'Isaac Asimov Meets Dune' Series On Apple TV Is The First Sci-Fi Show Of Its Kind

Published Oct 15, 2026, 7:45 AM EDT

Mary Kassel is a Senior Writer & Critic who joined the Screen Rant team in 2023. 

After graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production, Kassel started at Screen Rant with a focus on the critical analysis side of movies and television while continuing to work on set in film production. 

At Screen Rant, Kassel primarily writes for the Classic TV section, mining their encyclopedic knowledge of television history for content. However, they also contribute to the Books team and review both film and television as a critic. 

Isaac Asimov is one of the biggest names in science fiction writing, and for good reason. The author of some of the most influential additions to the genre, like I, Robot and The End of Eternity​​​​​, Asimov changed the way many audiences engage with sci-fi. It's not a surprise that there have been many attempts to adapt his writing for movies and TV, and that these works have been just as groundbreaking.

Dune was ahead of its time, which is a large part of what makes the modern film adaptations so popular and resonant with audiences today. However, Dune's popularity in the cinematic sphere is far from the only example of how well science fiction is brought to life onscreen. Streaming services, particularly Apple TV, have proven that sci-fi works well on TV, especially when showrunners are tasked with bringing iconic novel series to life.

Thanks to the recent television adaptation, Foundation has become Asimov's best-known science fiction series. Foundation breaks storytelling rules, surprising the audience at every turn. Redefining what it means for a series to be considered a space opera, Foundation is visually and narratively at the cutting edge of speculative fiction on television. While Asimov's text has a lot to do with Foundation's success, the series proves itself worthy of adapting Asimov's work.

Foundation Is The Only Isaac Asimov Adaptation That's Truly Great

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There have been several attempts to translate Asimov's complex worlds to film and television, but all pale in comparison to Foundation. The only adaptation that's a TV show instead of a movie; it makes sense that the expanded structure of a series would give Foundation the chance to shine. Apple TV's sci-fi eras have come to define the streaming service, but it's likely that Foundation will have the most longevity.

Since Foundation season 3 ended with a bang, it's going to be tough to wait for season 4, which has no official release date yet. There's no other science fiction series currently airing that's tackling a story as rich and expansive as Foundation. It makes sense that Asimov's text is frequently compared to the Dune novel series, but the television take on Foundation transcends its format and should be considered a defining sci-fi project of the 21st century.

Foundation Still Isn't Entirely Faithful To Asimov's Books

With any book series as complex and detailed as Asimov's Foundation series, it would be impossible to bring every single element of the text to life onscreen. When adapting any work of literary fiction for television, there will be some casualties, whether that be in the plot or characterization. Before Foundation premiered on Apple TV, it was famously considered near-unfilmable, so Foundation made some alterations to the structure of the story and the way the otherworldly elements work.

Asimov has hundreds of pages to explain the limits and rules of psychohistory. However, the TV show must condense this into a more accessible format so the audience can understand the narrative. Additionally, some updates were made to give characters who deserve more development a chance to shine. Gaal is a character who gets a much larger role in the show than in the books. Her character was originally a man and very minor in the novel, but she takes center stage in the series.

Every season of Foundation has seen the series grow in confidence and skill in its storytelling. At this point, Foundation has cultivated enough trust and goodwill with the audience to experiment with some of Asimov's source material and craft a story that makes sense within the limitations of television. The most important thing is that Foundation stays true to the essential themes and visions of Asimov's text, and the series has proved it can do this.