If you are interested in search engine optimization at all, you may have read some of my articles at SEO Theory. There are a few articles where I mention science fiction and fantasy, but in particular I made sure to mention Asimov's Foundation books and the character Hari Seldon (a Psychohistorian) in the articles Swarm Theory and Web Communities and Using Swarm Theory to Balance Viral Propaganda.
Today, I stumbled across this Discover Magazine blog post that mentioned this economist's blog and this philosopher's blog where both mention Asimov and Seldon's influences on them.
So count me in good company. I feel no shame in comparing my theoretical work in understanding Web search dynamics to the work of others in fields as disparate as economics, politics, and philosophy.
Psychohistory, in Asimov's books, is an esoteric mathematicaly discipline that seeks to quantify the behaviors of large groups sufficiently predict trends in group behaviors (allowing for occasional identification of pivotal actions with iconic individuals). In other words, Hari Seldon invents a branch of mathematics that is used to predict future trends so reliably that a 1,000-year-long plan to reshape galactic politics is put in place before Seldon dies.
Some people have actually attempted to develop a science of psychohistory.
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Showing posts with label isaac asimov. Show all posts
Showing posts with label isaac asimov. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Isaac Asimov video - Changes in post-1949 science fiction
ABOUT SF, an online resource center maintained by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, has a YouTube Channel and they uploaded a snippet from a lecture by or interview with Isaac Asimov a couple of years ago. Sadly, the video doesn't seem to have been viewed very many times.
Feel free to increase their viewcount by watching the video here.
There are currently 8 videos on the YouTube channel. It would be a shame if no more will be uploaded. You can watch Damon Knight and Forrest J. Ackerman and Asimov talk about science fiction in the old days. Knight covers the history of science fiction from "Wells to the pulps".
Check it out.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
Feel free to increase their viewcount by watching the video here.
There are currently 8 videos on the YouTube channel. It would be a shame if no more will be uploaded. You can watch Damon Knight and Forrest J. Ackerman and Asimov talk about science fiction in the old days. Knight covers the history of science fiction from "Wells to the pulps".
Check it out.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
CBC audience picks "Top Ten SF Authors"
It never fails to amaze me how well "old school" science fiction authors do in these surveys, but that does lead me to wonder who votes in the surveys.
CBC Books announced Top 10 Science Fiction Writers (as chosen by you) on October 1 and the top three writers were Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Sawyer.
Unlike Herbert and Asimov, Sawyer is still very much among us and writing. Most of the writers in the list are dead. We'll probably see no more books from them, except the occasional posthumous publication of early works (such as Roger Zelazny and J.R.R. Tolkien.
On the one hand, I'm glad to see writers whose works I have enjoyed throughout my life remain popular, but I'm also very conscious of the fact that some generations hang on to habits that are not passed on to others. It would be nice to see one of these "top ten" surveys publish some demographic data.
An author's true impact can only be measured by the number of generations that admire his work. That is why William Shakespeare remains one of the top-selling and among the most admired of all authors in the English language -- there are people who truly appreciate his creativity and writing. His plays go on and on.
Some writers you would probably never read if you were not required to do so in high school and college. I would consider academic critical longevity to be both a sign of success and failure. It marks success because what you wrote rises above so many other potential works that could be used to teach literature. It marks failure if people only remember you because they had to read your books in high school or college.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
CBC Books announced Top 10 Science Fiction Writers (as chosen by you) on October 1 and the top three writers were Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Sawyer.
Unlike Herbert and Asimov, Sawyer is still very much among us and writing. Most of the writers in the list are dead. We'll probably see no more books from them, except the occasional posthumous publication of early works (such as Roger Zelazny and J.R.R. Tolkien.
On the one hand, I'm glad to see writers whose works I have enjoyed throughout my life remain popular, but I'm also very conscious of the fact that some generations hang on to habits that are not passed on to others. It would be nice to see one of these "top ten" surveys publish some demographic data.
An author's true impact can only be measured by the number of generations that admire his work. That is why William Shakespeare remains one of the top-selling and among the most admired of all authors in the English language -- there are people who truly appreciate his creativity and writing. His plays go on and on.
Some writers you would probably never read if you were not required to do so in high school and college. I would consider academic critical longevity to be both a sign of success and failure. It marks success because what you wrote rises above so many other potential works that could be used to teach literature. It marks failure if people only remember you because they had to read your books in high school or college.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Asimov's Foundation universe coming to the silver screen
Roland Emmerich will be producing a film adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation. Now, the Foundation books started out as a trilogy (or maybe just one book that grew into a trilogy) but Asimov went on to write other books.
