Grimdark Fantasy discussion

All, I am probably breaking some rule since I am going rogue and bringing SCI FI into the GD group, but I don't want to join another group. I was curious what you all think of of doing a side read or The Expanse Series? Leviathan Wakes is currently on Scy Fy and is actually damn good. The book itself is even better. I have been meaning to go and re-read the first 3 and and then read books 4 and 5. I was curious if anyone else wanted to jump into the series with me?

My reading style is to read about 3-4 books at a time of diffeernt series and genres.

The Expanse has some good Sci Fi. The first book is like a Detective Noir with Sci Fi flavoring in it. The following books go back to a more traditional sci fi setting. Loved all the books I have read so far. I need to get back to reading this series soon and wrap it up.

Count me in. I've been bingereading this series for two weeks, and now in Book 4.

Love all the actions, the crew, the plot, the politics, almost everything. It reminds me so much of Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, so maybe that's why I love it so much. The fact that it is easy to read and full with funny banters get me losing my sleep.

I read the first book a while back and found it very Grimdark. I really want to check out the television show. This whole maintaining a job for 50 hours a week really impacts what I WANT to do.

Another one that I've heard great things about, but I won't start because it's an unfinished series.

Well, they're in book 5 now and book 6 is coming this year. The author(s) are consistent with yearly publication.

I love authors that can keep to a yearly publication. Martin and Jordan were horrible about this.

Brittany wrote: "I try to be lenient with release dates, as they say you can't rush greatness, but I'm currently waiting over a year and a half for a few so they better be good!"

+1

Brittany wrote: "I try to be lenient with release dates, as they say you can't rush greatness, but I'm currently waiting over a year and a half for a few so they better be good!"
A year to a year and half I have no problem with. When you go 3-5 years between books then I have issues with it! :)

Has anyone been watching the TV series? I really enjoyed the first season - mostly great casting, with a few exceptions. I especially like Thomas Jane as Miller and the guy they chose to play Amos, but the guy playing Holden is a bit too Zoolanderish for me, and although I love the actor in his other roles on shows like The Wire and The Walking Dead, I'm not sure the guy playing Fred Johnson is exactly right for the part.

As far as the books, I listened to the first two as audiobooks and really liked them, but the third one isn't doing much for me so far.

I've only watched the tv series. Absolutely loved it! I'm planning to read the books sometime. Hopefully before S2 starts.

Hi everyone. I have read the first two books and watched the first season. I'm up for any discussion you might want. I personally was happy that the detective noir thing ended after book one. It seems to be the basis of way too many sci-fi books.

I think you guys will like the actress they cast for Bobbie. Looks exactly like her description in the book. Corey said she looked intimidating AF in her battle armor.

Silvana wrote: "I think you guys will like the actress they cast for Bobbie. Looks exactly like her description in the book. Corey said she looked intimidating AF in her battle armor."

Yeah I remember there being concern in some forums that they wouldn't actually cast a Pacific Islander, but it looks like they did. Looking forward to her appearance in the show.

Pat wrote: "but the guy playing Holden is a bit too Zoolanderish for me, and although I love the actor in his other roles on shows like The Wire and The Walking Dead, I'm not sure the guy playing Fred Johnson ..."

I think I envisioned Fred as 1. older and 2. more of a stiff, emotionless military type. My perception of that actor is somewhat tainted by by memories of him in other roles where he was much more emotionally complex than I picture Fred being.

I finished reading book 6 last week, kind of a slow binge for the last several months kickstarted by the TV series coming out. Definitely one of the best sci-fi out there right now (or in general), and coming out reasonably fast (so far) which is not a small detail.

Because of the TV show it is now impossible for me to picture Miller and Holden as anyone else. I guess that means they did a good job on that.

Not going to rehash my reviews, you can go read them if you're really curious. :)

The Expanse series is good for binging, reading or watching.

I am sad we only have three more books. But I guess the TV series will last longer. So glad the the authors are active in the writers team as well. They even made sure the rotation of Nauvoo to be in the correct direction!

I haven't read the books (yet), but I am completely obsessed with the tv series!

I am going to start the third book next month. Gotta keep ahead! Actually almost none of the actors matched the picture in my head but especially Holden. It's not just the way he looks - it's the whole way he acts the part.

Is anyone else totally hung up on the accents in the show? Game of Thrones has some inconsistency in accents (compared to where they are supposed to be from) but Expanse is WAY worse. It's like they told the actors they could just keep their native accent and gave no thought to that these people are supposed to be from specific areas. It's drives me totally crazy. Oh this person is a Belter and so is that person, but one has an English accent and the other an American, and this other one is doing a fake accent.

The accents don't bother me too much, but that's probably because I live in the UK where accents vary so much!

The variety of accents did bother me a bit. You have Miller, Naomi, and Amos - all Belters, but Miller and Amos have ordinary American accents and Naomi has a British accent. None of the three speak in Belter patois. I can understand for practical reasons why you would need your main characters to speak in a way that viewers can understand though - I'd never get through an episode if everyone was speaking Belter. I guess I just chalk it up to natural variation; I'm from New Jersey, where many people do sound like The Sopranos, but most sound like what I guess you'd call "normal" Americans.

I live in California, where you constantly hear different accents and languages. I still maintain that it bugs that crap out of me...and that I'm probably being irrational.

I like some novels. It depends on how it is done.

The accent is fine, and I like the Belter patois. even starting using some phrases with friends who also watch the show, kinda like our secret language.

I have read the first three novels and have watched the first two seasons of the SyFy series. It is a series that could be called Grimdark Science Fiction, so I'd agree that it is a good alternate to the novels examined in this group. I will continue to read and watch.