The Expanse Catch-All

ruhk wrote:

Welcome to the Screaming Firehawks!

Thanks

polypusher wrote:

If you're a sci-fi reader, grab Leviathan Wakes, the first book in the series. Im a picky reader and it hooked me hard. I had already seen Season 1 when I started reading.

I'll consider it, but I just recently finished my first book in about 4 years. It's not for a lack of wanting to read more, mind you...so you can imagine the backlog I've built up.

I just finished reading Tiamat's Wrath today. I started it on the 8th, so I read through it pretty quickly (for me).

Now I'm really looking forward to #9. At this point I think I've read everything in the series (novels & novellas anyway) except the prequel, Drive.

One thing i picked up from this is that maybe I should re-read Cibola Burn, as it seemed that Tiamat referred back to events from that book that I honestly didn't remember.

Spoiler:

I'm surprised it took me so long (maybe a paragraph) to realize who "Timothy" was. It's funny, because I can't hear the name "Timmy" without thinking of The Churn.

Is Theresa going to become the new Clarissa, but different?

Maybe this book is why I started to play Stellaris again.

He's definitely sitting on a yoga ball.

Note that it’s only free to prime members if you unsub to Space Game Junkie, which would make Brian sad.

BadKen wrote:

Note that it’s only free to prime members if you unsub to Space Game Junkie, which would make Brian sad.

what?

GrandmaFunk wrote:
BadKen wrote:

Note that it’s only free to prime members if you unsub to Space Game Junkie, which would make Brian sad.

what?

The virtual con requires subscribing to their channel. You only get one free Twitch subscription with Amazon Prime, to support the channel of your choice. Everyone on GWJ is using their free subscription to support our own Space Game Junkie, right? RIGHT?

BadKen wrote:

Everyone on GWJ is using their free subscription to support our own Space Game Junkie, right? RIGHT?

I don't know what that is.

I guess i'll take it as another sign that I'm completely disconnected from this community and should just move on.

The wife and I just got around to Season 4 and it was awesome.

I'm just bummed that

Spoiler:

Ashford didn't shoot Marco in the face before giving up his gun. But I guess that would be a serious deviation from the books.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

I guess i'll take it as another sign that I'm completely disconnected from this community and should just move on.

You're not disconnected if you don't play games that involve outer space in some way.

Those of us who do are a little spaced out anyway.

BadKen wrote:
GrandmaFunk wrote:
BadKen wrote:

Note that it’s only free to prime members if you unsub to Space Game Junkie, which would make Brian sad.

what?

The virtual con requires subscribing to their channel. You only get one free Twitch subscription with Amazon Prime, to support the channel of your choice. Everyone on GWJ is using their free subscription to support our own Space Game Junkie, right? RIGHT?

Ummm, I use that to free sub Critical Role.

While Critical Role is a worthy channel, you still caused a single tear to trickle down Veloxi’s cheek. It’s almost like you played Endless Space and enjoyed it.

BadKen wrote:

While Critical Role is a worthy channel, you still caused a single tear to trickle down Veloxi’s cheek. It’s almost like you played Endless Space and enjoyed it.

I have posted exactly one video on youtube. Just one. It was for a steam sale event. It chronicles my only playthrough of Endless Space.

Pistols at dawn, good sir!

Anyway, Expanse is great eh?

When is the next (last?) book due? I got the novellas over xmas break and read through most of them. Bobbie's storyline this season is mostly pulled from hers, more inspired-by I guess. It was a good idea, as she had 0 part in Book 4 otherwise.

Amos's The Churn was really good. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

The authors said it will be sometime this year, but as far as I know that’s as specific as they’ve been. They may just be cautious as the last couple books ended up being delayed because they’re also doing a lot of work for the show.

Well I too just finally finished Tiamat's Wrath. What a ride. Is there really only one more book?

Yeah, the series was always meant to be 9 books. I would be shocked if they don’t return to the Expanse Universe with different characters or something, though.

Assuming they don’t blow up everything in book 9.

OH I didn't know that. Good to know they had a plan to go out.

The authors have been pretty clear they're done with this universe and are eager to move onto something else after the last book. I think we'd all love to see more here, but it's probably going to be quite some time before we get it.

This is an instance where I'd love to see authors who are ready to move on from a popular property set up a group of smart and creative people to handle it going forward.

They can obviously continue to benefit from profits but they can take it off their mental plates. There is SO much room for new stories and games in The Expanse.

polypusher wrote:

This is an instance where I'd love to see authors who are ready to move on from a popular property set up a group of smart and creative people to handle it going forward.

They can obviously continue to benefit from profits but they can take it off their mental plates. There is SO much room for new stories and games in The Expanse.

Like Tom Clancy's many spin off series. Jack Ryan Jr., Net Force, Op Center, etc.

