Reviewer: Jace DeAngelo

Whoever compared Titan of the Stars by E. K. Johnston to classics such as Titanic and Alien (1986) did the story a disservice. Likening it to these monoliths of the film industry sets the bar pretty high, and I don’t think it meets that bar. I adore Alien and was drawn to Titan of the Stars because of this declared similarity. Alien was revolutionary and its terror was pointed—a variety of interviews have revealed that this was intentional and that, while most horror targets women, Alien was intended to make men feel the same horror that women are so often subjected to. Titan of the Stars has a ship in space being raided by aliens, sure, but it lacks the targeting that made Alien so unique.

I was entertained by the irony of a world that accepts queerness but maintains archaic social mores. The narration takes potshots at modern work politics. Even among the stars, the characters can’t escape classic management platitudes, like  “if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” 

Titan of the Stars is a Y/A sci-fi horror with a set of plucky, pithy leads (a staple of the genre). Celeste and Dominic are dynamic characters with interesting pasts. The worldbuilding is unique, but grounded by the opportunistic nature of the wealthy class. The often wry narration is amusing and humorous in the refreshing way it punches up instead of down. Turns out, “I’m escaping to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism: SPACE!” isn’t quite as accurate as Tim Curry once thought.

The first chapter is a glimpse into the inevitability of this situation. Crying, deaths, the mention but not the sight of the aliens—this was enough to hook me, which is good, because the following chapters are rife with social hierarchy struggles and aren’t nearly as punchy or action-packed. In this regard, that slow build-up does resemble Titanic. I wouldn’t say it was boring, but the climb into action is a long one. You’re certainly not stepping into flame throwers, malfunctioning robots, or face-huggers right off the bat.

When the action finally ramps up, the characters prove that their one-liners aren’t just for show and demonstrate their cleverness in evading aliens. Later,  the point of view changes to the aliens onboard, effectively revealing their complexity. They are more than just monsters. This shift in perspective fostered unease and tension when alien-fighting goodness was at a minimum. 

If you’re looking for another Titanic or Alien, this might not be for you. However, if you want a horror that’s interesting without keeping you up at night, enjoy queer characters, and you like it when sociopolitical dynamics are equalized by an outer force, try Titan of the Stars.

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