Expanse – Not Very Well Known Sci-Fi Gem

Problematic Work

The Expanse is nothing new, quite the opposite. The series first appeared on TV screens in 2015, specifically on Syfy. This station has done a lot of good, but it often steps on the wrong foot. However, in the case of The Expanse, it fortunately aimed accurately, but viewers had a different opinion. 

The series did not have a great audience response despite its undeniable qualities, and therefore should have been shelved after the third season. Fortunately, there were enough fans, including prominent figures like G.R.R Martin (creator of the Game of Thrones books), who eventually convinced Amazon to buy the rights from Syfy.

And so the series eventually saw three more seasons, but this time on Amazon Prime.

On the Brink of War

The story of The Expanse takes place in the not-too-distant future, where humanity has already managed to colonize our star system. However, this is not the united humanity we know from Star Trek, for instance. 

In this reality, there are three basic factions - Earth, Mars and the Belt. They don't send each other many Christmas cards, though. In fact, there is a kind of cold war between Earth and Mars, which can turn into a hot conflict at any time.

The Belt is made up of many asteroids and planets, and the rest of humanity treats this enclave as a second-class one. Many Martians and Earthlings no longer even consider the population of the Belt as part of their own species. 

The very beginning of the series tells us that the current established order is about to change rapidly, not least because of a mysterious mass that has the potential to fundamentally alter our star system.

Well-Written Characters

This series has two main draws - a perfectly elaborate world and characters. The crew of the spaceship Rocinante are the central characters, who are thrown into the maelstrom of events more or less by chance.

It is made up of Captain Holden, pilot Alex Kamal, repairman Amos and engineer Naomi Nagata. What's spicy is that two of the crew are from Earth, one from Mars and one from the Belt.

Each of the heroes is completely different and each has different motivations for their actions. The chemistry between the central foursome works perfectly and it's a joy to watch these characters change as events unfold. However, the supporting roles are also very important and excellently portrayed throughout the six seasons.

This is due not only to the writers of the series, but especially to the pair of book writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who use the joint pseudonym James S. A. Corey.

These gentlemen have managed to come up with a universe that is believable and entirely workable, which is something that not everyone can brag about. 

Forget the ubiquitous aliens or similar classic sci-fi props though, there's nothing of the sort here. At least not in the form we are normally used to. In The Expanse, on the contrary, the viewer is served with political intrigue, murders and a huge amount of emotions, and that in abundance. 

Of course, action lovers will also enjoy the action, as there is plenty of it, for example in the form of space battles. These are very dynamic and attractive to the audience. But again, this is not a classic Star Trek rendition. In this case, too, the authors go their own, much more realistic way.