Join the conversation as we discuss Foundation and Earth chapters 10, 11, and 12 which is to say, the entirety of Part IV: Solaria. I began our description of S3E18, with "You know what? Solaria is weird." And here we are again on Solaria. It's been twelve millennia and in the meantime, they've really leaned into the weirdness. The Solarians have been busy genetically engineering themselves into the quintessential Spacers. They've gone so far as to grow their own Tesla coils inside their...

In this episode, we talk about Chapters 7, 8, and 9 of Foundation and Earth, "Leaving Comporellon," "Forbidden World," and "Facing the Pack." I've largely stopped bothering with the spoiler warnings, but I'm going to spoiler enough in this episode description to warrant one. If you want to discover things as you read and you haven't read these chapters yet, you know what to do. Tau Ceti is the nearest "sun-like star" to Earth that isn't in a multiple-star system and so it's been a frequent...

We talk about chapters 4 to 6 of Foundation and Earth. There's almost a framing sequence for this part of Foundation and Earth, "On Comporellon," "Struggle for the Ship," and "The Nature of Earth." At the outset, Trevize had bulldozed his way onto Comporellon by implying that Bliss and Pelorat are involved in illicit activities that can't be allowed to get back to the wife Pelorat does not have. By the end, it's Trevize who's plied a woman for information and favors with his masculine...

We're diving into Foundation and Earth with Chapters 1 through 3. The story so far: When last we checked in, Golan Trevize had deduced that the ultimate answer to the ultimate question of Life, The Interregnum, and Everything was "Galaxia" and not "The Seldon Plan" or "42" as we had previously been led to believe. But still, he has his doubts. Like a proper mathematics student, he's uncomfortable unless he can show his work. And so, he and his two ape-descended companions, Pelorat...

It's our final podcast on Foundation's Edge as we discuss chapters 17 to 20! My Mom, an unabashed fan of Joseph Campbell, frequently counseled me to "find my bliss." I think I've done pretty well. Collectively, though, we may have found our Bliss as we reach the closing chapters of our novel, "Gaia," "Collision," "Decision," and "Conclusion." Our heroes have arrived at Gaia, and all our principal characters are on the scene. Stuff is finally happening! This is as action-packed as an...

We talk about chapters 13 through 16 of Foundation's Edge. We're finally up to the episode where we reveal that Apple TV's Foundation has been renewed for season 3! Not exactly ripped from the headlines. Also, the Great and Glorious Az wants us to know that, like spaceships, other planets have their own distinctive odors. ⁠It's true!⁠ Captain Kirk could have faced the Gorn on the Moon as astronauts tell us that moondust smells like gunpowder. The atmospheres of Venus and Mars contain...

Dateline – Terminus: It's sweet that you guys noticed that we hadn't commented on the news about Apple TV's Foundation being renewed for Season 3! But that isn't exactly what happened; we did, in fact, talk about it on S5E04. Unfortunately, we've all been super busy and the post-production train has a metaphorical Bishop's Claw on the tracks. Believe me, you don't want to mess with one of those. That episode will be out in a couple of days. But when the news about David Goyer and his...

In which we discuss chapters 9 through 12 of Foundation's Edge. Thanks to Avengers: Endgame lots of people know what the end of a chess game is called. This section of Foundation's Edge which includes the chapters "Hyperspace," "Table," "Sayshell," and "Agent" is much more like the beginning of a chess game, which is called the "opening." That's not nearly as evocative a title. It's mainly about shifting the pieces around in hopes that something will happen. And that's what's going on here...

In S5E02 we talk about chapters 5 through 8 of Foundation's Edge. We're about 40% of the way into the book now and we're still introducing characters! This section introduces us to the Second Foundation including Stor Gendibal, Delora Delarmi, and First Speaker Quindor Shandass, and shows us that the Speakers' Table is a raucous affair. We also meet Sura Novi, a Trantorian farm woman who becomes important to Gendibal. We're also treated to an Asenion chain of reasoning describing how Janov...

Welcome to our season 5 premiere in which we talk about the first four chapters of Foundation's Edge! Hello, True Believer! We're back! Again. And we're ready to dive into season five! You might recall the beginning of Season 3 when we made a pronouncement like this one. "On the Stars End Podcast, Foundation canon is represented by two separate, yet equally important kinds of seasons" the odd-numbered seasons, which discuss Asimov’s writings, and the even-numbered seasons that talk about...

After recording weekly throughout Foundation on Apple TV+'s second season, we needed our own interregnum as we rebuilt the galaxy. We can't wait to show you our spiffy new water clock! But we're back! In our next episode, we launch season 5 of Stars End discussing the first four chapters of Foundation's Edge! But that's not the main event right now! You voted! We listened! Join us as we bring you the Second Semi Semi Septennial Hari Awards to cap off an excellent season, not just for...

Join us! It's our overview of Apple TV's Foundation Season 2 in the penultimate episode of Stars End's Fourth Season! There's still so much we don't know! Will Demerzel hunt down and kill Dawn, Sereth, and the baby? Who gave Hari a living body and why? Will Tellum emerge from the Aether to become the Mule? Did anybody remember to erase all the incest in C-17's brain when they woke up his pickle? Is the Prime Radiant becoming sentient? Just how many Hari's are there in a conspiracy,...

