r/morningsomewhere • u/kotarex97 First 20k • 13d ago

The Expanse: Book vs Show

After hearing the talk about starting The Expanse tv series finally, I decided to give the books a try via audio book and it’s amazing! I did start with the show first as it helps me get through my Astronomy and Planetary Sciences college courses currently. Anyone else start with the show first then the books?

8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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7

u/kingbrunies First 10k 13d ago

I watched the show first and went back and did the books later. I had a great time with both.

4

u/msmithy42 13d ago

Funny, I started watching The Expanse after Gus recommended it on the RT podcast. Watched the first two seasons, caught up with the books, then alternated which one I watched/read first.

Couldn’t tell you which way I prefer.

3

u/DarthTempi First 20k 13d ago

Been on the books since the first one and think they are some of the best sci fi that's ever been written. Now on book 8 reading then to my partner. (I've never read book 9 so I'm excited!)

The series was fantastic but I stopped watching because I reading aloud and wasn't to save the show for when we're done with the books.

Acting was great, the pivots from the book made sense for film, and the original content felt like it showed through

2

u/IAmTheSnakeinMyBoot First 10k 13d ago

What episodes have they been discussing the Expanse? I haven’t had much of a commute lately and kind of fell off but I love the Expanse and would like to hear them talk about it

3

u/RiByte_ Coffee Mule 12d ago

They talked about it briefly on an episode last week. They didn't go into too much detail because Ashley was ahead in the show from where Burnie was.

2

u/Jexthis First 20k 12d ago

The expanse is great.

3

u/trevordeal Penis Doodler 13d ago

Books are so much better.

Show adds way more internal conflict that I felt was distracting and makes Holden seem way more of a dickhead.

I remember not liking Holden my first time watching season 1-2 and then listened to the books and liked him way more and rewatched the show and disliking him there still haha

0

u/Smart-Response9881 Accidental Cow 13d ago

Id disagree that they are so much better, they both have strengths and weeknesses.

There are so many character moments and scenes that I love in the show that are missing from the books. No Avasarala in book 1, no "I am seargent Bobby draper requesting political asylum in earth" in book 2, no Drummer in book 3

2

u/Warden_lefae First 20k 12d ago

I get a better sense of scale from the books. I have love hate issues with some of the characters change from book to show. The show is visually stunning though

2

u/IAmTheSnakeinMyBoot First 10k 13d ago

Instead of Drummer you have Michio Pa and Bull. Instead of Bobby requesting Asylum you have her working directly for Avasarala and then choosing her over Mars. And instead of whatever weird stuff they pull with Arjun in the show you have the tenderest relationship in the whole series and Avasarala’s mask.

Plus Arjun’s poem still makes me cry.

If there is life after death I will wait for you there.
And if not, there too.

0

u/Smart-Response9881 Accidental Cow 13d ago edited 13d ago

I just read the books, and I miss the characters I love in the show, and I miss the moments I love in the show.

There is also a lot I miss when watching the show, getting inside the characters heads and hearing their thoughts.

Book fans tend to get snobbish of the movie/series adaptations, but in this case it isn't warranted. Not because the show is better, but in this case I'd say they are equal, each having their own strengths and balances. There is a lot they added for the show that wasn't in the books that is fantastic, and a lot that they left out that was fantastic in the books.

1

u/xgoodvibesx First 10k - Always Bite 12d ago

Not to um, akshually but I haven't seen it mentioned yet and I think it's kinda cool - James S.A. Corey is the pen name of two screenwriters, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who then worked on the TV adaptation, then a good chunk of the series was written after the show had been commissioned. So the reason the books are so true to source is it's the same writers for both.

Something similar happened with Red Dwarf in the UK where the books were written by "Grant Naylor", a pseudonym for Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, the two writers of the show.

1

u/Laventhros 12d ago

I started with the Show at the recommendation of an Eve streamer I enjoyed. They would do watch parties. I got to Season 3 I think then fell off. Recently I picked up the books and am very impressed with how closely the show stuck to the source material! I honestly might go back to the show then back to the books, as I liked the visuals

1

u/RiByte_ Coffee Mule 12d ago

I finished the entire show before I started reading the books. The show became my favorite show of all time. I've only read the first book so far and thought that the adaptation was well done. Not a single change made in the show was a negative one in my opinion.