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The Expanse
Memory's Legion
For the first time, all of the short fiction set in James S. A. Corey’s New York Times bestselling Expanse series is available in this collection* — includes a brand new novella. Now a major television series.
Contents:
Drive (2012)
The Butcher of Anderson Station (2011)
The Churn (2014)
Gods of Risk (2012)
The Vital Abyss (2015)
Strange Dogs (2017)
Auberon (2019)
The Sins of our Fathers (2022)
*does not include The Last Flight of the Cassandra
Contents:
Drive (2012)
The Butcher of Anderson Station (2011)
The Churn (2014)
Gods of Risk (2012)
The Vital Abyss (2015)
Strange Dogs (2017)
Auberon (2019)
The Sins of our Fathers (2022)
*does not include The Last Flight of the Cassandra
423 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
May 29, 2024
The Expanse - short stories: Whilst writing the nine book The Expanse series the immensely creative duo of writers that make-up James S.A. Corey managed to churn out these eight short stories / novellas all deeply embedded in The Expanse reality, covering 'back stories', 'what happened next' stories and 'in more detail' stories, all but one featuring supporting characters from the main series. I feel that most short story collections in book serials are just commercially minded space fillers, but yet again this creative team tops their peers with this great collection of shorts each with an afterword about the story's conception. This series / franchise should help to evolve sci-fi serial writing forever more. Overall an 8 out of 12 Four star read.
2024 read
2024 read
March 22, 2022
This collection is somewhat uneven but there are some really great stories. If you're loving The Expanse they're all good to read, but some still standout above the rest. I'll also give my opinion of when they should be read to best fit thematically with the novels.
All of the following is as spoiler free as possible:
Drive: 3/5 - Can really be read at any point but I would wait until after the first novel at least.
The Butcher of Anderson Station (2011): 3.5/5 - Good backstory for Fred Johnson. Should be read between books 1 & 2.
Gods of Risk (2012): 3/5 - Okay side story for Bobbie. Should be read between books 2 & 3.
The Churn (2014): 5/5 - Fantastic back story. My favorite of the bunch. Should be read between books 4 & 5.
The next two novellas I think should all be read between books 6 & 7.
The Vital Abyss (2015): 5/5 - Really creepy story about a scientist who features in books 7-9.
Strange Dogs (2017): 4/5 - Protomolecule doing protomolecule things on Laconia.
Next is Auberon which should be read after book 7.
Auberon (2019): 3/5 - Takes place concurrently with parts of book 7. Okay side story but seems a bit predictable and filler.
The last published novella should be read after book 9.
The Sins of Our Father (2022): 5/5 - This acts as a nice coda to the series. It give a perspective on the fallout of book 9 and addresses perhaps the largest loose end of the series.
Update 1: Updating place/description for Auberon, thanks Andrew!
Update 2: I have now read The Sins of Our Fathers and included a mini-review and timeline placement.
August 2, 2022
Memory’s Legion is a short story collection set in the Expanse universe. I happened upon it in our library’s new release section and, of course, I had to read it! It is a nice companion to the main series of nine books, giving readers a look at places the novels didn’t get into, and sharing the perspectives of both beloved main characters and some interesting side characters. Attached to each short story is a short author’s note, explaining their intentions for each story.
I think the short story that stood out to me the most was “The Churn.” It basically is Amos Burton’s origin story, of how he came to be a mechanic on the Rocinante. For readers, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Amos has a really messed up past, growing up in the seedy criminal underworld of future Baltimore.
"The Churn" explains a bunch about how his unique psychology came to be, while touching on a time of his life where he had to survive both the criminal syndicate gunning for him and a massive anti-crime operation by the authorities (known colloquially as a “churn”).
In terms of character exposition, “The Vital Abyss” also is well done, but made my stomach churn, as it profiles the amoral Dr. Cortazar. I’m guessing Dr. Cortazar must have been modeled on some Nazi scientist. Upon signing up to work for the infamous Protogen corporation (read the books), he undergoes a brain procedure that seems to take away one’s conscience, in favor of elevating logic above all else.
The whole story made me shudder and squirm in my skin. But it does do a good job of mapping how Cortazar gets his start and ends up attending to the Laconian emperor himself (very much Frankenstein vibes) and a unique development in the epilogue of the last book. (No spoilers!)
While “The Churn” and “The Vital Abyss” were very striking character explorations, in terms of understanding the wider story universe, I found “Drive” to be the most helpful. Of course, it’s another story that made me cry quite a bit. “Drive” explains Solomon Epstein’s quest to create the critical Epstein drive.
The Epstein drive goes on to power humanity’s exodus into the furthest reaches of the solar system and beyond. I think like a lot of inventors, Epstein had a higher risk tolerance and focused on the big picture. To him, his life was worth sacrificing to make that technological breakthrough for humanity. (I went through a lot of tissues during this story, I’m not gonna lie. I want to know what happened to the family he left behind after his fateful test-run.)
If you liked the Expanse novels, you should like this illuminating short story collection.
Happy reading!
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
I think the short story that stood out to me the most was “The Churn.” It basically is Amos Burton’s origin story, of how he came to be a mechanic on the Rocinante. For readers, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Amos has a really messed up past, growing up in the seedy criminal underworld of future Baltimore.
"The Churn" explains a bunch about how his unique psychology came to be, while touching on a time of his life where he had to survive both the criminal syndicate gunning for him and a massive anti-crime operation by the authorities (known colloquially as a “churn”).
In terms of character exposition, “The Vital Abyss” also is well done, but made my stomach churn, as it profiles the amoral Dr. Cortazar. I’m guessing Dr. Cortazar must have been modeled on some Nazi scientist. Upon signing up to work for the infamous Protogen corporation (read the books), he undergoes a brain procedure that seems to take away one’s conscience, in favor of elevating logic above all else.
The whole story made me shudder and squirm in my skin. But it does do a good job of mapping how Cortazar gets his start and ends up attending to the Laconian emperor himself (very much Frankenstein vibes) and a unique development in the epilogue of the last book. (No spoilers!)
While “The Churn” and “The Vital Abyss” were very striking character explorations, in terms of understanding the wider story universe, I found “Drive” to be the most helpful. Of course, it’s another story that made me cry quite a bit. “Drive” explains Solomon Epstein’s quest to create the critical Epstein drive.
The Epstein drive goes on to power humanity’s exodus into the furthest reaches of the solar system and beyond. I think like a lot of inventors, Epstein had a higher risk tolerance and focused on the big picture. To him, his life was worth sacrificing to make that technological breakthrough for humanity. (I went through a lot of tissues during this story, I’m not gonna lie. I want to know what happened to the family he left behind after his fateful test-run.)
If you liked the Expanse novels, you should like this illuminating short story collection.
Happy reading!
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
May 4, 2022
3.5 Stars
I don't tend to read a lot of science fiction short stories but as a huge fan of the Expanse series, I had to check out this collection.
