The Sci-Fi media Expanded Universe thread (Halo, Firefly, Starcraft, and more)

[CharlesPhipps]

Basically, a thread for discussing the smaller expanded universes of genres you like. I was going to make a number of these threads but it occurred to me there's not necessarily a fandom for all of them. So, really, what are your favorite expanded universes and why? I mean, I grew up on Star Wars and Star Trek's Expanded Universes to an extent but even then I have a bunch of other media tie-in love.

Halo, Starcraft, Firefly, the whole shebang.

Funny, licensing can really mess with these and so can editing decisions. For example, Star Trek used to have a rule that their tie-in fiction COULDN'T tie into each other but at one point, they switched over to a Star Wars Legends-esque model and now the Borg are destroyed and there's been like 3 DS9 stations rebuilt. Oh and they blew up Pluto.

Star Trek Online took elements of it and ditched others.

Halo has a surprisingly robust Expanded Universe. This despite the fact many authors have brought their own unique spin to the place that is sometimes contradictory ideas about the setting (Karen Traviss for example, really hates Mad Scientist Doctor Halsey and loves ONI despite the latter sponsoring the former).

Dark Horse comics was a source of a lot of Firefly material but has recently lost the license to Boom comics due to Fox passing it over--but Boom will undoubtedly lose their licesne to Marvel since Disney will own Firefly and all other properties in a few months.

I also LOVE Starcraft's universe...even though it's been 2 games in 2 decades.

[PerrySimm]

Would love to be more enthralled with the Firefly stuff, but the Dark Horse series lead off with a comic book resurrection, and especially after the movie came out, left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Firefly RPG sourcebooks were more interesting, though of dubious canonicity, they still provide some welcome background to the setting.

[CharlesPhipps]

Would love to be more enthralled with the Firefly stuff, but the Dark Horse series lead off with a comic book resurrection, and especially after the movie came out, left a bad taste in my mouth.

I hope Book is an Operative in the Boom or Disney verse.

The Firefly RPG sourcebooks were more interesting, though of dubious canonicity, they still provide some welcome background to the setting.

Weirdly, I only read the Corebook of the RPG sourcebook and it put me off the setting. I understand the later supplements may correct it but when I read the Corebook it basically said, "The Alliance isn't all that bad. Slavery is actually illegal [despite what we see in the show]. They conquered the Outer Worlds to help them [despite what we see in the show]. They're also mostly decent hard working people [despite what we see in the show.]."

Given I hate the Alliance and love any resistance to it, I didn't know if I wanted to go with their take on the Verse'