Just watched the first episode, it's looking great. High quality. I never read the books, so I'm going in blind, but from what I've seen so far I am going to enjoy this one. First season is out now. Have you seen the first season? Seen some episodes? What do you think? Edit: And how does the TV series compare to the books?
In the Asimov books, people smoked like chimneys. I wonder if the TV series will have people doing that.
I guess it's not an important part of the series. Unless it's set in a Madmen 1960's environment—everybody in that show constantly had a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Yeah, and I don't think smoking is very popular anymore, so that may be another reason for why they probably just decided to exclude it. Then again, just because people live in the future doesn't necessarily mean they will make healthy life decisions. Trends come and go, maybe we will all be smokers again in a thousand years?
Not only unpopular but illegal at least in the US to smoke in a public building unless there's a designated smoking area. I remember vising an airport with my sister once and she wanted to smoke. They had these rooms that were basically big clear plastic boxes with dozens of people packed inside all smoking. It was like a gas chamber. I went in with her briefly but had to leave because I couldn't breathe. The first Foundation novel was published in 1951, so it reflected the times he was living in.
I read at least a big chunk of the first book many years ago. I don't remember much except that it seemed to be mostly about huge masses of people and sociological trends, something that didn't interest me. I think there were parts dealing with individuals, what I would think of as actual story material. But mostly it was this epic sprawl of civilization, as if we're watching a huge anthill with ants swarming all over. Failed to hold my interest.
So far I like the show, but I am a sucker for sci-fi environments, so it's pretty easy for me to get sucked in. They seem to focus more on individuals in the show. Psychohistory is a big plot point, though.
Glad to hear it. I don't know how they could even show some of the kinds of things he wrote about. I suppose it's stuff that works only through the telling, not showing. I think it needs to be grounded in characters we can invest it, with the huge sociological movements going on in the background somehow. And yeah, psychohistory—I forgot that was what he called it. Is that his own term, or just one he's using?
As far as I understand, it seems to be his own term. Real psychohistory doesn't seem to try and predict things*, whereas Asimov's psychohistory does. *Though it could potentially be used for it.
Watching it, so far I like it more than the book. I'm not an Asimov fan though. Fond of the ideas and concepts, but I wish he had used another medium. If you attempt to translate the book 'as is' into a series, you don't end up with the kind of series that hooks most of its audience. You have hardly any 'characters', the way we conceive characters, Asimov is 'infamous' for the way he 'characterises' the plot devices archetypes he needs to write his novels. To me, the version made for the Apple series has taken the right sort of 'artistic liberties'. At its core puts Asimov's ideas (his greatest strength), and makes up for what is lacking/missing in terms of characters. Visually speaking, it is a feast for the eye. I hardly see such exuberance, and some scenes are jaw dropping. They have created a unique setting, even when out there, at the god forsaken rock they are forced to be exiled. Doesn't look like your average sci-fi 'doomed lost place somewhere', it has a character, an attention to details like clothing, weapons and so on. The soundtrack by Bear McCreary is a must hear. Like a perfect mirror for the setting, but also the sort of soundtrack you can heavy rotate all you want. I was hooked at the first listen (and I'm always into music, it's a very, very good soundtrack). On Psychohistory, I believe we'll get there eventually. I don't think it's so far fetched. Look up what's going on, AI coming up with solutions in ways researchers can't understand. Psychohistory probably won't be made by humans with pen and paper. Why not machines created by another machines, way more intelligent than us, without our reasoning flaws and limitations (including self imposed limitations due to cultural bias), finding a way somehow to come up with an equivalent of Psychohistory.
Season two is underway. But I have the same issue as with most tv shows, I barely remember what it was all about because it was so long ago I watched season one. Enjoying season two nonetheless.
I slogged most of the way through the trilogy, and the show was not as drab and dark as the books depict places. Which I found interesting. So visually its incredible. I didn't remember spending any time with the emperor, but Asimov has a bit of hard to get into writing style. So I kinda liked grit of the book, but also the odd flamboyance of the show.
