A Chronological Guide to The Expanse
James S. A. Corey's The Expanse is a masterwork of modern science fiction, blending hard science, political intrigue, and noir detective fiction into a sprawling, nine-book epic. The series is set a few centuries in the future, where humanity has colonized the Solar System but is dangerously divided.
Three factions teeter on the brink of war: a bloated, bureaucratic Earth; a militaristic, terraforming Mars; and the Outer Planets Alliance (the OPA), a loose coalition representing the exploited miners of the Asteroid Belt and outer moons, known as "Belters." Into this cold war comes a paradigm-shattering discovery: the protomolecule, an alien agent of unimaginable power that does not build, but remakes.
At the center of it all is the crew of the stolen Martian gunship, the *Rocinante*: the idealistic Captain James Holden, the brilliant Martian pilot Alex Kamal, the genius Belter engineer Naomi Nagata, and the stoic Earther mechanic Amos Burton. This guide organizes the entire saga, including all the novellas, into a single, comprehensive timeline of their journey from a simple ice hauler to the most important ship in human history.
The Complete Expanse Chronology
The books and novellas are presented in their in-universe chronological order.
Novella: DriveThe origin of the Epstein Drive
Set 150 years before the main series, this short story is the foundational myth of the Expanse universe. It tells the story of Solomon Epstein, a Martian engineer who, through a reckless and brilliant experiment, invents the hyper-efficient fusion drive that will bear his name. His discovery makes interplanetary travel practical, enabling humanity's expansion into the Belt and beyond. It is the single most important technological leap in human history, and it directly creates the political landscape of the series.
Novella: The ChurnAmos Burton's Backstory
This novella dives into the brutal, crime-ridden underworld of Baltimore on a Basic Assistance Earth. It chronicles the early life of Amos Burton (then known as Timmy) and his relationship with the local crime boss. It's a dark, violent story that explains Amos's unique moral code, his unwavering loyalty, and the psychological trauma that shapes his character throughout the entire series. It provides the essential context for who he is and why he is the way he is.
Novella: The Butcher of Anderson StationFred Johnson's Backstory
This story follows Colonel Fred Johnson, a celebrated UN Marine, during a worker uprising on Anderson Station. His orders lead him to commit an atrocity that earns him his infamous nickname and shatters his conscience. Wracked with guilt, he defects from the UN and joins the Outer Planets Alliance, eventually becoming one of its most powerful and respected leaders. This novella is crucial for understanding the motivations of a key political player in the early books.
1. Leviathan WakesThe Protomolecule is Unleashed
The saga begins. The crew of the ice hauler *Canterbury*, including Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Amos, responds to a distress call from a derelict ship, the *Scopuli*. They find it abandoned, save for a strange, growing blue substance. Their discovery pulls them into a vast conspiracy involving a missing heiress, a world-weary Belter detective named Joe Miller, and the deliberate unleashing of the alien protomolecule on the asteroid Eros. The events of this book shatter the fragile peace of the solar system, leading to war between Earth and Mars and the horrifying transformation of Eros station.
2. Caliban's WarThe Hybrid Soldiers
The protomolecule is loose, and a secret faction is attempting to weaponize it by creating hybrid super-soldiers. The story introduces three new viewpoint characters: Bobbie Draper, a tough-as-nails Martian marine; Chrisjen Avasarala, a brilliant and foul-mouthed UN politician; and Praxidike Meng, a botanist searching for his missing daughter on the chaos-wracked moon of Ganymede. The crew of the *Rocinante* finds themselves caught between Earth, Mars, and the conspirators as the protomolecule's grand, alien project begins to take shape on Venus.
Novella: Gods of RiskBobbie Draper's Interlude
Set between *Caliban's War* and *Abaddon's Gate*, this story follows Bobbie Draper back on Mars. She tries to help her nephew, who has become involved with a criminal gang cooking illicit drugs. It's a small-scale story that explores the social and economic pressures on a militarized Mars and provides a deeper look into Bobbie's character and her fierce loyalty to her family.
3. Abaddon's GateThe Ring is Formed
The protomolecule's project on Venus is complete. It launches itself into deep space and assembles into a colossal, stable wormhole gate—The Ring—beyond the orbit of Uranus. For the first time, humanity has access to interstellar space. The crew of the *Rocinante* is part of a joint fleet from Earth, Mars, and the OPA sent to investigate. Inside the Ring space, a strange "speed limit" and a central station create a tense standoff. This novel is a space-bound thriller about sabotage and faith, as different factions try to understand and control this new gateway to the stars.
