'Dune' Meets 'Game of Thrones' in Prime Video's Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Epic

Published Nov 4, 2026, 7:52 PM EST Rotten Tomatoes | Letterboxd | Metacritic Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King. As the world waits for the return of the Lisan al-Gaib, there is one series that may fill the void. Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune franchise is racing toward its conclusion, an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction series. Responsible for inspiring works from Star Wars to Game of Thrones, Dune is one of the most anticipated releases of 2026. Until Dune: Part Three hits screens, viewers can get some relief by viewing Prime Video’s six-season series, The Expanse. The sci-fi series is based on James S.A. Corey’s collection of books that take place when Earth has colonized Mars and the Asteroid Belt. In the time since Mars was settled, it became a militarized state that demanded independence from Earth. With both planets equal in might, they fight over the resources of the Asteroid Belt, which is populated by space stations and the Belters who struggle for air and water. This is a time-honored tale that every great epic has contended with since Dune was first published in 1965. Any good fantastical series lives and dies with world-building. The Expanse remains one of the best sci-fi shows because this universe is incredibly believable. Humanity has cultivated the ability to traverse the stars, but the story at the center is grounded. The Expanse uses physics to convey hard sci-fi in a way that is rarely used in the genre. This is perfect window dressing for the universal story that people will do what they always have: Kill each other for power. Both Dune and Game of Thrones tell stories about warring factions that destroy each other for money and influence. The same goes for The Expanse, which shows just how little humans have grown. Instead of swords and shields or sandworms and spice, Prime Video’s series centers around a humble ice-hauling crew that gets thrown into a conspiracy far above their pay grade. James Holden (Steven Strait) is perfectly comfortable with flying under the radar, but when his ship, the Canterbury, gets nuked, he becomes the face of a rebellion. He and his ragtag crew get pulled into the plot of a missing woman, which goes all the way to the top of the government. Though the first season functions largely as a mystery, the politics and struggle to maintain power are still prevalent. Just as in Game of Thrones, several factions are jockeying for their spot in the universe. Earth is trying to hold onto its position by any means necessary, highly aware that Mars and their stealth tech have the upper hand. The Expanse also doesn’t have any qualms about killing off characters quickly and brutally. Just like Ned Stark dies at the end of Game of Thrones Season 1, The Expanse also has a member of the crew get dispatched unceremoniously. Shed’s departure from the series came fast and furious and established the stakes of the world. The Expanse became Game of Thrones in space, and the harder characters fought against the tide of war, the quicker that would become a reality. Miller (Thomas Jane) is a beloved character whose death comes about in a moment of self-sacrifice, as moving as Duncan Idaho’s demise in the fundamental Dune: Part One. The Expanse marries all of these pop culture events together in a series that should be watched again and again. Release Date 2015 - 2022-00-00 Network SyFy, Prime Video Showrunner Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby Directors Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, David Grossman, Kenneth Fink, Rob Lieberman, Terry McDonough, Thor Freudenthal, Bill Johnson, David Petrarca, Jennifer Phang, Mikael Salomon, Sarah Harding, Marisol Adler, Anya Adams, Nick Gomez, Simon Cellan Jones Writers Georgia Lee, Robin Veith, Hallie Lambert, Matthew Rasmussen, Ty Franck, Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Daniel Abraham, Dan Nowak Franchise(s) The Expanse