James S.A. Corey's Next Expanse Books Confirmed For December 2026
Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond.
The Expanse became a cultural sci-fi phenomenon largely thanks to the television series following James Holden and the Rocinante crew, but James S. A. Corey's novels are what started it all. Beginning with 2011's Leviathan Wakes, the bestselling saga eventually grew into a whopping nine mainline novels, even earning a Hugo Award for Best Series and selling more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Of course, as most longtime readers know, James S. A. Corey isn't actually one person, but the shared pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The duo officially concluded the mainline series with 2021's Leviathan Falls, followed by the short-fiction collection Memory's Legion in 2022. Unfortunately, fans shouldn't expect a tenth installment, with Franck explicitly ruling out another mainline novel as the pair focuses on other projects.
However, while the original story has concluded, The Expanse isn't disappearing from bookshelves anytime soon, with three exciting new releases officially arriving this December.
The Expanse is officially getting three stunning new hardcover releases this December, with publisher Orbit Books unveiling the next wave of special editions celebrating James S. A. Corey's beloved science-fiction saga. The books are scheduled to arrive on December 8, with each hardcover priced at $40 in the US.
The three releases cover the fourth, fifth, and sixth installments in the original nine-book series:
- Cibola Burn: Holden and the Rocinante crew venture through the alien ring gates, becoming embroiled in a dangerous conflict on the newly colonized world of Ilus.
- Nemesis Games: The Rocinante crew faces one of its greatest challenges as devastating attacks and political upheaval threaten the balance of power throughout the solar system.
- Babylon's Ashes: Holden and his allies confront the Free Navy, a militant Belter faction threatening humanity's future following catastrophic attacks on Earth.
According to Orbit's official announcement, the new editions feature "striking new covers," along with stained page edges, illustrated endpapers, and reversible covers showcasing the uncropped artwork from the original books. The publisher has also credited Lauren Panepinto for the cover designs, Jay Clark for the endpaper maps, and Daniel Dociu for the original cover artwork.
These releases continue the publisher's existing special edition collection, which already includes Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, and Abaddon's Gate, bringing the total to six books for this particular set.
Of course, the broader Expanse franchise is far from finished, even if the original novel series is done. Owlcat Games is developing The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, an ambitious, choice-driven action RPG scheduled for spring 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game introduces a customizable protagonist and an entirely new crew, allowing players to explore the franchise's universe through their own adventures and experience things outside of Holden's story.
Meanwhile, readers looking for more from James S. A. Corey should absolutely check out The Captive's War, the writing duo's newer science-fiction trilogy. Set in a separate universe, the series follows humanity's struggle against the Carryx, a ruthless alien empire that enslaves other civilizations.
Question 1 of 3
The series began with The Mercy of Gods in 2024, followed by The Faith of Beasts in April 2026. With additional novellas expanding the story, it's arguably the closest thing readers have to a spiritual successor to The Expanse.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.