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This is the first of Paul's space cities that I came across in the
1960s and is still one of my favourites. The Titans have a
mysterious dignity that is accentuated rather than diminished by their
odd little legs and they really have the look of people going
about their business. The buildings remind me of art deco
skyscrapers that have been strangely rounded without losing any of
their essential character, though the smoke indicates that their
chimneys could use a clean.
I remember the article that accompanied this painting saying that the
Titans worshiped Saturn as their god, which explains their solemn
looks of devotion and the constant cricks in their necks.
This is one of those scenes where once you get past the drama you
start asking what the Hell happened. Who was the space cadet who
managed to auger this baby smack into a swamp? And how
inattentive can you be to go wandering out of the airlock without
glancing out the window to see if a three hundred foot carnivorous
reptile might be in the neighbourhood? The monster doesn't look
too swift either, considering that it's just standing there staring
while the Earth people empty their clips into his hide.
I really wish Paul had skipped the monster scene and talked more
about the Titans. They were one of the few creatures of his that
actually intrigued me.
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