Television: Season Two of Foundation

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Poster for season two of Foundation. (Apple TV+)

If you are not watching Foundation on Apple TV+, I recommend you give it a try. Season two begins today.

We need it during a summer with very few if any films touching on space fantasies (without Marvel or DC Comics superheros). The season two trailer will show you what is in store this season, but you need to start from the beginning with season one. You do not want to miss a minute of this series.

The Foundation television series is a cross between Dune and Game of Thrones, with plenty of corrupt dynasties, rebel alliances, and moral dilemmas. However, you should not expect it to closely track Issac Asimov’s books. It deviates from and expands on the themes from the books, but this television story is its own creature. You should enjoy the book and television series separately.

Back in 2021, Belen Edwards wrote a good piece for Mashable called “How Apple TV’s ‘Foundation’ is different from the books.” You will not need it if you are new to the overall story or willing to trust Apple TV+ to give you a good show, but if you are curious about the variations on a theme then this will satisfy that itch.

I am just happy that we have a summer space blockbuster to keep us satisfied. And it is a welcome addition to the constant renewal of Star Trek and Star Wars series. Don’t get me wrong. I want all of it. But Asimov’s universe is another great place to travel if only to better understand the world back here.

Podcast/Book Review: Jesuits Find an Exoplanet to Explore

Posted on by onespaceman2000

If you are looking for a new podcast as well as a new book, the two come together via the podcast Alienating the Audience. Comedian Andrew Heaton and his buddies have plenty of fun poking various science fiction topics, including Star Wars and Star Trek.

One of the recent episodes discussed a new book, The Sparrow, by author Mary Doria Russell. The story is about a group of Jesuits exploring a new planet with all of the mayhem that follows.

Here is a quick summary from the book itself:

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

You can listen for yourself to this episode here at Jesuits in Space. But be careful, because there are a number of spoilers. You can always start with the book first, which is part of a series.

Credit: Ballantine Books

Disney Drops Out of the Star Wars Hotel Business

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Promotional photo for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. (Disney)

Earlier I wrote about the high cost of attending a new Star Wars-themed hotel at Disney World in Florida. Well, the experiment has run its course and the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience will officially end September 30, 2023. You still have time to blow a bundle of money on this should that be your thing.

Who knew that there was a limited number of American families willing to pay up to $6,000 for an immersive Star Wars experience? Of course, it seemed a little extreme from day one.

I remember attending the Star Trek experience in Las Vegas at the Hilton hotel many years ago. The show was less than an hour, but it was also an immersive experience that ended with dinner at Quark’s Bar. You could have fund without taking a second mortgage on the house.

Sometimes simple can be better.

Note: I would not be surprised to see a version of this Star Wars hotel opens in Saudi Arabia or Dubai in the near future. They seem like a more appropriate locations for an over-the-top hotel bill.

Movies: The Return of Star Wars Films

Posted on by onespaceman2000

While The Mandalorian and Andor have does a nice job filling in the gap between Star Wars movies, three new film projects are now in the works. But we are not looking at another trilogy, or a trilogy of trilogies. Instead, the three films with three different directors will cover different periods in the Star Wars saga.

Here is how it was broken out by StarWars.com:

  • The film directed by James Mangold will “…go back to the dawn of the Jedi”;
  • The film directed by Dave Filoni will “…focus on the New Republic,” with tie-ins to the various TV series covering that period; and
  • The film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will “…be set after the events of Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” and include the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey.

This sounds a lot like a bunch of Rogue One films that try to carve out an interesting piece from the original nine-film series, which is fine with me if it is done properly. So far the TV series spin-offs have been successful about half of the time, so there is a risk that the Star Wars name is not enough. Then again, I would rather see an attempt at more Star Wars then the current batch of superhero films.