The Expanse Reading Order: Novels, Novellas, and the Amazon Show

James S.A. Corey (the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) published the ninth and final Expanse novel in 2021. What they built over eleven years is one of the great science fiction series — hard SF grounded in real orbital mechanics, told through some of the most vivid characters in the genre.

Here’s how to read it.

The Nine Novels

The Expanse is set 200 years in the future, when humanity has colonised the solar system. Earth and Mars are great powers; the people of the asteroid belt — the Belters — are a third civilisation. When something ancient and alien is discovered, it threatens all three.

Read the novels in publication order:

1. Leviathan Wakes (2011)

2. Caliban’s War (2012)

3. Abaddon’s Gate (2013)

4. Cibola Burn (2014)

5. Nemesis Games (2015)

6. Babylon’s Ashes (2016)

7. Persepolis Rising (2017)

8. Tiamat’s Wrath (2019)

9. Leviathan Falls (2021)

The complete Expanse reading order is on the series page.

The Novellas

The Expanse Origins novellas fill in backstory for the main characters before the events of the main series. They’re excellent character studies and add significantly to your understanding of Holden, Naomi, Amos, Alex, Avasarala, and Bobbie.

The novella placement within the reading order:

• The Butcher of Anderson Station — read after Leviathan Wakes
• Gods of Risk — read after Caliban’s War
• The Churn — read before Nemesis Games
• The Vital Abyss — read after Nemesis Games
• Strange Dogs — read after Babylon’s Ashes
• Auberon — read after Persepolis Rising
• The Sins of Our Fathers — read after Tiamat’s Wrath

The Expanse Origins series page lists all novellas.

Can You Skip the Novellas?

Yes — the novels make complete sense without them. But The Churn in particular provides essential context for Amos Burton that makes him a richer character in Nemesis Games and beyond. If you’re going to read one novella, make it that one.

Where to Start

Leviathan Wakes is an excellent entry point — it begins in medias res with a distress call and a murder mystery in space, and it hooks you immediately. The novel has two POV characters: Holden, an idealistic ship’s officer, and Miller, a cynical Belter detective. Their interplay is one of the series’ great achievements.

The Amazon Show

Amazon’s The Expanse (2015–2022, originally Syfy) is one of the best science fiction adaptations ever made. It’s visually stunning, politically coherent, and preserves the hard-SF credentials of the books faithfully.

Key differences:

• The show condenses the timeline of the first three books
• Avasarala appears much earlier in the show than in the books (she’s absent from Leviathan Wakes)
• The show expands Bobbie Draper’s storyline, to the novels’ benefit when the equivalent scenes appear
• Season 6 (the final season) compresses Books 7–9 significantly, cutting storylines

If you’ve watched the show to the end of Season 6, the show ends where Book 6 ends. Books 7–9 — set 30 years later — are entirely unadapted and contain some of the best material in the series.

A Note on the Ending

The final novel, Leviathan Falls, is widely considered a satisfying and emotionally resonant conclusion. Unlike many epic SF series, The Expanse ends cleanly and on its own terms.