Syfy’s next big space-opera undertaking, “The Expanse,” will premiere its first episode Monday, but until then we’ve got an exclusive sneak peek at extensive space noir set in the far, future where humans have spread all the way to Mars.

Adapted from the popular “Leviathan Wakes” book series, “The Expanse” is set as the solar system is being actively colonized. Thomas Jane, who plays Detective Miller, is tasked with locating a missing woman. Granted, the path to locating this lost person becomes much more complicated when Miller becomes embroiled in a vast conspiracy between between Earth, the colonized planet of Mars and the Belters, who live on an asteroid belt harvesting water for the entire human population.

1 / 7 Dominique Tipper as Naomi Nagata on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 2 / 7 Cas Anvar is Alex Kamal on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 3 / 7 Wes Chatham is Amos Burton on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 4 / 7 Thomas Jane is Detective Miller from Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 5 / 7 Steven Strait is Holden on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 6 / 7 Shohreh Aghdashloo is Chrisjen Avasarala on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy) 7 / 7 Florence Faivre as Julie Mao on Syfy’s “The Expanse.” (Syfy)

“The Expanse” novels are dense with world building and complicated space scheming between revolutionaries, politicians and even the Belters (some of whom have grown quite tall by being raised in the asteroid belt, which has a much lower gravity field than planet Earth). The overpopulated, resource-strapped Earth (and its 30 billion citizens) is constantly teetering on the brink of war with the militarized planet of Mars.


Meanwhile, the people of Ceres, who live in the the largest space station within the asteroid belt, labor to supply the rest of the solar system with water. Naturally the folks of Ceres are fed up with doing all the work without any of the benefits.

A revolution is coming, and the exclusive clip (above) from “The Expanse” takes us inside Ceres and reveals the citizens’ unrest.

The books, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey) are science fiction of the highest order. Each chapter is chockablock with mystery and intrigue and deeply detailed world building.

‘The Expanse’ will premier on VOD and online Monday.