Foundation, by Isaac Asimov

I started the Foundation series when the first season dropped. Then I watched the second one but I got completely stuck on the second episode of season three. It felt like I just was not in the right headspace to keep up with all the intense action and the heavy political intrigue of the story.

After a considerable break I went back to that third season and I guess the timing was finally right because it absolutely blew my mind. I was so incredibly impressed that by the time the finale rolled around I found myself clapping alone in my house at 3 AM completely thrilled that I had correctly guessed the direction the story was heading.

Immediately after that, I started digging around to see exactly which book the show left off at so I could continue the journey in print. I honestly have zero patience to wait years for another season especially considering those first three seasons cover the first three books published by Isaac Asimov. A fourth season has not even been confirmed yet.

That is when I discovered that the TV series does not exactly follow the books. It respects the source material only to a small degree and reading them actually transports you into an almost parallel universe compared to what played out on the screen. Asimov built a massive world focusing on the inevitable fall of a Galactic Empire and the fascinating concept of psycho-history which is a fictional science blending history sociology and mathematical statistics to predict the behavior of massive populations. Since the original stories were written way back in the 1940s, they focus far more on grand philosophical ideas rather than standard character drama. I ordered the books right away and I practically devoured the first one the exact same day the courier delivered them.

The plot really does branch out in different directions. Reading the books massively enriches the whole experience of the series, offering deep layers of detail and exploring fascinating avenues the TV producers never even touched.

I highly recommend giving them a read. Reading has that wonderful and unique benefit of stimulating your imagination and calming your restless thoughts right when the day finally settles down and natural sunlight is replaced by the warm artificial glow of your own little sanctuary.

Here is the link to the Foundation collection published by Paladin: Foundation | Foundation and The Empire | Second Foundation.

Petru Stratulat

Radio Personality, Voice Actor & Puppeteer in love with Science.
Experience: Radio – Europa FM, Radio Guerrilla, Radio Deea | TV – Kanal D2 | Puppeteer – Lightwave Theatre Company

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