It was enjoyable to be back in this future, but I found most of the stories to be underwhelming. My biggest complaint is that the stories were so isolated that they didn't contribute to the larger story. The narrative choices were just so often boring. Even the Butcher of Anderson Station was told in such a passive way that it lacked tension or emotional power.
Yet there were still a few stories that I really enjoyed. My two favourites were…
Drive
Strange Dogs
I don't tend to read a lot of science fiction short stories but as a huge fan of the Expanse series, I had to check out this collection.
It was enjoyable to be back in this future, but I found most of the stories to be underwhelming. My biggest complaint is that the stories were so isolated that they didn't contribute to the larger story. The narrative choices were just so often boring. Even the Butcher of Anderson Station was told in such a passive way that it lacked tension or emotional power.
Yet there were still a few stories that I really enjoyed. My two favourites were…
Drive
Strange Dogs
March 22, 2022
Memory's Legion is a nice collection of stories that have great relevance in The Expanse world. I like how they did not only relate to what was going on in the actual series, but these tied up nicely with other events that were mentioned in passing within the books (i.e., the reference of Nova Catalunya in book 6 for example which makes a re-appearance here and I will never not bring it up if given the opportunity).
I found Drive, The Butcher of Anderson Station, and The Vital Abyss to be sort of like must-reads to understand The Expanse. Not only where the Epstein Drive came from (a story that I find as sad as I also find funny?) but what's behind Cortazar and Fred. I do not mind about these two characters one bit (and honestly, I would not give Pablo Cortazar the time of the day if he asked), but it's interesting to see what their origins were like and how they shaped their decisions after all.
Gods of Risk was one of my least favorites but also my favorite. The story? Not my thing. It's a story of transformations and people (and Mars) changing gears, which I get and I love. But I just didn't really care about the story we were following and the only reason why I put up with it was - yes - Bobbie. The adaptation in the TV show was also not my favorite and I liked the novella better: seeing Bobbie's father but also Bobbie being a badass auntie made me cry. I'm just lame and I miss her. I love her quote "You're a tough guy, but I'm a nightmare wrapped in the apocalypse."
The Churn is the one story I should have read without getting any sort of spoiler or insight. Sadly, I knew who Timmy was from the get-go because of Tiamat's Wrath. This is 100% on me for ignoring the novellas, I shouldn't have. I won't go into details because there's nine thousand reviews about this one and it is, afaik, a fan favorite, but I am glad the authors added that note saying Timmy's relationship with Lydia made them uncomfortable (as much as it was 'necessary' or part of their normality) because I legit cringed at it. It was not what I expected.
Strange Dogs and Auberon follow the rise of Laconia. I'd say Strange Dogs should've been included in the books to actually understand what happened to one of the characters (and who Cara and Xan are, while we are at it). I know I was hella confused when *that* happened in TImata's Wrath and I wish I had read the novella before reading it. That being said, I did not care for the stories. I found Cara annoying and Auberon was seriously not my cup of tea - but isn't it nice that they mention Nova Catalunya again? Bless the authors, seriously.
Aaaaand The Sins of our Fathers. Wow. Just wow. Not only Filipito is back but we have Anna's daughter? Like I squealed like a fangirl when I read her name. It has to be such a random thing that Filip ended up being on the same planet where Anna died. I feel I will be thinking of this story a lot. Nami is all grown up and haunted by being the daughter of 'Saint Anna' and then we have Filip secretly carrying Marco's ghost. It was just cool to see how the memories or legacy of the parents influenced their decisions - and that ending. Just wow. If I was not a sucker for Bobbie, I would crown this one as my favorite in a heartbeat.
And this marks the end of my journey with the Expanse. Me is sad.
I found Drive, The Butcher of Anderson Station, and The Vital Abyss to be sort of like must-reads to understand The Expanse. Not only where the Epstein Drive came from (a story that I find as sad as I also find funny?) but what's behind Cortazar and Fred. I do not mind about these two characters one bit (and honestly, I would not give Pablo Cortazar the time of the day if he asked), but it's interesting to see what their origins were like and how they shaped their decisions after all.
Gods of Risk was one of my least favorites but also my favorite. The story? Not my thing. It's a story of transformations and people (and Mars) changing gears, which I get and I love. But I just didn't really care about the story we were following and the only reason why I put up with it was - yes - Bobbie. The adaptation in the TV show was also not my favorite and I liked the novella better: seeing Bobbie's father but also Bobbie being a badass auntie made me cry. I'm just lame and I miss her. I love her quote "You're a tough guy, but I'm a nightmare wrapped in the apocalypse."
The Churn is the one story I should have read without getting any sort of spoiler or insight. Sadly, I knew who Timmy was from the get-go because of Tiamat's Wrath. This is 100% on me for ignoring the novellas, I shouldn't have. I won't go into details because there's nine thousand reviews about this one and it is, afaik, a fan favorite, but I am glad the authors added that note saying Timmy's relationship with Lydia made them uncomfortable (as much as it was 'necessary' or part of their normality) because I legit cringed at it. It was not what I expected.
Strange Dogs and Auberon follow the rise of Laconia. I'd say Strange Dogs should've been included in the books to actually understand what happened to one of the characters (and who Cara and Xan are, while we are at it). I know I was hella confused when *that* happened in TImata's Wrath and I wish I had read the novella before reading it. That being said, I did not care for the stories. I found Cara annoying and Auberon was seriously not my cup of tea - but isn't it nice that they mention Nova Catalunya again? Bless the authors, seriously.
Aaaaand The Sins of our Fathers. Wow. Just wow. Not only Filipito is back but we have Anna's daughter? Like I squealed like a fangirl when I read her name. It has to be such a random thing that Filip ended up being on the same planet where Anna died. I feel I will be thinking of this story a lot. Nami is all grown up and haunted by being the daughter of 'Saint Anna' and then we have Filip secretly carrying Marco's ghost. It was just cool to see how the memories or legacy of the parents influenced their decisions - and that ending. Just wow. If I was not a sucker for Bobbie, I would crown this one as my favorite in a heartbeat.
And this marks the end of my journey with the Expanse. Me is sad.
August 1, 2022
Nice collection of the Expanse short fiction. If you are a completest then you will appreciate this all in one book. The endcap story for the series was a kind of a let down as it really gave you nothing new and awe inspiring but did close the loop for one of the characters. Recommended
March 27, 2023
Check out my full series, spoiler-free, video review HERE.
Collection of short stories that fit between the books. Some great, some are just okay. My favorites are; The Churn, Drive, Butcher of Anderson Station, The Sins of Our Fathers.
Collection of short stories that fit between the books. Some great, some are just okay. My favorites are; The Churn, Drive, Butcher of Anderson Station, The Sins of Our Fathers.
January 31, 2024
Definitely a bit hit or miss with these, but I'm glad I read them all. Each one has something to add to the Expanse-verse, and it's nice to get some back story to a few secondary characters. The Butcher of Anderson Station was definitely the most compelling.