Novella: The Vital AbyssThe Protogen Scientists
This novella provides the perspective of the amoral scientists who unleashed the protomolecule. Held in a secret prison after the events of the first two books, they recount their work and their unwavering belief that their research was for the good of humanity. It offers a chilling look into the minds of people who see mass death as an acceptable price for scientific advancement.
4. Cibola BurnThe First Extrasolar Colony
The Ring gates have opened up access to over 1,300 new, habitable star systems. This novel is a classic sci-fi western, set on Ilus, the first extrasolar world to be colonized. A conflict breaks out between a group of independent Belter colonists who arrived first and a corporate science team from Earth with an official charter. The crew of the *Rocinante* is sent to mediate. The planet itself, however, is not dormant. Ancient, alien terraforming technology begins to awaken, posing a threat to everyone, while Detective Miller, now a "ghost" in the protomolecule network, tries to guide Holden to uncover the secrets of the long-dead Ring Builders.
5. Nemesis GamesThe Fall of Earth
The story returns to the Solar System and takes a deeply personal turn. For the first time, the four members of the *Rocinante* crew separate to deal with their pasts. This structure allows for a massive, galaxy-shattering event: a radical faction of the OPA, led by the charismatic Marco Inaros, launches a devastating coordinated attack, dropping asteroids on Earth and crippling the Martian navy. This novel completely upends the political landscape, destroying the old balance of power and establishing a new, terrifying threat.
Novella: The ChurnAmos Burton's Backstory
Note: Though read best here to understand his journey in *Nemesis Games*, this novella's events take place before Book 1. It details Amos's violent upbringing in Baltimore and is essential context for his actions while stranded on a devastated Earth.
6. Babylon's AshesThe Free Navy War
The direct sequel to *Nemesis Games*. The shattered remnants of the Earth and Mars navies, along with moderate OPA factions, must form a desperate alliance to fight Marco Inaros's "Free Navy." The novel is a sprawling war epic told from numerous perspectives across the Solar System. It's a story about the logistics and brutal realities of system-wide warfare, as the combined fleet tries to hunt down Marco and break his stranglehold on the Ring gates.
Novella: Strange DogsThe Laconian Experiments
Set on the extrasolar world of Laconia, this chilling novella follows a group of children who are among the first settlers of a colony established by a renegade faction of the Martian navy. They discover strange, native lifeforms that seem to be able to repair and alter both biological and technological matter. This story directly sets up the new power that will emerge to dominate the galaxy in the final trilogy.
7. Persepolis RisingThe Laconian Empire
Thirty years have passed. The crew of the *Rocinante* is older, and a fragile peace exists in the Solar System. That peace is shattered when the renegade Martians from the Laconian system return. Wielding incredibly advanced warships built with protomolecule technology, they conquer the entire human race in a matter of days. Led by the immortal High Consul Winston Duarte, the Laconian Empire rises, imposing a new, authoritarian order. The aging crew of the *Rocinante* must once again lead a rebellion against impossible odds.
8. Tiamat's WrathThe Underground Resistance
The resistance against the Laconian Empire continues. This novel is a desperate, galaxy-spanning story of espionage and rebellion. The crew of the *Rocinante* is scattered, with some leading the underground and others captured by the Empire. The story also delves into the cosmic threat that destroyed the original Ring Builders, as strange events within the Ring space suggest that this ancient enemy is beginning to stir, angered by humanity's use of the gates.
Novella: The Sins of Our FathersThe Final Novella
This story follows a minor character from the Laconian trilogy on a mission to a remote colony that has been isolated for decades. It's a poignant look at the long-term consequences of the protomolecule, the Ring gates, and the rise and fall of galactic empires on ordinary people living on the fringes of history.
9. Leviathan FallsThe End of Everything
The grand finale of the entire saga. The Laconian Empire, the human resistance, and the ancient, extra-dimensional beings that killed the Ring Builders are all on a collision course. The consciousness of High Consul Duarte has merged with the protomolecule network, and the very fabric of spacetime is threatened. The crew of the *Rocinante* must make their final journey into the heart of the conflict to save humanity from both itself and the cosmic horrors it has awakened, bringing the epic nine-book journey to a spectacular and definitive conclusion.
0 comments:
Post a Comment