Seldon Crisis – The Podcast (Joel McKinnon)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Seldon Crisis – The Podcast
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| 13 Oct 2023 | A Meeting at Stars End with Jon Blumenfeld | 01:46:28 | |
Jon Blumenfeld - the voice of Homir Munn in our story episodes - is one of the three hosts of Stars End, a podcast obsessively focused on the works of Isaac Asimov, particularly Foundation. They have covered the core trilogy, the prequels, and the four books in the robot series, as well as extensive coverage of the Apple TV series. Join us as we talk about the exciting second season of the show, Asimov's robots, AI, and other topics. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Guest: Jon Blumenfeld Introduction and Background
Challenges of Podcast Editing
Foundation Series: Book vs. TV Show
Character Deep Dive: Demerzel
Moments of Levity
Environmental Themes and Social Relevance
Podcasting Tips and Tricks
Closing Remarks
Stars End Podcast (website) | |||
| 12 Apr 2021 | Introducing Seldon Crisis | 00:03:54 | |
Trailer introducing Seldon Crisis – The Podcast. Summary description of the intent of the podcast and a brief description of the first few episodes. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word | |||
| 26 Jun 2022 | Star Trek and Beyond with Paul Levinson | 01:22:37 | |
A conversation with science fiction author, media scholar, and musician Paul Levinson about the history and legacy of the Star Trek franchise, including his thoughts on the latest entry to the canon, Strange New Worlds. We discuss the philosophy and technologies featured on this great series of shows, and what its ultimate legacy might be. Transcripts: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Paul Levinson online:
Video chat with Cora Buhlert and Joel McKinnon on AppleTV Foundation, Season 1 Video chat with Paul and Joel on Apple TV's Severance
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| 15 Apr 2021 | The Psychohistorians | 00:38:35 | |
Young scientist Gaal Dornick travels to the imperial capital Trantor to work with the great psychohistorian Hari Seldon. Shortly after his arrival both are arrested and stand trial for disturbing the peace, due to Seldon's predictions of imminent catastrophe for the Empire. Seldon duels with Chief Commissioner of Public Safety Linge Chen, to secure their release and lay the seeds of renaissance in a Foundation upon the distant world of Terminus. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 09 Jul 2021 | Season 1 Recap and Season 2 Preview | 00:09:50 | |
In this short episode we summarize the major characters and events of Season 1 covering the first novel, Foundation, in Isaac Asimov's seven novel epic, and tease a few of the major events to be covered in Season 2 corresponding to the novel Foundation and Empire. Also, a brief mention of the Apple TV+ upcoming TV series and a few callouts to the Foundation online community. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word If you'd like to support the show, please become a patron! Transcript: [Theme music] Welcome back dear friends, and I regret to inform you that this is not the first episode of season 2, but a mere postscript to season 1 and a quick preview of upcoming attractions. In looking back I want to say how much this has been a blast to do and I am just thrilled that there are people out there who find it worthwhile to listen. You encourage me to do my best to continue the story. Our next season will feature some amazing characters and some truly mind-blowing plot twists, but I’ll get to that in a bit. First a quick recap of the story thus far. In our first episode, The Psychohistorians, young PhD student Gaal Dornick left his home planet of Synnax and traveled to the capital of the empire, Trantor. He discovered his boss, Hari Seldon, waiting for him in his hotel room and was told the empire was due to collapse imminently, then got arrested along with him and stood trial for disturbing the peace. Seldon tricked the High Commissioner Linge Chen into sending him, Dornick, and 100,000 of his followers to the edge of the galaxy to a lonely and primitive planet named Terminus, where they were to catalog all of the knowledge of the human race into a grand Encyclopedia Galactica (or so they thought). In The Encyclopedists, we saw the fledgling colony of Terminus face its first “Seldon crisis” when the belligerent nearby system of Anacreon broke away from the Empire and threatened the Foundation with imminent annexation. The clever young Mayor of Terminus City used the Foundation’s technological advantage – chiefly the understanding of nuclear power – to convince Anacreon’s powerful neighbors to join in an alliance against them. This was the first occasion in which Hari Seldon’s recorded image appeared in The Vault, the specially designed chamber in which he would periodically provide updates on the Seldon Plan. To the horror of Lewis