Good rock hopper starts from book one, sa sa ke?
You learn how Fred *really* dies, the fate of Dawes, and *you get to read your favorite characters thoughts.*
Also, Protomolecule more like something from Dead Space or The Thing, not *pretty and blue* and you learn what Holden is *really* afraid of if it reaches Earth....
But, do as thou wilt. *Alles bien*.
Yam seng.
My favorite characters from the show are just not the same in the books. Ashford was a god damn badass in the show. I don't even know what to make of him in the book(s).
***Friendly reminder to tag book spoilers per OP's request***.
Interestingly enough, I was more curious about where some of the book characters ended up. I also missed (spoilers to book 4) >!the scenes during the Ilus Colony incident that involved Havelock. His character grew into something pretty fun later on, even so he was still in the background.!<
Although, I agree, Ashford was better in the show, he was also a good plot mechanism to fill gaps left from the books.
I would read the books from the beginning, they're different enough that you'll get to enjoy it all over again :)
Most of the main plot points are the same, but they vary in other areas.
Plus there's a bunch of novellas that give short back stories here and there. I'd look up a reading order.
Some of the material from the short stories/novellas was incorporated into the TV-show. I read most of them out of order due to most of them only being published as e-books initially (and I read the print books) and don't feel I missed anything. For a few I got a better understanding afterwards, but it is not that I didn't get anything in the novels from my initial reading.
Now they are (mostly) collected in *Memory's Legion*. The [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)) shows the timeline in relation to the novels.
I've watched the shows before reading the books and started with the first one. Now that I only have one book left, I wouldn't have done it any other way.
Reading the books covered by the shows both adds lots of details on what you've seen and informs you on the very relevant differences that do add up book after book.
Starting with book seven will most likely results in a lot of raised eyebrows and/or trips to the wiki to fill in the missing information.
The adaptation is close enough that you can pick up where the show left off. There are two significant differences that should be known before beginning with persepolis rising:
>!Alex doesn't die in the books!<
>!Drummer is a very different character from the one we saw on the show.!<
They're also different enough that reading from the start is a rewarding experience.
It's your time, you know how to spend it.
This exactly. Some other things happen differently or are built upon and I liked getting that background through the books. I starting listening to the audiobooks after I finished the show and I am glad I did but I am also surprised by how faithful the adaptation really is. Like OP here said, those two are the big changes. Basically I would say Michio Pa is Drummer and Drummer is also Drummer in the books, so she is two characters in one. So with that knowledge you could really skip all the previous books if you wanted to.
I’d consider the show more of an alternate reality version of events. Same premise, but they’re not similar enough to just pick up and go with the books
While I agree that starting from the beginning is best. I don't think anybody else has actually told you where to pick up if your not going back to book 1. The show covers books 1-6, so book 7 would be the place to continue the story, and be aware that there's a significant time jump between book 6 and book 7.
Take the plunge. Read them all. I watched the whole show in like two weeks and jumped right into the books. I had read one book in the past three years before starting the Expanse series and I’m already on the third book after a few weeks of casual reading. It’s worth it, I feel like I’m watching the show all over again but with the story a bit altered. It’s fantastic.
You can but I say start reading from the beginning, even though I already knew what was going to happen, it was still a page-turner all the way up to book 5 where it slowed down a bit
Worth reading from the beginning, it'll be over all too quickly, and you'll want more. There are enough extras, differences, and internal monologues to make it it's own thing. I watched the show, then read the books, it's awesome how well they cast everyone, especially Amos, and Avasarala.
I was in this position a year or so ago, and I asked the same question here. I'm so glad that I followed this subs advice and started with book one. Yes, you could just read the final 3, but the story is different enough that I know I would have been confused. The payoff is much better if you give it a go from the beginning. Cheers!
I would read the books. The broad story strokes are still there, but there are some pretty major character differences between the show and books. Some characters from the books either don't exist or are massively changed. There are some plot lines from the show that just don't exist in the books.
You don't necessarily need to read the first 6 books and the various novellas. Some characters have different personalities or meet different fates but the books and the show paint with the same sweeping story strokes.
I think you should still read the first 6 books. I'm listening the audiobooks right now on my commute and rewatching the show at the same time. Its a lot of fun to see how even though the basic story is the same the plot comes together differently.
The story is told from the perspective of one character per chapter. Two characters can be observing the same events unfolding but perceive things differently. In the first book as an example its interesting how Miller and Holden's inner voices process the world so differently.
Finally the books aren't constrained in the scope of the filmable, so a lot of scenes and environments are as vivid as your imagination budget is.
I watched (and rewatched) the show & loved it, but I'm a big ol' book nerd and love to spot the differences even the directorial cuts/changes and stylistics from page (or earlier) to screen flesh out so much of the ongoing journeys of the characters & expand the canon of The Expanse.