In fact, he fleshed out the history of the Galactic Empire that collapses during the Foundation period in several other books. I have long recommended to people that they read these books before embarking upon a read of Foundation and the other books.
The End of Eternity tells about a time management bureau that exists outside of the normal timestream. Its purpose is to protect humanity but one of its agents comes to learn the disturbing truth about how well Eternity benefits humankind. He makes a choice that ultimately leads to the rise of the Galactic Empire.
The Stars, Like Dust is set maybe a thousand years in the future, when Mankind has begun colonizing the stars. The idea of a galactic imperium is just an ambitious dream at this point.
The Currents of Space takes place just prior to the formation of the Galactic Empire. The events of the story unfold on a planet that still exists in "free" space, outside the gigantic Trantorian empire. Trantor, the most powerful planet in the galaxy, lies near the galactic core and controls about half the galaxy at this point.
Pebble In The Sky takes place on Earth about 50,000 years in the future and some 800 years after the Trantorian empire has become the Galactic Empire. This story features a brief episode of time travel but doesn't seem to be directly related to The End of Eternity.
Foundation opens when the Galactic Empire is about 12,000 years old. The second book in the trilogy is Foundation and Empire and the third book is Second Foundation. The Doubleday Book Club used to sell the entire trilogy as a single bound volume (that was how I read these books).
We have a Foundation WorldFAQ explaining the Foundation Trilogy and other books in the series at Xenite.Org. The WorldFAQ has not been updated in several years but the time may be nearing when we should do that.
BTW -- I did not like how Asimov took the series toward the end. He wanted the galaxy to develop a mass consciousness and that prospect was just so depressing to me I could never read the series again. I've been told that Greg Bear's sequels try to ameliorate the situation but I really felt betrayed by Asimov's conclusion.
Still, all that aside, I'm looking forward to seeing the Roland Emmerich movie(s). I'm a big fan of his regardless of what his critics may say.
Oh -- before I forget. Speaking of The End of Eternity, Vince Gerardis will be making an "End of Eternity" movie too. I don't see any way for the two movies to coordinate anything between them, but that would actually be kind of cool if they did.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
In fact, he fleshed out the history of the Galactic Empire that collapses during the Foundation period in several other books. I have long recommended to people that they read these books before embarking upon a read of Foundation and the other books.
- The End of Eternity
- The Stars, Like Dust
- The Currents of Space
- Pebble In The Sky
The End of Eternity tells about a time management bureau that exists outside of the normal timestream. Its purpose is to protect humanity but one of its agents comes to learn the disturbing truth about how well Eternity benefits humankind. He makes a choice that ultimately leads to the rise of the Galactic Empire.
The Stars, Like Dust is set maybe a thousand years in the future, when Mankind has begun colonizing the stars. The idea of a galactic imperium is just an ambitious dream at this point.
The Currents of Space takes place just prior to the formation of the Galactic Empire. The events of the story unfold on a planet that still exists in "free" space, outside the gigantic Trantorian empire. Trantor, the most powerful planet in the galaxy, lies near the galactic core and controls about half the galaxy at this point.
Pebble In The Sky takes place on Earth about 50,000 years in the future and some 800 years after the Trantorian empire has become the Galactic Empire. This story features a brief episode of time travel but doesn't seem to be directly related to The End of Eternity.
Foundation opens when the Galactic Empire is about 12,000 years old. The second book in the trilogy is Foundation and Empire and the third book is Second Foundation. The Doubleday Book Club used to sell the entire trilogy as a single bound volume (that was how I read these books).
We have a Foundation WorldFAQ explaining the Foundation Trilogy and other books in the series at Xenite.Org. The WorldFAQ has not been updated in several years but the time may be nearing when we should do that.
BTW -- I did not like how Asimov took the series toward the end. He wanted the galaxy to develop a mass consciousness and that prospect was just so depressing to me I could never read the series again. I've been told that Greg Bear's sequels try to ameliorate the situation but I really felt betrayed by Asimov's conclusion.
Still, all that aside, I'm looking forward to seeing the Roland Emmerich movie(s). I'm a big fan of his regardless of what his critics may say.
Oh -- before I forget. Speaking of The End of Eternity, Vince Gerardis will be making an "End of Eternity" movie too. I don't see any way for the two movies to coordinate anything between them, but that would actually be kind of cool if they did.
SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.
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