Online Series: Asimov's Foundation series on Apple tv

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
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Charlotte, NC
Redshirts was super fun for a Trek fan.

Not sure if these quite count as comedic, but The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and the Ware Tetralogy by Rudy Rucker were fun reads.
 

Chubbinz

Registered User
Nov 1, 2016
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It has been a while since I read through these books, but they are what got me into Sci-Fi. Something that has always stuck with me from these books is the society that worships tech like a religion. It will be interesting to see how that is portrayed, especially coming from Apple.

Another series that I have always thought would have made a good show is Jack Chalker's Well World Saga.
 

Lshap

Hardline Moderate
Jun 6, 2011
28,178
27,369
Montreal
If the conversation's turned to authors, anyone read Robert Charles Wilson? Canadian author who wrote one of the coolest and cleverest sci-fi novels I've ever read, "Spin". High concept and a blast to read, without being contrived.

Two others from him I especially liked were "The Chronoliths" and "The Affinities".
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
29,334
11,128
Charlotte, NC
If the conversation's turned to authors, anyone read Robert Charles Wilson? Canadian author who wrote one of the coolest and cleverest sci-fi novels I've ever read, "Spin". High concept and a blast to read, without being contrived.

Two others from him I especially liked were "The Chronoliths" and "The Affinities".

Compelling characters is a bit of a stretch, to me. Then again, few of Asimov's characters are compelling beyond their concepts and plot activity. Kim Stanley Robinson is great at ideas and plot, but character development, I think not.

Honestly, I find that it's hard to find sci-fi that isn't that way. Maybe it's just me. Or maybe the ones that do well with character development don't hold my interest in their concepts. Probably the best one that did it for me on both was Robert Charles Wilson's Spin trilogy. One of the better one-offs for character development was Timescape by Gregory Benford. That being said, I don't need great character development to enjoy a sci-fi book, if the concepts are good. Like Ilium and Olympos from Dan Simmons or the Imperial Radch Trilogy from Ann Leckie.

:)
 
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beowulf

Not a nice guy.
Jan 29, 2005
59,652
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Ottawa
Looks like this could be visually stunning but still not sure if it can really capture the whole essence of the books

 

beowulf

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Jan 29, 2005
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Ottawa
Just found out Finnish actress Laura Birn is apparently in a major role in this. Eto Demerzel or something.

Heh so they changed the gender of Eto Emerzel aka R. Daneel Olivaw. Though I guess gender is funny in the case given that it is a robot lol. And yes it has an important role in both Asimov's Foundation and Robot series of books.
 

beowulf

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Jan 29, 2005
59,652
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Ottawa
Well this does not sound so good.

They Said Foundation Couldn't Be Filmed, and It Still Hasn't Been
A few great performances do not save Apple TV+'s faithless adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic sci-fi series.


They Said Foundation Couldn't Be Filmed, and It Still Hasn't Been

n 1966, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy was voted the best science fiction series of all time at the Hugo Awards. Other series have certainly surpassed it since then, although it’s still considered the work that codified the genre. Despite its fame, because the series is an epic on a galactic level told over the course of 500 years or so, with dozens of characters, conflicts, and stories, no one’s figured out how to bring Foundation into live-action. Apple TV+’s new Foundation series hasn’t figured it out either.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
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Duesseldorf
Well this does not sound so good.

They Said Foundation Couldn't Be Filmed, and It Still Hasn't Been
A few great performances do not save Apple TV+'s faithless adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic sci-fi series.


They Said Foundation Couldn't Be Filmed, and It Still Hasn't Been

n 1966, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy was voted the best science fiction series of all time at the Hugo Awards. Other series have certainly surpassed it since then, although it’s still considered the work that codified the genre. Despite its fame, because the series is an epic on a galactic level told over the course of 500 years or so, with dozens of characters, conflicts, and stories, no one’s figured out how to bring Foundation into live-action. Apple TV+’s new Foundation series hasn’t figured it out either.
Trying to appease fickle audiences will not do the books justice. Just make the show for the fans of the book and it will be awesome. I don't get this adapting bullshit sometimes. You have an award winning source. Use it! They said it themselves, the story is the Foundation. Who needs characters to invest themselves in when the concept is so much more grand?
 

