Getting Expansive

I’m off doing karate things all weekend, so I thought I’d leave you with some entertainment.

Here’s one of the trailers for The Expanse, the new Syfy series based on the books by James S.A. Corey.  (Disclosure: Jimmy Corey’s a pal of mine.)

I was in Santa Fe last week for the premiere of the first two episodes, which I saw in an actual theater, with popcorn and free booze and TV stars and GRRM and all the goodies you get with a premiere.  And the experience was a double helping of Complete Awesome.  The Expanse is the science fiction series that I, and probably you, have long been waiting for.

For one thing, this series doesn’t condescend to its viewers.  When characters speak in Belter patois, there’s no translator hovering by, there aren’t even subtitles, you just have to go with the scene, and either you get it or you don’t.  You get the political background or you don’t.  You get how the space ships work or you don’t.  The story just happens, it doesn’t stop to give infodumps to the viewers who can’t keep up.  Experienced SF readers should have no problem with any of this.

The first episode premieres on Syfy on Monday night, but you don’t have to wait: Episode One is widely available for streaming online.  Just make sure you see it in HD, and set it to fill the screen, because the future created in this series is amazing.  Just check out the skyline of that future Manhattan.

So go forth and watch that sucker.  My guess is that you won’t be disappointed.