What does /tg/ think of The Expanse?
I've been hearing more and more about this series lately, and the consensus is that it's the best thing to come out of syfy in a while.
>>44942121
I've read the first 4 books,
Good world building and ideas, but I don't know if it's all that great. I guess it just gets kind of boring an incapable of staying focused. It loves to run off and explore other things, then running back to the main characters from the other books and roping the two togeather.
It also has far far to many questions about the galaxy, but instead of giving you answers that make you ask more questions, they just add more questions and refuse to give you any answers.
6/10, the TV show is just trying to be the next game of thrones
One of the few books that correctly represents distances and most probable designs for spaceships this and space combat make it already better than majority of scifi.
The authors have stated that they wanted to create a series about switch from slower than light to faster than light travel and how it would affect societies and it feels like they done job well.
Also twists in the middle of the book are usually fun and escalate things in interesting ways (except Cibola Burn)
>>44942121
The science fiction is well done, I personally find it boring.
Awesome spaceship designs, imo.
>>44942121
Makes for a great pro-space short film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6goNzXrmFs
>>44942312
every single show is trying to be the next GoT, all of them
>>44942121
Haven't read the books but I'm enjoying the show.
I think it's cool. I like the OPA and the Belters in general.
>>44943713
i didnt get where the belters are from tho... like some distopian netherlands thing or what?
>>44943802
Creole mix of multiple cultures all crammed inside a pressurized shoebox for 3+ generations. Chinese, Indian, and German can be heard in the language.
Bit random. Still not sure why we spend half the episode with old Indian almost-world-president every time.
The cop on Ceres is great. Could go into the political situation more, seems a bit high school theater at times with the small scale. But it's excellent Cyberpunk with a low key love story and ultimately a Noir mystery.
The odyssey of the survivors is a bit contrived but still works for me. It demonstrates the mechanics of space flight nicely. But it's enough conspirators now: company, Mars, Tycho, Earth, quit while you're ahead.
I don't want to see the old lady any more. Her character is too dissonant, she's not gonna grow on me. Have two Sorkin extras discuss the relevant details down a hallway.
The only actual plot so far is scientists have discovered something and then their outpost was wiped out. Someone has stealth ships and attacks people. I don't want long foreshadowed reveals, I want a fast pace and solid hooks, a few decent characters, and a little space porn (no more of that astronaut porn pls).
whats the deal with the mormons tho... ?
>>44944000
God called and told them to prep the ark for when FTL goes public.
>>44943965
They could do an entire spinoff on Ceres cop noir adventure and I'd be happy. That's the real story right there. The rest, so far at least, is just filler.
I read the first two books and have the third waiting in the wings. It's alright. I really loved the first book and thought the second was okay. By the time I picked up number three I just ran out of steam. I found some of the setting ideas pretty interesting (it introduced me to basic income, for example) but the characters are just... tiresome.
>>44943965
The book this season is based on just went back and forth between Miller and Holden. Indian lady is apparently a character from a later book that they decided to transplant into this season for some reason. I'm not a fan of this decision.
>>44944053
Miller is best.
>>44944152
When I see her I just keep thinking Red Ajah. So now I'm just waiting for her to straighten her skirts or put her hair in a braid so she can tuck it.
>>44944152
>Indian lady
Most annoying character in the series.
>look an old lady saying bad words!! pretty epic huh
>fuck LOL shit LOL bitch LOL
It's like the "big poopies" copy pasta with random profanity interspersed.
>>44942121
Ava doesn't cuss enough, Miller was way too young, Holden is a bit babyfaced too.
As for the books. Some POV characters are cool Amos, Bull, Bobbie, Miller, and others (see Holden) are painfully dull/predictable/frustrating.
As for setting it's the standard political tension in the solar system you'd expect in the earlier Niven Known Space books, Protector, Ptaavs, Gil. Belters in tension with inner solar system forces pretty routine. The hard scifi written elements are good and read like you'd want for something in the genre where shit is explained rather than handwaved.
Then you get into the weird protomolecule shit and that's where you start developing some pretty frustrating plot holes with the lazy "advanced tech appears as magic" passover.
The "villain" of the first book can only be described as functionally retarded. So many mistakes are made in the grand evil plan that you keep thinking you'll read about some saboteur or puppetmaster on the following page...alas it doesn't happen and you are forced to accept some pretty glaring errors in judgement.