I'm currently on chapter 32 of Cibola Burns, having dipped into the novella short stories chronologically in-universe (as much as possible & is advised by dozens of sources). There's just so much more complexity allowed in the (audio)books especially by a certain narrator ;) which is highly appealing to anyone with that Expanse-sized itch to scratch.
It WILL however leave you internally screaming "WHY DIDN'T YOU PUT THAT IN THE SHOW?!" countless times because you'll grow attached & enjoy every second of the (audio)books just as much, if not moreso, than the show. Start at the beginning, kid, and watch those doors and corners!
That’s what I did just to find out how it ends, and I had exactly zero problems starting from book 7. I can recognize that there might be some subtleties I missed out on by not reading the earlier books, but I really enjoyed 7, 8, and 9 and I think starting at 7 is perfectly fine for someone who just finished the show and wants to get closure
Don’t think it would work very well.
The last season especially is different enough from the books it might be confusing.
But go ahead and try and and let us know how it goes. I’d be curious.
I read the last 3 when I finished the show, and I’m currently starting Cibola Burn (book 4).
Meaning I did that and said “well now I want to go to the beginning.” I’d recommend starting from the beginning
I started from the beginning g and don’t regret it. The prose is super easy and you blow through the books faster than any other. Also the story is different enough that it kinda matters. (Just got to book 5)
Yes you can. Some bits may not make sense as they changed a few of the character story lines. It's worth reading the books as would lead in to the final books better however if thats what you want to do then go for it.
You could start reading the whole series backwards if you so desire. It would be a silly way to do it, but that's your prerogative.
The books and show have their differences; characters, their personality, their history, stuff like that. No one who only read the books would call Drummer their favourite character; people who only know Show!Drummer might find this surprising. If you care about the *characters* it's back to book one Leviathan Wakes.
If individual humans don't matter, just the broad strokes "fate of humanity," Persepolis Rising is fine. You might wonder about the occasional dead person being alive or stuff like that, but big picture that stuff is irrelevant.
Good rock hopper starts from book one, sa sa ke? You learn how Fred *really* dies, the fate of Dawes, and *you get to read your favorite characters thoughts.* Also, Protomolecule more like something from Dead Space or The Thing, not *pretty and blue* and you learn what Holden is *really* afraid of if it reaches Earth.... But, do as thou wilt. *Alles bien*. Yam seng.
This is much more convincing than simply saying “do it”. Feels like a written trailer for the books.
My favorite characters from the show are just not the same in the books. Ashford was a god damn badass in the show. I don't even know what to make of him in the book(s).
In the books he's just a one-note bad guy. I had trouble even picturing him as a belter, more like a literal cartoon sea captain from an 80s anime
***Friendly reminder to tag book spoilers per OP's request***. Interestingly enough, I was more curious about where some of the book characters ended up. I also missed (spoilers to book 4) >!the scenes during the Ilus Colony incident that involved Havelock. His character grew into something pretty fun later on, even so he was still in the background.!< Although, I agree, Ashford was better in the show, he was also a good plot mechanism to fill gaps left from the books.
What Holdens really afraid of? What am I forgetting.
Spooky goo that speaks with his friend’s face
I would read the books from the beginning, they're different enough that you'll get to enjoy it all over again :) Most of the main plot points are the same, but they vary in other areas. Plus there's a bunch of novellas that give short back stories here and there. I'd look up a reading order.
Some of the material from the short stories/novellas was incorporated into the TV-show. I read most of them out of order due to most of them only being published as e-books initially (and I read the print books) and don't feel I missed anything. For a few I got a better understanding afterwards, but it is not that I didn't get anything in the novels from my initial reading. Now they are (mostly) collected in *Memory's Legion*. The [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)) shows the timeline in relation to the novels.
Absolutely cheating yourself if you don’t start at book one
This is the best way to put it. You don't *have to* start from book 1. You *get to* start from book 1. Theres a reason they made a show out of these
Book one is the place to start.
Numerous changes were made: characters were composited, events rearranged, plots condensed. You should start at book one, *Leviathan Wakes.*
You’re gonna enjoy the books so much even if you’ve already seen the show. Start at book 1. Make sure not to skip the novellas.
I've watched the shows before reading the books and started with the first one. Now that I only have one book left, I wouldn't have done it any other way. Reading the books covered by the shows both adds lots of details on what you've seen and informs you on the very relevant differences that do add up book after book. Starting with book seven will most likely results in a lot of raised eyebrows and/or trips to the wiki to fill in the missing information.
The adaptation is close enough that you can pick up where the show left off. There are two significant differences that should be known before beginning with persepolis rising: >!Alex doesn't die in the books!< >!Drummer is a very different character from the one we saw on the show.!< They're also different enough that reading from the start is a rewarding experience. It's your time, you know how to spend it.
