There are many reasons to watch The Expanse, a show so spectacular that it was personally revived from cancelation by Jeff Bezos. Ironic audience demographics aside, The Expanse is one of the most innovative pieces of science fiction to come out of the 21st century, using the foundation of modern science to build a plausible galactic future. The show is an adaptation of the original book series of the same name, and had the advantage of the same writers, which ensures it honors the source material. The book series, however, was where it all began.
Both the books and the show adaptation have the same plot through line: namely, the trials and tribulations of a scrappy ship called the Rocinante, her trouble-magnet crew, and the explosive politics of a galaxy in tumult. The presence of an alien hive mind and a few dozen interstellar portals mix things up even further. All of the aforementioned elements are interwoven expertly in the books, which is why the series was called ‘Game of Thrones in space’ for years after its debut. The show may portray the world of The Expanse through thrilling action, visceral emotion and innovative science, but this is expanded upon (pun intended) in the book series.
The main reason any show-watcher should read the books of The Expanse is to finish the story. The TV show version of The Expanse ran for six seasons, weathering a brief cancelation, a fan-fueled rescue, rushed cast changes, and an expiration date in the form of its final installment, season 6. It completed the arc of Book 6, which saw an end to the reign of terror by Marco Inaros, Naomi’s ex and a megalomaniacal cult leader. The show wrapped things up there; most of the Rocinante crew were given happy denouements, with a few threads left dangling in regard to the protomolecule and the ring gates.
The books, meanwhile, provide a more definite end for the series and for its characters, introducing a new villain in Book 7 who is vanquished by Book 9. It’s thirty years removed from the action of the first books, so perhaps it’s not ideal for a TV adaptation, but it’s an authentic finale. In addition, the beloved character of Alex Kamal gets the ending he deserves, removed from his actor-related controversies.
The TV version of The Expanse is known for its diverse cast, multiple perspectives, and wide-reaching action. The adaptation is the ideal kind, catering to existing fans while giving them a new experience of the same story. Within the books, there is a lot more detail. Some of that detail is crucial to later plot developments and some is clearly just for color. The books accommodate more points of view, incorporate multiple subplots relating to such characters, and develop them within their starring book or books.
In the show, various characters are blended into existing ones, such as the Belter leader Michio Pa, whose story in the books is given to Camina Drummer. Some details are changed to be more cinematic, such as the death of Fred Johnson, another Belter rebel — he has a stroke in the books, and is assassinated in the show. The books give the story time to breathe, and the events are explored in much greater depth. There’s also more commentary by the main characters, as events are seen through their eyes, and it can often have a great deal of humor.
Much like Star Trek, The Expanse is often given credit for being one step ahead of probable developments in technology and science. The Expanse is rooted more firmly in the boundaries of the real universe than Star Trek, and so its inventions and extrapolations are a great deal more complex. The TV version of The Expanse does a great job of showing how space travel affects the mind and body, how space stations transcend zero gravity, and how spaceships operate in battle scenarios – among many other things. However, simply due to the limitations of budget, human anatomy, and time, the show can’t depict everything that made The Expanse books so immersive.
In the books, spaceship crews exist almost entirely in zero gravity, and they learn to live like the astronauts of the real-life ISS. They also rely on impact-cushioning gel chairs, as the speeds they travel at can be extremely damaging to the body. There is no shying away from the uglier aspects of living in a vacuum, whether it’s radiation sickness, difficulty adapting to lower gravity, or organ failure due to too much velocity. Belters and Martians also have notably different bodily proportions to Earthers, a feature that had to be excised from the show. The latter is a massive change, considering Belter physicality contributes to the bigotry they face throughout the story. The science of The Expanse is absolutely crucial in the books, and makes for even higher stakes than in the show.
The Expanse is hard sci-fi done right, both as a book series and as a TV show. The show gave the books more visibility, and introduced a new audience to science fiction that respected the logic of its universe. In the books, the authors followed in the footsteps of genre icons such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Arthur C. Clarke, and Isaac Asimov, and it shows in their work. There is a clear focus on matching the strength of their characters with the strength of their plot, and the result is a world that can make up six excellent seasons of a TV adaptation.
There has already been some crossover between the original fans of the books and their adaptation, particularly while the show was still on the air. The final book in The Expanse series was released in 2021, completing the tale of the Rocinante crew and their efforts to save their solar system from destruction. The show is a comprehensive and satisfying story, but for fans who want the entire picture, there are nine exciting books awaiting their attention.