Isaac Asimov "Foundation"

[Tezza1]

During my teenage years I was mad keen on science-fiction, and must've read the above in his trilogy form about 10 times. Late teens I lost a lot of interest in science fiction when fantasy begin to take over from hard science. Additionally, I suppose my tastes changed.

Anyway, as I said I love the first three with a passion, and have probably read the four later books to the "trilogy", but don't remember them as clearly due to waning interest.

However, I'm curious if anyone who loved the books also love the TV series on Apple TV? I don't want to start watching it and then find that it just annoys me. Plus I've got to admit I don't think that a lot of things on Apple are all that wonderful. Except for Ted Lasso, which I love with a passion.

Additionally I am the sort of idiot that invest a lot into books that I loved. For me, characters really come alive. I still can't watch Bosch, much as I like Titus Welliver because he's just not Harry Bosch for me. I did like "Shetland," even though Douglas Henshell wasn't Jimmy Pérez for me. But I think in Shetland books, the island is the major character.

Thanks very much.

The series is quite different from the books, so you have to watch it with that in mind. It's inspired heavily by them but for a variety of reasons has to be very different. First off, the narrative structure of the books just can't work as a tv series. So that necessitates big changes. Secondly, the books, written when they were, were driven almost exclusively by male characters, so quite a number of characters have been switched to being female, so there is a more even balance of male and female characters. And thirdly, when making a tv series, audience expectations re actors and actors contracts mean that actors need to be signed on for multiple seasons. As the Foundation series spans centuries/millennia, the tv show makes adaptations that allow the same actors/characters to be present throughout events that are much longer than a normal human life span. So use is made of cloning, cryogenic sleep and consciousness uploading to allow for some character/actor continuity throughout the series.

If you are able to accept that there needed to be changes and watch a series inspired by Asimov, rather than a direct representation of Asimov, then it's really enjoyable television. Epic in scale, full of intrigue and not really like anything yet seen on television. That said, I like quite a bit of Apple's output. I think Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest and Physical are all really good. But For All Mankind is their absolute tour de force (minus much of season 2 Karen). It started out so-so but is fantastic alternative history and the S2 finale is genuinely epic, even more so with the hindsight of current events.

The absolute best modern sci-fi series though, is the recently ended The Expanse. A genuine masterclass in sci-fi and flawed human endeavour. A show that was able to make a woman in her late 60s, into the most interesting, powerful, badass, stunning and beautiful character I've ever seen on television. Showing what an absolute lie it is that audiences won't accept older women.

I enjoyed the series more than the books, although I did read the novels when I was quite young and can't remember a lot of the detail. The TV series was always going to have a difficult job of covering a complex story which spans a galaxy and takes place over a such a long time period, but because it cut out a lot of filler, I found it easier to follow.

Same with the new Dune film which I absolutely loved.

I have to agree with Wanderingowl about The Expanse, it's head and shoulders above most TV sci-fi, although, for me, Avasarala did become quite annoying - possibly because of the coarse language.
Cara Gee's brilliant performance as Cammina Drummer was the highlight for me.