Published Feb 5, 2026, 10:27 PM EST
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
The book series behind Apple TV's incredible space opera surprisingly served as one of the biggest inspirations for Silo.
Silo season 3 is one of the most anticipated sci-fi shows of 2026 even though it does not have an official release window yet. Based on Hugh Howey's book trilogy of the same name, Apple TV's Silo walks through a compelling post-apocalyptic saga that centers on a massive underground city where the last remnants of humanity live under strict rules, unaware of the true state of the outside world.
In its upcoming season, Silo is expected to reveal more about the central setting and the outside world while unfolding the truth about its dystopian world's history. What makes Silo and its future even more intriguing is that it was inspired one of the greatest sci-fi books of our time.
The Books That Inspired Apple TV’s Silo Are Among The Best In Sci-Fi
The Silo trilogy's original author, Hugh Howey, drew inspiration from many literary works when he wrote the books. However, as he revealed in a Q&A (via Goodreads), one of his biggest inspirations was Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. He revealed that he particularly adopted the book series' "psychology as a driving force behind the actions of people for generation after generation." Here's his full statement:
"The biggest influence on me was probably Fraggle Rock. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of the intro to that show, which revealed an entire world underground. As for sf literature, the Foundation series introduced psychology as a driving force behind the actions of people for generation after generation, and that was a huge influence. The writing style of Herbert and Asimov rubbed off on me as well. Just not enough, I'm afraid!"
Although Silo and Foundation seem to belong to significantly different brands of sci-fi, Hugh Howey's statement highlights a key similarity between the two.
Just like Foundation introduces Psychohistory to predict and shape the behavior of entire civilizations across centuries, Silo similarly explores how the masses are collectively manipulated for generations through promises of a safe future. Put simply, characters in both are forced to live by the scripts created by the ghosts of their ancestors.
This connection between Silo and Foundation adds another layer of intrigue to Apple TV's adaptation of the Hugh Howey book trilogy. What makes it even more fascinating is Apple TV also has a brilliant adaptation of the Fondation series.
Apple TV’s Foundation Is One Of Its Best Sci-Fi Shows
Like Silo, Foundation easily ranks among Apple TV's best sci-fi shows. Although the series took some time to find its feet, it has only gotten better with each new installment. It is still going strong after three seasons and is all set to return to Apple TV with season 4. Foundation's biggest strength lies in its visual grandeur and high production value, allowing it to capture Asimov's vision on the small screen.
However, even from a storytelling standpoint, the show leaves no stone unturned when it comes to capturing the original books' heady, philosophical themes.
While it introduces some major changes to the Foundation books, it does not dumb down its concepts and commits to dabbling with dense, slow-burn stories about societal decay and the conflict between science and religion. If Apple TV's Foundation continues to maintain its strong momentum in future installments, it could become the next Expanse and etch a solid identity in the sci-fi genre.
As for Silo on Apple TV, it is also expected to reach new storytelling heights in its upcoming installments as its narrative gradually reaches its natural conclusion.
English (US) ·