The 8 Best Sci-Fi Miniseries Streaming Right Now

Science fiction is a massive, multifaceted genre that has persisted since the 1800s when Mary Shelley wowed literary scholars with her tragic tale about bodily autonomy, scientific ethics, and self-destructive ambition. Since then, sci-fi has continued to flourish in many different forms of media: graphic novels, video games, and movies — but I would argue that the miniseries is the best of the bunch. Movies rarely capture the immersive world-building that the genre is known for, instead focusing mainly on the plot, while multi-season shows tend to lose the deliberate messaging and allegory the longer they run. But you don’t have to take my word for it; here are the best sci-fi miniseries on streaming to showcase the true power of the medium.

8 PHOTOS

1. ‘Station Eleven’ (2021 - 2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.6/10

Patrick Somerville, creator of the visually stunning dark comedy Maniac, adapts Emily St. John Mandel’s award-winning novel into a surprisingly hopeful post-apocalyptic drama. Station Eleven follows a traveling caravan of survivors in a world ravaged by societal collapse caused by a devastating pandemic. I know, I know — it’s a concept that hits close to home after 2020, but I promise it’s not just 10 hours of misery. In fact, the series makes the revolutionary choice to focus on the ways that people will inherently care for one another in the face of tragedy — which is both more realistic to human behavior and runs counter to the typical dystopian stories where humans are portrayed as naturally selfish. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing actors who bring this ensemble tale to life, especially Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel, who are the grounding rods of the series.

2. ‘Maniac’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 7.6/10

While I’m praising Somerville’s work, I may as well talk about his mind-bending psychedelic psychological comedy starring Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, and Justin Theroux. Maniac takes inspiration from human experimentation projects of the '50s and '60s, like MKUltra and the Milgram experiments, then uses them to dive into a multiverse of madness. (Please don’t sue me, Marvel.) The series follows Stone and Hill as two participants in a pharmaceutical study that inexplicably connect as they continue to meet in various hallucinated worlds. Beyond showing the absolute range the actors are capable of, the series also has some of the best production design on television — not just capturing a retro-futuristic aesthetic for the main setting but also jumping through multiple genres in the hallucinations, like fantasy, spy thriller, and mafia dramas.

3. ‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.2/10

The Leftovers creator, Damon Lindelof, uses every ounce of storytelling prowess he has to create this Emmy-winning miniseries that expands the world of Alan Moore’s groundbreaking dissection of comic book heroism. Watchmen continues the legacy of the original graphic novel, taking place three decades after the events of the original story, while introducing new characters and updated themes that reflect current issues like policing, racial violence, and white supremacy. The ensemble cast led by Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tim Blake Nelson, and Jean Smart are giving their all as they bring this refreshingly weird and often gruesomely whimsical world to life. Just an FYI, the series is not a sequel to Zack Snyder’s film, so watching that version will only be confusing. However, if you do want to enjoy the original story before jumping in, Max has the new animated two-part films that recreate the epic tale.

4. ‘Devs’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 7.6/10

Written and directed by sci-fi visionary Alex Garland, Devs is a fascinating thriller that starts as a murder mystery but quickly escalates into a philosophical exploration of ambition, ethics, and free will. The story follows Sonoya Mizuno as a software engineer at a cutting-edge tech company whose life is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, who also works at the company, is killed after being accused of stealing code from a mysterious project. Beyond being a compelling story full of great twists and great acting from Mizuno, Alison Pill, Nick Offerman, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, the series is also a masterclass in how cinematography and production design can be a form of storytelling in and of itself.

5. ‘11.22.63’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.1/10

Bringing Stephen King’s hit time travel novel about stopping the JFK assassination to life, 11.22.63 is one of the most solid translations from prose to screen in the oeuvre of King adaptations. A pre-canceled James Franco takes the lead as he dons a new identity as a man out of time tasked with thwarting Lee Harvey Oswald, played by Daniel Webber, from shooting the president on that fateful day. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that when you mess with time, it tends to fight back. As expected of a King story, the supernatural elements are both intriguing and unsettling, while the time travel mechanics and rules are thoughtful and interconnected in a simple yet effective manner. Anyone looking for some light sci-fi with great character drama is going to enjoy this series.

6. ‘The Stand’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% | IMDb: 5.7/10

Once you’re done with 11.22.63, if you’re looking for a Stephen King adaptation with a bit more flair and that signature King weird, then you will love this latest version of The Stand — a tight eight-episode series that supports my thesis that the miniseries is the perfect format for his stories. The story follows an ensemble led by James Marsden, Amber Heard, Nat Wolff, and Jovan Adepo in a post-apocalypse caused by a pandemic (I know, I know…too real. I’m sorry). Under the guidance of a prophet, played by Whoopi Goldberg, these disparate forces of good must come together from across the United States to battle an evil cult leader who tempts them in their dreams. It’s a beautifully cinematic retelling of this classic hit that is a great mix of terrifying and hopeful.

7. ‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Taking place after the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision is a love letter to the legacy of television sitcoms set in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Creator Jac Schaeffer brings back Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision, respectively, in an impossible love story saturated in layers of mystery. The episodes move through different eras of sitcoms, donning their aesthetics, tropes, and comedy style, as the two heroes find themselves in a small town that changes around them without explanation. Though it originally aired week-to-week, this mind-bending nine-episode series is best in a binge so you can catch all the clues and references sprinkled throughout the episodes.

8. ‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.6/10

Saving the best for last, Scavengers Reign is a showcase of the limitless possibilities that animation offers to the sci-fi genre. Based on a short film created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, the series follows a space crew stranded on an alien world who must adapt to its dangerous biomes if they intend to survive long enough to be rescued. The show is a wonder of creativity and visual storytelling that keeps viewers glued to the screen as they get to know the backstories of each crew member fighting against unique flora and fauna on their journey across unknown terrain. The show’s balance of organic world-building and character-driven storytelling is the epitome of what makes a memorable science fiction epic.