May 18, 2022
Pretty neat.
December 24, 2022
2022-04-13 Finished this last night, just a couple weeks or so after finishing the final (#9) Expanse series book, "Leviathan Falls." This book is a collection of all the novellas that the authors wrote to go deeper into various characters &/or places in the Expanse series books, and some nods to the TV series' too. I judge it an excellent addition to the series of books.
I had only read one of these earlier - "Strange Dogs," probably since I was always struggling to keep up with all the novels, that reading these "extra" stories just seemed too much, at the time.
Really liked most all the stories collected in this book, and think they gave some fascinating extra background on a few of the key characters who were not treated thoroughly enough in the main books.
So if you would like to read some cool stories about the following, this book is for you:
- The Epstein Drive - "Drive"- who created it and what were the circumstances and implications of it's creation.
- Fred Thompson - "The Butcher of Anderson Station" - good but, the story betted the question, "why did the station inhabitants fight back so foolishly, considering the true situation?"
- Amos/Timmy - "The Churn" - fit the character drawn in the main books and answered the questions that the reporter in the books (Monica?) was not able to find out - what was his background? Some very dark and twisted stuff.
- Cortázar (the mad/amoral scientist) - "The Vital Abyss" - VERY dark.
- Filip - "Sins of Our Fathers" - essential for those who want to know what the heck happened to him after he decided to leave his father and the "Free Navy" crew. Fascinating. Somewhat believable. Very interesting ending. Ties right in to an important detective Miller moment in one of the early books.
- The planet - Auberon - why it was important and what happened to it when the Laconians took over. Someone from an earlier book comes back, but it was not easy to figure out who.
One of the cool things about this book was the little authors' comments after each novella/chapter. They added some neat insights on why they wrote it, or something quirky about it, or other fun stuff.
Guess you can tell I liked it.
So this means there are really 10 books in the series - 9 plus this collection of the novellas.
Long series, but I loved it. Don't think I ever read any series this long before.
BTW, I recommend the TV series' too - there are 6 seasons. I watched the first 4 about 4x (or more) each. The last two I have only seen about 2x each. Some differences with the books, but the spirit is quite true to the books.
If you actually read this whole review, you might possibly like to see my notes while reading the book, so here they are: https://www.goodreads.com/notes/58396...
2022-12-24 Upon rereading my review above, one downside of this book's novellas comes to me - the darkness of these novellas is significantly greater than the more optimistic and positive nature of the books/TV series'. Also the libertarian themes/insights in the books, in particular the emphasis on only defensive force being justifiable, seems to be greatly downplayed or even totally missing from these novellas. That is sad to me.
Not sure of the permissions. So if you have any issues, just send me a message and I will see what I can do.
I had only read one of these earlier - "Strange Dogs," probably since I was always struggling to keep up with all the novels, that reading these "extra" stories just seemed too much, at the time.
Really liked most all the stories collected in this book, and think they gave some fascinating extra background on a few of the key characters who were not treated thoroughly enough in the main books.
So if you would like to read some cool stories about the following, this book is for you:
- The Epstein Drive - "Drive"- who created it and what were the circumstances and implications of it's creation.
- Fred Thompson - "The Butcher of Anderson Station" - good but, the story betted the question, "why did the station inhabitants fight back so foolishly, considering the true situation?"
- Amos/Timmy - "The Churn" - fit the character drawn in the main books and answered the questions that the reporter in the books (Monica?) was not able to find out - what was his background? Some very dark and twisted stuff.
- Cortázar (the mad/amoral scientist) - "The Vital Abyss" - VERY dark.
- Filip - "Sins of Our Fathers" - essential for those who want to know what the heck happened to him after he decided to leave his father and the "Free Navy" crew. Fascinating. Somewhat believable. Very interesting ending. Ties right in to an important detective Miller moment in one of the early books.
- The planet - Auberon - why it was important and what happened to it when the Laconians took over. Someone from an earlier book comes back, but it was not easy to figure out who.
One of the cool things about this book was the little authors' comments after each novella/chapter. They added some neat insights on why they wrote it, or something quirky about it, or other fun stuff.
Guess you can tell I liked it.
So this means there are really 10 books in the series - 9 plus this collection of the novellas.
Long series, but I loved it. Don't think I ever read any series this long before.
BTW, I recommend the TV series' too - there are 6 seasons. I watched the first 4 about 4x (or more) each. The last two I have only seen about 2x each. Some differences with the books, but the spirit is quite true to the books.
If you actually read this whole review, you might possibly like to see my notes while reading the book, so here they are: https://www.goodreads.com/notes/58396...
2022-12-24 Upon rereading my review above, one downside of this book's novellas comes to me - the darkness of these novellas is significantly greater than the more optimistic and positive nature of the books/TV series'. Also the libertarian themes/insights in the books, in particular the emphasis on only defensive force being justifiable, seems to be greatly downplayed or even totally missing from these novellas. That is sad to me.
Not sure of the permissions. So if you have any issues, just send me a message and I will see what I can do.
March 13, 2018
[Using this as placeholder for entire series]
June 1, 2022
A nice collection of bridge-stories and out-takes from the series. If you know and like the series, you will want to read these too. Most of them were new to me. You can find good reviews of many of the individual stories elsewhere in this GR section. I particularly liked Queralt's review, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'd be surprised at this point if many potential readers of these stories haven't already read most or all of the novels. The author's afterwords to each story are a nice addition. I particularly liked the coda for the last story: "We're spending our whole lives together, so we need to be really gentle."
Enjoy!
I'd be surprised at this point if many potential readers of these stories haven't already read most or all of the novels. The author's afterwords to each story are a nice addition. I particularly liked the coda for the last story: "We're spending our whole lives together, so we need to be really gentle."
Enjoy!
May 21, 2022
Reading this hardbound edition of all the short stories/novellas set in the Expanse universe makes me feel like binge-reading the nine main volumes just to get a better sense of how these stories fit in. The authors' notes after each story help, but since I read the main volumes over a 10–11-year period as they came out, a lot of details are easy to forget, and some characters are forgotten. But overall, it's a fascinating read and for me it was a satisfying end to the Expanse series. Even so, I wouldn't mind at all if the authors would write a few more novels about what happens on some of the worlds that become disconnected after the events in the 9th book, "Leviathan Falls".
July 25, 2022
Kai skaičiau patį ciklą, ignoravau tuos apsakymus, kurie buvo publikuojami į tarpus tarp eilinių tomelių. Bet va, pakliuvo rinkinys, kur jie sudėti krūvon, tai ir čiupau.
Kaip visuomet būna su apsakymų rinkiniais, taip ir čia – ne visi vienodo stiprumo, bet atvirai silpnų nėra. Užtat galima susipažinti su tuo, kas cikle liko už kadro, arba apie ką buvo užsimenama tik puse lūpų.
