Yeah, and while not licensed, Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury goes into it rather in-depth as well.
Sony Pictures Has bought "Foundation"
- Thread starter Admiral_Young
- Start date
People can have free will and be predictable at the same time. 
Carbon Copy is correct that the lack of scientific/technological progress can be finessed for the original trilogy. Still the Foundation was explicitly stated to advance and the Second Foundation naturally had its mental science (and the Prime Radiant too.) But this issue overlaps with the nature of an interstellar empire, with its logistics. The notion of a planet full of paperpushers for an imperial bureaucracy will seem odd to alert viewers in internet age.
Like so much science fiction, the Foundation trilogy has a distinct anti-science cast to it. The threat posed by scientific understanding of humanity to its illusions (including most versions of free will) are indeed a major concern. As Asimov became more successful, he wrote the sequels to elevate "free will," in the absurd form of Golan Trevize's supernatural intuition. Foundation of course was written by a younger man, with much less amour propre to lose, still influenced by such gigantic events as the Great Depression and WWII.
Like so much science fiction, the Foundation trilogy has a distinct anti-science cast to it. The threat posed by scientific understanding of humanity to its illusions (including most versions of free will) are indeed a major concern. As Asimov became more successful, he wrote the sequels to elevate "free will," in the absurd form of Golan Trevize's supernatural intuition. Foundation of course was written by a younger man, with much less amour propre to lose, still influenced by such gigantic events as the Great Depression and WWII.
People can have free will and be predictable at the same time.
Yeah, just look at George Lucas!
*ducks*
I'd like to point out that Will Smith's "I, Robot" was not a true adaptation of Asimov's story. It was originally written as a screen-play called "Hardwired".. Only very late in the pre-production process did the screenplay writer include the Three Laws of Robotics, add more action, and slap that name on it, likely to secure more funding for the movie.
But it was never written as a true adaptation of Asimov's book. The finished screen-play was ultimately inspired by it, but that's really as far as it goes.
No kidding. I was really disappointed.
^^ Yeah, I was not impressed by I, Robot.
People can have free will and be predictable at the same time.
Yeah, just look at George Lucas!
I'd love to see this done right, but yeah, the last few Asimov adaptations have really gone for the blockbuster effects and not the somber reading at all. Actually, I think with this vast amount of material, Foundation might be better served as a premium tv show where the lower budget forces its stock and trade to be about the story and not the high tech in your face 3d appeal crap.
^^ I agree. That's why I advocate the Masterpiece Theater approach.
