Brandon Sanderson’s Take on Why Asimov’s Foundation Falls Short Is Uncomfortably Convincing
Science fiction still runs on Isaac Asimov’s code, from robots to the stars—and Brandon Sanderson wants the credit ledger set straight. In a 2018 post, the modern fantasy titan reminded fans just how much of the genre’s playbook Asimov wrote.
Brandon Sanderson has thoughts about the way big-name authors stitch their worlds together, and he did not tiptoe around Isaac Asimov or Stephen King when he said so. If you like shared universes, this is one of those deep-cut author debates that actually explains a lot about why Sanderson builds the Cosmere the way he does.
What Sanderson actually said
Back in 2018, in a post called 'Who or What Has Influenced The Creation Of The Cosmere?', Sanderson explained that he often pushes against his inspirations instead of leaning into them. If he reads something he considers basically perfect, he tries to come at that idea from a different angle because, well, the original already nailed it. And if he feels an author left cool possibilities on the table, he tends to react in that direction too.
That led him to Asimov and King. Sanderson grouped them as writers who tried to thread an overarching plan through their work. He respects the ambition, but he was blunt about the results in Asimov's case:
'It felt clunky... I've always preferred the early robot stories and the early Foundation books to the later ones.'
He also noted that Stephen King, in his own way, 'had an overarching plot/universe' running through his stories.
Asimov 101: the two universes he left behind
Isaac Asimov died on April 6, 1992, at 72, but he left fans two big playgrounds:
- One Universe, also known as the Greater Foundation Universe: this is the grand timeline that folds his Robot stories, the Galactic Empire novels, and the Foundation saga into one continuity that spans more than 20,000 years.
- Isaac's Universe: a collaborative setting Asimov launched in 1990 with other sci-fi authors contributing tales set in a shared framework.
And yes, one of the most famous offshoots of his ideas on screen is the 2004 Will Smith movie 'I, Robot.'
Where Sanderson and King fit in
Sanderson is the mind behind 'The Way of Kings,' 'Oathbringer,' and the rest of The Stormlight Archive, plus 'Elantris' and more, all slotted into his Cosmere shared universe. Different lane from Asimov: Sanderson’s sandbox is fantasy and magic-driven conflicts, not far-future logic puzzles.
Stephen King, meanwhile, is the guy behind 'The Shining,' 'Pet Sematary,' and the 'IT' phenomenon (Pennywise forever), which just spun back up as the HBO Max series 'IT: Welcome to Derry.' King also veers into deeply human, non-horror territory with 'The Green Mile' (Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan) and 'The Shawshank Redemption' (Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, Clancy Brown). If Sanderson is about intricate magic systems, King is about making you stare at the real world a little differently after the credits roll.
King on screen: what to watch and where
- The Shining (May 23, 1980) — IMDb 8.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 84% — streaming on HBO Max
- Pet Sematary (April 21, 1989) — IMDb 6.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 58% — streaming on Paramount+
- IT (September 8, 2017) — IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 85% — streaming on HBO Max
- The Green Mile (December 10, 1999) — IMDb 8.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 78% — streaming on Netflix
- The Shawshank Redemption (October 14, 1994) — IMDb 9.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89% — available on Amazon Video (rent)
'IT: Welcome to Derry' is available to stream on HBO Max.
Alright, your turn: who's your favorite novelist?