Jei kas nečiupinėjot ciklo – šiukštu nesirinkit susipažinimui šito rinkinuko. Susispoilinsit sau nemažai. O kas čiupinėjo, bet, kaip ir aš, ignoravo apsakymus – tam ši knyga proga trumpam vėl pasinerti į „The Expanse“ visatą.
Ne pats tvirčiausias ketvertas iš penkių.
Kaip visuomet būna su apsakymų rinkiniais, taip ir čia – ne visi vienodo stiprumo, bet atvirai silpnų nėra. Užtat galima susipažinti su tuo, kas cikle liko už kadro, arba apie ką buvo užsimenama tik puse lūpų.
Jei kas nečiupinėjot ciklo – šiukštu nesirinkit susipažinimui šito rinkinuko. Susispoilinsit sau nemažai. O kas čiupinėjo, bet, kaip ir aš, ignoravo apsakymus – tam ši knyga proga trumpam vėl pasinerti į „The Expanse“ visatą.
Ne pats tvirčiausias ketvertas iš penkių.
April 23, 2022
Why would I ever not want to be immersed in the universe of the Expanse? Obviously the thing to do now is another series reread so I can fit these stories in the spaces they're meant to fill between books. Highlights include Cortázar's chilling-as-hell backstory (they're right too, A Necessary Abyss is really the better title) and the follow up on certain people's children.
"'Well, it took eighteen hours,' she said after a long pause, 'but we lost him. You are now officially a murderer. What? Is that funny?'
'I don't mean to laugh,' he said. 'There's some context that makes that . . . I didn't mean to laugh.'"
I'm sorry, I gave sort of a horrified laugh at that too. Context!
"'Well, it took eighteen hours,' she said after a long pause, 'but we lost him. You are now officially a murderer. What? Is that funny?'
'I don't mean to laugh,' he said. 'There's some context that makes that . . . I didn't mean to laugh.'"
I'm sorry, I gave sort of a horrified laugh at that too. Context!
January 27, 2024
SECOND UPDATE: Having recently finished Persepolis Rising, I returned here mainly for "Auberon," which is another Empire-based story that takes place some time after Persepolis. And it was really good - Corey has always done a great job making even his villains well-rounded, morally-conflicted and even sympathetic characters, and he does so again here. He also links in other minor characters from a range of previous material - Singh, Cortazar, Overstreet, even a lovely surprise return from "The Churn" - so that when I was done with this story, I went back and reread a few of the others, particularly "Strange Dogs" (which I didn't remember being set on Laconia, and which includes some vital background on Singh and Duarte) and "The Vital Abyss" (Cortazar and Michio Pa), just to see how well-crafted all these stories are in pulling together bits and pieces from other stories and books.
Probably my biggest personal problem is that I've stretched out reading The Expanse for well over a decade - first read Leviathan Wakes way back in 2011 - so I've either forgotten some of the characters and their backstories, or get them confused with their often-different TV versions. However, reading or rereading these stories (and checking The Expanse's character wiki pages) has helped pull it all together. There's still one more story here - "The Sins of Our Fathers" - but I think I have to finish the last two doorstop novels first; so will be a while before I can actually move this book from my "will-get-back-to" list to just "read" :)
Anyway...in light of this latest story - and a heightened appreciation of The Expanse's "bigger picture," am upping to 4 stars.
FIRST UPDATE: Just finished Babylon's Ashes and the final season of Amazon's excellent "The Expanse," so revisited this to read two more stories that bookend Ashes - "The Vital Abyss" and "Strange Dogs."
- "Abyss" (set before Ashes) gets off to a slow, "Squid Games" kinda start, and then spends too long in a fairly boring character backstory. But it picks up (and becomes almost a prequel to the original Leviathan Wakes) when it finally discusses the early days of the protomolecule's discovery and misuses.
- "Strange Dogs" turned out to be the slightly "huh??" pre-credits story that kicks off every episode of Amazon's Season 6 - so not a bad story at all, but if you've seen the show there's really no reason to read this story, because they are frickin' identical.
So overall - still holding steady at a solid 3 stars.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Getting ready to read Nemesis Games and then watch Season 5, but thought I should read at least those stories here that lead up to Nemesis. Turns out three of the stories - "Drive," "Butcher of Anderson Station" and "The Churn" take place even before the events of Leviathan Wakes (although for some reason "Churn" is the fourth story in the book), while "Gods of Risk" takes place between Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate.
Also turns out that at least the gist of the events in "Drive" and "Butcher" were included as flashbacks in Seasons 1 and 2, and all of "Gods" became at least a part of Bobbie's story back on Mars throughout Season 4. And now that I know Amos goes back to Baltimore in Season 5, I'm curious whether they incorporate part of his "Churn" background here.
"The Churn" was definitely the best of the stories here, and well worth listening to separately as an audiobook (which I had done previously). Now that I'm caught up, I'll probably revisit the remaining stories at the right time as I read through the next couple of books.
Probably my biggest personal problem is that I've stretched out reading The Expanse for well over a decade - first read Leviathan Wakes way back in 2011 - so I've either forgotten some of the characters and their backstories, or get them confused with their often-different TV versions. However, reading or rereading these stories (and checking The Expanse's character wiki pages) has helped pull it all together. There's still one more story here - "The Sins of Our Fathers" - but I think I have to finish the last two doorstop novels first; so will be a while before I can actually move this book from my "will-get-back-to" list to just "read" :)
Anyway...in light of this latest story - and a heightened appreciation of The Expanse's "bigger picture," am upping to 4 stars.
FIRST UPDATE: Just finished Babylon's Ashes and the final season of Amazon's excellent "The Expanse," so revisited this to read two more stories that bookend Ashes - "The Vital Abyss" and "Strange Dogs."
- "Abyss" (set before Ashes) gets off to a slow, "Squid Games" kinda start, and then spends too long in a fairly boring character backstory. But it picks up (and becomes almost a prequel to the original Leviathan Wakes) when it finally discusses the early days of the protomolecule's discovery and misuses.
- "Strange Dogs" turned out to be the slightly "huh??" pre-credits story that kicks off every episode of Amazon's Season 6 - so not a bad story at all, but if you've seen the show there's really no reason to read this story, because they are frickin' identical.
So overall - still holding steady at a solid 3 stars.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Getting ready to read Nemesis Games and then watch Season 5, but thought I should read at least those stories here that lead up to Nemesis. Turns out three of the stories - "Drive," "Butcher of Anderson Station" and "The Churn" take place even before the events of Leviathan Wakes (although for some reason "Churn" is the fourth story in the book), while "Gods of Risk" takes place between Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate.
Also turns out that at least the gist of the events in "Drive" and "Butcher" were included as flashbacks in Seasons 1 and 2, and all of "Gods" became at least a part of Bobbie's story back on Mars throughout Season 4. And now that I know Amos goes back to Baltimore in Season 5, I'm curious whether they incorporate part of his "Churn" background here.
