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Apple TV+ has done a remarkable job with the show, Foundation, which is based on novel series of the same name by sci-fi maestro Isaac Asimov. The TV series is an attempt to re-envision Asimov's original work, adding new characters and never-before elements to original ideas. The series is different from Asimov's written works in presentation and form.
Foundation, the TV series, borrows the premises of psychohistory and the fall of a galactic empire, but otherwise diverges from the books. Asimov novels are idea-driven, episodic, and cerebral, while the series tries to bank on continuity, recurring characters, interpersonal conflicts, and emotional stakes.
Let's talk about the most significant deviations!
How close is Foundation TV series to the books?
The million-dollar question is: How close is the Foundation TV show to the books? The answer is: not very. Asimov's Foundation novels began as a collection of short stories, with decades or centuries between them. Each new work seemed like a new episode with new characters. The TV show bypasses the episodic structure and incorporates central characters throughout the story arcs.
These characters are revealed by techniques such as cryosleep, cloning, and holographic projections. This is a radical departure from the books, where characters are gone after a particular storyline is over. The shift was perhaps needed because the TV show required emotional continuity, while the books worked with bigger ideas and fewer personal backstories.
Structural and narrative shifts
One of the stark differences between Foundation the television series and Foundation the book series lies in storytelling. The books are laden with intellectual argument, political intrigue, and the gradual build-up of the Foundation over centuries. There is little physical action as psychohistory predicts horrific social movements.
Conversely, the television series employs linear storytelling that has dramatic pacing and is laced with intense tension. Contrary to being borne along multiple generations, the viewer sees a couple of characters in depth. The time leaps remain, but they are filled with bridging devices such as recurring antagonists and family relations. This is more television-friendly, though distanced from the original work.
Character developments and introductions
Some of the major differences between the books and the television series are character-based. In Asimov's books, the idea came first, and the characters were in sync with it. The television series does the reverse; characters drive the show.
Gaal Dornick, in the original books, existed as a young male mathematician and existed only in the pilot storyline. The TV series reimagines Gaal as female, significantly increases her presence, and turns her into a series-long main character.
Salvor Hardin, the initial mayor of Terminus in the books, was a male character. Salvor is portrayed as female in the show, with a personal and emotional storyline.
Demerzel, Asimov's robot and supporting character of his greater universe, is accorded larger importance in the series and is recreated as female.
The Cleon dynasty is entirely new. For every book in Asimov's series, the Emperor was a different person. For the show, there is the twist that comes with the cloned leaders - Brother Dawn, Brother Day, and Brother Dusk - and there are issues created about leadership and identity that were not needed in the original material.
While Foundation the show is character driven, and Foundation the books were laregely idea-driven.
Themes and tone
The tone of Foundation the TV series is quite distinct. In his books, Asimov's focus was cerebral. Themes were centered on the inevitability of history, the predictability of mass human action, and the equilibrium of science and politics. The dialogic prose has characters arguing strategy rather than engaging in physical fights all too often.
There is spectacle in the show. Space action, philosophical betrayal, Machiavellian plotting, and clash of ideas are all presented with visual flair. Personal drama take precedence over philosophical ideas, and the show is more like a space opera epic than an explanation of philosophy.
The shift doesn't entirely eliminate Asimov's concerns. Rather, it justifies them for television audiences. The Foundation TV series talks of determinism and free will, but does so through people's conflicts and not in an abstract manner.
Technology and world-building
Foundation also varies in its representation of technology and world-building. Asimov wrote the books in the 1940s and 1950s. He employed psychology, mathematics, and politics as the main driving factors. Starships did exist, but their physics were never described.
The television series fills in the gaps from the books with the following:
* Jump drives, which show instantaneous travel between galaxies.
* Aura shields to defend the emperor.
* Spacers are constructed to compute courses in space.
* Visual beauty in palaces, temples, and scenery.
These additions comprise an attempt to make Foundation on TV look like a complete universe with definite settings, and far removed from the stark, idea-based universe of the books.
Reception and criticism
In comparing how true to the novels the Foundation TV series is, reactions are mixed. Some critics have noted how the series deviates from the novels, stating it does not capture Asimov's work at its heart.
The most common grouse is that the series trades intellectual depth in order to be a special effects-loaded potboiler. Supporters note that television demands emotion and that Asimov's storytelling structure would be less effective for television.
Ultimately, the TV series is less a translation than an adaptation. The makers have taken Asimov's work and and tried to interpret the story as they deemed it effective for the screen.
So, how close is the TV series to the books? The short answer is that it maintains the overall premise. The show's storyline captures the downfall of the Galactic Empire, the brilliance of the important character Hari Seldon, and the quest to save knowledge. However, the show differs widely in structure, characters, tone, and its concept of world-building.
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The books are idea-driven, episodic, and cerebral, while the series is continuous, emotional, and focused on visuals. They are set in the same universe but are worlds apart.
Also read: Foundation Season 3 Episode 7: Release date news, time, streaming details and more
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