What a wild ride that was! This time we're talking about the season finale of AppleTV+'s Foundation, "Creation Myths!" Haven't seen it? Go! Watch it! Now! We'll be here when you're done! Then you can join us for the excitement! Not everybody gets out of this one alive! There are beginnings and endings, twists and turns, conclusions and preludes! Everything a great finale needs! And don't go away after this episode! Foundation season 2 might have concluded but we still have two more...

Hoo, boy do we go on about Foundation, S2E09, "Long Ago, Not Far Away" In this one! We're joined by Special Guest, Morgan, aka @AsimovPosting on the Dead Bird App. The Stars End Podcast! This time, 42% longer and with 10% real fruit juice! Jon had the right idea, the only way to summarize this one is to watch the entire thing! So go watch it! Now! Otherwise, you know, spoiler alert and all that! But, let's at least whet your appetite! We get a big chunk of back story for Danee... er......

“If the Podcast Can’t Put its Thumb on the Scale, What’s the Point of Having a Thumb?” I don’t know, but l do know that we talk about Foundation, S2E08, "The Last Empress" in this episode! Just who is "The Last Empress?" In the real world, Roxanne Dawson deserves the gig! She directed the best two episodes of season one and with this outing, she’s outdone herself! Could it be Enjoinder Rue? That would require a complicated plan involving Brother Dusk, a time machine, and a bottle of Focus...

We're joined by friend of the show, Travis Johnson, as we talk about Foundation, S2E07, "A Necessary Death." That title sure sounds dreary so it's hard to believe that it's attached to an episode that's just so compulsively watchable! This episode is so compulsively watchable that no fewer than three characters IN the show are themselves watching the show. And that's last week's episode! It's so compulsively watchable that next week's episode is rumored to consist of nothing but characters...

We discuss Foundation, S2E06 "Why The Gods Made Wine.” We hope that we haven’t spoiled you with all the great guests lately, but this week it’s back to just the three of us muddling along. And speaking of spoiling, as always, we’re working on the assumption that if you’re listening you’ve watched the episode. It’s up to you, but if you don’t want the latest episode of Foundation to be as spoiled as a swig of sour milk you know what to do! If you were hoping for a Hari-centric episode you...

"The Whole Point of the Podcast is that the Future Isn't Set in Stone" in which we discuss Foundation, S2E05 "The Sighted and the Seen" This week media analyst, Fordham professor, and Renaissance human Paul Levinson joins the conversation! That Beatles reference below, Paul? That's for you. Here's the usual spoiler warning. If you haven't, go watch the episode. We'll be here. Foundation, Season 2 seems to be leaning even harder on comic relief and sexy time than it had been. Still, the...

In which we talk about Foundation, S2E04 "Where the Stars are Scattered Thinly." We're joined this week by Joel McKinnon, host of Seldon Crisis, another excellent Foundation Podcast! As the season slows down a bit to focus on some of the significant plotlines we get the closest thing to a special Valentine's Day episode that this show could possibly do. Meanwhile, Gaal, as the narrator, tells us repeatedly that "Psychohistory does not give a damn about how you monkeys hook up." I'm...

In which we discuss Foundation, S2E03 "King and Commoner." It's an episode for old friends! Remember Bel Riose from Foundation and Empire? We finally get to meet him in the AppleTV+ universe and he's refreshingly like his counterpart from the source material, steadfast and impressive. We also meet Hober Mallow who maybe has a sprinkling of his namesake from the book but appears to be a mashup of several other characters including a big dollop of the Outrageous Okona from Star Trek: The...

We talk about Foundation S2E02 "A Glimpse of Darkness." A general, a priest, and a warlord walk into a bar. The priest says, "If you thought the season premiere of Foundation had a lot going on, buckle up!" The second episode, "A Glimpse of Darkness," zips by at a breakneck pace! Join us for the conversation! As always, there are lots and lots of spoilers. You have been warned! If you haven't seen the episode, watch it now or dive right in! It's up to you! This one has it all! Lightning!...

“In Seldons Shadow” One of the things you can say about Foundation the TeeVee series is that they throw down one hell of a season premiere! And this one is fresh! It’s like a brand new TV show that isn’t a brand new TV show.  Let’s talk about it! It’s up to you, of course, but there are spoilers-a-plenty for Foundation, S2E01, “In the Shadow of Seldon” here.  If you don’t want anything spoiled, run right over to the nearest screen and watch the episode! We’ll be here when you’re...

Well, The First Interregnum has ended. Season 2 of Apple TV+s Foundation is just three days away. The goal for our season 3 was to make the gap between the TeeVee seasons seem to fly by quickly! We hope it seemed like less than 30,000 years! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with us! That's the raison d'être for season 4 of Stars End, we'll be recording weekly for the duration, bringing you the best analysis of each episode of the Apple TV+ program as it airs as quickly as humanly...

I podcast, therefore I am. Or is it, "I podcast, therefore I philosophize?" If you've listened to some of our recent episodes, you might think it's the latter as recently we're delved into topics like free will and pondered whether there's an objective morality beyond things that we might be programmed with, like societal norms or the Three Laws of Robotics. Well, if you like that stuff, you'll love this episode! There's a new book out called Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy (AF&P), a...