With the semester wrapping up, are you looking for a diverse, compelling saga to keep your mind occupied over winter break? Well, look no further - With complex characters of all races, genders, and sexualities, incredible worldbuilding, and scientific detail that puts "The Martian" to shame, "The Expanse" series has everything you didn't know you were looking for.
After some gentle urging from my father, I was first introduced me to this fictional world with a short story that serves as a prequel to the series written by James S.A. Corey, the pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, both of whom have worked with and for George R.R. Martin. Two hundred years in the future, the four main characters of the series become a tight-knit family aboard the stolen salvaged Martian stealth ship Rocinante as they get caught up in shenanigans all over the fully-colonized solar system and beyond. My own love for this series has recently been revived by the December release of the sixth book, "Babylon's Ashes." Each time I dive back into the world of "The Expanse," I find myself getting lost in my own fascination with the smallest details that make up the awesome depiction of what humanity's future in space could look like.
Diversity!
There are two, maybe three confirmed white guys in this series so far, and sexuality is neither an issue nor a half-assed plot device. Due to overpopulation on Earth and the nature of living in space for months at a time, polyamorous couples and communal marriages are common - the main character is the genetic product of a communal marriage of five fathers and three mothers. Speaking of James Holden, he's basically Captain Kirk, but more of a witty screw-up and less of a humorless drama queen. Even with him as the main character, the chapters of the story alternate between character viewpoints, and each book has a new cast of well-developed characters in addition to the main crew that allow for diverse storytelling.
Storytelling!
The nature of these intertwining storylines allows for seemingly unrelated characters and events to meet up, something that always makes for a satisfying story climax. The introduction of new characters from both sides of a conflict allow for fresh perspectives, and makes the conflict less predictable or black and white. I should also mention that the characters themselves are remarkably well-developed, without requiring pages upon pages of exposition. There are dedicated long-term relationships without needless, manufactured interpersonal drama.
Worldbuilding!
The world of "The Expanse" features an Earth united under the UN, a militaristic Mars originally colonized by East Indian/Texan cowboys, and multiple stations situated on various asteroids and moons of the solar system. A significant minority, Belters, are humans born in the asteroid belt; they live a life of low gravity and dependence on the inner planets for air and water. Even after a couple generations of living in space, the Belters' physiology has been drastically altered, almost freakishly so, and so rely on a cocktail of chemicals for proper physiological development. Some Belter women relocate to stations with artificial gravity, since their atrophied uterine muscles can lead to unpredictable pregancies. Over the years, they've developed Belter Creole and a unique set of hand-based social gestures (like shrugging with your hands, since your shoulders don't move in an EVA suit) that they use to communicate. As you may be able to guess, the Belter people are sick and tired of discrimination and reliance on the inner planets, and seek independence by any means possible.
Science!
The main characters spend a lot of time in either zero gravity or using Epstein fusion drives to facilitate sustained thrust, and Corey doesn't skimp on the gruesome details about the effect it has on the body. Crash couches made of a strong gel, stimulants to keep the heart pumping blood and the lungs from collapsing under the acceleration, and "bulbs" used to drink liquids are a common occurrence. There's not much else I can talk about here without giving away spoilers, but take my word for it - the minute details of space travel that's woven into the narrative is undoubtedly my absolute favorite part of this series (and as a not-sciencey person, I can understand it just fine).
Aliens!
So there's this "protomolecule," a weapon designed by this ancient alien civilization and rediscovered by a power-hungry corporation. Spoiler: it definitely still works, and what it does will SHOCK you. However, this mind-blowing alien ex machina from the first few books soon takes a backseat to the intraspecies conflict between Earth, Mars, the Belters, and numerous other groups. We haven't technically gotten a reveal of the aliens yet, but we do have a creepy alien-made portal that chills out around Uranus. The portal leads ships to entirely different systems, but one must first pass through the "Slow Zone," a manufactured space that defies all laws of nature, which also happens to have a deadly, very strictly-enforced speed limit.
General Badassery!
My favorite recurring character is the Martian marine Bobbie Draper, who really likes kicking ass in her tank of a combat suit. At one point she teams up with Chrisjen Avasarala, a fabulously foulmouthed grandmother who is arguably the most politically-powerful woman on Earth. Slight spoiler for the fifth book, but a different main character literally shoots herself into space without a suit on in order to escape her abuser, and she lives. The only time a book had me that hooked was when Pi found that human tooth in the leaf near the end of "Life of Pi."
"The Expanse" is as expansive as "A Song of Ice and Fire," but instead of generating excitement through the gratuitous exploitation of women and people of color, be prepared for genuine entertainment through near-accurate science in a series with a sense of humor. If you think you don't have the time to slog your way through six books, watch the SyFy TV adaptation. I promise it's nothing like Sharknado.