"The Churn" was definitely the best of the stories here, and well worth listening to separately as an audiobook (which I had done previously). Now that I'm caught up, I'll probably revisit the remaining stories at the right time as I read through the next couple of books.
December 19, 2022
I am glad I opted to wait to read these novellas until they were bundled together. It was nice to immediately move on to next story after finishing one. I appreciated how these stories enriched and expanded (pun intended) the Expanse universe, filling out blank spaces and expanding upon existing characters' histories without stepping on the toes of the mainline series. Well worth reading for any fans of the Expanse.
November 30, 2022
3.5 stars
October 18, 2022
Memory's Legion is a collection of short stories and novellas that authors James S.A. Corey wrote in The Expanse universe while the completed the novels. Currently, I am finished up to book 5, Nemesis Games, and so have read the short stories up to that point. I will review each one and then come back and add new reviews as I make my way through the series.
Drive - 5/5
Drive is the earliest material set in The Expanse universe set 150 years before the series. Technically, you could read it before anything else, of course, but the significance of the namesake of the short story would be lost on you until you at least read the first book. This was a nice little story about Solomon Epstein. I enjoyed the story, although be warned that it will pull at the ol' heartstrings. I am always a big fan of flashbacks interwoven with the present at points of relevance. I feel like I'm watching a movie and given what is happening in the story, the flashbacks add a great deal of character growth that has the reader more invested page after page.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Leviathan Wakes (#1)
The Butcher of Anderson Station - 5/5
This tale follows Fred Johnson and gives the background to his nickname that the story is titled after. Fred is a powerful and imposing presence in Leviathan Wakes. Throughout it, it was hard to see why he was called 'The Butcher' as it didn't line up with what I was reading. This story gives tremendous insight into two major changes in his life. Much like Drive, this story has a combination of flashbacks and present day sections interwoven in the tale to hype up the tension. The ending is quite poignant and believable when it comes to how the military and its leaders often view situations with immense blinders.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Leviathan Wakes (#1)
Gods of Risk - 4/5
This story's format breaks away from the last two where it's all told in its present day. No flashbacks this time! Our main character here is sixteen-year-old David Draper, nephew to our dear fan favorite Bobbie Draper. David turns out to be a really annoying character to get inside his head, but perhaps most of us were when we were 16. He's brilliant, and brilliantly naïve as he sacrifices everything for a girl. Come to think of it, sounds on point for someone his age. The little cameos with Bobbie were fun and intriguing since we never see her with her hair down in the series that much. Gods of Risk did have tense moments, but they were few and far between a bunch of teenage angst and ignorance.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Caliban's War (#2)
The Churn - 5/5
This was the one novella I just couldn't wait until this collection came out for and that's because... Amos Burton! Origin Story! The man, the myth, the legend, and my personal favorite from The Expanse series gets a backstory in The Churn.
Throughout The Expanse’s first 3 books, you keep getting glimpses of Amos, the unfeeling brute, having very strong feelings. This is particularly true when it comes to helping those that are helpless, innocent, and young. It’s his intense fury when coming to Mei’s defense and helping Prax in Caliban’s War that is the most jarring and ultimately sealed him as a favorite. “I am that guy.”
The Churn helps fill in a little of that empty void that is Amos’s soul when it comes to helping the helpless. I enjoyed seeing how he came out of Baltimore as a youth and it makes sense why, when his past was brought up in Abaddon’s Gate, he has a sharp, violent response. At first, I thought reading this would make sense after Abaddon's Gate, but it's actually best read before you get to Nemesis Games due to some of what happens in The Churn coming up there.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Cibola Burn (#4)
The Vital Abyss - 3/5
The Vital Abyss is my least favorite and that might be due to it having the most annoying and despicable characters in it. Of course, once you find out who these people are, it all kind of makes sense. The story is told from one POV but, again, it's laced with flashback scenes in between the meat of the story. Those actually helped to make me feel empathy for the main character, but that quickly changes as those get further along. After I finished, I was left longing for more revelation and some sort of a payoff. That never happened.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Nemesis Games (#5)
Strange Dogs - 4.5/5
Strange Dogs is a unique short story set in the Laconia system some time after the events in Babylon's Ashes. This is one of those times where reading the Postscript after the story actually helped me have a greater appreciation for what the author's were trying to do. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl named Cara as she encounters magical things happening on the alien world. Cara's story plays out like a sci-fi horror if you look at it from everyone's perspective except for her own. Her perspective would have you think it's all make-believe fairy tales come to life. The juxtaposition of the two is where the story thrives. I'm curious to find if any of these characters will show up in the main series.
What really got me excited, though, was the amount of weird and creepy things going on here. I'm aching to find out more about this world and system. I have high hopes going into the 30 year time jump after Babylon's Ashes and am excited to see where the series goes. Without much from the protomolecule aside from passing mentions in the last couple books, I anticipate we'll see more of it and it's maker's technologies in the future.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Babylon's Ashes (#6)
Auberon - 4.5/5
The events in this short story take place in between books 7 & 8 so I would actually recommend reading this outside of the publishing order. This is a crime story of sorts that follows one of the new political governors being sent around the universe and follows up on a couple of loose threads. I was delighted to find one of the POV's (of which there are 3) follows an old favorite character we've only seen on the periphery for the most part. His handling of the events here were masterful and in character, while the revelation for the main character at the end, Governor Biryar Rittenaur, was satisfying. I was a bit worried at how dark the ending seemed to be headed towards, but I was very pleased and it helped me make peace with one of the more disturbing arcs in Persepolis Rising.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Persepolis Rising (#7)
The Sins of Our Fathers - 4/5
This brief novella acts as a coda and an end to this wonderful series. Truly, it all seems like one lengthy allegory on the nature of humanity and how much we will never change, even if our surroundings and the technology around us do. There are two characters that were present in the main series in this, one that I was pleasantly surprised by. Overall, the story is a bit underwhelming but the overall narrative and the moral James S.A. Corey conveyed fit in with the grand scope of the entire series. I was hoping for a story about our main characters and where they ended up after the events of Leviathan Falls, but alas, this is not fantasy, The Expanse always had it's foundation in reality and life usually never wraps up the way we want.
Recommended Reading Order - At the end, of course.
