Author Topic: The Expanse  (Read 5277 times)

Talia

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on: December 20, 2015, 04:20:08 AM
Excuse me, gonna nerd out for a little bit here.

"The Expanse" book series first came to my attention via a reference on George R. R. Martin's blog. It piqued my curiosity, particularly considering Daniel Abraham, whose writing I have adored from prior works, is a co-author. I picked up the first book, read it in two days and was promptly hooked. So.. I gave the resulting SyFy show, which just came out, a shot, and am duly impressed. The experience of immediately experiencing book then screen versions is odd but interesting. That being said.. I must recommend both the book, and the show, to all who enjoy the genre. The book (at least the first one, haven't read the others yet) is more immediately gripping, but you can tell the show is leading up to the same sense of tension (necessarily delayed by the shift in medium).

Um, this book series is really, really good, and the show so far is shaping up the same. IMHO. I'd like to see the show hang on for the duration of the ride - as there are more novels planned, who knows how long that would take. We'll see what unfolds, I suppose. The plot of the FIRST NOVEL ALONE is adequate for an entire series, so..yeah.



Chairman Goodchild

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Reply #1 on: December 24, 2015, 03:29:03 AM
I just got done watching the first four episodes of the program and I'm very impressed with it.  Everything is very nice and tightly structured, and the science is done well.
There's much moral ambiguity here, as our likeable protagonist accidentally dooms his ship by having it go after a distress call, and then falsely, altho somewhat justifiably, blames Mars for this in a moment of panic.  Trying to do the right thing ends up starting off a chain reaction that kills the crew of two ships and starts riots that kill many more people. 


I like the touches of low-grav special effects on Ceres to remind the viewer they're not on Earth.  I also like the inclusion of several main characters over the age of 60 in the show.  In the future, populations are going to get much older.  A huge demographic shift is coming, and we don't usually see that in science-fiction.   Very smart all the way around. 

My only gripe with the series is that water wouldn't be an issue on Ceres.  As it was stated in the beginning of the episode, there's huge amounts of water on Ceres.  The amount that it would take to keep everyone happily supplied with water vs. keeping them on a strict ration of water is pretty much negligable compared to how much there is on the asteroid.  And the story starts on a freighter headed to Ceres with a huge shipment of ice.  Presumably, that wasn't the only one.  Maybe the novels go into a bit more detail on that.

Apart from that gripe, and of course I have to have one, I'm loving this series.  I'm seeing a lot of Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5 mixed in this one.  I'm really hoping it finds an audience and becomes the next big Sci-Fi series. 



TrishEM

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Reply #2 on: January 05, 2016, 12:57:42 PM
I binged episodes 2-4 online a couple of weeks ago. The tension definitely builds; episode 4 was INTENSE. The mix of political intrigue and action seems just right, and the acting is excellent, even from minor characters. It's definitely on a level with Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5; I just hope it lasts beyond the first season.



eytanz

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Reply #3 on: January 05, 2016, 02:20:28 PM



Talia

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Reply #4 on: January 06, 2016, 04:32:05 AM
Episode 5 just aired tonight and the show continues to be excellent. I'm not sure if they're going to do this every week, but during the episode many cast members, show writers and Mr. Abraham were all Tweeting and interacting with fans. It was VERY cool.



jgottwig

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Reply #5 on: March 01, 2016, 01:52:15 PM
I just completed S1 last night.  Enjoyed it!

The stuff on Eros dragged on for a bit, but the book did that too.



Thunderscreech

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Reply #6 on: March 07, 2016, 09:30:20 PM
I finally get what the Story Of Ice And Fire readers felt when watching GoT with their friends.  Knowing what was coming from reading the book and watching it with someone who was seeing for the first time was pretty satisfying. 

Especially...  especially knowing what's still to come. 

oh boy

Almost not sure I want to see some of that on screen.



Chairman Goodchild

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Reply #7 on: March 12, 2016, 06:20:14 AM
I'm loving this.  There's a definite Game of Thrones vibe to the whole series, with all of the bloodshed and behind-the-scenes political manipulation and assassinations.  Season One has a special place in my heart already, and I can't wait for Season Two.  Also, I love not knowing what's about to happen.  I have a feeling that there's some kind of "Red Wedding" sequence coming up, so I imagine there's going to be the same friction between the book-readers and the non-book-readers that there was for Game of Thrones.