The Expanse

[Josh Hayes]

So, first....HI! I'm new to the forums (Ralph Kern pointed me to them) and after scrolling through 5 or 37 threads, I thought I'd stir up some controversy with my first post...

Is there anyone else out there that *doesn't* like The Expanse books by James S. A. Corey?

I thought Leviathan Wakes was decent, but almost didn't make it through the Vomit-Zombies... I loved Calibans War...but after that I thought the series made a drastic turn from mostly character driven to almost completely plot driven. I barely made it through Abaddon's Gate and stopped reading Cibola Burns after 2 or 3 chapters.

Granted, I see to be in the MINORITY here, but just wondering if there is anyone else in my camp, or if I just need to start coming to with my solitude.

 

[SilentRoamer]

Hey Josh,

First off - Welcome!

I have only read Leviathan Wakes - I found it enjoyable enough but the whole proto molecule as a threat was not a winner for me. I did enjoy the Noir feel from the detectives PoV though.

Overall I enjoyed it but I still think if I want that sort of SF then Peter Hamilton does it better!

As a lot of people seem to be of the opinion the first book is the best I suspect when I do eventually finish the series I may have the same opinion as you.

 

[Vince W]

Welcome Josh.

I can't stand The Expanse. I struggled through about 300 pages of Leviathan. It was one weak trope after another and as soon as the vomit-zombies appeared I literally threw the book across the room. I had enough of that tripe. I won't be reading anything else by them.

 

[Josh Hayes]

Hamilton is my #1 scoff author! Love all his stuff!

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

 

[ralphkern]

HI Josh,

Glad you made it. I suspect you'll fit in well here with much to offer.

Personally, I quite liked Leviathan Wakes. I've got as far as book three, but found the law of diminishing returns setting in. I have been very impressed with the TV series though. The story seems to lend itself more to that format than the written word. I can see what the producers intend with it - Game of Thrones in space.

Peter F does rock, not got round to his most recent stuff yet though.

 

[vanye]

So, first....HI! I'm new to the forums (Ralph Kern pointed me to them) and after scrolling through 5 or 37 threads, I thought I'd stir up some controversy with my first post...

Is there anyone else out there that *doesn't* like The Expanse books by James S. A. Corey?

I thought Leviathan Wakes was decent, but almost didn't make it through the Vomit-Zombies... I loved Calibans War...but after that I thought the series made a drastic turn from mostly character driven to almost completely plot driven. I barely made it through Abaddon's Gate and stopped reading Cibola Burns after 2 or 3 chapters.

Granted, I see to be in the MINORITY here, but just wondering if there is anyone else in my camp, or if I just need to start coming to with my solitude.

Seems you are a better man than me. After Abbadon's Gate I didn't bother picking up the next one. Liked Leviathan's Wake and hoped for the series to take off in the second. It got to be a faltering start in my opinion and then completely collapsed for me in the third.

Well at least one of the two authors writes great fantasy.

 

[maeda]

Haven't read the books, but tv series season one is pretty decent i must say.
Reading your posts i came to conclusion that maybe this time, it's better to watch adaptation?
Considering i have fairly big to-read pile, and later books are not something unforgettable

 

[psikeyhackr]

Is there anyone else out there that *doesn't* like The Expanse books by James S. A. Corey?

I thought Leviathan Wakes was decent, but almost didn't make it through the Vomit-Zombies... I loved Calibans War...but after that I thought the series made a drastic turn from mostly character driven to almost completely plot driven. I barely made it through Abaddon's Gate and stopped reading Cibola Burns after 2 or 3 chapters.

Ditto!

I managed to finish the 1st book, but it was a close thing.

What really pissed me off, but doesn't seem to bother anyone else, is how did the zombie mud in the asteroid know to dodge the space ship at the last second? That doesn't even bring up the issue of the physics of how it dodged.

Mediocre science fiction that suddenly turns into fantasy is unacceptable.

Welcome Josh.

I can't stand The Expanse. I struggled through about 300 pages of Leviathan. It was one weak trope after another and as soon as the vomit-zombies appeared I literally threw the book across the room. I had enough of that tripe. I won't be reading anything else by them.

That was close to my response. I am still not sure why I didn't give up at the vomit-zombies.

psik

 

[Vince W]

Ditto!

I managed to finish the 1st book, but it was a close thing.

That was close to my response. I am still not sure why I didn't give up at the vomit-zombies.

psik

I guess you have a stronger constitution than I do.

 

[Josh Hayes]

Haven't read the books, but tv series season one is pretty decent i must say.
Reading your posts i came to conclusion that maybe this time, it's better to watch adaptation?
Considering i have fairly big to-read pile, and later books are not something unforgettable

The show is pretty good, surprising coming from the Syfy Channel! I haven't finished the series yet, but the first 6 episodes were well put together and the SFX were orders of magnitude better than anything on TV in recent memory.

 

[maeda]

The show is pretty good, surprising coming from the Syfy Channel! I haven't finished the series yet, but the first 6 episodes were well put together and the SFX were orders of magnitude better than anything on TV in recent memory.

I was not enthusiastic either since i saw Syfy Channel is doing it, but i was wrong.
If some one cares to explain this vomit-zombies thing? I don't recall seeing something similar in tv series

 

[Josh Hayes]

"Vomit zombies" is from books... It's the part that must not be named

 

[maeda]

yep, found it, tv doesn't have that

 

[sozme]

Cibola Burn is in my opinion the best book in the series.

The most recent one, Nemesis Games... it was entertaining, just the world building aspect of it (like the Tycho station scenes). But the whole story seemed implausible. And I couldn't stand Naomi's story in it, just very implausible and incongruent

 

[Vertigo]

I was seriously unimpressed with this book. I really did want to like it but it was just too full of formulaic tropes, clichés and lots of (small) plot holes. My full thoughts here.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I was seriously unimpressed with this book. I really did want to like it but it was just too full of formulaic tropes, clichés and lots of (small) plot holes. I full thoughts here.

Yeah, I barely managed to finish it. Curiously, I actually like the SyFy series better but I have only watched it up to the vomit zombies just getting started. I suspect I am willing to "not think" to a greater degree for TV and movies than literature.

psik

 

[Vertigo]

Yeah, I barely managed to finish it. Curiously, I actually like the SyFy series better but I have only watched it up to the vomit zombies just getting started. I suspect I am willing to "not think" to a greater degree for TV and movies than literature.

psik

I agree - in fact, as I have already recorded the series, I am still planning to watch it and suspect I'll enjoy as a bit of eye-candy fluff. But that won't be until I'm back in my mobile home with no other TV in the autumn.

 

[ratsy]

Vertigo, I slogged through the first 200 pages with mild disinterest, but once it got past that hump, and the two storylines merged I found it much more engaging. I didn't rush out to read the second book yet, but I may get to it some day. I did watch the first two episodes off a borrowed season from the library, but life got in the way. It was quite well done, and I might prefer to just watch the show instead of reading, which is the opposite of what I usually want to do.

 

[Rodders]

Just ordered the TV series. Personally, i enjoyed the two books i read so i have high hopes.

 

[Kieran Song]

I've always been interested in this series. I'm hearing that it takes some grinding through first before it gets good?