The Vital Abyss Audiobook By James S. A. Corey cover art

The Vital Abyss

An Expanse Novella

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The Vital Abyss

By: James S. A. Corey
Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
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Hugo Award Winner for Best Series

A novella set in the hard-scrabble world of James S. A. Corey's NYT best-selling Expanse series, The Vital Abyss is the secret history of the cataclysmic events that occurred on Eros station, and the revelation of what came after...Now a Prime Original series.

Somewhere in the vast expanse of space, a group of prisoners lives in permanent captivity.

The only company they have is each other and the Belters who guard them. The only stories they know are the triumphs and crimes that brought them there. The only future they see is an empty life in an enormous room.

And then the man from Mars came along...

The Expanse

  • Leviathan Wakes
  • Caliban's War
  • Abaddon's Gate
  • Cibola Burn
  • Nemesis Games
  • Babylon's Ashes
  • Persepolis Rising
  • Tiamat's Wrath
  • ​Leviathan Falls
  • Memory's Legion

The Expanse Short Fiction

  • Drive
  • The Butcher of Anderson Station
  • Gods of Risk
  • The Churn
  • The Vital Abyss
  • Strange Dogs
  • Auberon
  • The Sins of Our Fathers
©2015 James S.A. Corey (P)2015 Hachette Audio Adventure Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera

Featured Article: Our Editors Recommend—Further Listening for Star Wars Fans


With more than 150 books in the Star Wars audioverse alone, there's certainly no shortage of adventures in our favorite galaxy far, far away. But let's say you've absorbed the very best of both Canon and Legends, watched the films and television shows time and again, and have exhaustively played through extended universe games (video and tabletop alike). If you're looking for something new, our Audicted to Sci-Fi editorial team has you covered.

Featured Article Our Editors Recommend Further Listening for Star Wars Fans
Insightful Backstory • Compelling Character Study • Rich Universe Expansion • Thought-provoking Ethics • Valuable Context
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Surprisingly tense psychological thriller set behind the events of the first Expanse novel. Grim and well paced despite very little action.

short, compelling, smart

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I like it better then any other books in the expanse series. even if it is just a side story.

it's just too good.

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jefferson Mayes is way better than that other guy. i enjoyed this as much as the churn

sweet. Jefferson Mayes

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I love these little snapshot novellas in this series. It is a great way to add so much depth to an already expansive series.

Great Short Story

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I could listen to Jefferson Mays read these authors' writing anytime. I wish he would re-record the other stories that Erik Davies narrated.
The Story itself is a good expanse side story with a little different background on the protomolecule.

James S.A. Corey and Jefferson Mays!

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Interesting to have the sociopathic perspective. Glad they brought back the main narrator for this one.

Interesting

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this great addition to a fantastic story.
A different perspective on a earlier story, well worth the money.

a great addition.

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This was my favorite so far of the novella books in the Expanse universe. It is the most connected to the main story, and takes an interesting aside looking into the character of an empathy altered Research member experimenting with the proto-molecule. The character is great and really adds to the series.

Jefferson Mays' narration is excellent doing all the things he does to enhance the story.

Best Audible Expanse Novella So Far

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This is the best of "the two Coreys'" Expanse novellas. It is narrated in the first-person by of one of the Protogen scientists who worked at Thoth Station during the Eros Incident. The narrator considers two different periods of his life, one long before and one long after the events in Leviathan Wakes. Cortázar's story of self-centred indifference is a compelling character study on the nature of evil.

The Best Expanse Novella: Cortázar's story

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Gotta be honest, I haven't particularly enjoyed these novellas. I've found them of the loosest relevance to the main story and not the strongest concepts for stories unto themselves. But this one gave me so much more context into the events of the first book (some of which I found confusing as the events came so hard and fast). It was a look at the events from the other side and I enjoyed it immensely.

Best Novella yet

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