📚心得【Expanse #9：Leviathan Falls】 by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck, 2021
🎉終於看完整個系列啦！橫跨了4年才慢慢讀完整個系列！
記得自己在2019年左右，先是在Amazon上看了從Syfy撿來的《Expanse影劇》第一、二季後圈粉，當時聽聞小說迷評價「影集視覺很強，但劇情改編太大」，我一直拖到2021年小說完結才開始從第一集閱讀。
各方想法都不是首創，卻是前幾「好讀」的Space Opera
如果是老科幻迷，你可能會覺得《Expanse》中「神仙種族打架，凡人自顧打鬧」的設定有些老生常談。
以前的自己閱讀的科幻小說數量還不夠多，很容易就會把一些對自己來說新穎的科幻視角當作首創；現在閱讀的故事多了，類似星門建造者（Ring Builders／Romans）與虛空體（Dark gods／Goths）之間的拉扯情節真的不算少見。
1937年宏大敘事鼻祖Olaf Stapledon的《Star Maker》早就有從宇宙角度談論過創造與毀滅者間透過物理法則開戰；70年代Gregory Benford的《Galactic Center Saga》也談過種族間對於物理規則的爭奪；2000年經典Alastair Reynold的《Revelation Space》也有類似構想。這類「超文明在物質宇宙蓋工廠，卻惹毛了不可名狀的存在；大人在吵架，人類只是旁邊哭鬧的嬰兒」的設定並不新穎，但我必須說《Expanse》是我讀過的同類作品中敘事與對話最自然、閱讀起來最通暢的。
兩位作者 Daniel Abraham 與 Ty Franck（筆名 James S.A. Corey）的劇本家背景，讓這部作品避開了許多硬科幻作品空有腦洞、表達卻生硬無力的通病，有時也覺得其他作品相對可惜，希望未來AI可以幫忙搞定敘事與表達困難的問題。
第九集核心命題：人類的「本質」，應該為了進化而犧牲嗎？
第九集闡述了許多Cthulu式科幻常提到的概念：
“This is all too big for people,” Alex said. “The things that built it? Maybe they could handle it, but we’re not designed for this scale. We’re trying to get big enough we can make it work, but we’re breaking our legs just standing up.”
從第七集帝國興起開始，就隱約覺得兩位作者開始在趕進度了，時間段開始都以10多年為單位在跨，同時我也能理解為何他們會決定這麼做：之前第四集就被許多人批評有拖戲嫌疑，但還有龐大的劇情待描述，於是就開始跳過不重要的部分、草草帶過重要性較低的劇情，但就有給人第九集快速衝向結尾的倉促感。
話說，我從來不知道Amos能這麼多話 😆
⚠️以下劇透⚠️
前一代統治銀河系的種族 — 建造者，是一群沒有獨立意識的碳基生物，牠們個別就像組成龐大集體意識（Hive Mind）的神經元，以「光」作為溝通介質。「擴張」對牠們而言，就是把神經末梢延伸到各個適宜居住的行星。
然而，當這個網絡橫跨星系，光速的速限讓「思考」變得極度遲緩。為了縮短延遲，牠想出了解決方案：建造「星門」，縮短光傳遞的距離。
要連接每個移居星系（設定上共1373個），個別星系都要有1372個門才能接通其他每個星系，這樣做實在成本太大，因此最有效率的方法就是建立一個統一中繼點，「星門站」（Ring Station）應運而生。
星門站對 建造者 而言，就像是整個文明的脊椎中樞。為了確保神經訊號與物資傳輸萬無一失，這個空間必須獨立於常規宇宙之外，既能躲避超新星爆發或黑洞等「天災」，也能像總開關一樣，在某個星系發生意外時關閉該星門、及時止損。更完美的是，在這個獨立維度中，物理法則是可以有限度編輯的 — 牠們不需要苦惱如何平衡星門的公轉軌道、如何保護站體不被常規外力摧毀，能更有效率地支撐起這張星際網路。
然而，這個「違章建築」偏偏蓋在了別人的地盤上（或許是反物質宇宙），建造者為了維持星門站的運作，直接從鄰居的宇宙竊取能量。就像家裡牆壁被老鼠弄了個窩，還不斷偷吃你的糧食，作為鄰居的虛空體自然會憤而反擊。
由於雙方分屬不同維度，無法進行物理上的直接碰撞，這場戰爭演變成了極其抽象的物理法則對壘與能量互搏。這種鬥爭方式就像隔著一堵牆壁亂槍打鳥，不求精準打擊，只求對方受不了而收手。最終，沒有放棄星門站卻又缺乏有效進攻手段的建造者在漫長的消耗戰中落敗，數量凋零至無法維持集體思考，就此滅亡，僅留下冰冷的遺跡。
時間進展，建造者留下的編程微型機械 Protomolecules 被人類發現，人類與其中一顆小行星Eros被其當作製作太陽系空間門的原料。被其感染的人類大多會迅速死亡，但期間能與建造者留下的各種科技交流（主角James是例外，他沒被感染但卻被其當作接近星門站中樞的載具）。
其中一位存活的被感染者就是Laconia帝國的君主Winston Duarte，他雖然是賢君，為了政策長遠的穩定執行、將自己改造成長生不老後卻失去了人性重要的一環 — 短視近利。我一直以來認為「短視近利」是貶抑詞，卻沒想到當一個人只盯著遙遠未來的光明與危機時，是可能冷酷地犧牲當下一切的。
“They’re people,” Naomi said, exhaustion in her tone. “We’re trying to do all of this with humans. Shortsightedness is coded in our DNA.”
