I wish the book focused on this part more, and had more scenes involving the supernatural.
At the end, the book has some interesting ideas, that I thought played out like a movie, and gave some backstory to the Titanic that I throughly enjoyed. The ending was very predictable and somewhat fell flat.
At the end of the day however, I really did enjoy the book, and I never felt like I was bored or that it dragged on. That’s why I’m giving it Five stars but in reality, it’s more of a 4.5.
However; the book I read was not bad at all. The book takes place in two different time periods, something that took me by a pleasant surprise. The book really builds the anticipation of visiting the Titanic and I would say somewhat delivers. That’s what I think “disappointed” me. I guess since the book is fiction , I was expecting something more wild, than real life.
That’s not to say that the book isn’t full of fiction! I’m trying my best not to give spoilers, but every time I would start to anticipate what was going to happen, or what the explorers would see, it was nowhere close, and at times felt like I was reading a true life account of exploring the Titanic.
When the supernatural elements happen, that’s when the book is very hard to put down! I wish the book focused on this part more, and had more scenes involving the supernatural.
At the end, the book has some interesting ideas, that I thought played out like a movie, and gave some backstory to the Titanic that I throughly enjoyed. The ending was very predictable and somewhat fell flat.
At the end of the day however, I really did enjoy the book, and I never felt like I was bored or that it dragged on. That’s why I’m giving it Five stars but in reality, it’s more of a 4.5.
May 21, 2024
I expected this book to be ridiculous; I didn't expect it to be boring. But the pacing is so bad. It takes 100 plodding pages before our characters even arrive at the final resting place of the Titanic, in a flashback sequence about a fictional top-secret salvage operation that predated Ballard's find by a decade. However, because this book was published in 1990, even readers back then would know what the wreck site looked like, so the description of the fictional first discovery lacks the awe and wonder that it would otherwise have. After plodding on for 100 pages, suddenly the action happens really fast (involving ghosts, sea monsters, and the obligatory terribly written multi-orgasmic sex scene) and then (almost) everyone on the salvage crew dies. No spoilers; it's explained on the back of the book that this first mission was ill-fated. So no suspense there. Then, flash-forward to 1995 and a new crew is back for another top-secret salvage mission, this time sanctioned by the US Navy. They've got the most sophisticated equipment, including high-pressure diving suits that let our new characters actually walk around on the wrecked ship. Naturally in a book like this, one of the red-shirt crew members dies violently, and there's more ghost sightings, and some psychic time travel, but it's not the campy fun that it was promised to be. The story drags a lot, and the "good parts" are over much too quickly.
July 2, 2025
Este libro es 5⭐️.
Empecé a leer el libro simplemente porque lo tenía en mi biblioteca y me enamoré de la forma de escribir de Robert Serling.
Yo dije "mm, Titanic, a mi que me importa eso, me voy a aburrir, imaginate que no vi la peli menos leerme un libro" pero pasó.
De inicio a fin me pareció espectacular.
Se sabe que la primera expedición no sale bien y aún así te tiene tenso hasta el momento que uno estuvo esperando. Los personajes amé, incluso aunque no pronfundizaron tanto les dieron su personalidad y su caracter lo que los llevo a encontrar el titanic y el oro.
Cuando empecé a leer la segunda expedición dije "uh se repite lo mismo, introducen personajes bla bla bla" pero la verdad que no fue para nada pesado.
El final uffff, cuando Henning dijo sobre porque esas almas estaban en el fondo del océano, que era porque sentian diferentes culpas yo dije "acá Derek muere" ya que él sentía culpa por lo sucedido con el Henry Morgan, y así fue.
Al final si habia oro locooo, tenian que recuperarlo, se morian todos al pedo que onda ah, pero eso fue lo que me gustó, no le importó matar a quien tenia que matar, ídolo.
Por otro lado, para ser un libro de los 90 esta re avanzado con respecto a las mujeres, o por lo menos con lo que se dejó ver. Me cuesta leer libros viejos mas que nada por eso, me cagan la lectura pero regio regio este.
Empecé a leer el libro simplemente porque lo tenía en mi biblioteca y me enamoré de la forma de escribir de Robert Serling.
Yo dije "mm, Titanic, a mi que me importa eso, me voy a aburrir, imaginate que no vi la peli menos leerme un libro" pero pasó.
De inicio a fin me pareció espectacular.
Se sabe que la primera expedición no sale bien y aún así te tiene tenso hasta el momento que uno estuvo esperando. Los personajes amé, incluso aunque no pronfundizaron tanto les dieron su personalidad y su caracter lo que los llevo a encontrar el titanic y el oro.
Cuando empecé a leer la segunda expedición dije "uh se repite lo mismo, introducen personajes bla bla bla" pero la verdad que no fue para nada pesado.
El final uffff, cuando Henning dijo sobre porque esas almas estaban en el fondo del océano, que era porque sentian diferentes culpas yo dije "acá Derek muere" ya que él sentía culpa por lo sucedido con el Henry Morgan, y así fue.
Al final si habia oro locooo, tenian que recuperarlo, se morian todos al pedo que onda ah, pero eso fue lo que me gustó, no le importó matar a quien tenia que matar, ídolo.
