THE EXPANSE
The Stars are better off without us.
The Story
The Expanse is an American science fiction television series developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey. The series is set in a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System. It follows a disparate band of antiheroes – United Nations Security Council member, police detective, a ship's officer and his crew – as they unwittingly unravel and place themselves at the center of a conspiracy which threatens the system's fragile state of cold war.
In the 23rd century, Earth and its moon are now governed by the United Nations (UN), and the planet with all the solar system's resources is disliked by anyone who doesn't live there. The abundance of natural resources and ease of access to them have bred an elitist mentality for those who remain on Earth. This arrogance and lack of struggle has fostered a severe distaste among the other factions. In a constant battle for supreme dominance, Earth is teetering on the verge of war with their biggest rival - Mars.
Mars is goverened by the Mars Congressional Republic (MCRN) , and althought the planet was once just a human settlement before its inhabitants decided to break free from Earth's dominion; the planet has a reputation for producing a much heartier people and a far superior technology than that of Earth. Martians have physically developed differently and have to work much harder to achieve half as much as people of Earth. Water and air are the most precious commodities in the solar system, and Martians feel like the people of Earth are lazy, and take these things for granted.
The Belt and it's inhabitants the Belters are born in the asteroid belt that separates Mars from the outer planets. Because of the low gravity conditions in The Belt, and their separation from humanity, Belters have their own unique language and physiology. They tend to be long and lean, and have a hard time functioning in environments with real gravity. Portrayed as poorly educated and less than human, Belters have no protections from bigger militaries and are often taken advantage of by them. Both Mars and Earth see Belters as expendable. It is from this oppression that the Outer Planet Alliance (OPA) was born. Often deemed a terrorist organization, the OPA is still fractured with smaller groups who have their own rogue agenda. Ultimately their goal is to prove that Belters are worthy of standing with Mars and Earth instead of groveling at their feet.
The Books
The Expanse is a series of science fiction novels (and related novellas and short stories) by James S. A. Corey, the joint pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The first novel, Leviathan Wakes, was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2012. The complete series was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Series in 2017. It later won, following its second nomination for the same award in 2020. As of 2020, The Expanse is made up of eight novels and eight shorter works – three short stories and five novellas. A ninth novel is planned to complete the main series, as well as one more novella after the final novel. The series was adapted for television by the Syfy Network, also under the title of The Expanse. After Syfy cancelled the TV series after three seasons, Amazon acquired it and began to stream it on Prime Video for an additional three seasons
The Future of the TV Series
The Expanse has received critical acclaim, for its visuals, character development and political narrative. It received a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and three Saturn Award nominations for Best Science Fiction Television Series. Alcon Entertainment produces and finances the series. It sold three seasons to Syfy, which canceled the series in May 2018. Amazon Prime Video picked up the series for a fourth season, which was released on December 12, 2019. In July 2019, Amazon renewed he Expanse for a fifth season, which premiered on December 15, 2020. Ahead of the fifth season's release, the series was renewed in November 2020 for a sixth and final season. However, the authors of the novels and writers on the series, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, have stated that they view season 6 as a "pause" rather than a conclusion and that Alcon Entertainment "is very committed to the IP".
Learn More
Watch the Season 1 Trailer (warning: violence & blood) Find out why the Expanse is certified 94% Fresh on Rotton Tomatoes Visit the Expanse Wiki page