7 Great Netflix Sci-Fi Shows Nobody Talks About

As one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms, Netflix is practically bursting with exceptional TV shows across almost every genre imaginable. However, there does seem to be one genre in particular that has proliferated on Netflix, with many of its most successful shows falling under the wide banner of science fiction. Some of the best sci-fi TV shows of the 21st century have found their home on Netflix, earning both acclaim and general popularity due to the dominance of the platform in the streaming space. While Netflix’s most successful shows are often given a huge amount of attention, some great sci-fi occasionally goes overlooked.

Some Netflix shows are essential viewing, but there is also some exceptional sci-fi TV that the platform has put out that deserves more attention. Netflix’s track record with original sci-fi stories is remarkably good, even if it doesn’t always market its shows well enough to earn them widespread popularity. Despite the fact that hardly anybody talks about the following sci-fi shows, they’re some of Netflix’s best in the genre.

7) Dark (2017-2020)

Cited as a must-see show for those who love Black Mirror, Netflix’s Dark is a German sci-fi mystery with considerable thriller elements. Its story follows the families of a fictional German town as they discover a wormhole while searching for a missing child, leading to the reveal of a sinister time travel conspiracy. Its atmospheric thrills and chills make Dark one of Netflix’s best original sci-fi shows, but sadly, not enough people seem to talk about it.

6) The OA (2016-2019)

The OA has become known as an iconic sci-fi TV show cancelled in its prime, and has sadly faded into obscurity pretty swiftly after its premature ending. One of the victims of Netflix’s notoriously ruthless axings, The OA‘s story follows the reappearance of a young blind woman who had been missing for several years, returning with miraculously recovered sight. Predominantly a mystery drama, The OA‘s sci-fi elements helped to make it deeply engaging and truly unique, though not enough people want to talk about it since its cancellation.

5) 3 Body Problem (2024-Present)

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, made by the creators of Game of Thrones, debuted to considerable buzz. However, that buzz died rather quickly, which is strange considering how excellent the show’s first season was. Its story chronicles one of the most existentially terrifying alien encounters in pop culture, with some incredible narrative ideas that help the sci-fi show feel fresh and cerebral. With more seasons on the way, it seems bizarre that hardly anybody is talking about this excellent sci-fi TV show.

4) Sense8 (2015-2018)

Though it has earned a reputation as a cult sci-fi TV show since its cancellation, Netflix’s Sense8 deserves better. Created by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, Sense8‘s story concerns a group of disconnected strangers from around the world who discover that they are telepathically and emotionally connected. Despite an overwhelmingly positive reception, Sense8 is another great Netflix sci-fi show that simply doesn’t get the attention it thoroughly deserves.

3) 3% (2016-2020)

3% boasts the accolade of being Netflix’s first Portuguese-language original series, but it deserves to be remembered as more than just that. Classified as a dystopian thriller series, 3% follows a group of impoverished 20-year-olds who undertake the mysterious Process in the hopes of being among the 3% successful enough to join the affluent community known as Offshore. With great character-driven storytelling and a solid dystopian premise, 3% is another of Netflix’s great sci-fi shows that doesn’t get enough love.

2) Lost in Space (2018-2021)

2018’s Lost in Space is one of those rare TV reboots that actually worked, but that isn’t to say that it was as successful as it perhaps deserved. A reimagining of the 1965 TV show of the same name, Lost in Space manages to pay homage to the adventure-focused sci-fi of decades past while delivering cutting-edge visual effects and a solid story of its own. It may not have been a perfect show, but it was good enough that it deserves to be remembered more widely than it seems to have been, as it’s hardly ever talked about at all.

1) Maniac (2018)

Maniac is a perfect example of how a great show with an incredible cast can still somehow go largely unnoticed. The Netflix original 10-episode miniseries stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone as two subjects in an intense pharmaceutical trial that results in a mind-bending experience for both the show’s characters and audience. While Maniac‘s sci-fi elements are mild, it’s another exceptional Netflix science fiction story that nobody seems to talk about at all.

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