The problem being that the worst form of government is a non-benevolent dictatorship, and once you have a dictatorship, you don't get to choose which you get. There's an old truism that the best form of government would be a benevolent dictatorship. So as mankind is colonizing the stars, it's inevitable that someone decides to build an empire and go for Earth. Since then, the politics of the solar system have shifted, there have been several wars, they've discovered gates to other star systems, allowing humanity to expand to the stars, and through it all, James Holden and the Rocinante have always managed to be in the middle of whatever trouble is brewing. In book one, humans were confined to Earth's solar system and the problem was a renegade colony ship-turned-asteroid-colony which got infected by an alien 'proto-molecule,' the result being basically a zombie apocalypse in space. But with the Expanse series, they do face the problem of how to keep escalating the threat level in each book without it becoming a parade of Big Bads to be defeated, and so far they've managed by continuously expanding the scope of the Expanse universe. Martin, who apparently is pretty good at it (although I confess I haven't read the Game of Thrones books). Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) learned writing from George R.R. I've read a lot of long series that didn't manage it. It has to be hard writing volume after volume of a saga with no end in sight without making them start to become tedious and repetitive. A price that will change the shape of humanity - and of the Rocinante - unexpectedly and forever.

But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient patterns of war and subjugation. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it. In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace.

In the thousand-sun network of humanity's expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way.

James sa corey persepolis rising