Topic: The Expanse was a failed MMO concept before it was a book or TV show.

[8ullfrog]

https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/the-expanse-james-sa-corey-syfy-amazon

I found this interesting. A lot of games have attempted and failed to enter the MMO market. Even established franchises burn and fizzle out. The Halo MMO never materialized, but is currently being adapted into a Showtime series.

Hell, even the Star Wars MMO, Galaxy, burned itself to the ground.

But the idea that a Game pitch failed and became a book series and then television series is fascinating. I know that they had attempted a Red Faction pilot and that failed, I wonder how much recycling went on. I know they stripped down a BSG raptor for that Red Faction pilot.

Expanse never really grabbed my interest, but I do like this story.

[6pairsofshoes]

Yes.  I'm pretty sure it's on their Wikipedia entry.  Given I don't really play MMOs, it's not a big deal to me, but it is interesting to see how ideas that don't pan out in one medium/venue can gain substantial traction in another.

I find the latest season of the show rather soap opera-y.  Evil good looking bad boy, and plenty of Snidley Whiplash characters running around, plenty of feel good and big diversity, "can't we all get along" morality plays running in the main themes.

What's clear is that the Earth has a race of creatures on it that are territorial and warlike.  This nature translates to wherever they roam, sadly.  No matter how much we advance in science and technology, there's always going to be some power crazed megalomaniac or other fly in the ointment.  Any true progress seems like a will o the wisp.  That the other, ancient civilization that is referenced here, the one that developed the protomolecule, also perished despite its advanced tech, serves as a warning.  Sadly, nobody seems to be reading it or paying it any heed.

I am watching it for the 3rd time, and it finally seems a little contrived and overblown in parts.  The first two times were fine.  Oh well.  We all have our individual tastes.

[8ullfrog]

It reminds me of how when the one guy, Brad Wright wanted to do a Stargate series, they saddled him with a partner and said "You two work together now" only in the case of the expanse, it happened organically.

I also find the blend interesting because I like techno thrillers and stuff like Clancy where they get into the details and most things are clearly explained.

The original guy, Franck was like that, writing systems and technology, and putting the "hard sci-fi" coat of paint on it,

And the other guy, Abraham is a feelings and experiences writer. More "Sensory" than nuts and bolts. He's the one who keeps you on the rollercoaster, instead of describing it.

I also found it interesting Franck kept trying to get others to play in the sandbox, and then would get angry when writers wouldn't write things the way he imagined them. He even admits he dislikes writing, and initially disliked his eventual partner, Daniel Abraham.

The other thing I found interesting was how much Franck interacted with the community, throwing poo at the wall and seeing what stuck, and still ended up an assistant to GRR Fatman.  Fatman has made several angry blog posts about sitting on what you have and not letting fans give input, to the point his official position is that fanfic of his work is "not allowed".

In fact, Fanfiction.net used to remove ASOIAF fics. One benefit of the HBO series was that writers could slap "GOT" in the category box, even when they were writing about characters who never showed up in the show, like Aegon. (No, not Jon, there was another Aegon)

They also liked the old crunchy Sci-fi, the old school stuff like what I remember reading in back issues of Amazing stories magazine.

I have to say, as much as I love space opera, I wasn't really a fan of the old crunchy stuff. I liked some Lovecraft, even if he was human garbage, but Bradbury always seemed cloyingly treacle sweet, more sentiment and whimsy than I like.

I liked 2001 a space odyssey, which was Clarke, and bless'ed HATE anything by Heinlen. I do find it amusing that fans of Heinlen hated the Starship Troopers movie, when I thought it was a lot of fun.

[6pairsofshoes]

I liked Stranger in a Strange Land.  Recently read The Martian Chronicles, which I found sadly dated, and a series of short stories in a paperback compilation called The Robot Stories or something like that.  I finished it and put it in a little free library so I can't remember it or locate it online.   The stories were originally published in magazines in the 40's and 50's so they were also dated.

I can see why you'd find Stranger in a Strange Land treacle-ly.  I haven't read it since I was a teenager, but it appealed to me at the time.  I'm almost afraid to read it again as I suspect I may not like it so much or may find it hopelessly sexist.  I remember reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac in the past few years and being shocked at how racist and sexist it was.  I had, up to that point, really admired his books.  It was a real bringdown.  Big Sur is fine, but I was mystified by why On the Road was so popular.  He wrote many other, better books.  It was the 50's.  I guess that post-War wanderlust colored everything.