Part of The Expanse, book 5.5
First published 2015
A group of prisoners exists in perpetual confinement somewhere in the solar system's depths. Their guards are Belters. Their world consists of one enormous room. Their conversations revolve around the victories and wrongdoings that landed them in this place. They see no escape from their hollow existence. Then a man from Mars appears among them. His arrival disrupts their static reality and forces them to confront what lies ahead. This novella explores the darker corners of the Expanse universe, where survival depends on adapting to circumstances beyond anyone's control. The prisoners must decide whether this newcomer represents salvation or another form of captivity in their already constrained lives.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Solar System
Period: 21st-century
75 pages · Kindle Edition · Orbit
Content warnings: violence