Jeffrey Keeten's Reviews > Leviathan Wakes
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)
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by
![3427339](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p2/3427339.jpg)
** spoiler alert **
”Way I see it, there’s three ways this can go,” Miller said. “One, we find your ship still in dock, get the meds we need, and maybe we live. Two, we try to get to the ship, and along the way we run into a bunch of mafia thugs. Die gloriously in a hail of bullets. Three, we sit here and leak out of our eyes and assholes.”
Well, really, the story begins when some alien species shoot a payload of virus at Earth and misses. This virus is capable of turning the human race into piles of nasty, smelly biosolids. Luckily for Earth, this contagion from space gets caught in Saturn’s rings which keeps it from ever reaching its intended destination.
Holden is the second in command of an iceberg hauler. When he sees his ship Canterbury blown into dust particles by pirates, while the ship was trying to respond to an SOS, his world is suddenly expanded and contracted. Expanded by the beginning of a conflict that will spread across the known universe, but his world has also contracted down to the confining corridors of the small ship that he and his remaining crew members are trying to keep afloat.
The universal conflict might be more than a little bit Holden’s fault. He broadcasts out to the world the existence of incriminating evidence that Mars might have had something to do with the pirates. The writers behind the name James S. A. Corey might be making a point about the misuse of disseminating wrong information on the internet. How many people believe it even when it doesn’t make sense?
This section of the universe is shared between Earth, Mars, and what are called the Belters. Belters are people born in the asteroid belt. The Belters are generally taller, fitter, and tend to bastardize language much the same way as immigrants to America bastardized English. I kind of think of Holden as Gavrilo Princip, the man that touched off WW1 by assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Holden meant well; to him information is meant to be shared so that it can be analyzed and expounded upon. People unfortunately jump to conclusions without examining the evidence too closely, especially when the potential for war has been brewing for some time. The major powers in the universe are just looking for the right catalyst to start a war. Holden, inadvertently, provided the match.
”The moral complexity of the situation had grown past his ability to process it.”
So there is some lethal goo out there trapped in the rings of Saturn. Knowing humans to be the “curious monkeys” that they are... what do you think happens next? Yeah, they just can’t help poking a stick at it.
Things go from bad to worse in a hurry.
Vomit zombies...need I say more?
Okay, maybe just a bit more because there are more stages to this thing.
”A flock of softball-sized spiderlike things crawled through the corridor, leaving a slick sheen of glowing slime behind them. It wasn’t until he paused to knock one off the cart that he recognized them as severed hands, the trailing wrist bones charred black and remade. Part of his mind was screaming, but it was a distant one and easy to ignore.”
*SHUDDER*
As a counterweight to Holden is the cop Miller. He sees the world throughrose murky colored glasses. He has seen the worst of people, so he doesn’t need to speculate about what people are capable of. He is on the case of a missing rich girl, and even after he is fired from his job, he continues to hunt for her. It turns out she is connected with the OPA, a Belter resistance group, and also she is somehow mixed up with the goo from space.
Miller hooks up with Holden and his crew, but it is an uneasy alliance. Holden’s righteousness and Miller’s cynicism mix like oil and water, but actually with the universe hanging in the balance their differing views create a middle which is generally where the right answers can be found.
So pull up a bowl of fungal curds and a cup of something that tastes close to coffee and have a blast watching the crew of the Rocinante cartwheel across the universe barely surviving one disaster after another as they do everything they can to stay alive and save the world.
The SyFy Channel has just launched a new series called Expanse that is based on the universe created by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck in this series of books. I haven’t watched the episodes yet because I really wanted to read the first book before watching any part of the TV series. If I have a complaint about the book, it is that it does feel a bit bloated, but the fact that it is unapologetically calling itself a space opera I feel kind of snarky even broaching the subject. The world building is fascinating, and from what I have read, the books will continue to add pieces to this world as the book series progresses. I have plans to read at least two more.
One last little tidbit from Miller which I found rather funny as I’m holding this 16 pound trade paperback novel in my hands: ”The OPA man, Anderson Dawes, was sitting on a cloth folding chair outside Miller’s hole, reading a book. It was a real book--onionskin pages bound in what might have been actual leather. Miller had seen pictures of them before; the idea of that much weight for a single megabyte of data struck him as decadent.”