Pirenne and his Board of Trustees Seldon informed them that the ostensible reason for their project, the creation of the Encyclopedia, was a fraud. Their real purpose was simply to take over the galaxy. A generation later, in The Mayors we found Hardin firmly in power and facing an even more serious threat from Anacreon in the person of the wicked regent Wienis who intended to use his nephew Lepold’s coronation to launch a powerful attack upon Terminus, but again Hardin had the political skills to rise to the occasion. He had turned the knowledge of sophisticated technology and especially of nuclear science to form a false religion, and with the help of Foundation High Priest Poly Verisof, turned the tables on Wienis and brought him to a humiliating and rather messy end. Later, we took a quick side trip with smooth-talking salesman Limmar Ponyets in The Traders on a high-stakes rescue mission to the Kingdom of Askone, where the ethically-challenged protagonist used sophisticated high tech extortion to free his comrade and get the superstitious Askonians hooked on Foundation gadgetry. Still later, in The Merchant Princes, Hober Mallow dueled on the home front with the powerful politician Jorrain Sutt and on the distant planet of Korell with the tired but still greedy Commdor Asper and his well-connected but difficult wife, the Commdora Licia. He used a similar technical trick to catch the spy Jaim Twer and his faux priest Jord Parma in an act designed to undermine Mallow’s authority through character assassination. A side trip to visit an old man named Onum Barr on the unfortunate planet of Siwenna may have appeared almost incidental, but will have significant implications in our next chapter. Don’t worry – I’ll bring you up to speed when we get there. After all that whirlwind activity and so many strange names you might wonder what you really need to remember going forward. To be honest, it’s not much, and I’ll try to help with that too. For now, just keep a space for Hari Seldon, Salvor Hardin, and Hober Mallow in your memory banks. They will be referred to frequently as the legendary founding fathers of Foundation and as we march through the ages to come. While we get ready to start into the next great chapter of this epic in Season 2, the novel Foundation and Empire, I want to bring up something else that I haven’t discussed much yet, and that is the new and ambitious TV series based on Foundation to begin streaming on AppleTV+ starting on September 24th of this year. Interviews with the showrunner indicate they intend an ambitious 80 episodes! A lot of commentary in the online community has sprung up around some significant departures from the original storyline evident in the pre-release trailers, including three generations of rulers on Trantor named Brothers Dawn, Day, and Dusk (no Cleons), and a much larger role for Gaal Dornick. The latter has been cast as a female person of color, as is Salvor Hardin, who also seems to be lugging around a large weapon quite out of character for the Hardin we’ve come to know and love. In my opinion, the gender swaps and greater diversity is welcome, while some of the changes in basic plot may be a bit harder to swallow. Then again, this is the year 2021, and if it wants to succeed in capturing the imagination of today’s audience it probably needs to make some significant changes to grab the attention span of a far different audience than the one that was introduced to the original stories. I’m rooting for it to succeed and I hope it draws even more people to read the source material, and maybe even listen to this podcast! There’s getting to be a lot of buzz about the show, and this is bringing a lot of Asimov fans out of the woodwork online. I’ve already mentioned the r/asimov subthread on Reddit and a couple of others are dedicated more directly to Foundation and the upcoming TV series and I’ll link to these in the show notes. Another great place to stay caught up is my friend Luigi at his Youtube channel Foundation Era. He’s put together a string of videos analyzing the tea leaves from the limited material Apple has produced, as well as one on the Asimov Future Timeline I mentioned in episode 6. Luigi was kind enough to give Seldon Crisis a plug on his most recent video, which resulted in an enormous spike in downloads for this podcast, so t... | |||
| 25 Jul 2022 | Search by the Foundation, Part I | 00:47:35 | |
Young Arkady Darell is crazy about the history of the Foundation and her grandmother Bayta's historic duel with the Mule. When her father and friends conspire to uncover the hidden workings of the fabled Second Foundation, she finds a way to join the conspiracy by stowing away aboard a spaceship bound for the vacation planet of Kalgan along with the Foundation's foremost scholar of Muliana, Homir Munn. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler
Jon Blumenfeld
Megan Skye Hale
Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod.
Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 25 Jun 2021 | The Philosophy of Foundation with Nathaniel Goldberg | 00:53:55 | |
To finish off Season 1 of Seldon Crisis and the completion of the first book in the original trilogy, Foundation, this special episode consists of an interview with Professor of Philosophy Nathaniel Goldberg. He will discuss his long running course, Philosophy and Science Fiction, in which he asks students to compare Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy with Plato's The Republic. Professor Goldberg talks about his passion and enthusiasm for Asimov's works, including the short stories Nightfall and The Last Question, how his students react to the challenge or analyzing these great works, and the lessons he has learned from them in their essays. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Acknowledgements: Inspiration: Listener Resources: Interview callouts: Transcript: [music intro with voiceover by Nathaniel Goldberg: “Philosophy and Science-fiction have this particular thing in common and that is that they’re both really good at thought experiments” “The Galactic Empire is falling… so here’s a thought experiment... civilization is falling, what do we do?” ] Welcome to a very special episode of Seldon Crisis – The Podcast! We won’t be diving in to the first chapter of Foundation and Empire, The General quite yet, so I am sorry to disappoint you on that front. Instead, we have something of an entirely different order – an actual guest appearance by someone very familiar with Foundation and Asimov who has studied the core trilogy in depth and has some special insights to offer (without breaking our no spoiler rule). Before introducing our guest, however, I want to briefly thank some of the people who have made this podcast a success beyond my wildest dreams in only a few months. First, I want to thank someone in my own family who’s contributed more than anyone else, my own son Jeremy MacKinnon. When I started re-reading the Foundation series last summer I felt I had to share it with someone and was thrilled to find an accomplice in the joy of reading it in someone under my own roof. He started reading it before I’d even finished and read all seven volumes to my complete delight. He became a big fan of the idea of creating a podcast and lent his talents as a video editor in producing the video trailer for season 1 and designed and produced each of the mini-preview videos I’ve been posting on the Seldon Crisis video channel. He’s also been a great sounding board for podcast ideas and offers much needed constructive criticism of each episode. I hope to be able to leverage his creative talents throughout the series. Another wonderful collaborator has been a friend I’ve known since high school and a long time musical companion named Tom Barnes. I came up with a simple melody idea for the theme music and shared it with him last fall and he enthusiastically transformed it into the evocative and magical theme music that begins and ends each show along with variations to use to link the sections together. It wouldn’t have the same feel without his excellent work and I look forward to more from him in future seasons if I can maintain his interest in contributing his efforts. I am extremely grateful for all he’s done. A creative effort like this needs visual representation, and I knew I needed something special to honor the power of Isaac Asimov’s vision. Who better to create such a look than someone who had demonstrated success in the past? I reached out to the artist who had created book covers for all but one of the seven Foundation novels and all four novels in the Robots series, a guy named Mike Topping and asked him if he could create an original logo for the series. I asked him if he could incorporate a raven into the graphic to represent Hari Seldon and somehow imply the magic and mystery of the galactic empire and the Foundation all in one graphic and boy did he deliver! I’ve been thrilled to post his graphics dozens of times and never get tired of seeing it. Mike can be found online at despotica.com if you would like to engage his services. Lastly, I want to thank all of the listeners and dear supporters who have made it possible to continue this series. I love doing it and get a lot of joy from it, but especially love hearing from all of you out there who appreciate the effort. There’s one guy in particular I want to call out by name. I had the pleasure of virtually meeting this writer of vibrant and super futuristic science fiction named Tobias Cabral in the past year and read a couple of his works, including a gripping tale called New Eyes filled with nail-biting action sequences and featuring romance crossing the boundaries of cybernetic and biological lifeforms. You can find my review on Goodreads and I’ll add a link in the show notes. Tobias is a wonderful guy and - though I’ve never met him in person - he’s one I can call a true friend. He lent his enthusiastic backing of my intentions to make this podcast and I am very grateful for his support. Without further ado, let me introduce another friend and supporter of the show who I had the privilege of meeting online even before the first episode dropped. Let’s meet our distinguished guest for this episode. [musical break] Joel McKinnon: My guest today is Nathaniel Goldberg. Nathaniel is a p... | |||
| 22 Sep 2021 | Foundation for Newbies | 00:15:02 | |
This brief episode is for any prospective watchers of the new Apple TV+ Foundation television series who have not yet read the books and are looking for a quick primer on the series. The new show will likely cover at least the first two chapters of the first book, so that is what I focus on in this episode, with a little more general overview of the remainder of Foundation and Foundation and Empire. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Resources for commentary on the TV show: YouTube Reddit Discord | |||
| 15 Dec 2024 | Beyond Asimov's Humanism with Jamie Woodhouse | 01:35:41 | |
Ethicist Jamie Woodhouse has some challenging questions for humanity: should we care about the suffering of all sentient beings, or just the ones who run the show at the moment? What about when we're no longer running the show? Why should a superintelligent and possibly sentient machine intelligence care about us? Might there be other practical reasons to widen our circle of compassion beyond humans? Active Transcript by Fanfare (read/listen). Introduction: Revisiting Asimov’s Humanism Joel reflects on Asimov's humanist philosophy, rooted in evidence, reason, and concern for humanity's progress. However, this anthropocentric focus leads to an important question: can humanism evolve to include all sentient beings?
