Those of you who have read Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy will wonder how far the Apple TV 10-episode version that just started last week with the release of the first two episodes (new episodes will appear every Friday until November 19) will vary from Asimov’s original concept. In Asimov’s novel, mathematician Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) develops a predictive model called “psychohistory.” Seldon runs into trouble with the Galactic rulers who fear the conclusions of Seldon’s model: that the Empire will collapse within 500 years followed by 30,000 years of Dark Ages.
Episode One opens with Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Hari’s protégé, a self-taught young woman from a planet where the pursuit of knowledge is considered heresy, brought to the Empire’s capitol, Trantor, to disprove Seldon’s theories. Dornick’s life is threatened if she finds Seldon’s predictions valid.
Isaac Asimov based his Foundation series on the fall of the Roman Empire with the twist that technology and psychohistory could limit some of the damage of a collapsing Galactic Empire. After watching two episodes, I confess that this TV series is visually appealing. I like the cast. I’m in for the duration. GRADE: INCOMPLETE
I don’t get Apple tv so I won’t be watching this anytime soon. I never cared much for the Foundation books. They are mostly a bunch of guys sitting around talking. And poorly written. I have seen the trailer for this and it looks like they have jazzed it up with some action scenes. Hopefully this will be released on disc eventually and I can watch it then.
Steve, they certainly jazzed up FOUNDATION. Eye-popping special effects and a much more dramatic story!
When I started reading SF in the mid fifties the Foundation Trilogy was already about as famous as a series could get so, of course, I tried it. And failed. Never got more than halfway into the first novel despite the fact I was a big fan of Asimov’s robot stories and novels. Years later I had a copy of the one volume edition of the trilogy and tried again. And failed again, getting to about the same point in the first novel that I’d gotten to the first time. I have no intention of trying again, but I’d give this a shot if I had Apple TV, which I don’t.
Michael, I’m sure FOUNDATION will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and other streaming services in 2022. Part of the reason the FOUNDATION TRILOGY was so prevalent is due to the Science Fiction Book Club offering it as an incentive to join.
After Doubleday got hold of it, from Gnome Press, which was also after Asimov had a bestseller with THE INTELLIGENT MAN’S GUIDE TO SCIENCE. SFBC trading on the new D-day acquisition and Asimov’s popularity lodged it pretty firmly.
Todd, and Asimov–like James Patterson–seemingly published a book each month, fiction and non-fiction! The Asimov Bibliography is vast!
Unless they are like Amazon and Netflix whose series never are released on disc.
Steve, good point!
Well, Asimov as “writing machine” kicked in after he was able to be purely a writer…which also began after success of THE GUIDE TO SCIENCE. Back in the early ’50s, lightly prepping the stories for “fix-up”, or when writing the early stories in the ’40s, writing was more the special happy work as opposed to studies or teaching (though as he mentions in autobiographical writing, he was so wrapped up in his chemical work for the war effort in the early ’40s, he was surprised for that brief period to be uncompelled to write and surprisingly happy. (Perhaps notably, that was the first extended period out of his family’s orbit, living and working in Philadelphia, at the Navy Yard.)
Todd, Asimov was also dealing with a trouble marriage.
Also like Patterson, Asimov put his name to a few books where he was at best the final overseeing editor (Books of Quizzes and the like), and was a partner in many books where he was a selection editor, but wasn’t bothered with any of the bookkeeping with editing an anthology. Thus, he could keep writing five-ten or so books a year, mostly nonfiction. while a few dozen at least might be released with him as co-editor, largely put together by Martin H. Greenberg’s staff.
Todd, I’m sure the name of Isaac Asimov on the cover of a book would sell copies even though Asimov had little to do with the production of the book other than perhaps writing an Introduction.
That is one of the strange bits of his memoirs…one gets the feeling that Gertrude Asimov, living with him in their small apartment in Philadelphia, first time out of NYC for both of them, she also cut off from her family (not all that approving of Asimov) might’ve contributed to his happiness, while he does note Gertrude was bored and lonely, as she had no job and no friends to speak of–Asimov didn’t work directly with them, but was at the Navy Yard at the same time as L. Sprague de Camp, Robert Heinlein (whom he found overbearing), and other sf people and kindred spirits–and having her all to himself at least initially contributed to his contentment.
Todd, I’ve read in a few places that Asimov was not a big fan of Heinlein (and I’m sure Heinlein knew it). That might explain why there are no Heinlein stories in Asimov & Greenberg’s THE GREAT SF STORIES collection. Asimov and Greenberg list the Heinlein stories they would have included…but they could not secure the rights.
Publishers certainly hoped Asimov on the cover was a selling proposition! With some more than others, I gather. Even some of the books he wrote and loved writing sold poorly, such as the ANNOTATED GUIDES to literary works.
