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comment by zebra2
zebra2  ·  2020 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Sci-Fi club: general discussion

I saw season one of the show. I liked it enough that I’d like to continue watching the show, although last I checked it wasn’t available on any of the streaming services I have. The show’s handling of the intrigue and espionage portions seemed rather contrived, and the guiding of the main characters through the plot seemed too convenient and forced, but I might expect that’s easier-swallowed in the source material.





user-inactivated  ·  2020 days ago  ·  link  ·  

That's pretty accurate I think - my tolerance for those issues is pretty high when I find something new, though I found myself thinking along the same lines at points. I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions, along with the acknowledgement of realistic issues in space (gravity, air, maneuvering). The second season gets more political which I enjoyed - the concept of mankind spreading beyond Earth and how quickly we would still form tribes according to our location piqued my interest. The issue of governing a people so far removed from their "Headquarters" that it takes months to reach them was something I just simply hadn't though about prior to the series.

While it has it's issues, it's making me think a great deal!

bhrgunatha  ·  2019 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Orignally has this as a top level comment because I missed yours. SO this is just a copy/paste.

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After Amazon's last ditch rescue of The Expanse, I decided to read the books, spurred on by Wes Chatham saying what he genuinely wanted most for his career (after hearing about the cancellation) was season 4, in particular because of the story arcs in Nemesis Games (the 5th book.)

As I read through I'd re-watch episodes until I passed the show. A really unusual experience - watching something so close to having read it, but enjoyable. It's a little confusing when various characters and plots differ, but I think I gained a lot more from the TV show than if I hadn't read the books or if I'd read them years before and forgotten lots of details.

The books themselves unfold very much like serialised TV and the authors have obviously spent a lot of time thinking about how to keep you turning the page. Nothing particularly deep, profound or that pushes sci-fi forward, just well crafted stories and characters that keep you on the hook. A bit preachy and politically correct, but not too in-your-face to make you stop reading. They dwell too much on the theme of tribal conflict without a truly thoughtful or insightful payload. It's not mind-bending sci-fi, but a good, honest and entertaining read.