The Expanse is one of the most beloved sci-fi stories in recent memory, but for years now, audiences have been wondering if they should pick up the books or just watch the TV series, which has admittedly garnered a lot of acclaim despite what you’ve come to expect from adaptations of this kind.
In an era where the most prominent, still-standing sci-fi franchises are Star Wars and Star Trek, and barely thriving on the backdrop of their legacy more than anything, a story like James S. A. Corey’s The Expanse is a blessing. The highly lauded novel series tells the story of mankind in the near future, where human civilization has finally colonized the Solar System and started to live among the stars. Conspiracies threaten to unravel all of these achievements, however, as some humans deal with the discovery of new alien technology and the political undercurrents of the United Nations Security Council.
If it’s been a while since you sat through a decent sci-fi story, then The Expanse is perfectly capable of scratching that itch. But should you read the novels, or go for the television show? And if you go for the latter, does the television show cover all nine books?
How many The Expanse books have been adapted for television?
It should be noted that The Expanse television series is incredibly faithful to the novel series. Sure, there are changes here and there to accommodate the live-action medium, but overall, this is one of the more close adaptations out there.
As for how many of the novels are covered, The Expanse has undergone a very tumultuous journey. The series originally premiered on Syfy, before getting canceled after three seasons. Amazon later picked it up and developed three more runs, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion with six seasons.
Season 1 covers the first book, Leviathan Falls, to a large degree, and season 2 follows that up by finishing the first book and covering half of the second book. Season 3 then finishes book 2 and fully adapts book 3. Seasons 4 to 6 cover one book each, ending with Babylon’s Ashes.
That leaves the final three novels in the 9-book saga, but since Corey has written this story in three trilogies, you won’t be left on a cliffhanger at the end of season 6. In fact, book 7 starts 28 years after the events of book 6, so it’s not as if Amazon decided to prematurely cancel the live-action series.
Simply put, you can watch The Expanse on Prime Video or read the books depending on your medium of choice. Many even opt to watch the show and then read the novels for more details and a conclusive end to the fictional world with the final trilogy. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be tempted along the way to pick up the incredible video games, as well.