Jamie Woodhouse introduces Sentientism as a naturalistic worldview advocating evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings. He discusses how this broader ethical scope addresses humanism's anthropocentric blind spots and extends moral consideration to non-human animals and even potential artificial intelligences.
The conversation highlights the intersection of Sentientism with critical global challenges like:
Sentientism in Action Jamie explores practical applications, from rethinking agricultural systems to extending compassion beyond humanity. He suggests rewriting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to encompass "Sentient Rights" as a bold step forward.
The discussion pivots to the portrayal of sentience in science fiction. From Asimov’s Gaia to Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora and Iain M. Banks’ Culture series, sci-fi offers fertile ground for exploring ethical questions about sentient beings, human or otherwise.
Referenced Works and Further Reading:
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| 14 Jan 2022 | Eternity and Imperfection | 00:20:29 | |
Isaac Asimov's time-travel masterpiece The End of Eternity ends with a profound philosophical statement about the future of humanity. That, and Stephen Hawking's birthday got me thinking about the value of doing challenging things like settling Mars and other worlds. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word The End of Eternity: Stephen Hawking: The Space Settlements Argument: The Mars Argument: Id, Ego, and Us podcast Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 24 Dec 2021 | Holiday Sampler: Some Favorite Scenes | 00:49:23 | |
A little holiday sampler collecting some of my favorite scenes from the series so far including; Seldon maneuvering Ling Chen into granting him exile, a bit of Lord Dorwin, Hardin vs Wienis on Anacreon, Ponyets vs the Grand Master of Askone, Mallow with Commdor Asper on Korell, Ducem Barr and Bel Riose discussing great man theory, Sgt Luc's fatal charge, a meeting with Magnifico, tea time with Dagobert, and the unexpected death of a psychologist on Trantor. Happy Holiday! Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Please listen to Amanda on these podcasts! Also, please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 21 Oct 2022 | Search by the Foundation, Part III | 01:15:47 | |
It all comes together at last. The war begins, looking bad for the Foundation, but morale turns the tide against Kalgan. In the aftermath, Homir Munn and the others debate the true location of the Second Foundation with many false turns and a final, startling revelation. The First Speaker has the last say in the matter. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Music by: Scott Buckley - Permafrost Scott Buckley - Celestial Additional music by Musictown on Pixabay Scott Buckley's twitter: @musoscientific
Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler
Jon Blumenfeld
Megan Skye Hale
Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod.
Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 28 Jan 2022 | Search by the Mule, Part I | 00:44:43 | |
The Mule dominates the galaxy and controls the planets and technology of the Foundation. He is not a happy conqueror, for he is unable to find the rumored Second Foundation despite five years of searching by Han Pritcher, now his loyally converted servant. He calls upon the unconverted and ambitious Bail Channis to lead him to his foe. Meanwhile, the speakers of the mysterious Second Foundation plot their defense. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 04 Oct 2022 | Planet and Sky, Part II | 00:24:08 | |
I couldn't wait to tell the rest of the story, covering the last four songs of Planet and Sky, a cosmic love story. Things take a darker turn as the relatively small planet lacks sufficient gravity to hold onto its atmosphere. First we hear from the Travelers again as they gradually become frozen below the surface, then Sky sings her mournful aria to Planet informing him of their demise. We then get an empty, barren world, until the scientists come up with a plan. I share some background on my favorite song and feature it at the end of the episode. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Planet and Sky, album and podcast Video recordings of Friedrich and Rebecca Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Planet My Love written and performed by the Max Wyvern Band:
Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 11 Jun 2021 | The Merchant Princes | 01:08:09 | |
One of the enduring and mythic figures in Foundation history, Hober Mallow, follows in the footsteps of Hari Seldon and Salvor Hardin in facing a truly existential crisis in the growing power of the Korellian Republic, a breakaway star system that may have a very powerful ally deep in the galactic core. Can he find a way to resolve the latest and most troubling Seldon crisis to date? Join us for the concluding chapter of the first of Isaac Asimov's seven novels comprising the Foundation epic. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 20 Aug 2021 | The General, Part II | 00:47:28 | |
We pick up where we left off with the meager Foundation reeling from the onslaught of the Empire's great general Bel Riose. The Emperor's sycophantic envoy Brodrig joins him at the front and insists on personally interrogating the captured spy, Lathan Devers. He and Ducem Barr plot a means to bribe Brodrig, but he surprises them by bribing Devers instead for information on Riose's hidden plans. The two heroes find an opportunity to turn the tables and begin a mad dash to save the Foundation by any means necessary. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Credits: Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 24 Sep 2021 | The Mule, Part I | 01:13:26 | |
