The Expanse’s success as a series of novels and TV show has led to a tabletop tie-in and RPG, but the sci-fiphenomenon actually began life as a game. We tell the story of how it navigated the leap between worlds

FROM TABLETOP TO TV AND BACK AGAIN

Words by Alex Sonechkina

TV show The Expanse is a sci-fidarling that comfortably fills the gap between the utopian universes of Star Trek and the dread-filled tension of Battlestar Galactica. Part of the series’ success and critical acclaim is due to its diverse characters and universe-changing mysteries, but the other part is its world-building. It is complex and layered, yet – like all good sci-fi– it feels distinctly truthful and relatable to us, the state of our world and how we live today.

The story of how The Expanse came to be has a surprising origin that began, in part, on the tabletop. Before it came to the screen it was a popular book series by James S.A. Corey – a pen name for a collaboration between writers Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham. Before then, it was an RPG and, even before that, it was supposed to be a video game. At the very beginning of it all, though, it was simple a made-up world living in the mind of a sci-fidevotee.

Now, with the development of a board game based on the show and newly conceived RPG based on the books, the franchise has come full circle. However, every step of its development has left its mark on the universe, its story and characters, making it richer, more complex and alive.