Add these sci-fi Netflix TV shows to your binge list ASAP

Stranger Things caught on like wildfire when the genre series quietly premiered its first season on Netflix in 2016. What began as an homage to 80s cinema, with nods to ET, Dungeons & Dragons, Goonies and the works of Stephen King, has blossomed into a multi-layered and compelling sci-fi adventure. The show follows a group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana, who, after meeting a mysterious girl they call Eleven, discover a sinister dimension lurking just beneath their feet. Government cover-ups, demonic hellbeasts, and a cast full of beloved misfits make up this genre-bending series of extreme powers.

3 Body Problem was created by Game of Thrones alumni David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, along with The Terror showrunner Alexander Wu, and is based on the Hugo Award-winning novel by Liu Sisin. The high-concept sci-fi series connects a watershed moment in 1960s China with the present day, when a group of scientists must confront an emerging global threat unlike anything humanity has ever seen.

Inspired by the comic book created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, the series follows a group of adopted superhero siblings who are raised to save the world. From time travel to saving humanity from multiple apocalyptic events, the continuing adventures of the dysfunctional Hargreaves turn expected genre tropes on their heads. It’s weird, unusual, hilarious and touching.

Supacell takes the familiar superhero narrative and flips the script. The series follows four black men living in South London who suddenly develop superpowers. What connects each of them to their newfound abilities are their families’ stories of sickle cell disorder, a common inherited disease. Using the genre as its narrative foundation, the show delves into the human drama that plays out between these characters while also highlighting relevant cultural themes such as racism, human trafficking, and predatory health practices.

Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror set the standard for what a modern genre anthology series could do. Each story is included in the series, which currently has six seasons and one interactive standalone movie worth a visit, is set in a near-future world where technology has affected humanity in wonderful, strange, and horrifying ways. Exhilarating to horrifying, Black Mirror is a cerebral misfire of a TV show that will keep you thinking long past the credits.

They broke the mold when they made The OA. The two-season series, created by Britt Marling and Zal Batmanglij, follows the story of Prairie Johnson (Marling), a young blind woman who, after disappearing for seven years, returns to her family with her sight restored. Where has she been all these years? How can he see? Parallel existence in multiple dimensions, that’s how. Okay, this answer barely scratches the surface of this extremely unique and multi-layered program. Come for the quantum physics, stay for the interpretive dance routines.

Like Stranger Things, Dark begins with the inexplicable disappearance of a child. Instead of another version of the Upside Down that plagues the city, the German series deals with time travel to explore how a family and community can be affected by a case of a missing child. A noir slow burn that leans heavily on the horrors of generational trauma, Dark ran for three seasons on Netflix. It will definitely get under your skin.

1899 was created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar – the same duo that brought Dark to Netflix – and follows a group of passengers on a ship bound for New York at the turn of the century. However, this is more than just a period piece. As soon as things get going, the show throws time travel, multiple dimensions, reality simulations and other bits of science fiction onto the screen. It may not have gotten a season 2, but there’s still plenty of genre goodness to mull over here.

In Parasyte: The Grey, alien parasites land on Earth and begin turning humans into shapeshifting monsters. To combat this growing Invasion of the Body Thieves-style threat, the survivors – aka ‘The Greys’ – rise up to save humanity and the planet. Inspired by Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga, this Korean series should please any horror and sci-fi fan.

Matrix creators Lily and Lana Washowski teamed up with Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski to bring Sense8 to Netflix. The supernatural drama follows eight random people from around the world who realize they are emotionally and mentally connected. Labeled as “sensitives”, the group learns from each other as they are literally forced to walk in each other’s shoes and acquire new and exciting skills. Things wouldn’t be complete without the involvement of a shadowy organization hunting them all down. Over the course of two seasons, the program explores topical issues such as gender, sexuality and identity, mixing genres such as telenovela, K-drama, Bollywood and Euronoir as it spreads across the globe.

Based on the book by Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon exists in a future world where consciousness can be transferred from one body to another. Joel Kinnaman starred in the first season as ex-soldier Takeshi Kovacs. His mission to solve a murder becomes a journey of self-discovery as he works to find his lost love and answers about his past life. Season 2 finds Anthony Mackie stepping into the role to continue the cyberpunk noir story.

Mixing different animation styles with live action, Love, Death + Robots is an anthology unlike many others. The series, which has drawn comparisons to Black Mirror, dives into multiple stand-alone stories that explore a world where sentient robots, creatures and the like have more humanity than humanity itself.

Using the 1965 series. as an inspiration, this Lost in Space follows the Robinson family on a space mission to colonize a new planet as humanity teeters on the brink of collapse. The series is heavy on the family drama, which can be off-putting at times. But thanks to socio-political conflict, an awesome robot alien friend, and Parker Posey’s delightfully villainous Dr. Smith, the show has held its own.

Emma Stone and Jonah Hill star in this mind-blowing drama from Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) and Patrick Somerville (The Rest). The 10-episode series follows Annie (Stone) and Owen (Hill) as they enter a trial for a drug that will supposedly cure all their problems. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s not. Stone and Hill look like they’re having a blast throughout the program as they get to try out a bunch of different characters. The addition of Sonoya Mizuno, Justin Theroux, and Sally Field to the cast makes this an underrated gem that deserves attention.

For its first three seasons, Manifest was an NBC original. After it was canceled by the network, Netflix stepped in to revive the series. The story follows the passengers of Flight 828 as they arrive at their destination five years after the original takeoff. The survivors begin to have premonitions and visions that help them save others from disasters yet to come. It’s like Lost and Final Destination had a baby, sort of.

Alice in Borderland is based on Haro Aso’s manga and follows a group of characters in a parallel version of Tokyo forced to compete in a bunch of twisted games to stay alive. This battle royale-style thriller will appeal to fans of life-or-death racing titles like Squid Game, The Hunger Games, and, of course, Battle Royale.