Titan A.E.

by Steve Perry, Dal Perry

Fifteen years after Earth, Cale Tucker still remembers the invasion of the alien Drej—but with Human survivors scattered across the galaxy, he has forgotten how to dream. Until he discovers a map left for him by his brilliant scientist father. A map that reveals the location of a legendary spacecraft known as Titan. Where did it come from? Why was it built? And what secrets were hidden inside? As this riveting journey unfolds, Cale will discover that he must find these answers—because he himself is humanity's last hope.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Media Tie In, Childrens, Fantasy

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Steven Carl Perry has written over fifty novels and numerous short stories, which have appeared in various magazines and anthologies. Perry is perhaps best known for the Matador series. He has written books in the Star Wars, Alien and Conan universes. He was a collaborator on all of the Tom Clancy's Net Force series, seven of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. Two of his novelizations, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Men in Black have also been bestsellers. Other writing credits include articles, reviews, and essays, animated teleplays, and some unproduced movie scripts. One of his scripts for Batman: The Animated Series was an Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Writing.

Perry is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, The Animation Guild, and the Writers Guild of America, West

Reviews

[Scott Henricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book, of course, because I worked on the movie!! I really enjoyed it because I had become so familiar with the story we were telling in the movie, and it made things even better being able to get more details. It has been quite some time since I read this book, so I might just have to pick this one up again, as well as the other two, and read them.

The cool thing was that I was able to learn more about the characters and how they got to the point I was introduced to them, while working on Titan A.E.

Anyway, pretty good, but I might be biased. Just a little...

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adaptation of an underrated animated movie! Stays true to the story but also gives us some more background about the Drej, their society, and motivations that the film didn't really address at all.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Id love to be able to say that the novelization adds even more to a movie I really enjoyed. But it really doesnt. Multiple typos and other editing flops are common enough, and it doesnt really transcribe the wear and tear and the lived in feel of the main characters journey.

As another detractor the book is.. lets say a little more PG-13 and just thirstier than the movie was and I cant say its a good thing.

It still tells a story I loved, and even though the book copy I managed to find is falling apart I still enjoyed it but more so out of movie nostalgia than on its own merits.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much, much improved by the change of authors. It's no surprise that the prequel books add basically nothing to the story, and in subtle ways are outright contradicted by the novelisation's additions and asides. The dialogue is somewhat flabby, there's a lot of additional pruning of unnecessary lines and extra words done to make the dialogue more punchy in the finished movie than whatever script draft the novelisation was written from.

It's a straightforward adaptation of the film as well, with little in terms of major changes. Stith acts more like a stereotypical DIE WITH HONOUR Klingon type than the irritable put-upon middle manager personality she had in the movie, and she suffers for it. Preed, while identical in personality, suffers most from the loose dialogue, losing basically all of his characteristics other than 'self-interested creeper' in the process. The loss of a late scene where Gune seemingly dies robs his triumphant return piloting the Valkyrie of any punch, as well as adding to how perfunctory Stith is in this version. The jailbreak sequence for Akima is completely different, replaced with a rather jarringly dark sequence with slavers. It also feels more anticlimactic, since it focuses on Akima's POV and thus just boils down to 'oh no i'm going to be sold to slavers oh phew my friends showed up nvm lol'. It was for the best, in retrospect, to not suddenly bog down the story with a slavery subplot, replacing it with the most blatantly Whedon-y sequence with Preed, Stith and Korso trying to bluff their way past the guards

However, the one major addition is the inclusion of many scenes from the POV of the Drej Queen, which I'm somewhat ambivalent about. It's interesting to peek behind the curtains and delve into the political baggage of the creatures, where the Queen is constantly fending off attacks and assassins from random drones attempting to usurp her as she usurped the previous Queen. It also details exactly why the Drej targeted Earth, and why they didn't immediately use their planet-destroying superweapon to wipe out the survivors or target another homeworld. On the one hand, it does give a bit of depth to what were pretty one-dimensional villains on screen. On the other, it does reduce this mysterious force with inscrutable goals into just another race with internal power struggles and ship repair issues and other mundanities. It's hard to weigh whether developing and exploring the Drej was worth making an incomprehensible unknown into a comprehensible known.

Still, it's leagues above the two prequel books. The prose is quick and snappy, the odd moments of swearing and other child-unfriendly things are amusing for a project intended as a PG-13 live-action film turned into a PG animated one, and while the dialogue needed the final pass the movie got, it wasn't enough to detract from a decently entertaining ride.

Hell, now that the film's been swallowed by the Unicronic maw of Disney, left to rot in the vaults as DVDs wear out and the rights expire on digital storefronts, there's at least one good way left to revisit an underrated sci-fi movie.