Eisen

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Sep 30, 2009
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There were some strange changes made in that show. The Cleon clones, Trantor not covered under an all encompassing dome, spacers (???) pilot the space ships, Anacreon introduced too early, the vault not in Terminus but on a mountain and what were the suicide bombers for?
I did like their prime radiant, though.
 

beowulf

Not a nice guy.
Jan 29, 2005
59,652
9,187
Ottawa
There were some strange changes made in that show. The Cleon clones, Trantor not covered under an all encompassing dome, spacers (???) pilot the space ships, Anacreon introduced too early, the vault not in Terminus but on a mountain and what were the suicide bombers for?
I did like their prime radiant, though.
I don't have Apple TV so have not watched but everything I have read says that if you are a fan of the books you will find it keeps the base idea, psychohistory, but other than that they have made some huge changes/additions to try and get viewers to connect to the show etc. Just don't know if I will like this once I find a way to watch it.
 

Eisen

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Sep 30, 2009
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Duesseldorf
I don't have Apple TV so have not watched but everything I have read says that if you are a fan of the books you will find it keeps the base idea, psychohistory, but other than that they have made some huge changes/additions to try and get viewers to connect to the show etc. Just don't know if I will like this once I find a way to watch it.
I'm not sure yet either. It kept with the broad strokes, yeah, but the minutiae is all different. And I'm not talking about the genderchanges. I don't mind those. But, for instance, somehow we are supposed to feel with Gaal Dornick. I'll keep watching for now.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
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Charlotte, NC
I'm not sure yet either. It kept with the broad strokes, yeah, but the minutiae is all different. And I'm not talking about the genderchanges. I don't mind those. But, for instance, somehow we are supposed to feel with Gaal Dornick. I'll keep watching for now.

From what I can tell so far, Gaal has been modified to basically be a combination of the original Gaal character, Manella Dubanqua, and potentially Wanda Seldon. They've given this Gaal a backstory of her own. We're in a period of time after the second episode that isn't covered by the books pretty much at all. The events of the prequel books end two years before the trial we see in the first episode. We get the trial. Aside from an epilogue short on detail, the next writing takes place 50 years later. If they weren't going to explore the prequel books, then I think merging those 2-3 characters makes sense from a narrative point-of-view. You can't have the story without including Wanda's part and you can't have Wanda without Manella.

To this point, there's very little that can't be explained by the original stories being told as legend and so are these, thus some timing and minutae differences. The only thing I'm nervous about is The Vault, which is clearly far different.
 

Eisen

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Sep 30, 2009
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Duesseldorf
From what I can tell so far, Gaal has been modified to basically be a combination of the original Gaal character, Manella Dubanqua, and potentially Wanda Seldon. They've given this Gaal a backstory of her own. We're in a period of time after the second episode that isn't covered by the books pretty much at all. The events of the prequel books end two years before the trial we see in the first episode. We get the trial. Aside from an epilogue short on detail, the next writing takes place 50 years later. If they weren't going to explore the prequel books, then I think merging those 2-3 characters makes sense from a narrative point-of-view. You can't have the story without including Wanda's part and you can't have Wanda without Manella.

To this point, there's very little that can't be explained by the original stories being told as legend and so are these, thus some timing and minutae differences. The only thing I'm nervous about is The Vault, which is clearly far different.
Indeed you can't have a story without Wanda but merging her with Gaal is a mistake, I think. Wanda's and Gaal's role for the Foundation are very different. She can't be on Terminus.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
29,334
11,128
Charlotte, NC
Indeed you can't have a story without Wanda but merging her with Gaal is a mistake, I think. Wanda's and Gaal's role for the Foundation are very different. She can't be on Terminus.

We don't really know where Wanda was during this period of time, so having her on Terminus and having
the elements of the Second Foundation playing a role in establishing the First could make sense, as long as she ends up on Trantor to establish the Second in the end
 

Eisen

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Sep 30, 2009
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We don't really know where Wanda was during this period of time, so having her on Terminus and having
the elements of the Second Foundation playing a role in establishing the First
could make sense.
It could, but considering Terminus being an exile I doubt that there is frequent travel. She was supposed to look for recruits. They were not on Terminus. We know she likely wasn't on Trantor, though. But who knows how the show plays out. It's already very different.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
29,334
11,128
Charlotte, NC
It could, but considering Terminus being an exile I doubt that there is frequent travel. She was supposed to look for recruits. They were not on Terminus. We know she likely wasn't on Trantor, though. But who knows how the show plays out. It's already very different.

Yeah, there are difficulties that make me wonder if Wanda is part of Gaal's character for sure. I think it could work. I'm obviously much more certain Manella is part of Gaal's character because of the relationship with Raych.
 

Eisen

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Sep 30, 2009
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Duesseldorf
Yeah, Manella for sure, just for the love interest arc.
Oh, and I'm sure you saw how Raych's arc is vastly different from the books.
But I don't want to complain too much. It doesn't look bad yet. I could do without the gratuitous action or violence sequences but I guess that's what viewers want and it's a small price to pay.
 

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