I just blew you a raspberry Miller.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
![photo Expanse_zpssyq7ej9z.jpg](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1536350846i/26269008.jpg)
Well, really, the story begins when some alien species shoot a payload of virus at Earth and misses. This virus is capable of turning the human race into piles of nasty, smelly biosolids. Luckily for Earth, this contagion from space gets caught in Saturn’s rings which keeps it from ever reaching its intended destination.
Holden is the second in command of an iceberg hauler. When he sees his ship Canterbury blown into dust particles by pirates, while the ship was trying to respond to an SOS, his world is suddenly expanded and contracted. Expanded by the beginning of a conflict that will spread across the known universe, but his world has also contracted down to the confining corridors of the small ship that he and his remaining crew members are trying to keep afloat.
The universal conflict might be more than a little bit Holden’s fault. He broadcasts out to the world the existence of incriminating evidence that Mars might have had something to do with the pirates. The writers behind the name James S. A. Corey might be making a point about the misuse of disseminating wrong information on the internet. How many people believe it even when it doesn’t make sense?
This section of the universe is shared between Earth, Mars, and what are called the Belters. Belters are people born in the asteroid belt. The Belters are generally taller, fitter, and tend to bastardize language much the same way as immigrants to America bastardized English. I kind of think of Holden as Gavrilo Princip, the man that touched off WW1 by assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Holden meant well; to him information is meant to be shared so that it can be analyzed and expounded upon. People unfortunately jump to conclusions without examining the evidence too closely, especially when the potential for war has been brewing for some time. The major powers in the universe are just looking for the right catalyst to start a war. Holden, inadvertently, provided the match.
”The moral complexity of the situation had grown past his ability to process it.”
So there is some lethal goo out there trapped in the rings of Saturn. Knowing humans to be the “curious monkeys” that they are... what do you think happens next? Yeah, they just can’t help poking a stick at it.
Things go from bad to worse in a hurry.
Vomit zombies...need I say more?
Okay, maybe just a bit more because there are more stages to this thing.
”A flock of softball-sized spiderlike things crawled through the corridor, leaving a slick sheen of glowing slime behind them. It wasn’t until he paused to knock one off the cart that he recognized them as severed hands, the trailing wrist bones charred black and remade. Part of his mind was screaming, but it was a distant one and easy to ignore.”
*SHUDDER*
As a counterweight to Holden is the cop Miller. He sees the world through
Miller hooks up with Holden and his crew, but it is an uneasy alliance. Holden’s righteousness and Miller’s cynicism mix like oil and water, but actually with the universe hanging in the balance their differing views create a middle which is generally where the right answers can be found.
So pull up a bowl of fungal curds and a cup of something that tastes close to coffee and have a blast watching the crew of the Rocinante cartwheel across the universe barely surviving one disaster after another as they do everything they can to stay alive and save the world.
The SyFy Channel has just launched a new series called Expanse that is based on the universe created by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck in this series of books. I haven’t watched the episodes yet because I really wanted to read the first book before watching any part of the TV series. If I have a complaint about the book, it is that it does feel a bit bloated, but the fact that it is unapologetically calling itself a space opera I feel kind of snarky even broaching the subject. The world building is fascinating, and from what I have read, the books will continue to add pieces to this world as the book series progresses. I have plans to read at least two more.
One last little tidbit from Miller which I found rather funny as I’m holding this 16 pound trade paperback novel in my hands: ”The OPA man, Anderson Dawes, was sitting on a cloth folding chair outside Miller’s hole, reading a book. It was a real book--onionskin pages bound in what might have been actual leather. Miller had seen pictures of them before; the idea of that much weight for a single megabyte of data struck him as decadent.”
