I’ve become hooked on The Expanse, a TV show that has run on the SyFy Channel until it was cancelled and picked up by Amazon for the up coming season. I have binge watched the first two seasons. It is truly a classic TV show.

I have not read the books (the first three are on order), but the TV show is distinguished by its plausible vision of the future when humanity has colonized the solar system, its complex characters, its plausible extension of current technology trends into the future, and its near-feature film production values. That last I want to dilate on.

The art of show is fantastic. The sets, costumes and CGI look great. Maybe it is because the double record album of the Star Wars soundtrack came with a poster by the noted artist John Berkey, which I had on my wall, but since childhood I have liked science fiction art. The look of The Expanse harkens back to classic science fiction book covers by Berkey, Chelsey Bonestell, and Chris Foss.

I really enjoyed reading this interview with the artists behind the show. I learned about the collaboration between artists and the writers, set designers, and graphics departments who turn concepts into realities. It also confirms for me the belief that it takes both talent and accident to get your big break.

There is so much artistic talent out there not working in high art.