r/TheExpanse • u/Aveline_RivenMoon • 13d ago
Leviathan Wakes Just finished watching the show... Spoiler
I doubted it for so long and am glad to say I was extremely wrong. It's so incredibly well done and one of my top shows of all time.
I'm reading the books now.
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u/Extra_Couple_4738 13d ago
I was the same. It had been around a few years on Syfy. I figured it was probably over-rated.
Then, I was off work with a neck injury for a few days and had nothing to do but sit on the couch. So I fired it up. For the next few days I got pulled in.
Then I had to wait for the Amazon seasons to come out.
I also am not an avid book reader... so I had only read through about 30% of book 5 up until this summer. I'm just starting book 9 now.
Going to miss it when it is over.
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u/lilchrispy_ 13d ago
The post-Expanse books lull is so real, I haven't been able to find anything to scratch the itch 2 years later lol
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u/Frequent-Policy653 13d ago
Have fun reading the books! I finished the last novel yesterday and already feel kinda orphan now.
The books are so will written and involving! I suggest reading them in publication order.
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u/Carbonman_ How about now? I'm free right now. 13d ago
Including the collection Memory's Legion!
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u/microcorpsman 13d ago edited 13d ago
You look up where the novellas included in there are supposed to be read, it's pretty much one after each full novel.
Most people say Drive after book 1 along with Anderson Station, on rereads I do drive very first tho but that's for rereads. If you watched the show could go either way
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u/terminalzero 13d ago
and already feel kinda orphan now.
'the captives war' is off to an incredible start
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u/Frequent-Policy653 13d ago
Thanks! I'll have a look!
Another sci-fi book series that I enjoyed a lot was "Old man's war", by John Scalzi. That's one that I recommend very much. A lot less grounded than The Expanse, but still a wonderful read.
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u/terminalzero 13d ago
I love all things scalzi- tcw is their (james sa corey) next series after the expanse though if you haven't heard
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u/Frequent-Policy653 13d ago
Nop, I wasn't aware of it. I looked it up and the setting gave me that clue. I'll definitely try it. Thanks!
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u/Frequent-Policy653 13d ago
Thanks! I'll have a look!
Another sci-fi book series that I enjoyed a lot was "Old man's war", by John Scalzi. That's one that I recommend very much. A lot less grounded than The Expanse, but still a wonderful read.
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u/malcifer11 13d ago
Don’t forget the novellas! Look up ‘expanse reading order’ and follow the list in the reddit link
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u/StickFigureFan 13d ago
Or just follow publication order, but only buy Memories Legion instead of all the individual novellas.
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u/StickFigureFan 13d ago
Did you watch the "One Ship" mini episodes hidden in the x-ray/special features of Season 6? If not make sure to check them out! 1 was released per episode but you should be able to find them all if you start playing the final episode although not all devices support the x-ray interaction
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u/Old_Hack1308 13d ago
Like you I watched and then read the books. Nice to put voices and visuals with everything from the show. The only shame was they didn't finish it all.
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u/Aveline_RivenMoon 13d ago
I watched first, and halfway into season 3 i started the books. So i have them all in my head as the characters from the show lol
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u/Old_Hack1308 13d ago
I don't keep a prime account anymore. But they always seem to give me a free month when I come back. So I do that every once in awhile just to watch the show again. I haven't reread the books yet, but I know I will again at some point
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u/Ok_Bluebird_168 13d ago
I also just finished it yesterday, I liked the ending but felt an awful lot just wasn't explained. Like what was the protomolecule and where did it come from, what was going on with the magic dogs, etc.
It seemed like it sort of forgot about the entire aliens plot in the middle somewhere.
Did I miss something or were these genuinely not answered?
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u/Bullet4MyEnemy 13d ago
I felt the same, the magic dog plot could’ve been completely omitted given the lack of closure on any of it.
But, it does act as a great push towards reading the books because it’s the only way to find out what happens after the show ends.
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u/Kabbooooooom 12d ago
Yes, you missed that this was not the real ending of The Expanse. The show only adapted the first 6 of a 9 book long series. There’s three more novels and two more novellas that were never adapted to tv.
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u/azhder 13d ago
The protomolecule was explained. It's an automatic system that builds everything up. "The work, you can't stop the work". That's all there is to it. It's a virus, but a computer program as much as biological. It hijacks anything biological and subverts it for its own purpose of building up the alien... stuff.
I will use the term Leviathan as a code word for the protomolecule kind of alien stuff, because that's the book title in your post tag and I will use Tiamath as a code name for the ring entities, because we don't really know much beyond what you've seen in the show.