Drive - 5/5
Drive is the earliest material set in The Expanse universe set 150 years before the series. Technically, you could read it before anything else, of course, but the significance of the namesake of the short story would be lost on you until you at least read the first book. This was a nice little story about Solomon Epstein. I enjoyed the story, although be warned that it will pull at the ol' heartstrings. I am always a big fan of flashbacks interwoven with the present at points of relevance. I feel like I'm watching a movie and given what is happening in the story, the flashbacks add a great deal of character growth that has the reader more invested page after page.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Leviathan Wakes (#1)
The Butcher of Anderson Station - 5/5
This tale follows Fred Johnson and gives the background to his nickname that the story is titled after. Fred is a powerful and imposing presence in Leviathan Wakes. Throughout it, it was hard to see why he was called 'The Butcher' as it didn't line up with what I was reading. This story gives tremendous insight into two major changes in his life. Much like Drive, this story has a combination of flashbacks and present day sections interwoven in the tale to hype up the tension. The ending is quite poignant and believable when it comes to how the military and its leaders often view situations with immense blinders.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Leviathan Wakes (#1)
Gods of Risk - 4/5
This story's format breaks away from the last two where it's all told in its present day. No flashbacks this time! Our main character here is sixteen-year-old David Draper, nephew to our dear fan favorite Bobbie Draper. David turns out to be a really annoying character to get inside his head, but perhaps most of us were when we were 16. He's brilliant, and brilliantly naïve as he sacrifices everything for a girl. Come to think of it, sounds on point for someone his age. The little cameos with Bobbie were fun and intriguing since we never see her with her hair down in the series that much. Gods of Risk did have tense moments, but they were few and far between a bunch of teenage angst and ignorance.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Caliban's War (#2)
The Churn - 5/5
This was the one novella I just couldn't wait until this collection came out for and that's because... Amos Burton! Origin Story! The man, the myth, the legend, and my personal favorite from The Expanse series gets a backstory in The Churn.
Throughout The Expanse’s first 3 books, you keep getting glimpses of Amos, the unfeeling brute, having very strong feelings. This is particularly true when it comes to helping those that are helpless, innocent, and young. It’s his intense fury when coming to Mei’s defense and helping Prax in Caliban’s War that is the most jarring and ultimately sealed him as a favorite. “I am that guy.”
The Churn helps fill in a little of that empty void that is Amos’s soul when it comes to helping the helpless. I enjoyed seeing how he came out of Baltimore as a youth and it makes sense why, when his past was brought up in Abaddon’s Gate, he has a sharp, violent response. At first, I thought reading this would make sense after Abaddon's Gate, but it's actually best read before you get to Nemesis Games due to some of what happens in The Churn coming up there.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Cibola Burn (#4)
The Vital Abyss - 3/5
The Vital Abyss is my least favorite and that might be due to it having the most annoying and despicable characters in it. Of course, once you find out who these people are, it all kind of makes sense. The story is told from one POV but, again, it's laced with flashback scenes in between the meat of the story. Those actually helped to make me feel empathy for the main character, but that quickly changes as those get further along. After I finished, I was left longing for more revelation and some sort of a payoff. That never happened.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Nemesis Games (#5)
Strange Dogs - 4.5/5
Strange Dogs is a unique short story set in the Laconia system some time after the events in Babylon's Ashes. This is one of those times where reading the Postscript after the story actually helped me have a greater appreciation for what the author's were trying to do. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl named Cara as she encounters magical things happening on the alien world. Cara's story plays out like a sci-fi horror if you look at it from everyone's perspective except for her own. Her perspective would have you think it's all make-believe fairy tales come to life. The juxtaposition of the two is where the story thrives. I'm curious to find if any of these characters will show up in the main series.
What really got me excited, though, was the amount of weird and creepy things going on here. I'm aching to find out more about this world and system. I have high hopes going into the 30 year time jump after Babylon's Ashes and am excited to see where the series goes. Without much from the protomolecule aside from passing mentions in the last couple books, I anticipate we'll see more of it and it's maker's technologies in the future.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Babylon's Ashes (#6)
Auberon - 4.5/5
The events in this short story take place in between books 7 & 8 so I would actually recommend reading this outside of the publishing order. This is a crime story of sorts that follows one of the new political governors being sent around the universe and follows up on a couple of loose threads. I was delighted to find one of the POV's (of which there are 3) follows an old favorite character we've only seen on the periphery for the most part. His handling of the events here were masterful and in character, while the revelation for the main character at the end, Governor Biryar Rittenaur, was satisfying. I was a bit worried at how dark the ending seemed to be headed towards, but I was very pleased and it helped me make peace with one of the more disturbing arcs in Persepolis Rising.
Recommended Reading Order - Best read after Persepolis Rising (#7)
The Sins of Our Fathers - 4/5
This brief novella acts as a coda and an end to this wonderful series. Truly, it all seems like one lengthy allegory on the nature of humanity and how much we will never change, even if our surroundings and the technology around us do. There are two characters that were present in the main series in this, one that I was pleasantly surprised by. Overall, the story is a bit underwhelming but the overall narrative and the moral James S.A. Corey conveyed fit in with the grand scope of the entire series. I was hoping for a story about our main characters and where they ended up after the events of Leviathan Falls, but alas, this is not fantasy, The Expanse always had it's foundation in reality and life usually never wraps up the way we want.
Recommended Reading Order - At the end, of course.
December 20, 2022
This is an essential collection of Expanse-related short stories that answer a few questions about the origins of the fusion drive technology, the origins of our favorite earthling Amos, the seething underground on Mars, the interactions with the Strange Dogs on Laconia, and, maybe most importantly, life after the end of the Ring for Filip. I found all the stories engaging and, of course, loved seeing most of my favorite characters one last time. I would have liked another Naomi story and perhaps something more about Marcos, but I was very satisfied with the entire collection and highly recommend it to all Expanse fans.
March 8, 2023
The rating is for the whole collection. I have read all of them before except Sins of My Father, of course. There were hits and misses. The Churn and Strange Dogs would still be my faves.
As of the Sins of My Father, the novella that made me bought this book at the first place, I am kinda disappointed. It is just not that Expanse-kind exciting. It is good to know what Filip were up to years later but here it is just rather boring. So, if you want a book containing the novellas this is the book but if you are considering to pay a full price to read the latest Expanse story, don't bother and just wait for a discount like I did.
As of the Sins of My Father, the novella that made me bought this book at the first place, I am kinda disappointed. It is just not that Expanse-kind exciting. It is good to know what Filip were up to years later but here it is just rather boring. So, if you want a book containing the novellas this is the book but if you are considering to pay a full price to read the latest Expanse story, don't bother and just wait for a discount like I did.
June 18, 2023
Kurzgeschichten zur Hauptreihe, die sie unglaublich bereichern. Vor allem, wenn man sie in chronologischer Reihenfolge liest.
April 27, 2022
Expanse-fans som dropper denne fordi de ikke er interessert i noveller går virkelig glipp av noe. Denne samlingen gjør en allerede eksepsjonelt god serie enda et hakk bedre og mer gripende. Kommer til å savne Expanse-universet.
April 2, 2022
It's hard to know what star rating to give this book, but as I've given 4* ratings to all the Expanse stories but Sins of Our Fathers (which gets a solid 5* rating), I decided to rate the book as 4*s.
There are author's notes at the end of each short story that brings more insight into them. I appreciated that a lot.
This is a review just for Sins of Our Fathers; I have reviewed the other stories individually already, so you can find my reviews for those if you're curious.
SPOILERS FOR SINS OF OUR FATHERS
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While I understood, intellectually, why Naomi and Filip never met again in The Expanse, j was still crushed by it. I wanted that reunion. I wanted Naomi to meet her son again, I wanted them to have a relationship and for her to know that she saved him.