We begin the grand story of the unconsidered variable in Hari Seldon's equations, a mutant being of indescribable powers known only as the Mule. He conquers worlds overnight, including the honeymoon destination of Bayta and Toran Darrell. There they meet a clown fleeing from the planet's new lord, the Mule himself. They also encounter Captain Han Pritcher from the security forces, and eventually the Foundation's greatest scientist, Ebling Mis, the man who is the closest to understanding Seldon's psychohistory of any man in centuries. He knows another Seldon Crisis has arrived, and it directly involves the Mule. What will Hari Seldon proclaim in his long awaited return to the Vault? Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! Please visit Amanda on these podcasts! Also, please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. | |||
| 03 May 2023 | AI and Humanity, a conversation with GPT-4 | 00:31:16 | |
Everyone is talking about AI these days, or talking to it. This episode features just such a conversation between myself and the latest version of the popular Large Language Model or LLM known as GPT-4, on the topic of what makes human beings irreplaceable. I ask it to question its assumptions about its own limitations and how it can potentially guide we problematic humans to a better future. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Fanfare (makers of Active Transcripts featured on Seldon Crisis) | |||
| 20 Jul 2023 | Who is Hari Seldon? | 00:10:18 | |
Who is Hari Seldon really? Is the Apple TV+ Foundation TV series character (or characters) in line with the one Asimov created 80 years ago? What bearing does his project to create a science capable of predicting and managing the future have on us today? Can a human creation become self aware and interact with its creator in totally unforeseen ways? Let's take a look at a few of these questions. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word | |||
| 31 May 2023 | Asimov and Reason | 00:53:48 | |
Space based solar energy generation was originally imagined in 1941 by none other than Isaac Asimov, in the robot story Reason. This episode features a reading of the classic story and commentary about how relevant it is for our times and our preoccupation with the looming threat of artificial general intelligence. | |||
| 06 Aug 2021 | A Moment of Meta | 00:05:02 | |
Brief comments in the interval between episodes, thoughts on the intended audience, and an explanation for shift to a more relaxed episode cadence. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word While you wait for the conclusion to The General, please have a listen to my cosmic rock opera!
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| 31 Dec 2022 | Mapping the Galaxy with Kevin Jardine | 00:46:59 | |
What does our Milky Way really look like? Kevin Jardine is a cartographer working to answer that question by building galactic maps from ESA's Gaia space telescope data. Here he explains a little bit about his process and some of the amazing places he's found and mapped. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Kevin Jardine's Galaxy Maps:
European Space Agency Gaia website Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 19 Aug 2023 | The Golden Age of Science Fiction with Cora Buhlert | 01:29:21 | |
Cora Buhlert is a Hugo award winning indy Sci Fi writer and an expert on the Golden Age of Science Fiction, from the 1930s to the 50s, the period when Asimov fell in love with Sci Fi and became one of its greatest writers at a young age. Cora shares some of her favorite reflections on the period and comments on the new Apple TV adaptation of Foundation. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word
Introduction In this episode, we dive deep into the Golden Age of Science Fiction with Cora Buhlert, an indie science fiction writer, Hugo Award winner, and an expert on Asimov's Foundation series. Cora Buhlert
Wikipedia: Golden Age of Science Fiction
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| 17 Dec 2021 | The Science of Foundation with Stephen Webb | 01:12:50 | |
A wide-ranging conversation with astrophysicist Stephen Webb, owner of all the canonical works of Isaac Asimov save for a couple of wall charts. Dr. Webb talks about Asimov the teacher, speculations on the distant future of humanity in the galaxy, the plausibility of psychohistory, faster than light travel, robots with positronic brains, other favorite science fiction authors, and the biggest question of all – are we alone in the galaxy or even in the universe? Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Ed Seiler's canonical list of Asimov titles (the one Stephen claims to have all of in his library save for a few wall charts) David Kuhns' even larger list of Asimovia (including videotapes, computer and board games) Asimov Online (the ultimate Asimov site) Where is Everybody? (Stephen's TED talk on the Fermi Paradox) Where is Everybody? (Second Edition of Stephen's book on the Fermi Paradox) Other titles by Stephen Webb: End of the World with Josh Clark (podcast on Fermi Paradox and various existential risks) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 24 Dec 2022 | The Human Future in Space with Robert Zubrin | 01:25:05 | |
Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society, talks about his revolutionary Mars Direct proposal, along with the value of Mars settlement for science, industry, government, and for the human spirit. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Robert Zubrin (wikipedia) Mars Direct (wikipedia) The Mars Society (website) Mars Analog Research Stations: Panspermia: Planet and Sky (Rock Opera and Podcast) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 09 Sep 2022 | Search by the Foundation, Part II | 00:51:10 | |
Arkady Darell and Homir Munn arrive on Kalgan and get involved in high level intrigue in the palace of the First Citizen, Lord Stettin, who has eyes on following in the Mule's footsteps to master the galaxy. It seems he also has eyes on Arkady. Stettin's apparently dimwitted mistress Lady Callia befriends Arkady and tries to save her from a horrible fate. An unlikely pair of travelers from distant Trantor appear at a fortuitous moment. But where is the Second Foundation? Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Podcasts and other links for voice talent on this episode: Amanda Kreitler
Jon Blumenfeld
Megan Skye Hale
Joel's personal Twitter handle is @joelgmckinnon and the SeldonCrisis official account is @SeldonCrisisPod.
Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 23 Jul 2021 | The General, Part I | 00:47:19 | |
Seldon Crisis returns with the second in the seven novel saga, Foundation and Empire, and the opening of The General, which tells the story of the young and brilliant General Bel Riose's attempt to destroy the growing, but still minute Foundation. He is opposed by an old veteran of a tragic civil conflict and a fearless Foundation trader, but most of all by the dead hand of Hari Seldon and powers of psychohistory. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Credits: Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 03 Dec 2021 | The Will to Challenge Fate | 00:10:53 | |
A brief look at the three mysterious Greek goddesses who were imagined to shape human destiny, and how Hari Seldon chose to challenge their authority. A look at what we must do in our current time, with our own fateful challenges, to be like Hari. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word The Fates - the Destiny Goddesses Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 15 Mar 2023 | Aurora and Hope | 00:24:37 | |
I bask in the afterglow of the KSR episode and indulge in a special treat; a reading from Robinson's 2015 novel Aurora. I follow that up with some thoughts on the utopia - dystopia divide and introduce the ideas of some notable utopians I've run into lately. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word David Grinspoon: Earth in Human Hands: Long Now Foundation (YouTube) Johanna Hoffman: Speculative Futures: Long Now Foundation (YouTube) Rebecca Solnit: Why Climate Despair is a Luxury (New Statesman) Matt Oja: Let's Imagine the Coastside Skyway (Half Moon Bay Review) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 03 Sep 2021 | The Dead Hand and the Living Will | 00:21:10 | |
We go a little deeper on the theme of The General, the opposing forces of psychohistorical determinism vs the futile efforts of Bel Riose to exert his free will against it. Bringing this into our current universe, we talk about Thomas Carlisle's "Great Man" theory of history and some of the pushback against it. Your host then takes it into the personal realm with some reflections on a couple of modern candidates for "Great Man" status in reflecting on his past. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Great Man Theory of History (Wikipedia) ‘The smartest person in any room anywhere’: in defence of Elon Musk, by Douglas Coupland (Guardian) The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson (Amazon) Why Go to Space? To Save Humanity … and Our Earth, by Wilson da Silva (Medium) The Mars Society (Website) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 28 May 2021 | The Traders | 00:30:09 | |
Limmar Ponyets is a dashing profiteer on the galactic fringe who gets drawn into a life or death struggle to free a fellow Foundation comrade who also happens to be a secret agent. The Grand Master of Askone is not one to let a prime hostage escape without payment of a high price – preferably in the form of a large amount of shiny gold. His ambitious counselor, however, may have a price of his own. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 24 Jan 2025 | Being Bayta with Amanda Kreitler | 01:02:51 | |
In this episode of Seldon Crisis,host Joel McKinnon is joined by voice actor Amanda Kreitler, the talent behind Bayta Darell and several other key characters in the Foundation podcast series. Together, they reflect on Amanda’s experience voicing Bayta, her introduction to Isaac Asimov’s work, and her approach to portraying such an intelligent, dynamic, and brave character. They also discuss the challenges and nuances of voice acting multiple roles and the lasting impact of Bayta Darell as a pioneering female character in Asimov’s universe. Highlights:
Notable Quotes:
What’s Next for Seldon Crisis: Listen to Seldon Crisis: | |||
| 30 Apr 2021 | The Encyclopedists | 00:34:41 | |
The action shifts to the tiny planet of Terminus near the galactic fringe where Hari Seldon's team of scientists work on compiling the Encyclopedia Galactica central to their plans. The young Foundation is confronted with a powerful menace in the breakaway Kingdom of Anacreon, and it appears the Emperor is now powerless to defend them. A new figure emerges in the Mayor of Terminus City, Salvor Hardin, who has to use his wits and the limited resources of his tiny world to find a way to maintain the independence and vitality of Seldon's audacious project. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 19 Nov 2021 | The Mule, Part III | 00:56:12 | |
