Across the Universe: The Expanse

Part 1: My deep dive into The Expanse universe, from backlog to full burn.

Pools of sorrow, waves of joy that I’m finally juiced up, strapped in, immersing & writing about this universe.

The Expanse has been pausing in my backlog for a long time & I’m finally bumping it up to my priority list this year for an almost-full lore immersion. My excitement for The Expanse runs parallel to Mass Effect & the upcoming Exodus, & I believe those who orbit similar sci-fi circles with me would agree.

3 universe I’ll definitely be savouring.

I watched The Expanse series a few years ago but stopped halfway around the time they announced the show wouldn’t continue & I thought, well, why should I keep going then? even though I was enjoying it. I also couldn’t recall how I stumbled into it in the first place whether something I discovered on my own, or someone said: “Hey, if you liked this or that, you’ll like The Expanse.”

Whatever the reason was back then, I do remember one thing clearly: I wanted to revisit this universe again.

Some people told me that even if the series didn’t continue, the books were still very much worth diving into. I’m not sure why I put this off for so long. Maybe I judge books by their covers, & The Expanse mixed-color original covers didn’t tempt me to build into my TBR, which.. kind of silly now that I think about it.

Speaking of covers, have you seen the Polish edition by Dark Crayon? OMG, I LOVE those! Sadly, my casual Polish studies haven’t gotten me fluent enough to read them… though I do know the word: książki! 🤓

During last year’s end-of-year sale, I finally picked up the full set of the books. Despite their funky colors, thankfully, they’re all the same-sized paperbacks that didn’t trigger my OCD. Bonus points, the book series is complete!

Side Fun Facts: 
James S.A. Corey (pen name of two authors, Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck) who wrote The Expanse books, once joked about finishing writing before George R. R. Martin & they won that bet by releasing every year. One of them even used to work with GRRM, which makes it even more hilarious. The Expanse is Game of Thrones in space seems to carry that vibes.

The Expanse was also originally pitched as an MMORPG game. While most think it started from book series, it actually began as game ideas, which double the fun for me!

Beyond the main books & the show, there are also graphic novels, short stories, novellas & even games that expand the expanse (pun intended). Beratna & sésata, I’m that kind of nerd that when I fall into a world, I want to explore it as deeply & completely as possible.

My books with my in-game favourite, Camina Drummer.

That’s why I wrote this post: To share what The Expanse is about, why I’m diving back in & to relay-comm a simple checklist I put together for myself, fellow beltalowda, curious new rookies & returning fans who want to explore this universe the way I did.

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1) Small Introduction to The Expanse.

Far out into the darkness, there’s a future worth fighting for.

Imagine a future set just a few hundred years from now where humanity has colonized the solar system but also brought all our old divisions with us into the stars. This isn’t some distant galaxy or far-flung utopia, it’s just us, few steps ahead, facing a new frontier.

Earth is bloated & bureaucratic. Mars is militarized & ambitious. And the Belt (the scattered mining outposts & stations in the outer reaches), struggles to survive. Welcome, to the world of The Expanse.

This universe has grown into one of the most expansive sci-fi universes of the modern era, blending geopolitical space thriller, first-contact mystery & multiple lenses into the solar system on the brink of transformation.

What sets The Expanse apart isn’t just in its scope, it’s the grounded & gritty realism. Where you’ll be seeing laws of physics that matters, life in low gravity that reshapes human body & spirit, war & politics driven by complex systems & flawed people making desperate choices. It’s a human story.

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2) Exploring & Getting Started.

There’s no fixed trajectory when entering the universe of The Expanse. Mostly, you get to explore a vast constellation of books, shows, games & comics scattered across the system.

Whether you’re a lore-seeker, gamer, casual viewer, a sci-fi or space lover; or perhaps your first encounter with the Rocinante crew was on-screen or through the pages of the books. No matter where you started & once you’re caught in the gravity well, chances are, you’ll be like me wanting to explore them all.

The Expanse have several medias, so here’s my quick summary for this post. Feel free to let me know in the comments in case I should add anything else:

• 📚 Novels & Short Fiction — 9 novels (from Leviathan Wakes to Leviathan Falls) & Memory’s Legion book which compiled short stories & novellas.

• 📺 Shows — 6 seasons of close adaptation from the novels, though unfortunately the shows didn’t continue due to budget & license restriction.

• 📖 Graphic Novels & Comics

  • The Expanse: Origins — backstories of the Roci crew pre-show.

  • The Expanse (2021) — in-continuity story bridging season 4 & 5.

  • The Expanse: Dragon Tooth — on-going series set from the 6th novel, bridged from the show’s timeline.