She didn't get that, and the authors note at the end of the story makes me know, in my heart of hearts, that that was a good decision (still not the one I want, but I understand and even approve of it).
Instead, we get Filip here, 55, 40 years after he broke from his father.
The Expanses' strength has always been its characters, and having them wrestle with the choices they made, and that's no different here. Filip's guilt, anxiety, PTSD of the things he did when his father had him commit genocide when he was 15 years old are all raw and heartwrenching. The affect his father had on him and his psyche is palpable. It was really nice to see where and how he ended up after everything. I laughed aloud when Nami called him a murderer and he was like "sorry, there's some context there."
And the inclusion of Nami, Anna's daughter, was just... /Chefs kiss. I loved having her there. Great decision.
There are author's notes at the end of each short story that brings more insight into them. I appreciated that a lot.
This is a review just for Sins of Our Fathers; I have reviewed the other stories individually already, so you can find my reviews for those if you're curious.
SPOILERS FOR SINS OF OUR FATHERS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
While I understood, intellectually, why Naomi and Filip never met again in The Expanse, j was still crushed by it. I wanted that reunion. I wanted Naomi to meet her son again, I wanted them to have a relationship and for her to know that she saved him.
She didn't get that, and the authors note at the end of the story makes me know, in my heart of hearts, that that was a good decision (still not the one I want, but I understand and even approve of it).
Instead, we get Filip here, 55, 40 years after he broke from his father.
The Expanses' strength has always been its characters, and having them wrestle with the choices they made, and that's no different here. Filip's guilt, anxiety, PTSD of the things he did when his father had him commit genocide when he was 15 years old are all raw and heartwrenching. The affect his father had on him and his psyche is palpable. It was really nice to see where and how he ended up after everything. I laughed aloud when Nami called him a murderer and he was like "sorry, there's some context there."
And the inclusion of Nami, Anna's daughter, was just... /Chefs kiss. I loved having her there. Great decision.
August 22, 2023
Done at last with the whole Expanse series. As with the main books, the stories here are uneven and, on average, fade in quality as time passes, with the final story being the weakest. The best of them were affecting, informative, or both. I’m glad to have read them along with the books in proper chronological order.
So, overall? I try to find a fun and easy trilogy (or so) to read each year, and the Expanse series served, times three plus one. Thanks to the authors for a mostly immersive and enjoyable ride.
So, overall? I try to find a fun and easy trilogy (or so) to read each year, and the Expanse series served, times three plus one. Thanks to the authors for a mostly immersive and enjoyable ride.
January 7, 2024
This is a collection of short stories and novellas set in the Expanse universe. Some of the stories are pretty slight, such as Drive, which explains how the Epstein drive was invented. Other stories are more substantial and compelling, such as The Churn, which provides the backstory of Amos Burton.
Here is a summary of the stories in this collection:
Drive: A story based on how the Epstein Drive was invented which is core to the setup of the Expanse series. Interesting to see a very early Mars and how the relationship with Earth was put in place for the start of the series.
The Butcher of Anderson Station: The story of how Fred Johnson became disillusioned with his military career and was recruited by the OPA. All pretty much from Fred's POV. I think the show did this much better by focusing on the people in the station rather than Fred.
God of Risk: Honestly, this was just meh. This is a simple crime story about Bobbie Draper and her nephew, who gets involved with some dodgy people. The only reason for this story was to show what Bobbie was up to after book two.
The Churn: This is absolutely brilliant. It is set on earth in Baltimore before the Expanse series kicks off. It features the youth of our favourite sociopath, Amos Burton. It is quite long and fairly messed up in places. It is one of the high points of this collection.
The Vital Abyss: We find out how Cortazar ended up with the Laconians after the events of Phoebe. It was a good read, always interesting to read on a POV that is so far removed from a 'normal' person.
Strange Dogs: Of all of these, this is the most necessary one to read as events in the last three books make way more sense. The author's notes at the end really nailed it. To me this was almost a horror story but to someone younger it probably does read more like a rebellion story against old fashioned parents. It is a great story and if you read nothing else, read this before the last three books. It also plays a role in the final season of the TV series.
Auberon: Set on one the new worlds from the POV of the new Laconian governor and his wife, as well as a smaller character of note. It is not strictly necessary, but an interesting read on politics, greed, and what makes a person compromise their values.
The Sins of Our Fathers: This is set after the events of the series on a planet that has now been cut off with only a few people on it. it also features a very prominent character who we've heard nothing about since the end of book six. I didn't care at all what had happened to him but still found the dynamics of the story good.
Here is a summary of the stories in this collection:
Drive: A story based on how the Epstein Drive was invented which is core to the setup of the Expanse series. Interesting to see a very early Mars and how the relationship with Earth was put in place for the start of the series.
The Butcher of Anderson Station: The story of how Fred Johnson became disillusioned with his military career and was recruited by the OPA. All pretty much from Fred's POV. I think the show did this much better by focusing on the people in the station rather than Fred.
God of Risk: Honestly, this was just meh. This is a simple crime story about Bobbie Draper and her nephew, who gets involved with some dodgy people. The only reason for this story was to show what Bobbie was up to after book two.
The Churn: This is absolutely brilliant. It is set on earth in Baltimore before the Expanse series kicks off. It features the youth of our favourite sociopath, Amos Burton. It is quite long and fairly messed up in places. It is one of the high points of this collection.
The Vital Abyss: We find out how Cortazar ended up with the Laconians after the events of Phoebe. It was a good read, always interesting to read on a POV that is so far removed from a 'normal' person.
Strange Dogs: Of all of these, this is the most necessary one to read as events in the last three books make way more sense. The author's notes at the end really nailed it. To me this was almost a horror story but to someone younger it probably does read more like a rebellion story against old fashioned parents. It is a great story and if you read nothing else, read this before the last three books. It also plays a role in the final season of the TV series.
Auberon: Set on one the new worlds from the POV of the new Laconian governor and his wife, as well as a smaller character of note. It is not strictly necessary, but an interesting read on politics, greed, and what makes a person compromise their values.
The Sins of Our Fathers: This is set after the events of the series on a planet that has now been cut off with only a few people on it. it also features a very prominent character who we've heard nothing about since the end of book six. I didn't care at all what had happened to him but still found the dynamics of the story good.
April 16, 2024
This is a short story collection from the Expanse universe. I'm not the biggest fan of such collections, but this one worked pretty well, mostly because all the stories are set in the same 'universe' and we get a look into side stories of characters / events from the main series. It still took me some time to finish this book, not because I didn't like it, but because I wanted to savour these final stories in the Expanse universe. And also because it has been a busy period with less reading time.