Todd, the market for books is fickle. Within SF audience, Asimov was a Brand Name.
The Heinleins’ memories of Asimov’s lack of great warmth with them might well’ve had something to do with it. Asimov’s bad habits when dealing with women probably didn’t endear him to either of Heinlein’s wives, neither the relatively free-spirit feminist Leslyn nor the more conservative Virginia, who probably would’ve been making any decisions the agents needed to pass along after a certain point in RAH’s life.
Well, George, that (audiences can fade in and out, as FFB is all about), and while the audience for ASIMOV’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE might be of a certain size, ASIMOV’S ANNOTATED DON JUAN or PARADISE LOST was always likely to, and did, draw a smaller crowd…
Todd, I always thought that Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare (1970) was underrated.
I have Apple Tv, but probably it’s not for me.
Patti, FOUNDATION is basically the Fall of the Roman Empire transposed to the Future. Plenty of Imperial politics!
No Apple TV. I read FOUNDATION but certainly wouldn’t put it among my favorites. I’m sure I’ll watch it eventually. We are currently watchin STAR TREK: PICARD on DVDs from the library, much as we watched things like THE GOOD FIGHT. Everything turns up sooner or later.
Jeff, they spent a lot of money on FOUNDATION…and it shows up on the screen! Some of the effects are breathtaking!
I’m happy to hear you are enjoying the show but I confess I watched the trailer and personally found it oddly sterile looking, like so much contemporary film and TV and I’m also no fan of David Goyer’s writing. I found the books utterly unreadable despite several attempts and I’m a sucker for science fiction from that era. I believe the whole silly notion of psychohistory had its origins with L. Ron Hubbard, who was friends with Asimov at the time while the other big inspiration for the books, Gibbons’ “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” is now generally viewed as fundamentally flawed in its assessments. Still, as I said, I glad you have some fresh video popcorn and Jared Harris is always atchable so enjoy.
Byron, you’re right about the popcorn! I read Gibbons for his brilliant writing style. He didn’t have the research that’s available now on the Roman Empire. Asimov started writing the FOUNDATION series during World War II so the prospect of the fall of democracies to the Nazis was a real prospect.
Asimov was a very young writer when he began writing the FOUNDATION stories, and he didn’t revise too much of the clumsiness out of the early prose when “fixing up” the novel. His 1950s and some later short fiction and the first robot novels are better examples of his fiction work.
Todd, I’m with you on the improved writing in the Robot novels. When Asimov was writing the FOUNDATION stories he was just a kid.
Once again, the “We’ll give you 200 cable channels you mostly don’t care about and $200 a month, but anything we think is good or special will cost you a subscription to an extra cost channel.” theory strikes. BAH. From the 20 second trailer I saw, this has little to do with Asimov’s trilogy anyway. I read and liked the trilogy when I was in high school, not expecting thrilling adventure, but instead fascinating theory of future political civilization, and got what I expected. I guess Disney has so much money they don’t care how many people see their products any more, just so they sign up for extra cost stuff.
Rick, APPLE owns the rights to the FOUNDATION series right now. They spent a lot of money on this 10 episode series. I’ll review the series and award a grade after I’ve seen the last episode.
I bought the Ace pb reprint of one of the books, retitled THE MAN WHO UPSET THE UNIVERSE, in the ’60s. I presume the alternative title was Donald Wollheim’s doing. But I didn’t read the series until real late, sometime in the ’80s I think. What better time than 2021 for a show about civilization falling apart.
Fred, you’re exactly right! As Yeats wrote: “The Center will not hold.” After four years of chaos, a Pandemic that continues to attack us, and major security instability in the World, what better time to present a story of a Galactic Empire collapse!
It’s theEffing Republicans who don’t give a sh*t that real the problem.
Rick, I agree with you.
Rick wrote:
this has little to do with Asimov’s trilogy
my wife’s son (who’s a SF fan like his mother and me) says the same after getting some info on the new series and maybe watching the trailer.
Rather OT:
In a way Asimov is responsible for my wife and me coming together almost 15 years ago!
I probably told the story already. We hadn’t met but a common friend told her and me that we’d be the perfect couple. I wasn’t sure but when taking her home I had a look at her bookshelf and among many Hungarian authors saw “Asimov”. I was really surprised!
What’s the probability of finding a Hungarian woman in a small town, like me more than 60 years old, who’s also a big SF fan?
And a Blues&Rock fan too?
Wolf, common interests are the building blocks of relationships!
Fleming, Mike Jr.; Andreeva, Nellie (April 10, 2018). “Apple Lands Isaac Asimov ‘Foundation’ TV Series From David Goyer Josh Friedman” . Goldberg, Lesley (April 18, 2019). ” ‘ Foundation’ Co-Showrunner Josh Friedman Departs Apple Drama (Exclusive)” .
Haqewna, good to know.