  • The Expanse: A Little Death — new, ETA mid-2026 release. Canon continuation after Dragon Tooth.

• 🎮 Video Games

  • The Expanse: A Telltale Series — episodic narrative game, prequel to the show starring Camina Drummer + bonus dlc: ‘Archangel’.

  • The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — new revealed in June 2025, a third-person RPG sets in parallel to first 2 seasons/books. Release date TBC.

• 🎲 Tabletop & Board Games

  • The Expanse — strategy board game by WizKids & the series creators. Expansion included.

  • The Expanse Roleplaying Game — tabletop RPG from Green Ronin (AGE system). There’s additional short story here & supplement modules.

• 📓 Other Materials

  • The Expanse Expanded — critical essays & analysis beyond the canon media by Red Futures.

  • The Expanse & Philosophy — critical essay companion exploring through philosophical lenses by Blackwell Publishing.

  • The Art & Making of The Expanse — a visual art book companion & behind the scenes photography by Titan Books.

• 🎙️Podcasts — Ty & That Guy offer behind the scenes insight, with hosts Wes Chatham & Ty Franck. Others are Bald Move, The Churn & more here.

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3) My Simplified Checklist.

Boarding the Rocinante a few years late but now that I’ve returned to this universe, I’ve decided to revisit it through an in-universe chronological order across several media, as mentioned earlier.

(credit image: redditor u/Oot42)

Most people recommend starting with the publication or release order, especially if it’s your first time. If you’re revisiting the series, you might prefer the chronological route or even a mix of both.

Honestly, I’d say don’t worry too much about the order. Whichever path you choose to chart your course through the system, what matters most is enjoying the journey & the experience it brings.

Since it’s quite a long list, I’ve broken my immersion into three parts. At the time of writing this post, I’m about to complete Part 1 & I’ve genuinely enjoyed taking this route. It hasn’t dulled the experience at all for me, in fact, it deepened my understanding of the characters’ backstories & the shifting alliances across the Belt, Mars & Earth.

If you’re ready to initiate the Epstein Drive, you can jump in through the infographic above, the link here, or tag along with my simplified list below. For Timeline events you can refer here, but beware of spoilers.

(NOTE: This is my personal lore run, with games & comics included. Books have more details so they are placed before each show seasons. This isn’t a strict path, you can still watch first & read later, or do both together like me. I may revise or update this post later as I progress further).

My in-universe chronological order checklist:

Legends:

✅ done 🚀 in progress

📕 novels 📘 short story & novella

📗 comics/graphic novel 📓 essays, artbook

📺 series 🎮 games

PART 1:

• 📘✅ Drive

• 📘✅ The Churn

• 📘✅ The Butcher of Anderson Station

• 📗✅ The Expanse: Origins

• 🎮✅ The Expanse: A Telltale Series

• 📕🚀 Book 1: Leviathan Wakes

• 📘 Last Flight of the Cassandra (in TRPG)

• 📺✅ Season 1

• 🎮 The Expanse: Osiris Reborn* (in future)

PART 2:

• 📕 Book 2: Caliban’s War

• 📺🚀 Season 2

• 📘 Gods of Risk

• 📕 Book 3: Abaddon’s Gate

• 📺 Season 3

• 📘 The Vital Abyss

• 📕 Book 4: Cibola Burn

• 📺 Season 4

• 📗 The Expanse

• 📕 Book 5: Nemesis Games

• 📺 Season 5

PART 3:

• 📕 Book 6: Babylon’s Ashes

• 📺 Season 6

• 📘 Strange Dogs

• 📗 The Expanse: Dragon Tooth

• 📗 The Expanse: A Little Death* (in future)

• 📕 Book 7: Persepolis Rising

• 📘 Auberon

• 📕 Book 8: Tiamat’s Wrath

• 📕 Book 9: Leviathan Falls

• 📘 The Sins of Our Fathers

Other side materials:

• 📓 The Expanse and Philosophy

• 📓 The Expanse Expanded

• 📓 The Art and the Making of the Expanse

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Last but not least, before we rendezvous at the next station, I’ve shared my thoughts & reviews on the books & comics, from the prequels to Origins on my Goodreads. More thoughts to come as I keep diving deeper.

I’ve just wrapped up Expanse: A Telltale Series game & I’ll talk more about that, the books & show on next posts. Right now, I’m convinced my Shepard would absolutely vibe with Drummer. And yes, I’m very excited to play the upcoming Expanse: Osiris Reborn & I’m already part of the Founders community.

Fandom navigational systems syncing…

This post is brought to you by my microgravity space coffee & impulse control failures. If you enjoyed it, consider sharing & subscribing to my blog.

Taki mi gut kopeng, oyedeng! 🚀

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