Winston Duarte在目睹建造者的偉大與無力後，竟認為人類應該繼承前代文明的那種「集體意識」。他試圖將全人類的大腦串聯成一個個失去獨立思考能力的神經元，由他統一指揮來對抗虛空體，這樣就能繼續利用星門站建立偉大的人類文明。他堅信人類的肉體比孱弱、狀似水母的建造者更堅韌，絕對能在未來的對峙中勝出。
這份謎一般的自信，讓他將自己禁錮在星門站核心，一意孤行地啟動了全人類的意識串聯，人們在混亂中共享他人的人生記憶，每個人都因精神分裂而受苦著，自我意識瀕臨崩潰。少數明白前因後果的Laconia高層與Rocinante的一行人，必須在帝國追捕與集體意識侵蝕的夾縫中，尋找阻止Duarte的方法。這場任務幾乎是不可能的挑戰，但James一行人憑藉著長期與外星科技互動留下的經驗、僅存的人脈與破釜沉舟的韌性，應是在末日邊緣撕出一條生路，以永遠關閉星門站為代價，守住了人類作為個體的本質。
這部作品最迷人的地方，莫過於它如何在硬派科幻的外殼下，探討「何以為人」，故事最終並不是一場單純的科技對決，而是關於「人性邊界」的深刻叩問。在Duarte眼中，為了文明的可能性，人類必須抹殺個體性、進化成神，但那種會犯錯、會掙扎、會短視的基因天性，才是我們之所以為人，並應在孤獨的宇宙中善待彼此的理由。
“I absolutely believe that people are more good on balance than bad,” he said. “All the wars and all of the cruelty and all of the violence. I’m not looking away from any of that, and I still think there’s something beautiful about being what we are. History is soaked in blood. The future probably will be too. But for every atrocity, there’s a thousand small kindnesses that no one noticed. A hundred people who spent their lives loving and caring for each other. A few moments of real grace."IMO總分：88分，一場跨越維度進化之爭的結尾，接受與擁抱自身的缺陷，才能守住人性底線。略顯倉促結尾但依舊值得看完的系列作品。
核心思想：★★★★★ 核心討論議題是否有趣*5
劇情細節：★★★★☆ 綜觀整體劇情的質與量*4
角色刻畫：★★★★★ 角色群的必要性與深度*3
科學軟硬：★★★★☆ 是否符合現實物理現象*3
結局滿意：★★★★☆ 結局滿意度與有無餘韻*3
易讀程度：★★★★☆ 閱讀時章節是否難消化*2
#Space_Opera #Alien_Lores #Rebel_against_Empire #Grand_Finale
🎉 Finally finished the entire 《Expanse》 series! It took me 4 years to slowly make my way through it. Back in 2019, I became a fan after watching the first two seasons of 《Expanse TV series》 on Amazon (after it was picked up from Syfy). At the time, I'd read many book fans saying "the show has great visuals, but the plot changes are too significant." So, I waited until the novels were completed in 2021 to start reading from Book 1.
Not the first to the ideas, but one of the most "readable" Space Operas
For veteran sci-fi fans, the "God-like races fighting while mortals bicker among themselves" trope might feel a bit cliché. In the past, when I hadn't read as much sci-fi, I easily mistook novel concepts for original ones. Now, having read more, the tug-of-war between entities like the Ring Builders (Romans) and the Goths (Dark Gods) is a fairly common theme.
As far back as 1937, Olaf Stapledon’s 《Star Maker》 discussed war via physical laws from a cosmic perspective; in the 70s, Gregory Benford’s 《Galactic Center Saga》 dealt with races fighting over the rules of physics; and Alastair Reynolds’ 2000 classic 《Revelation Space》shared similar concepts. The idea of "a super-civilization building factories in the material universe and pissing off eldritch horrors; the adults are fighting, and humans are just crying babies on the sidelines" isn't new. However, I must say 《Expanse》 is the most natural and readable execution of this trope I’ve encountered.
The screenwriting backgrounds of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (writing as James S.A. Corey) helped this series avoid the common pitfall of hard sci-fi: having great concepts but stiff, lifeless prose. Sometimes I feel it's a pity for other works, I hope AI can help bridge the gap in narrative and expression in the future.
