From the Little, Brown website:

Humanity has colonized the planets – interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions – the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond.

Now, when Captain Jim Holden’s ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war, and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

I’m not shy about my love for Daniel Abraham’s Long Price Quartet. Though I’ve only read the first two volumes (I’m pacing myself, otherwise I’d devour the whole thing and look back in sadness at what I’ll never get to experience again for the first time), it’s easily one of my favourite series off all time. If the final two volumes are of an equal quality to the first two, I have no qualms saying it’s the finest finished series published in the last 25 years. Needless to say, I’m excited by both The Dragon’s Path, the first volume in The Coin and the Dagger, published under Abraham’s real name, and Leviathan Wakes, the first volume in The Expanse Series, a Science Fiction cycle he’s writing alongside Ty Franck under the pseudonym ‘James S.A. Corey’. Then, of course, he’s also got an Urban Fantasy series that he writes under the name ‘M.L.N Hanover’. It’s kinda unfair that the guy can write so fast and produce such quality. For all the praise Brandon Sanderson gets, Abraham’s accomplishments are no less noteworthy.

To me, a reader whose experience with Science Fiction isn’t nearly what it should be, what intrigues me most about Leviathan’s Wake is Abraham’s restraint in his vision of the future. There’s no interstellar travel, as seems to dominate much of Space Opera, and neither does it look like he’ll be relying on aliens to wow his readers. Like The Long Price Quartet, it seems like Abraham discovered a story he wants to tell and then found the suitable setting in which to tell it, rather than letting the setting dictate the plot.

Of course, we’ll get a stronger impression of Leviathan Wakes as its June, 2011 release date draws closer.

Discussion
  • Blake Charlton September 17, 2010 at 10:43 am

    it’s nothing short of a damn shame that the whole world don’t know TLPQ. 2011 is going to be a golden year for SFF. A lot of very big names, but top of my reading list is anything by Daniel Abraham.

  • aidan September 17, 2010 at 10:44 am

    Couldn’t have said it better myself, Blake. The start of TWO new series from Abraham in 2011? Golden.

  • huh September 17, 2010 at 10:52 am

    I just wanted to point out that Leviathan Wakes is apparently not solely Abraham’s work. IIRC it’s the name he’s writing under with Ty Franck, a newcomer and also GRRM’s personal assistant.

  • aidan September 17, 2010 at 10:54 am

    Thanks, huh. I actually just updated the blog post above as you were leaving your comment.

    Cheers!

  • Adam Whitehead September 17, 2010 at 11:49 am

    Whilst Abraham is certainly the main draw for the book, it might be worth noting the novel is a collaboration with another author named Ty Franck (currently best-known for being GRRM’s assistant) rather than Abraham writing alone. It is one of my more eagerly-awaited releases in 2011, certainly, alongside THE DRAGON’S PATH.

  • […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Aidan Moher, Michael, Mad Hatter and Ewa S-R, Blake Charlton. Blake Charlton said: RT @adribbleofink: Synopsis for LEVIATHAN WAKES: SF novel from Daniel Abraham published under a pseudonym: http://bit.ly/cuvngc […]

  • Bush League Critic September 18, 2010 at 8:41 am

    Definitely sounds intriguing enough for me! I’m an Abraham’s virgin, but this scifi book might just have its way with me.

    Any word on what the scope (length) of this series might be?

  • Tom Davidson September 18, 2010 at 11:32 am

    *laugh* I’m going to brag for a second: this particular book (but not the later books planned for this series) is actually very closely based on a d20 Future, low-tech play-by-post game run by Ty Franck for three years, in which I played Jim Holden. I can’t discuss it in detail (for all kinds of reasons), but I have read the manuscript and strongly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of, well….Actually, I recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of reading. I’m obviously biased, but I think it’s one of my favorite sci-fi novels in years.

  • Daniel Abraham September 18, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    Hey, Tom! (waves)

    I think that because I’ve had the most publications so far, Ty gets less credit than he deserves. But the world and story are really his. The scope of the worldbuilding he did for this universe was stunning and delightful and he’s a blast to work with. I’m *very* proud of how this book came out.

    We sent the MS to a bunch of my usual first readers, and while they always have notes and concerns about my solo stuff, no one had any complaints about or changes to recommend for this one. Ty clearly makes me a better writer. ;)

  • Daniel Abraham September 18, 2010 at 3:12 pm

    Right now, we have three books under contract: Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War, and Dandelion Sky. It’s set to be open-ended, but we’re trying to make sure that the last book in each contract sews things up well enough that you won’t be pissed off if that’s the last one.

  • Mark September 18, 2010 at 6:13 pm

    I’ve read the first two in TLPQ and I liked them well enough, I just haven’t rushed out to read the rest.

    That being said you are doing an awfully good job at selling me on Abraham’s other/forthcoming work ;)

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