Por otro lado, para ser un libro de los 90 esta re avanzado con respecto a las mujeres, o por lo menos con lo que se dejó ver. Me cuesta leer libros viejos mas que nada por eso, me cagan la lectura pero regio regio este.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2021
Halloween was just a few days away and I just finished a book so thought I'd try to find something to put me in the Halloween mood. Up popped a book ad ( I get hundreds!!!) offering me Something's Alive on the Titanic. Okay, the Titanic has been interesting to me. But what could there be that is alive on it. So I decided to see what this is about.
The book is in two time frames. The first part takes place before the Ballard exploration. Our group is after the gold that was left behind when the Titanic went down. So they got a group of "experts" in various areas, and worked out a plan. But there plan did not include the appearance of ghosts or sea creatures that were larger than anyone thought possible. That's all I'm telling you anymore about this expedition.
Many years later, and after Ballard's exploration of the Titanic another group gets together to find the gold. Should be easier now that they know exactly where the Titanic is located. And their equipment is so much better than anyone has used before. Want to know how their exploration turned out? You've got to read it to believe it. Well, it's up to you to determine if what happened could really have taken place. But it was a good spooky tale regardless.
The book is in two time frames. The first part takes place before the Ballard exploration. Our group is after the gold that was left behind when the Titanic went down. So they got a group of "experts" in various areas, and worked out a plan. But there plan did not include the appearance of ghosts or sea creatures that were larger than anyone thought possible. That's all I'm telling you anymore about this expedition.
Many years later, and after Ballard's exploration of the Titanic another group gets together to find the gold. Should be easier now that they know exactly where the Titanic is located. And their equipment is so much better than anyone has used before. Want to know how their exploration turned out? You've got to read it to believe it. Well, it's up to you to determine if what happened could really have taken place. But it was a good spooky tale regardless.
March 2, 2017
This book comes as a surprise winner, but, being a sucker for anything Titanic, I felt compelled to read it. Glad I did. Something's Alive on the Titanic did not disappoint.
In this book we follow two different expeditions to the final resting place of the Titanic - one in 1975 and another twenty years later. The goals are similar though the tech used to get them there improves greatly with time. The story may seem predictable but it feels decidedly different. Yes, we go on a quest, things go wrong, unexpected developments both frighten and excite, many harrowing situations lead to outcomes of a dangerous nature but it's more than that. Here we find a touching tribute to the Titanic and those who lost their lives in the icy waters of 1912. But, it's also creepy as hell! I read late into the night on more than one occasion and found sleep evasive. Visions of ghosts and sea creatures stayed with me and left me feeling less than safe though I'm tucked in bed well inland.
This is a rich adventure story first and foremost and full of meaty details and scary moments. It's the sort of thing I love... especially when it's about the most famed ocean liner of all time.
In this book we follow two different expeditions to the final resting place of the Titanic - one in 1975 and another twenty years later. The goals are similar though the tech used to get them there improves greatly with time. The story may seem predictable but it feels decidedly different. Yes, we go on a quest, things go wrong, unexpected developments both frighten and excite, many harrowing situations lead to outcomes of a dangerous nature but it's more than that. Here we find a touching tribute to the Titanic and those who lost their lives in the icy waters of 1912. But, it's also creepy as hell! I read late into the night on more than one occasion and found sleep evasive. Visions of ghosts and sea creatures stayed with me and left me feeling less than safe though I'm tucked in bed well inland.
This is a rich adventure story first and foremost and full of meaty details and scary moments. It's the sort of thing I love... especially when it's about the most famed ocean liner of all time.
November 10, 2021
The story begins in 1975 when an expedition embarks on a mission to locate the wreck of the Titanic and salvage 34 crates of gold bullion she was reputedly carrying when she sank in 1912. Using two deep-sea-exploration submersibles, the team descend into the murky depths of the North Atlantic Ocean. Fraught with difficulties from the start, they take risks and unsurprisingly the mission ends in tragedy.
Fast forward to 1993 and the United States Navy try to succeed where the first mission failed. But they too encounter problems despite having more technologically advanced equipment. They discover they're not alone — there's something alive on the Titanic protecting it from being plundered. . . something malignant and dangerous!
What a thrilling read this turned out to be. It was extremely well-written and combined two subjects that always pique my interest — namely horror fiction and the Titanic. I thought the pacing in the first part of the 1975 expedition was a little slow (I was 31% into the book before the Titanic was even discovered), but from that point onwards it was full steam ahead.
Descriptions of the Titanic striking the iceberg and the devastating loss of life were superb. I was effortlessly transported back in time. The supernatural element cast a different spin on things, as did the merging of fact and fiction. The setting, two-and-a-half miles beneath the surface of the ocean, was claustrophobic and creepy. I thought it was a fantastic, unsettling read.
Fast forward to 1993 and the United States Navy try to succeed where the first mission failed. But they too encounter problems despite having more technologically advanced equipment. They discover they're not alone — there's something alive on the Titanic protecting it from being plundered. . . something malignant and dangerous!
What a thrilling read this turned out to be. It was extremely well-written and combined two subjects that always pique my interest — namely horror fiction and the Titanic. I thought the pacing in the first part of the 1975 expedition was a little slow (I was 31% into the book before the Titanic was even discovered), but from that point onwards it was full steam ahead.
Descriptions of the Titanic striking the iceberg and the devastating loss of life were superb. I was effortlessly transported back in time. The supernatural element cast a different spin on things, as did the merging of fact and fiction. The setting, two-and-a-half miles beneath the surface of the ocean, was claustrophobic and creepy. I thought it was a fantastic, unsettling read.
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