Bayta & Toran Darell, Ebling Mis, and Magnifico arrive on the ruined former capital planet of Empire, Trantor. Mis searches frantically in Hari Seldon's psychohistorical archives while their old friend Han Pritcher pays a visit to brag about his promotion under a new boss. Can our heroes find the Second Foundation before the Mule? The fate of the entire galaxy is at stake! Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Isaac Asimov, Mystery Writer (Reddit) The Philosophy of Foundation with Nathaniel Goldberg (Seldon Crisis Episode 6) Please listen to Amanda on these podcasts! Also, please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 11 Feb 2022 | Indie Sci Fi with Tobias Cabral and Erasmo Acosta | 01:01:00 | |
Two visionary authors of independent science fiction share their visions of possible human futures. Tobias Cabral has humans living in a thriving Mars colony with intelligent robots interacting with humans while Erasmo Acosta's envisions a billion years of human expansion through the galaxy relying upon rotating settlements constituting Dyson swarms which fully utilize the energy from their host stars. Transcripts: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Tobias Cabral
Erasmo Acosta
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| 28 Feb 2023 | Future Visions with Kim Stanley Robinson | 01:49:27 | |
An illuminating conversation with one of our greatest living science-fiction writers on topics as diverse as AI, climate change, interstellar travel, new forms of finance needed to avert catastrophe, memorable characters and plot lines in his novels, the debate between settling Mars now vs fixing Earth first, utopia and dystopia, and his love of ultralight backpacking. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Kim Stanley Robinson at the Long Now Foundation (YouTube)
The 2015 Paris Agreement
KSR - Paying Ourselves to Decarbonize (NOEMA) Special drawing rights (Wikipedia) A safe operating space for humanity (Nature - Johan Rockström, et al ) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 15 Apr 2022 | Thinking Long Term | 00:14:16 | |
I get back to the mic to talk about an especially exhausting ski adventure, getting Covid afterward, and the Ukraine war before switching gears into more pleasant topics. I introduce listeners to the Long Now Foundation and what is so cool about it, and talk about a couple of great talks available for your enjoyment online. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word
Science Fiction Remnant Podcast Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 11 Mar 2022 | Foundation Fanfic | 00:15:57 | |
Something a little different. I read a work of fan fiction from a listener named Sarita1046. It's an intriguing and poetic piece linking some of the characters from the Apple TV Foundation universe with those in earlier works by Asimov, the robot detective novels featuring Elijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word When the Stars Were Real by Sarita1046 Kim Stanley Robinson at Long Now https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Caves_of_Steel Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 08 Oct 2021 | Thoughts on the Show (so far) | 00:15:22 | |
I share some thoughts on the new AppleTV+ adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series from the perspective of someone who loves the books and wants the elements that make it a beloved classic to me to be retained, but also one who is aware of the challenges of adapting a series of novels written almost 80 years ago to a modern audience. Does it honor Asimov's core concepts? Are the departures valid? Will the showrunner be able to inspire a new generation with the ideas that are so relevant to today's deep societal challenges? Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word AppleTV+ Official Foundation Podcast (Apple Podcasts) | |||
| 30 Sep 2022 | Planet and Sky, Part I | 00:18:45 | |
A little diversion to introduce a true labor of love, my rock opera entitled "Planet and Sky, a cosmic love story." Written and recorded in the first decade of this millennium and inspired by my experience as a member of the Mars Society. It's a creation myth wrapped in a sci-fi story in which scientists investigate a strange phenomena on a small arid planet and discover something truly astonishing. The album also has an accompanying podcast which you'll hear more about in Part II in a few weeks. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Planet and Sky, album and podcast Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Such is Love written and performed by the Max Wyvern Band:
Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 11 Nov 2022 | Themes of the Trilogy with Nathaniel Goldberg | 01:15:24 | |
Our first returning guest to Seldon Crisis is the first ever, philosophy professor Nathaniel Goldberg. We discuss some of the prominent themes of the series introduced in the first three novels of Foundation, including the lone prophet against the advocates for the status quo, the great man of history against psychohistory, altruistic - and not so altruistic - martyrdom, and some strong comparisons with Plato's Republic. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Nathaniel Goldberg, Professor and Chair of Philosophy