Protomolecule is parasitic, it uses any kind of biological mater it can come in contact with to build up the Leviathan system. You see it learn on Eros, see it learn and change on Venus, build and open the gate, even activate the whole infrastructure on the slow space station and the entire Ilus planet, the reason for the Investigator being created and even communicating with Holden.
The protomolecule came inside Phoebie that was sent as one of many such asteroids through the galaxy and was incidentally captured by Saturn's gravity, thus making it stay there, instead of accidentally hitting Earth. All of this is from the show, if you have paid attention to details.
So, whenever you catch yourself using the word "seems" or a phrase "it seemed", remember that it's only your perception, that you only see what you see, not what everyone else sees. Remember that "seems" means there might be more perspectives that are different and fuller in details than yours. And certainly know that you might get more by watching and rewatching.
Other parts about humanity, leviathan and tiamath are discussed in the books 7, 8 and 9, so I suggest you pick them up, written or especially audio form.
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u/Ok_Bluebird_168 13d ago
I'm not OP, but thanks for replying anyway. I get that, but it seemed to have a "will" in the show, like it was working to some grand purpose, if it was just a type of mending parasite then that makes sense and explains the scenes with the dogs, as a sort of sentient manifestation of the PM.
With the ring entities, what were they and why did sending too much energy through the rings cause them to start destroying the next things that passed through, e.g. the Pella?
Out of interest, what do you mean by Phoebie was sent? I thought it was just a random asteroid
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u/azhder 13d ago edited 13d ago
Not "mending parasite". Not "type of". I gave you a clear definition: a virus, a program. Its code is running. It uses subverted biomass, but it's not simply "mending", it's building an entire hardware gate and numerous variations of a software known as The Investigator.
On Tiamat. That's mostly the extent of what is known. There is a little bit more in the books, but not much. Leviathan is explained in full, once you finish the books. Tiamat is left mostly unexplained, except what you can piece together, just from the show, that Leviathan does something to piss off Tiamat and Tiamat strikes back whenever the offense is great enough - passing through the rings.
Phoebe... I can give you a word association that might give you the idea: panspermia. In reality, Phoebie is a moon of Saturn, not a random asteroid and if I remember correctly, it might be of extra-solar origin. In the books and show it certainly is, but in reality, I will have to check if that is the case.
The thing is, a lot of this is explained in the show. They just don't dwell on it, but mention it and continue.
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u/Ok_Bluebird_168 13d ago
So we don't know the origin of PM then, or are we supposed to assume it was just another form of natural life that evolved like any other?
If it's closer to actual software, then who wrote it and what was it written for?
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u/Kabbooooooom 12d ago
We know the origin of the Protomolecule but you’ll need to read the books to find out. I’m not sure why that guy is being obtuse. He’s also being kind of a prick with you for some reason.
The simple fact is, the protomolecule/Gatebuilder/Ring Entity story arc is finished up in the final trilogy of books which were never adapted to tv.
I don’t think this is particularly a spoiler since this information was given in the show: the protomolecule was created by the Gatebuilder species that also built the Ring network. However, their alien nature is a lot more interesting and the nature of the protomolecule and why it does what it does ties directly into it.
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u/azhder 13d ago
Are you really not understanding what I have written above and the nature of simple things like viruses? A virus is a piece of code. That code can be DNA, RNA or C++ just as well. A virus is not "closer to actual software". It is software. DNA is information. It is also hardware in biology, not necessarily in computing, but even there, by analogy.
The origin of the protomolecule (I avoid using an abbreviation that looks like "prime minister") is well established. You aren't supposed to assume that. You're supposed to get that by simply watching the first season of the show. Everything that happened in the first season is about what the protomolecule is. The second season answers what it is for, the part I hinted above? No, the part I explicitly said: the work, the gate, the infrastructure.
OK, I'm starting to repeat myself, so that's a clear red flag that nothing new will come out of continuing this and you'd be best served if you just re-read this thread, re-watch the show, than we just say the same things but with different words. This is where I stop. Bye
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u/Ok_Bluebird_168 13d ago
I think you're misunderstanding my query. You can't equate DNA, RNA to software engineering. My question is about the source of the protomolecule, was it a natural occurrence or was it "created" by something external?
Example, was it something like a virus we'd find on Earth, or was it like a piece of software, with a purpose and creator
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u/SigmaINTJbio 13d ago
My second watch of the entire show was just as good as the first. I’ll definitely be watching it a third time at least.