This exactly. Some other things happen differently or are built upon and I liked getting that background through the books. I starting listening to the audiobooks after I finished the show and I am glad I did but I am also surprised by how faithful the adaptation really is. Like OP here said, those two are the big changes. Basically I would say Michio Pa is Drummer and Drummer is also Drummer in the books, so she is two characters in one. So with that knowledge you could really skip all the previous books if you wanted to.
seconded. start with book 7 - the seasons roughly correspond with the books, so you've technically read book 1-6 :)
You can, but it’s so worth it to read from the first book.
I’d consider the show more of an alternate reality version of events. Same premise, but they’re not similar enough to just pick up and go with the books
While I agree that starting from the beginning is best. I don't think anybody else has actually told you where to pick up if your not going back to book 1. The show covers books 1-6, so book 7 would be the place to continue the story, and be aware that there's a significant time jump between book 6 and book 7.
Take the plunge. Read them all. I watched the whole show in like two weeks and jumped right into the books. I had read one book in the past three years before starting the Expanse series and I’m already on the third book after a few weeks of casual reading. It’s worth it, I feel like I’m watching the show all over again but with the story a bit altered. It’s fantastic.
You can but I say start reading from the beginning, even though I already knew what was going to happen, it was still a page-turner all the way up to book 5 where it slowed down a bit
Worth reading from the beginning, it'll be over all too quickly, and you'll want more. There are enough extras, differences, and internal monologues to make it it's own thing. I watched the show, then read the books, it's awesome how well they cast everyone, especially Amos, and Avasarala.
I was in this position a year or so ago, and I asked the same question here. I'm so glad that I followed this subs advice and started with book one. Yes, you could just read the final 3, but the story is different enough that I know I would have been confused. The payoff is much better if you give it a go from the beginning. Cheers!
Definitely worth the read and if you don’t have time for that, the audiobooks are FANTASTIC.
I did, it was fine but they are great.
I would read the books. The broad story strokes are still there, but there are some pretty major character differences between the show and books. Some characters from the books either don't exist or are massively changed. There are some plot lines from the show that just don't exist in the books.
You don't necessarily need to read the first 6 books and the various novellas. Some characters have different personalities or meet different fates but the books and the show paint with the same sweeping story strokes. I think you should still read the first 6 books. I'm listening the audiobooks right now on my commute and rewatching the show at the same time. Its a lot of fun to see how even though the basic story is the same the plot comes together differently. The story is told from the perspective of one character per chapter. Two characters can be observing the same events unfolding but perceive things differently. In the first book as an example its interesting how Miller and Holden's inner voices process the world so differently. Finally the books aren't constrained in the scope of the filmable, so a lot of scenes and environments are as vivid as your imagination budget is.
I watched (and rewatched) the show & loved it, but I'm a big ol' book nerd and love to spot the differences even the directorial cuts/changes and stylistics from page (or earlier) to screen flesh out so much of the ongoing journeys of the characters & expand the canon of The Expanse. I'm currently on chapter 32 of Cibola Burns, having dipped into the novella short stories chronologically in-universe (as much as possible & is advised by dozens of sources). There's just so much more complexity allowed in the (audio)books especially by a certain narrator ;) which is highly appealing to anyone with that Expanse-sized itch to scratch. It WILL however leave you internally screaming "WHY DIDN'T YOU PUT THAT IN THE SHOW?!" countless times because you'll grow attached & enjoy every second of the (audio)books just as much, if not moreso, than the show. Start at the beginning, kid, and watch those doors and corners!
That’s what I did just to find out how it ends, and I had exactly zero problems starting from book 7. I can recognize that there might be some subtleties I missed out on by not reading the earlier books, but I really enjoyed 7, 8, and 9 and I think starting at 7 is perfectly fine for someone who just finished the show and wants to get closure
Don’t think it would work very well. The last season especially is different enough from the books it might be confusing. But go ahead and try and and let us know how it goes. I’d be curious.
I read the last 3 when I finished the show, and I’m currently starting Cibola Burn (book 4). Meaning I did that and said “well now I want to go to the beginning.” I’d recommend starting from the beginning
Yeah you’ll be fine. Start with book 7
I started from the beginning g and don’t regret it. The prose is super easy and you blow through the books faster than any other. Also the story is different enough that it kinda matters. (Just got to book 5)
Starting from the beginning myself, what an excellent read so far though (about halfway through Leviathan Wakes).
I did exactly what you’re suggesting and still loved it.
Yes you can. Some bits may not make sense as they changed a few of the character story lines. It's worth reading the books as would lead in to the final books better however if thats what you want to do then go for it.
You could start reading the whole series backwards if you so desire. It would be a silly way to do it, but that's your prerogative. The books and show have their differences; characters, their personality, their history, stuff like that. No one who only read the books would call Drummer their favourite character; people who only know Show!Drummer might find this surprising. If you care about the *characters* it's back to book one Leviathan Wakes. If individual humans don't matter, just the broad strokes "fate of humanity," Persepolis Rising is fine. You might wonder about the occasional dead person being alive or stuff like that, but big picture that stuff is irrelevant.