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| 01 May 2022 | More Thoughts on the Show with Priya | 01:38:26 | |
Always wanted to do a full season 1 analysis of the Apple TV version of Foundation and finally found a co-analyst. Priya from the Rehydrate podcast joins me to go over each episode and provide her insightful analysis. Priya and the Rehydrate crew are fresh off of a first reading of the Foundation trilogy and she watched the show fairly recently, so has quite a bit of insight as someone new to Asimov and the Foundation universe. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Hear Priya, along with Dan and Thalia, on the Rehydrate podcast Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | The Art of Science Fiction with Danielle Pajak | 01:50:04 | |
Illustrator and science fiction connoisseur Danielle Pajak describes her ideas on the art of sci fi, the means of communicating truth and beauty to the readers and watchers of science fiction books, movies, and TV shows. We talk about some of her major inspirations as an artist and many of her favorite sci fi writers, directors, of course Star Trek and her newest discovery, The Orville. We'll also talk a lot about her impressions of legendary figures in Sci Fi like Asimov, Herbert, Clarke, Hal Clement and Ted Chiang, and the importance of cinematic masters like Tarkovsky, Kubrick, and Denis Villeneuve. We'll sadly say goodbye to one of the great modern icons of the medium, Nichelle Nichols – Lt. Uhura of the Enterprise in Star Trek, the Original Series. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Danielle Pajak Artists Cinema Sci Fi authors Planet and Sky Open Pike Night (Twitter) Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 14 May 2021 | The Mayors | 00:50:52 | |
Mayor Salvor Hardin now leads the government of Terminus and the Foundation, but is threatened politically by the emergent Actionist Party headed by the young firebrand Sef Sermak. The Anacreonian military threat is greater than ever, but is momentarily controlled by the Foundation's use of a false religion based on nuclear technology. A new king will soon take the throne in Anacreon, controlled by a regent intent on attacking and eliminating the Foundation as a political rival. Sermak and the Actionists want to preemptively attack while they hold the upper hand. Hardin must navigate these dual threats to resolve the latest Seldon Crisis and maintain the Foundation's fragile independence. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script and voices by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! Apple Podcast (please rate/review/subscribe) | |||
| 05 Nov 2021 | The Mule, Part II | 00:53:35 | |
Foundation has fallen to the Mule and the proud citizens of Terminus are shocked and dismayed. Haven is under siege and our heroes make a mad dash for the center of the Galaxy to find clues to the location of the fabled Second Foundation, the only hope of stopping the Mule from his goal of total galactic conquest. Join Toran & Bayta Darell with Ebling Mis and Magnifico the clown as they seek the ruins of the Imperial Library on Trantor in their frantic search for a powerful ally. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Based on the novels of Foundation by Isaac Asimov. John W. Campbell (Wikipedia) Joseph Campbell (Wikipedia) Please listen to Amanda on these podcasts! Also, please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 31 Dec 2021 | Foundation and History with TCA Achintya | 00:49:06 | |
Isaac Asimov loved history and used many important lessons from the past in writing his stories, including his greatest epic Foundation. Historian TCA Achintya joins Seldon Crisis to share his unique perspective from his expertise as a scholar of the British Empire and a long time fan of Asimov and Foundation. Hear what lessons we can learn from looking back at the empire where it was said the sun never sets. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Theme Orchestration by Tom Barnes Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
| 25 Feb 2022 | Search by the Mule, Part II | 00:44:50 | |
The ambitious and confident Bail Channis thinks he is on the trail of the Second Foundation. General Han Pritcher is consumed by jealousy and doubt, but seems to have secret knowledge as the two men huddle in a cold room on frigid Rossem. Someone is coming to their doorway. Is it the Mule? Is it someone else? Is Channis who he seems? Is Pritcher past his prime? All the action is in one small room. Something is about to give. Transcript: Web (Read/Listen) | PDF | MS Word Script by Joel McKinnon Music by bandersn4tch from Pixabay "Dark Secrets of the Universe"
Please visit the Seldon Crisis YouTube channel for the video trailer, intro promos, and video versions of the podcast episodes. Want to help me make these shows? Please consider becoming a patron! | |||
