Sorry to hear about your friend passing. It's always hard to see those close to us go, but like you said, we are richer for having known them. I agree with you about the Expanse series. "Leviathan Wakes" was one of the best SF novels I've read in a very long time (I say read, more like devoured... couldn't put it down). Just picked u the second book "Caliban's War" and am looking forward to diving into that once I finish with Hugh Howey's "Wool Omnibus".