Yeah! You see it with big franchises (Star Wars, Star Trek, Tom Clancy, even ) but you miss it with strong properties that don't realize they should be a franchise (thinking Expanse and Harry Potter as examples).

It sort of happened to Lovecraft's work thanks to public domain. Maybe our great-grandkids will be the ones to enjoy a plethora of Expanse content.

This is a good reminder that I need to go back and read the novellas. Somehow those have slipped under my radar.

I would also not be opposed to an Expanded Expanse someday.

I read Leviathan Wakes a couple of years ago, upon the glowing recommendations of folks around here... and didn't like it. I had no desire to read book two, nor watch the series, despite it also getting glowing recommendations. So, finally, I watched S1E1 last week, in between marathon X4: Foundations sessions, and I ended up loving it; I finished up S1 a few minutes ago. The season was such a remarkably faithful implementation of Leviathan Wakes - I remembered reading every scene. Maybe I just can't cope with Corey's writing style, because I enjoyed the heck out of the show.

merphle wrote:

I read Leviathan Wakes a couple of years ago, upon the glowing recommendations of folks around here... and didn't like it. I had no desire to read book two, nor watch the series, despite it also getting glowing recommendations. So, finally, I watched S1E1 last week, in between marathon X4: Foundations sessions, and I ended up loving it; I finished up S1 a few minutes ago. The season was such a remarkably faithful implementation of Leviathan Wakes - I remembered reading every scene. Maybe I just can't cope with Corey's writing style, because I enjoyed the heck out of the show.

I think there's a pretty significant improvement between the first and second books. The first book is basically two guys writing up their space D&D campaign. In the second book, the characters are more clearly drawn, and the plot is put together more cleanly. I'm not saying that you're going to love it if you hated the first, just the first one had some rough edges to it.

The first book doesn't have Avasarala in it.

Of course the show seems better by getting her in the story faster.

kazooka wrote:
merphle wrote:

I read Leviathan Wakes a couple of years ago, upon the glowing recommendations of folks around here... and didn't like it. I had no desire to read book two, nor watch the series, despite it also getting glowing recommendations. So, finally, I watched S1E1 last week, in between marathon X4: Foundations sessions, and I ended up loving it; I finished up S1 a few minutes ago. The season was such a remarkably faithful implementation of Leviathan Wakes - I remembered reading every scene. Maybe I just can't cope with Corey's writing style, because I enjoyed the heck out of the show.

I think there's a pretty significant improvement between the first and second books. The first book is basically two guys writing up their space D&D campaign. In the second book, the characters are more clearly drawn, and the plot is put together more cleanly. I'm not saying that you're going to love it if you hated the first, just the first one had some rough edges to it.

It's also been said many places and is important to remember about the first book: Leviathan wakes is an adaptation of the plot of a d20 future campaign the authors ran/played in. Where as all the books going forward from there are original writing that spring from the setting and freed a bit from the unwritten social rules that came along with being a roleplay game (leviathan wakes in particular i think suffers a bit from 1: the viewpoint being strictly limited to the PCs, and 2: the heavy amount of "my you seem like a trustworthy fellow would you care to adventure with us")

Didn't know that. LW was good, but Caliban's War was fantastic.

thrawn82 wrote:
kazooka wrote:
merphle wrote:

I read Leviathan Wakes a couple of years ago, upon the glowing recommendations of folks around here... and didn't like it. I had no desire to read book two, nor watch the series, despite it also getting glowing recommendations. So, finally, I watched S1E1 last week, in between marathon X4: Foundations sessions, and I ended up loving it; I finished up S1 a few minutes ago. The season was such a remarkably faithful implementation of Leviathan Wakes - I remembered reading every scene. Maybe I just can't cope with Corey's writing style, because I enjoyed the heck out of the show.

I think there's a pretty significant improvement between the first and second books. The first book is basically two guys writing up their space D&D campaign. In the second book, the characters are more clearly drawn, and the plot is put together more cleanly. I'm not saying that you're going to love it if you hated the first, just the first one had some rough edges to it.

It's also been said many places and is important to remember about the first book: Leviathan wakes is an adaptation of the plot of a d20 future campaign the authors ran/played in. Where as all the books going forward from there are original writing that spring from the setting and freed a bit from the unwritten social rules that came along with being a roleplay game (leviathan wakes in particular i think suffers a bit from 1: the viewpoint being strictly limited to the PCs, and 2: the heavy amount of "my you seem like a trustworthy fellow would you care to adventure with us")

This explains a lot! I’m also finding it heavy going to just get through the first book... love the show though and love sci-fi in general. Will push on through and see if the second book hooks me.

KramNesnah wrote:

This explains a lot! I’m also finding it heavy going to just get through the first book... love the show though and love sci-fi in general. Will push on through and see if the second book hooks me.

I would say unless you absolutely hate the writing style (as opposed to plot construction etc) I would recommend anyone consider getting through the second book before putting the series aside.