[Scot Eaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good, but doesn't have the same charm as the movie. It's nice to read this after the movie to get extra scenes and some more insight into the characters' thoughts and motivations.

My one major complaint is that this book completely breaks continuity with Cale's Story and Akima's Story, the two prequel novels. There's one line where the author attempts to reconcile the plot, but it seems too little, and feels thrown-in at the last minute. There was obviously no communication between authors.

I still love this universe, and am really sad it didn't take off. I'd love to read a sequel novel taking place on New Earth.

[Zheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titian A.E.: Novelization is the book adaptation of the movie and it does stay true to the movie for the most part. What sets the book apart from the movie, however, was the added focus upon the Drej. Finally, I saw personality in what (the movie) had been a general bad guy and their reasons behind the destruction of Earth.

"Well, I'm going to call it Bob."
"I'm never calling it that."

*Sigh* I need to go watch the movie now...

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the story of Titan A.E., but the prose in this novel left a lot to be desired; I wasn't a fan of the style or the spelling and grammar errors. Also, I could have done without reading how Cale was reacting to Akima's presence. I'm hoping Akima's Story and Cale's Story are better-ish.

[Jeryl Dildine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the movie loved the book!

[Patrick Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movies is my favorite. And it's prequels. Sith is my favorite character because of here mouth.

[Ervin Kosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember how the movie seems to be lacking? That because there was a whole subplot that was never explored that the book has. Like Dune when you've read the book the movie make 100% more sense.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titan A.E. is a movie that I've had an interesting relationship with over the years. I first wanted to see it after seeing the commercials on Fox Kids; a kid my mom was taking care of back in the day brought over his VHS copy, but I didn't get to see the ending. A few years later, I found a copy of it on cassette at a garage sale, but, like most people at the time, I had largely moved on from watching anything on video tape. I did get a DVD copy at a garage sale eventually, but I went too far with my trade-ins at MovieStop and sold it to them. A year or two ago, I got it from my local library--aka my workplace--through the Inter-Library Loan service. I recommended that we add it to our own collection, but I've never seen it on our shelves. It saddens me that I saw a DVD copy at my local thrift store, and failed to pick it up; when I went back hoping it would still be there, it was gone. Still, despite the complicated relationship I've had with the film, I've enjoyed it every time I've seen it. I wish that I'd seen it on the big screen, and that it hadn't flopped; because it tanked at the box office, it was only one of two movies Fox Animation Studios ever made, the other being Anastasia.

So...how does the book stack up? It's hard for a book to compete to a flick that is such a feast for the eyes...but, the authors did a great job following the story and adding extra details. However, some of the bonus content--s-words, sexual details--may bother discerning readers. So, in this case, I would say the movie was better.

[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titan A.E. is my favorite movie by far. I bought this book a long ago, but I finally read it. Perry is a good writer, the language flows nicely and it was such a pleasure to read this. Plot wise this of course tells the story of the end of our Earth by aliens and how humanity got scattered around the universe. Cale has the key to Titan that can save humans by creating a new home. We have interesting characters and loyalty and betrayal. The characters are multifaceted, there's humor and whatnot. Even romance, but not too much.

The plot is a bit uneven and the beginning is slow compared to the end. The end battle is over too soon, which wasn't the case with the movie. This is an OK version of the story, but the other two books were better (Cale's Story and Akima's Story). But, this is still a good book and if you like the movie, then it's nice.

[goopster · Rating 3 out of 5]

just under a four star read to me! at first i found it cool that they explored more of the drej lore but it did wear on me after a few chapters tbh. other than that its really just following the movie at the exact same pace and i really wish it was longer to talk about the scenery and really get into the grit of the cool deep space they hint at /3

[Arwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book adaptation of the movie. Good story keeps the pace moving, and stays true to the movie. Not much else to say about it.

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throwaway.

[Klockwork Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie was better tbh

[Julie ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai adoré retrouver cette aventure vue en film. Le livre n'est pas forcément mémorable, mais c'est fluide, dynamique et ça m'a amplement suffi !

[Ty Dykema · Rating 2 out of 5]

My brother bought this for me while he was out at a thrift store because he knew the movie is one of my favorites. He didn't realize that this was just a novelization of the film and not a supplemental piece so that was disappointing, but I gave it a chance anyway. It was pretty much what you can expect from a novelization - it wasn't as good as the movie, felt like it was really quickly written (typos EVERYWHERE!), and was really amateurish. Sentences like "Cale fell over." and "The elevator closed." are scattered throughout and sometimes there are multiple 3-4 word sentences in a row, which lends to a really chunky, bland read. But, I love the story and at least the writers were pretty detailed when describing action and characters so there was a little life to it. Overall, would not recommend - just watch the movie; it's one of the best of its kind.