I just blew you a raspberry Miller.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
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Reading Progress
December 17, 2015
–
Started Reading
December 17, 2015
– Shelved
December 21, 2015
–
Finished Reading
December 24, 2015
– Shelved as:
science-fiction
June 29, 2016
– Shelved as:
book-to-film
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message 1:
by
Paul
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added it
Dec 22, 2015 09:05AM
![Paul](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1714210459p1/11951948.jpg)
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![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
I decided to bump it to 3.5 which I round up instead of down. I was going back through my notes for the review and decided to raise it .25 from 3.25. It is all very technical you see. :-)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
I just had a discussion with a GR reviewer who said she never uses 5 stars because she doesn't feel there is such a thing as a 5 star book. I thought to myself how sad, why are you a reader then? I have petitioned GR to give us half stars like Booklikes has because it would make our review ratings way more accurate.
![Paul](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1714210459p1/11951948.jpg)
We do so need 1/2 stars on here. Mainly because three is sometime too many. I still award five, but am more reluctant to hand them out. Have seen one person on here who give five to everything they read. You may as well not rate it if that is all you are going to do.
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
We do so need 1/2 stars on here. Mainly because three is sometime too many. I still award five, but am more reluctant to hand them out. ..."
I don't read a lot of bad books (years and years of experience :-)) and when I do find myself reading one I usually don't finish them. I don't generally take the time to rate or review them so the end result is generally a higher rating scale for me.
By not using 5 stars she basically is on a compressed 4 star system so 4 becomes her 5 etc. It is nonsensical based on the dreaded fear of calling a book excellent. *Sigh* I might rate a book a five star you might rate it a three star and both of us are right. The fact that you are reluctant to hand out five stars is interesting, but say you read five excellent books must you lower the rating on three to feel like you are being tough enough or to be taken seriously?
The person rating everything they read five stars might be on too many happy pills.
![Paul](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1714210459p1/11951948.jpg)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
Exactly!
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
Thanks Christine! Now why don't you like science fiction? Didn't you grow up watching Star Trek. :-) I remember running from the bus to home after school so I didn't miss too much of ST every day. I was completely hooked on books about the future. I don't read a lot of science fiction, but I do generally prefer it to fantasy. I like the science and a glimpse at how the future might be. I like the past and the future the best. It is the present I have the hardest time caring about. :-)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
I'm not a fan, either!"
I'm such an eclectic reader. I move from genre to genre to time period to time period like a Cobra, a viperous reading ninja. :-)
![Vessey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1511166278p1/30910845.jpg)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
Bastardizing is rather flagrant term meaning that they added a lot of slang, changed pronunciation of words, shortened words etc. Basically they made the language their own and made it difficult for people who are native speakers of that language to understand them.
![Vessey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1511166278p1/30910845.jpg)
Yeah, I get it. Take names for example. You and I talked about it when I tried - and failed - to guess how your wife's name was spelled. I have seen Jeannette. Pretty cool, eh? And I wrote something like that. And then you said that you had butchered the pretty European names. Thanks for explaining!
![Lata](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1525485137p1/13126933.jpg)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
I'm glad you still enjoyed it!
![anshika](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1450415858p1/47935992.jpg)
Link to Amazon [http://www.amazon.com]
Link to Steve Jobs [http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walt... ]
Link to J.K.Rowling [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ]
This is bold text. [This is bold text ]
This is italic text. [This is italic text ]
This text is underlined. [This is underlined text ]
This text is striked out. [
This is block quote [
This is block quote text]
This would be a new paragraph on GR.com but not a new paragraph on the device. [
This would be a new paragraph on GR.com but not a new paragraph on the device
]![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
Link to Amazon [http://www.amazon.com]
Link to Steve Jobs [http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walt......"
hmmm thanks for the tips.
![Amy Kaser](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1682862731p1/10515696.jpg)
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
It definitely embraces all the politics involved with human interactions. Chrisjen played by Shohreh Aghdashloo is by far my favorite character in the book and the show. She just takes over the screen and any scene in the book. A powerful, gorgeous woman! Amazon has picked it up for another season. Smart because the authors are still providing plenty of material.
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
The Expanse. if you are a Prime member of Amazon you can watch them free with that subscription.
![Jeffrey Keeten](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1675636329p1/3427339.jpg)
Yep, but hopefully it will change for you too especially since Amazon has picked up producing the next season after SyFy cancelled it.
![Costi Gurgu](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442515415p1/11733009.jpg)
Yep, but hopefully it will change for you too especially since Amazon has picked up producing the next season after SyFy cancel..."
OK, that sounds promising. :)