Series: The Expanse #1
Published by Orbit on June 2, 2011
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 561
Format: Paperback
Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt, and beyond. But the stars remain out of our reach.
When Jim Holden, XO of an ice miner in the Belt, and his crew answer a distress signal from the Scopuli, they walk into a trap that leads to the demise of their main ship, the Canterbury. Believing that the people deserve to know the truth, he broadcasts their discovery and, in the process, unwittingly incites a conflict among Earth, Mars, and the Belt—because his crew has stumbled upon a secret for which someone is willing to start an interplanetary war.
Meanwhile, Detective Miller receives a mission to search for Juliette “Julie” Andromeda Mao, a runaway girl from the Inner planets. During his investigation, he discovers that Julie joined the Outer Planet revolutionaries (OPA) and was aboard the Scopuli. After reading a series of messages between Julie and her estranged parents, Miller realizes that Julie may hold the key to understanding the conflict brewing in the galaxy. And to get to her, he’ll need to make contact with Holden.
Holden and Miller’s stories interweave as they make the connections between the OPA, the Earthen government, and secretive corporations. In the midst of an impending war, individuals will take a stand for what they believe is right, powers will make and break alliances, and one small ship and its crew may change the fate of the universe.
Compared to the show, Miller is more active in his investigation. Though he appears to be a deadbeat cop, he’s always thought of himself as a good cop, and he repeatedly proves that he has the instincts and the makings of an excellent detective. He makes the connections that no one else sees, and he tracks down Holden, the most wanted man in the galaxy. If he’s lacked anything in the past, it was the opportunity to prove himself as a better man and a better cop. The system has bent him to the will of the ones with money and power instead of allowing him to uphold justice.
After having bowed to the system for so many years, Miller faces the “presentiment of exhaustion” at the thought of reconnecting to humanity (483), and he battles with the question: “Are you human anymore?” (forgot to jot down the page number) Finding Julie seems to be his attempt at a quest for redemption. Through Miller, the authors explore questions like the following: Is it ever too late to change? Can there be a time when it’s not worth reconnecting or reconciling with others? Miller takes extreme actions (he won’t think twice about shooting someone). We won’t always agree with him, and sometimes we may be horrified to find that we agree with him. Through Miller, we learn one possible consequence of fighting violence with violence, of seeking punishment before conciliation, and oppressing justice to profit.
Holden is the little man fighting big dogs. Though his crew naturally turns to him for leadership, he has no idea what he’s facing, and he’s terrified. Season one of the show did a better job of showing the lengths to which Holden will go to protect his crew, but it’s still apparent in the book, and his crew repays this loyalty with unwavering trust in his goodness and righteousness. Holden’s interactions with Miller fleshes out Holden’s character by revealing his faults. For example, Holden understands what Miller has done for him and his crew, yet he refuses to listen to Miller’s reasons for disobeying Holden’s orders (436). Holden is too caught up in his ideals to understand that someone can work differently yet remain on the same side, and he needs his XO, Naomi, to tell him, “Miller’s on our side. Haven’t you figured that out?” (461)
In some ways, the show feels like a final draft. The show develops and gives personality to the side characters, and it adds beats, the actions and the spaces between action and reaction. It does, however, makes changes to create drama or highlight the action over the development of intrigue and the examination of human nature, both of which we get from the book. The book gives more insight into the workings of Holden and Miller’s minds (especially Miller, who was given a smaller role in the show). The book provides more buildup of tension and intrigue, and it draws more parallels between the lives and stories of the two protagonists. The book also opens the way for readers’ imagination to take flight. I felt wonder when the book introduced me to Tycho station, and the book compelled me to envision how life in the Belt has shaped human physiology and culture.
The Belt is a network. It’s like one big distributed ship. We have nodes that make air, or water, or power, or structural materials. Those nodes may be separated by millions of kilometers of space, but that doesn’t make them any less interconnected.
Naomi, 478
What I enjoyed most about the book is how it portrays the complexities of human life. In the vacuum of space, Leviathan Wakes throws together people with variegated ideologies as they struggle to understand the larger picture. These people include Earthens and Martians and Belters. They include people who pursue progress above all else, people who abandoned Inner privileges to fight alongside Belters, people who ran from prior responsibilities, people who have lost hope, people who fight for hope, people who are tired and angry at being treated as sub-class members of the galaxy.
In the midst of this chaos, in the midst of a future where Earth has conquered the galaxy, Miller comments that the “stars are better off without us” (465). In this simple statement, he asks us to contemplate what progress means. What we’re willing to sacrifice for progress. And where should progress end.
This book raises many thought-provoking questions. For more, I’ve also compiled, in collaboration with my book club, a discussion guide on Leviathan Wakes.
Rating R
Bias Notes
I have watched and enjoyed the T.V. show. My brother, who mostly reads manga and web novels, has given this book high praise.
Let’s Chat
📚 Have you read Leviathan Wakes or watched The Expanse show? What are your thoughts?
📚 I’d love for you to share your response to one of my book club’s discussion questions!
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