8 science fiction book series to read if you love Dune
By Daniel Roman
The Expanse by James S.A. Corey
The Expanse is a series which needs no introduction; it's one of the most influential science fiction series of recent years. Written by Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey, The Expanse dials down the interstellar antics to tell a focused political drama set within our own solar system (at least at first). If you enjoy power plays, schemes and unraveling mysteries in sci-fi universes, The Expanse is a series which needs to be on your TBR list.
The book series is told across nine novels, as well as a companion short story collection which fills in some of the gaps. Beginning with Leviathan Wakes, we're introduced to idealistic ex-military officer James Holden and washed up detective Josephus Miller, two men who begin unraveling a system-wide conspiracy from different angles and eventually cross paths. From there the story only gets twistier, as an alien substance is fought over by different factions seeking to gain the upper hand as humanity heads into a new era of space exploration.
Each novel in The Expanse introduces new viewpoint characters, and many of the books function as standalone stories which connect into a broader saga. The style is reminiscent of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, except with a science fiction setting and laser focus that lasts right through to the final novel, Leviathan Falls. The Expanse truly is a modern sci-fi classic; I expect that in 20 or 30 years, genre fans will refer back to this series in a similar way that they do now to Dune.
Beyond the books, there's also a fantastic television show adaptation of The Expanse, as well as video games and comic books. The show adapts the first six books of the series, ending at a key point that leaves the door wide open for a revival down the line. So there's quite a lot of Expanse to immerse yourself in should you choose to give the series a shot.
And beyond all of that, James S.A. Corey is also kicking off a brand new science fiction series this year with The Mercy of Gods. Corey fans are eating well, and you could be too.