Core Proposition of Book 9: Should the essence of humanity be sacrificed for evolution?
The ninth book elaborates on several concepts often found in Lovecraftian sci-fi:
When facing an existential crisis, does the essence of humanity need to change for survival?
Should humans embrace their inherent flaws or pursue a higher level of evolution?
If a glorious future is possible, should we sacrifice current ethics for it?
“This is all too big for people,” Alex said. “The things that built it? Maybe they could handle it, but we’re not designed for this scale. We’re trying to get big enough we can make it work, but we’re breaking our legs just standing up.”
Starting from the rise of the Empire in Book 7, I felt the authors began rushing the timeline, with time skips jumping by decades. I understand why: Book 4 was criticized for dragging, yet there was still a massive amount of plot to cover. To finish, they skipped the trivial and glossed over the minor, which gives the final book a sense of rushing toward the finish line.
BTW, never knew Amos was able to be this talkative 😆
⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
The previous rulers of the galaxy — the Builders were carbon-based organisms without individual consciousness. They functioned like neurons in a vast hive mind, using "light" as their medium of communication. For them, "expansion" meant extending nerve endings to every habitable planet.
However, once the network spanned the galaxy, the speed of light made "thinking" agonizingly slow. To solve this latency, they built the Rings to shorten the distance light had to travel. To connect every settled system (1373 in total), a central hub was necessary else you'd need 1372 gates in each system — thus, the Ring Station was built.
To the Builders, the Ring Station was the spine of their civilization. To ensure the safety of signals and resources, this space existed outside the normal universe to avoid "natural disasters" like supernovae or rogue black holes. It also acted as a master switch to isolate systems if trouble arose. Even better, within this independent dimension, the laws of physics were editable to an extend — they didn’t have to worry about orbital mechanics or external forces destroying the station.
However, the station was built on someone else’s property (perhaps an anti-matter universe). To power the station, the Builders stole energy directly from the neighbor’s universe. Like a mouse building a nest inside your walls and stealing your food, the neighbors — the Goths — retaliated.
Because the two sides existed in different dimensions, direct physical combat was impossible. The war became an abstract struggle over physical laws and energy manipulation. It was like firing a gun blindly through a wall — not seeking a precision strike, but hoping the other side would just stop and leave. Ultimately, the Builders, unable to give up the station but lacking an effective offense, lost the war of attrition. They dwindled until they could no longer maintain collective thought and went extinct, leaving only ruins.
Eons later, the protomolecule was discovered by humans. It used the people of Eros and Eros itself as raw material to build the Sol gate. Most infected humans died, though it also turned out they could communicate with the technology in that state (Holden being the exception — uninfected, but used as a "carrier" by the protomolecule to reach the hub).
One survivor was Winston Duarte, the High Consul of Laconia. Though a wise king, in his quest for immortality and long-term stability, he lost a vital piece of humanity: shortsightedness. I always thought "shortsighted" was an insult, but I realized that when someone only stares at the light and shadows of the distant future, chances are they can coldly sacrifice everything in the present.
“They’re people,” Naomi said, exhaustion in her tone. “We’re trying to do all of this with humans. Shortsightedness is coded in our DNA.”
After witnessing the greatness and the ultimate failure of the Builders, Duarte decided humanity should inherit that "collective consciousness." He attempted to wire every human brain into a network of mindless neurons, unified under his command to fight the Goths and preserve the Ring network. He believed human bodies — more resilient than the jellyfish-like Builders thus harder to be killed — would prevail.
This delusional confidence led him to entomb himself in the Ring Station's core, unilaterally initiating the "hive" connection. People over the galaxy began sharing memories in chaotic blurs, suffering from a form of schizophrenia as their individual selves collapsed. A few Laconian high-rankers and the crew of the Rocinante had to find a way to stop Duarte while being hunted by the Empire. It was an impossible task, but through years of experience with alien tech and sheer grit, they tore a path through the apocalypse. They saved the essence of human individuality — at the cost of closing the gates forever.
The most captivating part of this work is how it explores "what it means to be human" beneath a hard sci-fi shell. In the end, it’s not a simple space battle, but a question of the boundaries of humanity. To Duarte, we had to become "gods" to survive, but the series suggests that our flawed, struggling, and "shortsighted" nature is exactly why we are human, and it is the reason we should be kind to one another in a lonely universe.
IMO Rating: 88. The conclusion of a long struggle across dimension, accepting and embracing our inherent flaws is the way to safeguard the threshold of humanity. Despite a slightly rushed ending, this remains a series well worth finishing.
Core Theme: ★★★★★ (*5)
Plot Quality: ★★★★☆ (*4)
Character Development: ★★★★★ (*3)
Science Elements: ★★★★☆ (*3)
Ending Satisfaction: ★★★★☆ (*3)
Readability: ★★★★☆ (*2)
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