Parallels of Science Fiction: The Sirens of Titan and WatchmenAn analysis of the parallels between Kurt Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan (1986) and Alan Moore's Watchmen (1959)

Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut's 1959 science fiction novel about the implications of war and the pulls of luck versus free will, is echoed, one must presume, lovingly by Alan Moore within Watchmen. Watchmen, 1986, is a comic, movie, and series that also comments on war at the height of a Cold one. Here we will discuss the subjects within Sirens of Titan, a science fiction novel by Kurt Vonnegut that inspired Alan Moore's universe-building, particularly within The Watchmen. As a warning, to do so will require some spoilers, but we will try to avoid going into plot details that are not relevant.

Accidentally a God

Both Doctor Manhattan and Winston Niles Rumfoord become omniscient through science-related accidents. Originally a Nuclear Physicist, Jon Osterman becomes Dr. Manhattan by accidentally exposing himself to a radiation test he had planned. Winston Niles Rumfoord gains his sight of past, present, and future, having accidentally travelled through a substance Kurt Vonnegut coins as Chrono-Synclastic Infundibulum. Dr. Manhattan also gains the ability to manipulate energy and matter. While Rumfoord lacks these abilities, he manipulates people around him and the world in ways that make him seem god-like.

Winston Niles Rumfoord vs Adrian Alexander Veidt

While these events that lead to their common abilities are similar, in philosophy and action, Winston Niles Rumfoord seems to relate more to the complicated but villainous Adrian Alexander Viedt. Known as "World's Smartest Man", Adrian Alexander Viedt has wealth and disposition similar to that of the elitist Winston Niles Rumfoord. They both resolve to take on epic efforts to save and unite humanity. Those efforts are by staging alien invasions in both cases. They are both willing to become the villain that humanity needs to come together to stop, though Winston Niles Rumfoord announces that it was he, Adrian Alexander Viedt allows his actions to remain a mystery. It's interesting to note that Winston Niles Rumfoord and Adrian Alexander Viedt have pet companions they rely on, who are both lost in tragic ways. Kazak's and Bubastis's ends feature heart-wrenching conclusions that shake their owners.

Minor Points

While these main characters hold the bulk of the thematic parallels, some plot points of minor characters are of note. Malachi Constant, the richest man in The Sirens of Titan's world, mirrors the similarly wealthy Watchmen character Nite Owl II. Both of them marry due to Wiston Niles Rumfoord and Dr. Manhattan's absence, respectively. The casualties of Winston Niles Rumfoord and Adrian Alexander Veidt's plan include Stony Stevenson and Rorschach, respectively, as rebels to the mad scientists' plans. They were good friends of Malachi and Nite Owl.

Artists and writers indeed gather inspiration from many places. While one might grow bitter about the repetitive themes if a die-hard Kurt Vonnegut fan, it's important to note the depth of characters and world-building Alan Moore exemplifies in Watchmen. All this is to say that we recognize the patterns and the source, but we love the growth.