It's time for another weekly #plebreads novel recommendation from my all-time favourites!
This week's choice is The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey
The first of nine novels in the series is "Leviathan Wakes"
592 pages, published june 2011
Genres: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Fantasy
Goodreads synopsis: Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.
Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.
Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.
Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.
My review: This novel series and the TV series it is based on are the most scientifically accurate works of sci-fi I know. The tech depicted in The Expanse is largely based on existing or theoretical, rather than hypothetical, technology. For example, the spaceships in the series use fusion drives for propulsion, which is a real-life technology that is currently being researched. You won't see Faster-Than-Light travel here. Space travel in The Expanse is a slow, methodical process that requires careful planning and consideration of the physical and biological constraints of the human body. The authors have also paid close attention to the technical details of space travel, such as the use of reaction mass, the effects of radiation, and the limitations of communication at long distances. For these reasons, humanity still hasn't even gone to the next closest star and is berely starting to fully colonize our own solar system.
There are 3 factions: The Earthers, The Martians and the Belters. While Earthers are us and Martians are pretty much just like us, the Belters are people who were born and lived all their lives in the low-gravity, resource-scarce environment of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This low-gravity environment causes them to have a distinct physical appearance - they are much taller and thinner than those who live down in the gravity wells of planets. Most Belters are resentful of the inner planets for being marginalized and exploited by the more powerful Earth and Mars factions.
The Expanse also depicts a realistic and complex political and economic system in the solar system, with the three factions vying for power and resources. This adds to the overall realism of the series and makes it feel more grounded in reality, although still having a breathtaking sci-fi plot with hints of epic fantasy here and there.
That's it! Thank you very much if you've read this far. See you at the next one! Stay tuned for more recommendations every week and also check the #plebreads hashtag or my public bookmarks for all of them!
Important addendum: if you are a broke pleb like me and buying this book would mean parting with a significant amount of your precious sats, just DM me and I'll hook you up with a free copy. But if you have the mean$ I strongly suggest that you purchase an original hardcover or ebook copy to support these great authors!
#NostrBookClub #nostreads #bookstr