I have already commented on most of the stories during my read. Here below my individual score for each story:
- Drive: 4/5
- The Butcher of Anderson Station: 4.5/5
- Gods of Risk: 3/5
- The Churn: 5/5
- The Vital Abyss: 3.5/5
- Strange Dogs: 3.5/5
- Auberon: 4.5/5
- The Sins of Our Fathers: 4.5/5
My favorite story is probably the one that told the backstory of Amos: "The Churn". In general an interesting story with lots of things happening. Another good one, and even a bit linked to Amos his history, is "Auberon". This is actually a crime story involving a known character from Amos his past. Also Laconia is important in this one with a new Laconian governor for Auberon. The interaction between the criminal world and the new governor who wants the set things right, makes for an interesting read.
Other two stories that were good: "The Butcher of Anderson Station" and "The Sins of Our Fathers".
Both stories are linked to known characters; one tells the story of things that have happened and that were already cited in the main series as well. We get the real backbone of the story here. The second one takes place after the end of the gates; also a good addition.
"Drive" was in general a good story in the collection. It isn't directly linked to the main series or known characters. It is an important story however, with the discovery of the Epstein Drive. A fun read.
"The Vital Abyss" and "Strange Dogs" are both linked to Laconia and to characters that we've seen before. These were good stories but were less exciting and dragged a little bit. The first one touches the history of Cortazar. It was an interesting story, a nice addition, but not much more.
The second one takes place directly on Laconia; also a fun read but nothing all too special either.
The story I liked the least was "Gods of Risk", a shame really because it's a story with Bobbie involved. I would have loved a story more centered about Bobbie, but this was not that kind of story. Her involvement is limited; the main character is actually her nephew David Draper. It's not a bad story but I just didn't like it as much as the other stories.
I have already commented on most of the stories during my read. Here below my individual score for each story:
- Drive: 4/5
- The Butcher of Anderson Station: 4.5/5
- Gods of Risk: 3/5
- The Churn: 5/5
- The Vital Abyss: 3.5/5
- Strange Dogs: 3.5/5
- Auberon: 4.5/5
- The Sins of Our Fathers: 4.5/5
My favorite story is probably the one that told the backstory of Amos: "The Churn". In general an interesting story with lots of things happening. Another good one, and even a bit linked to Amos his history, is "Auberon". This is actually a crime story involving a known character from Amos his past. Also Laconia is important in this one with a new Laconian governor for Auberon. The interaction between the criminal world and the new governor who wants the set things right, makes for an interesting read.
Other two stories that were good: "The Butcher of Anderson Station" and "The Sins of Our Fathers".
Both stories are linked to known characters; one tells the story of things that have happened and that were already cited in the main series as well. We get the real backbone of the story here. The second one takes place after the end of the gates; also a good addition.
"Drive" was in general a good story in the collection. It isn't directly linked to the main series or known characters. It is an important story however, with the discovery of the Epstein Drive. A fun read.
"The Vital Abyss" and "Strange Dogs" are both linked to Laconia and to characters that we've seen before. These were good stories but were less exciting and dragged a little bit. The first one touches the history of Cortazar. It was an interesting story, a nice addition, but not much more.
The second one takes place directly on Laconia; also a fun read but nothing all too special either.
The story I liked the least was "Gods of Risk", a shame really because it's a story with Bobbie involved. I would have loved a story more centered about Bobbie, but this was not that kind of story. Her involvement is limited; the main character is actually her nephew David Draper. It's not a bad story but I just didn't like it as much as the other stories.
June 1, 2022
If you're reading The Expanse series, do not miss these novellas. Not only do they have factoids in them about characters that feature in the series' books and help you understand those characters a little better, they also tell the stories of characters who appear briefly in the series and give you some closure or at least insights into what happened to them. Do check online though for the recommended reading order of these novellas and the series. I'd post a link but I actually found that opinions on the reading order varied a little.
March 29, 2023
I was sad to reach the end of The Expanse series two months ago, as it’s such a compelling and enjoyable space opera. Memory's Legion collects novellas and short stories set in the same world in chronological order, starting before the book series begins and ending after it concludes. They fill in some character backstories and provide snapshots of places that weren’t focused on in the novels. Each has a brief author reflection afterwards, which I found interesting.
I am nearly always fonder of long (or ideally very long) fiction than short, so did not find the collection as enjoyable as The Expanse novels themselves. Nonetheless, some of the stories are really vivid and striking; all contained appealing details of characterisation and world building. Perhaps most memorable was ‘The Churn’, which worked brilliantly as backstory while also bringing poverty-stricken future Baltimore to life. As the author’s note mentions, it’s the only part of the series narrated omnisciently rather than via a specific narrator. This works really well.
The most unsettling story was ‘The Vital Abyss’, which is essentially a complex prisoner’s dilemma played out among the protomolecule researchers, group of people I hadn’t thought to consider the fate of. It’s an ingenious and claustrophobic tale. My favourite story, however, was 'Auberon'. This simply follows the bedding-in of Laconian occupation on the planet Auberon and resulting conflict of absolutist ideology with messy reality. I found this story particularly psychologically and sociologically astute. Compared with the rest of the collection it’s quieter and more ominous, not so much building to a climax as to acceptance of circumstances. The author’s note describes it as a crime story, but that isn’t how I read it. I think there’s a lot more going on that.
Conversely, the final story ‘The Sins of Our Fathers’ seemed a slightly underwhelming note to end on. It was interesting to see the consequences of Leviathan Falls, but the social dynamics and world building felt less insightful than the usual high standards of The Expanse. Nevertheless, Memory's Legion is a strong collection overall and I’d recommend it to anyone missing this fascinating world after finishing the series.
I am nearly always fonder of long (or ideally very long) fiction than short, so did not find the collection as enjoyable as The Expanse novels themselves. Nonetheless, some of the stories are really vivid and striking; all contained appealing details of characterisation and world building. Perhaps most memorable was ‘The Churn’, which worked brilliantly as backstory while also bringing poverty-stricken future Baltimore to life. As the author’s note mentions, it’s the only part of the series narrated omnisciently rather than via a specific narrator. This works really well.
The most unsettling story was ‘The Vital Abyss’, which is essentially a complex prisoner’s dilemma played out among the protomolecule researchers, group of people I hadn’t thought to consider the fate of. It’s an ingenious and claustrophobic tale. My favourite story, however, was 'Auberon'. This simply follows the bedding-in of Laconian occupation on the planet Auberon and resulting conflict of absolutist ideology with messy reality. I found this story particularly psychologically and sociologically astute. Compared with the rest of the collection it’s quieter and more ominous, not so much building to a climax as to acceptance of circumstances. The author’s note describes it as a crime story, but that isn’t how I read it. I think there’s a lot more going on that.
Conversely, the final story ‘The Sins of Our Fathers’ seemed a slightly underwhelming note to end on. It was interesting to see the consequences of Leviathan Falls, but the social dynamics and world building felt less insightful than the usual high standards of The Expanse. Nevertheless, Memory's Legion is a strong collection overall and I’d recommend it to anyone missing this fascinating world after finishing the series.
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