“The Man Who Upset the Universe” by Isaac Asimov. Ace F-216 (1963). Cover art by Robert E. Schulz.
From the back cover:
WAS HE MERELY INHUMAN – OR TRULY SUPER-HUMAN?
“The Thousand-Year-Planners had it all neatly figured out. So many decades to set up their strongholds, so many centuries for the dying Galactic Empire to collapse, so many more years for it to be replaced by a new and better universal democracy. They thought they had the future all set.
“And then came the man known as The Mule – a mutant genius, a cosmic Napoleon who upset all their calculations, outwitted all their fine maneuvers, and was hellbent to set up a new and tougher despotism on the still smoldering planets of the old.
“The fate of humanity’s next 30,000 years hung in the balance when the men and women of the Foundation faced THE MAN WHO UPSET THE UNIVERSE.”
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“The Man Who Upset the Universe” is a variant of “Foundation and Empire” (1952), the second novel in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. The Foundation series is hailed as one of the most influential works in science fiction. Spanning seven books published between 1951 and 1993, the series explores the concept of psychohistory, a fictional science that combines mathematics, sociology, and history to predict the future of large populations. The story follows mathematician Hari Seldon, who foresees the fall of the Galactic Empire and establishes the Foundation to preserve knowledge and minimize the period of chaos.
The series is significant because it introduced grand ideas about civilization, determinism, and the cyclical nature of history. It has inspired countless authors, filmmakers, and even real-world discussions about predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.
Apple TV+ took creative liberties with Asimov’s work in adapting his novels. While it draws from the original Foundation trilogy, it also incorporates elements from later books and expands character arcs that were less developed in the novels. The adaptation introduces new perspectives and modern storytelling techniques, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences while maintaining the essence of Asimov's vision. Nevertheless, the Apple TV series didn’t sit well with every fan.
[Sources: Mashable.com, and ScreenRant.com]
“The Man Who Upset the Universe” by Isaac Asimov. Ace F-216 (1963). Cover art by Robert E. Schulz.
From the back cover:
WAS HE MERELY INHUMAN – OR TRULY SUPER-HUMAN?
“The Thousand-Year-Planners had it all neatly figured out. So many decades to set up their strongholds, so many centuries for the dying Galactic Empire to collapse, so many more years for it to be replaced by a new and better universal democracy. They thought they had the future all set.
“And then came the man known as The Mule – a mutant genius, a cosmic Napoleon who upset all their calculations, outwitted all their fine maneuvers, and was hellbent to set up a new and tougher despotism on the still smoldering planets of the old.
“The fate of humanity’s next 30,000 years hung in the balance when the men and women of the Foundation faced THE MAN WHO UPSET THE UNIVERSE.”
----------------------------------------------
“The Man Who Upset the Universe” is a variant of “Foundation and Empire” (1952), the second novel in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. The Foundation series is hailed as one of the most influential works in science fiction. Spanning seven books published between 1951 and 1993, the series explores the concept of psychohistory, a fictional science that combines mathematics, sociology, and history to predict the future of large populations. The story follows mathematician Hari Seldon, who foresees the fall of the Galactic Empire and establishes the Foundation to preserve knowledge and minimize the period of chaos.
The series is significant because it introduced grand ideas about civilization, determinism, and the cyclical nature of history. It has inspired countless authors, filmmakers, and even real-world discussions about predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.
Apple TV+ took creative liberties with Asimov’s work in adapting his novels. While it draws from the original Foundation trilogy, it also incorporates elements from later books and expands character arcs that were less developed in the novels. The adaptation introduces new perspectives and modern storytelling techniques, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences while maintaining the essence of Asimov's vision. Nevertheless, the Apple TV series didn’t sit well with every fan.
[Sources: Mashable.com, and ScreenRant.com]