Shiri here, fresh off a virtual event with James S.A. Corey (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) hosted by Orbit Books during which we got some info about the ninth, and alas final, book in The Expanse series.

(Check out our conversation with Abraham and Franck here.)

The saga started in 2011 with Leviathan Wakes in which we were introduced to Jim Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, and Amos Burton – the only survivors of mysterious attacks against the ice hauler Canterbury and the MCRN Donnager – and Joe Miller, a cop with a higher calling.

Next, we met, and immediately fell in love with, Chrisjen Avasarala and Bobbie Draper in Caliban’s War. As the series progressed, the characters, and the other fans we met through them, became family (#screamingfirehawks forever). We had the opportunity to see the universe we love realized on the small screen, felt the heartbreak of its cancelation, and screamed with joy at its resurrection. We had one another’s backs when it turned out one of our heroes was actually a villain.

The books were my entreé to the world of the The Expanse, though, so the series coming to an end is definitely a milestone. For a long time, new Expanse books would come out in December and it would be the last book I read for the year. Life happens, though, the last few have come out in the spring, and book 9 has been delayed several times for different reasons. And though we still don’t have an exact date, we know that it will definitely be coming out some time in 2021 and the title is:

There are plans for an additional novella to be released after Leviathan Falls and the possibility of a collected edition of all of The Expanse novellas and short stories. Also, an additional, exclusive novella will be included with the RPG.

Abraham and Franck have no plans to break up the band; they have already sold another three-book series to Orbit under their collaborative nom de plume. Franck describes the series as “the disappointing love child of Frank Herbert and Ursula le Guin,” which, if we’re being honest, sounds pretty great to me.

What say you, Earthers? Martians? Beltalowda? Do you like the symmetry? Or is there another monster you want our heroes to slay in their final adventure? Let us know what you think!