[Lissette · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I loved the movie, I found the book to be disappointing. Too much narrative bogged down the beginning and, despite that, there was a surprising lack of detail when it came to describing the characters and environment. If I hadn't seen the movie, I think I would have struggled to envision what was happening at any given time.

What sets the book apart from the movie, however, was the added focus upon the Drej. Finally, I saw motivation and personality in what, in the movie, had just been a general bad-guy obstacle to overcome. There were also some memorable one liners that I liked, such as "mess with the best, die with the rest." The underlying sexual references would probably keep me from recommending this to younger readers, but I can see science fiction fans enjoying the story. For me, I'll stick to the movie.

[Ryofire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably the only good thing about this book is that it delves more into the Drej and how their culture works and that they're matriarchal (kind of like clown fish). It wasn't the most compelling storyline but there's not a lot to work with.

I honestly think that Perry looked at the film, saw the plot holes, pitched some ideas on how to fix them, and got shot down, so he just tried to explain them away and failed on that too. This one is just as poorly edited in the other books and comes off as a very cheap, shoddy product with plot holes of its own. Good thing they marketed this to, I guess, young children, who might not notice.

It's not an enjoyable book and it didn't add much to the experience of the film, but it does throw in a few details that might make it worth your while.

[Ace · Rating 3 out of 5]

For everyone who enjoyed the movie, Titan A.E. is a quick, fun read. It follows the movie closely and goes into deeper detail with the characters' thoughts as well as with the Drej, a matriarchal society the movie doesn't say all that much about. For those who haven't seen the movie, this novel can be read easily without having seen it.

The downsides of the book are similar to those of the movie: The quick pacing detracts from potential character development. Those who pick up on cliches and patterns will be able to guess a lot of the events before they happen (though this applies only to those who haven't seen the movie, of course).

This is a good read for anyone who enjoyed the movie as well as kids who are interested in sci-fi.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

it started in 3013 with a boy who is only 6 years old. the boy was not awere of what was happening all around him. his dad was a really smart guy how had made a ship that might be able to save the earth form the evil traj.

one year ago the earth was desroded by the alien traj and cales father had leaft somewhere in outerspace. cale was working for a junk alien in space on a real big rock and the aliens treat the humans with no respect at all. then one day cale was going to lunch and a ship just about landed on him and so he walked up the ship and looked in side and he was surprised with a good liking woman driving the ship.

[David Zampa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that comes to mind when I think of guilty pleasures. It's simple, fun, short, fast, predictable, reliable, and satisfying. I've re-read it several times over the years, because of the memberberries it gives me. This is not the best book you've ever read. It probably won't be in the top 100. But lock yourself away for an evening to read it, don't let anyone catch you or ever tell anyone, and you'll be happy you did.

[Lorien · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I've never been able to buy into the idea that a ship could make an entire planet, I do enjoy this story. A fan of the movie, I really enjoyed reading the book. My favorite parts are definitely the drej queen. Learning about them and actually learning WHY they destroyed Earth was awesome. It's only a 4 star because of the whole idea of the ship making a whole planet is just too unbelievable for me to give it a 5, but other than that it's a solid book.

[Rogue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The movie was WAY better! I would not recommend this to anyone (UNlike the movie). It appears to be written for 9 year olds(ish), but they use swear words. If they had taken the book seriously, and actually watched the movie so they knew what they were talking about, it might have been more than just 'meh.'

[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives more insight into the characters than the movie alone provided. A good sci-fi read with definite appeal. I liked the alien race, who reminded me a lot of the Chigs in "Space: Above and Beyond."

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years after seeing the movie, and having forgotten most of the plot, there were plenty of surprising moments in store for me. The book was both exciting and interesting, but the ending was just wonderful: hopefully fate will show a similar kindness to me one day. :-)

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie..was better. Still this is a fast read and worth borrowing from the library or if you can get it for a buck...well only if you can get it for at most a buck is it worth buying. Get the movie.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't care.
I don't even care.
Shut up.
Shut up everybody.
Yeah, I get it.
But no.
Screw that.
Titan A.E. was a brilliant movie.
And i don't even care about this book.
It could have been written in crayon on a banana;
I wouldn't care.
It's great.
It's super great.
Just shut up.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the movie. An enjoyable piece of fiction lacking too much substance. A good book to sandwich in between two substantial reads when your mind needs a bit of a break