>>44944000
The Mormon church hires the shipbuilders at Tycho to design and construct a massive generation ship. They plan to populate it with colonists and set off slowboat style to find a new world. Think of it like a colony from Gundam but rather than in orbit it just spins to generate an internal gravity and heads out into deep space.
It's a good show, better than a lot of other stuff on television right now. Definitely the best thing to come out of Scyfy in a long time. Not perfect, but definitely entertaining.
>>44943965
>I don't want long foreshadowed reveals, I want a fast pace and solid hooks, a few decent characters, and a little space porn
Have to disagree with anon entirely on this one. Although this is probably the worst board in the world to vent this criticism, shows that go on for three or more seasons without a large, over-arching plot to guide them get stale quick. Mostly because it feels like whatever cast of main characters just bounce back and forth randomly through different quest chains, without there being any real continuity. I understand the desire for good, simple space porn, Golden Age of science fiction type stuff. But this just isn't that type of story and can't really be bent into that shape.
>>44944456
But you can't keep alluding to a myth arc without ever developing it. That's Abrahms/Lindelof circlejerking, and I won't have it.
Miller is fine. The survivors need more fluff on their railroad. Indian drawl lady should not appear until she matters. So far all she has done was setting exposition and myth arc without context. It's a smoke monster, and I wish someone would take the time to edit it all out like they did with Jar-Jar.
>>44944456
The problem is the overarching plot of the series is really only good for the first three books. After that it slumps. I'm not convinced the series should have continued at all after that point, and if it did, which it did, it really should have dumped the main crew. Holden is barely endurable for one book let alone 5. The best characters in the series are either side characters, one book POVs, or die.
>>44944569
What myth? There is not myth subplot in the books. Did they make it so the protomolecule has some old mythos to go with it? That's lame as fuck.
>>44944618
Please google "myth-arc"
>>44944629
TVTropes pls go. It's just called "overarching plot".
>>44944629
Ohhhhh okay. Never heard the term. Only ever used "overarching plot/storyline"
>>44944656
>"myth-arc"
It's an X-Files term. I'm sure some X-Files writers ended up editing TVTropes eventually, but you're about a decade and a half off.
>>44944708
>It's an X-Files term.
Then why are you using it here?
>>44944594
>only good for the first three books. After that it slumps
It was originally planned as a trilogy, so that makes sense.
> it really should have dumped the main crew
I figured they would cause it just seemed obvious that they should. Kinda disappointed to hear that Holden is still around five books in.
>>44944749
Fuck off, virt
I do have the second book from the series I think, since quite some time. Think I just bought it in a store after it cathced my eye.
Haven't read it yet, but I'm on a Sci-Fi streak lately. Should I get the first book and actually start reading the series?
>>44944797
Right back at you, virt.
>>44944569
>But you can't keep alluding to a myth arc without ever developing it. That's Abrahms/Lindelof circlejerking, and I won't have it.
What examples do you have of such things happening?
>>44945149
The actual story revealed so far can be summarized in two short sentences. And every plot is about the central mystery. The characters actively avoid distractions from it. Show me just one scene that is NOT about a vagueFTLto come. And you need to tell the audience. You can't keep pretending it's all unrelated stories. And the writers are. Without readers of the novels spoiling what it is even about online, the audience is still oblivious.
>>44942121
Well Syfy has had basically nothing for the past few years.
Now they've got a ton of new shows.
Then again, half of them are urban fantasy, so eh.
>>44945274
How does the myth arc not get developed this way? Because there is nothing happening where they make any progress with the said arc?
What other shows allude to a myth arc but is never developed?
>>44942121
Starting a paper model design of the Rocinante. I should have it ready by midnight tonight. Trying to go for >>44943482 Martian scheme first, then do the add-ons to make it look like a freighter like in the new episodes.
>>44942121
I just recently saw the show.
It is a good detective story with a scifi background. I'm loving it.
>>44942312
>TV show is just trying to be the next game of thrones
Oh no, god save us from more ambitious book adaptations with high production values and grown up themes! Things were so much better back when it seemed nothing but reality TV would ever be made.
Wanker.
