Stuart's Reviews > Leviathan Wakes

Leviathan Wakes: Gritty, Exciting Near Space Opera with Noir and Horror Elements
I didn't initially believe this series could be worth reading, as it looks like just another ongoing lengthy SF space opera series (8 novels and 6 shorter works at present), and written by two authors under a pseudonym, so I was pretty reluctant to give it a try. However, several friends recommended it, and then I discovered it had been made into a TV series called The Expanse for the Sy-fy Channel, so a few years back I watched the first two seasons and immediately said, "Wow, was I wrong. This series is fantastic; dark, gritty, scary, and yet rich in humor and characters."

It's got some very detailed world-building and hard-SF elements, but restricts itself to the Earth, Mars, and the Inner Belt of the Solar System, meaning it's hard to label it "Space Opera" as practiced by Peter F. Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, and others. There is no FTL, quantum drives, planet-busting weapons, and most of all lacks a cast of alien space-faring races that battle humanity for supremacy. There is an alien element, called a protomolecule, that drives the larger story, but its more like a virus that makes its victims into "space zombies", so at times it reminded me of that old SF horror classic Lifeforce.

Anyway, what makes this series worth following is the characters. They fit some broad stereotypes, like the jaded veteran detective, idealistic young ship captain, super competent female ship engineer, tough but loyal square-jawed sidekick, and even a pilot with a Texas drawl. There is plenty of Machiavellian politics revolving around the constantly shifting rivalries between the Earth, Mars, and Belters. This all gets spun into new directions when the alien protomolecule is let loose on Eros Station, apparently on purpose. Won't reveal more than that, but I am fairly sure you'll be hooked after book one, and the TV drama is very good indeed.