I'm liking the show a good deal, but seven episodes in and I know exactly one character's name. two at most. To the best of my knowledge, the cast contains:
Fedora
Fedora's Assistant
Chick who occasionally helps Fedora
Indian Grandma
Protagonist Guy (I know his name is holden, but it doesn't stick in my head)
Bearded Guy
Squat, Angry Guy
Naomi
Martian Inquisitor Guy
Shady Guy With Clearly False Name
The Irish Republican Army / Belter People's Front / People's Front of the Belt et al.
Best space battles I've seen on film or tv in a long damn while, though.
>>44946425
>Best space battles I've seen on film or tv in a long damn while, though.
Starship Operators?
>>44946051
Post results!
>that guy from Royal Pains gets BTFO mid-sentence
Didn't expect that one.
Still waiting on The Magicians, though. That blonde girl with the glasses is stacked and they're trying to hide it.
>>44944344
You should see how she fucking cusses in the books, they toned it down for TV.
>>44946553
No, but you have my interest.
>>44946813
It's unbearable animu, but with nice battles. More styled along submarine warfare than anything, and with strategic application of spess weps.
>>44946734
Yeah, I was referring to the books. Haven't watched the show. That and obsessing over the various characters' heritages kind of made the series a pain to read.
>>44942121
>the best thing to come out of syfy in a while.
Can someone give me some context here? Because that's a really low bar.
>>44947047
It's hard scifi with grown up themes and mildly complex characters, a lot of them. It won't stay as hard, but it tells the story of that gritty transition.
Z Nation fo lyfe
>>44942121
They choose this shit instead of the Common Wealth Saga. Damn it to hell. I hope HBO eventually picks it up because it would blow Game of Thrones out of the water.
Can't belive Syfy is planning to do Brave New World AND 3001.
What a time to be alive.
Love the books but I'm not terribly happy with the show. The first episode is awesome and can rope just about anyone into it, which I give it a ton of points for. My issues is what are they trying to plan with the protomolecule by stretching this out. Plus, they revealed some pretty important plot twists by episode three (namely Naomi being former OPA which was never explored until the fifth fucking book.)
They made Miller cooler than what he was in the book, Holden too young and pretty boy than he was in the book, and Havelock isn't up to snuff. Everyone else is interesting enough. Even Christian is interesting, even though she's a watered down censored ghost of her former self. I miss Indian Grandma calling people cocksuckers.
>>44951774
Miller was boss in the book. He was kicking ass and taking names and not giving a fuck.
>>44953993
Best character of each book:
Book 1: Miller
Book 2: Bobbie
Book 3: Bull
Book 4: Havelock
Book 5: God I'm fucking sick of Holden's bullshit
I won't spoil anything, but I really think after book three they should have cut out some or all of the Rock's crew and just focused elsewhere. Or at the very least not focus on them as much as the 4th and 5th books did. Holden is so tiring.
>>44946402
>game of thrones
>ambitious
>high production values
>grown up themes
Are you 12?
>>44957210
Have you forgotten LotS?
Merlin?
Hercules and Xena?
>>44944152
They did it for diversity anon.
You're not an enemy of diversity are you?
>>44957537
Forced diversity is awful.
Black actors get cast a month later for pilot season, because producers remember there should be diversity, hire them late, and stick them in some nondescript role.
Doing it right? Jessica Jones.
Diverse cast where everyone is a character and no token insert.
>>44945877
GoT
If the show can do the massive Resident Evil scene on Eros it'll be saved. Otherwise it's shite, m8.
>>44957537
They matched the characters with their ethnicities directly from the book. There is no 'forced diversity' at play here.
>>44942421
This made me realize something; why does sci-fi never involve the transitional period between STL and FTL, or for that matter the equally frightening and exciting period when cheap FTL has become possible, so the stars now lay bare for exploration or exploitation?
>>44957537
>>44944152
She's one of the more important supporting characters of the series, it's not terribly strange that they chose to introduce her earlier. It gives more continuity instead of just having a lot of random talking heads that don't show up later on, and helps trim down the cast of non-essential characters, which is really important when you're converting novels to tv shows, since you inevitably have to trim some fat to make it work.
But obviously it's those darn diversity terrorists at work, right?
>>44957375
Seeker Series should have been more explicit desu.
Both in rape and in objectivist filibusters.
Especially the filibusters.
Make america great again, y'know?
>>44958249
Don't remove the scapegoat out of their hands, Anon. They'll feel bad about it.
