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Sci-fi has taken audiences to outer space, alternate universes, dystopian futures, and post-apocalyptic wastelands. The genre has also pushed real scientific theories to their limits, exploring what could happen when technology, time travel, or artificial intelligence are toyed with in the wrong hands. But beyond all the elaborate displays and mind-bending concepts, sci-fi can also be deeply human.
Some of sci-fi’s most thought-provoking shows are not about saving the galaxy, but about relationships, grief, identity, loneliness, and the emotional consequences of living in an increasingly modern world. That is where soft sci-fi comes in with their stories, although some gems have gone underappreciated over the years in the sci-fi discourse. Here are the near-perfect soft sci-fi shows that no one remembers today.
‘Warehouse 13’ (2009–2014)
Warehouse 13 is home to a bunch of unusual paraphernalia: Bruce Lee‘s punching bag, W.C. Fields‘ juggling balls, and even the aspiring bottle of Benjamin Franklin. After saving the President’s life, Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) are assigned to the secretive Warehouse 13 in South Dakota.
Fans of The X-Files and Raiders of the Lost Ark will get a kick out of Warehouse 13. It’s a quirky take on stuffy government bureaus, and the investigations are nothing short of adventurous. But the true beating heart of the show is the cast itself, as the agents share mismatched yet adorkable energy reminiscent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
‘Soulmates’ (2020)
Set 15 years in the future, Soulmates takes place in a world where dating is made easier thanks to a company called Soul Connex. Supposedly, they have developed a test that can identify whether a person is biologically destined to love most with 100% accuracy. Each standalone episode follows the people whose lives are changed after taking the test.
Dating can be a hassle these days, and conveniences like online dating promise a surefire way of finding “the one” by matching people based on their preferences. However, Soulmates challenges whether a man-made contraption can truly determine something as intangible as love. Two people might be compatible on paper, but the real test of true love is time.
‘Tales from the Loop’ (2020)
Referred to as the anti-Black Mirror, the anthology Tales from the Loop follows “The Loop,” an underground facility stationed beneath Mercer, Ohio. Its scientists are tasked with testing out the usual sci-fi phenomena, from time travel and alternate realities, to body-swapping and antigravity. Instead of a single POV, Tales from the Loop is told from a bunch of interconnected human stories.
Although the technological development itself is intriguing, Tales from the Loop doesn’t go too deep into its mechanics, instead focusing more on the lingering feelings heightened by these inventions. No matter how advanced the facility is, human emotions remain the same. A leap through time becomes a moment of reflection on the past, while two friends learn about each other’s true lives through body-swapping.
‘Ascension’ (2014)
Set aboard a massive generation ship launched during the Cold War, Ascension follows the descendants of 600 volunteers traveling to colonize a distant planet and preserve humanity. 51 years into the century-long mission, a shocking murder occurs on the ship — the very first since the Ascension launched into space.
There’s a certain paranoia that comes from being in a locked room. But being aboard a floating spaceship in the middle of outer space is another level of claustrophobia. Apart from the murder mystery — which risks everything the mission has worked hard for — Ascension slowly reveals the decline of humanity when personal space is no longer afforded in such conditions.
‘Constellation’ (2024)
After a collision aboard the International Space Station kills one astronaut and cripples the crew’s escape systems, Swedish ESA astronaut Jo Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) is left behind to repair a damaged Soyuz module alone. She eventually returns to Earth with her crewmate’s body, but she has a difficult time remembering things, as if her mind and body are still stuck in outer space.
Trauma is a touchy and nuanced subject. Although Constellation is rooted in quantum mechanics and parallel universes, it doesn’t take an astronaut to understand Jo’s disorientation after the tragedy. The inconsistencies in her life reflect how someone struggles to piece together reality while still being tethered to the past, highlighting the show’s ability to explore motherhood, grief, and memory.
‘Eureka’ (2006–2012)
Eureka is set in a secret high-tech town in Oregon inhabited by brilliant scientists and operated by Global Dynamics under the U.S. Department of Defense. When a failed experiment incapacitates the town sheriff, U.S. Marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) unexpectedly takes the role. Though surrounded by geniuses, Carter relies on his practical instincts, people skills, and determination to keep Eureka safe from scientific disasters.
Eureka is a charming, small-town, case-of-the-week show that is lighthearted enough for a casual watch, but still tickles your brain with all the science behind it. Although the people who work there are military-trained deputies or brilliant engineers, what really makes them shine are their oddball personalities. The best part is that these differences are celebrated in Eureka.
‘Continuum’ (2012–2015)
Continuum follows Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols), a police officer from 65 years in the future who becomes stranded in present-day Vancouver alongside the ruthless terrorist group Liber8. Desperate to return home, Kiera teams up with teenage tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), using her futuristic CMR technology to track the criminals before they alter history and reshape the future she came from.
Continuum is a commentary on systemic issues, which are presented as part of a society that certain organizations believe is ultimately for the greater good. Because of this moral ambiguity, viewers are pushed to question whether these actions are truly right or wrong. This also forces Kiera to make difficult choices, as she becomes increasingly torn between preserving her timeline and adapting to the past.
‘Awake’ (2012)
It’s hard enough to solve a crime in one lifetime, let alone two. Awake follows detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) after a tragic car accident splits his life into two realities: one where his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) survives, and his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) dies, and another where Rex lives while Hannah is gone. As Michael solves different cases in each world with separate partners and therapists, he begins to uncover the truth behind the crash.
Although the alternate reality premise is pure sci-fi, Awake follows a familiar procedural format that is surprisingly easy to digest. That does not lessen the surrealism of constantly shifting between two realities and using clues from one timeline to solve crimes in the other. With family at the heart of the conflict, Michael ultimately finds himself trying to protect the fragments of two separate lives at once.
‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ (2020)
Say goodbye to existential crisis in Dispatches from Elsewhere. Four lonely strangers — all of whom are disconnected from their lives — get caught up in a random citywide puzzle hidden in plain sight. Through cryptic clues and surreal “Dispatches from Elsewhere” missions, the group is pulled into a strange underground game that changes the way they see themselves.
Featuring an alternate reality game (ARG) as its central driving force, Dispatches from Elsewhere keeps its story intriguing through puzzles, psychological illusions, and strange coincidences. At the same time, the series is ultimately about people searching for meaning and human connection in their lives. Instead of facing their loneliness on their own, they discover they can at least be lonely together.
‘Night Sky’ (2022)
The last people you would expect to guard a high-tech portal to outer space are an elderly couple battling old age and illness. Night Sky follows Franklin (J. K. Simmons) and Irene York (Sissy Spacek), who secretly use a hidden chamber beneath their shed to visit a mysterious deserted planet. Things get out of hand when an injured stranger suddenly shows up out of nowwhere.
Instead of genius scientists or tech-savvy youngsters, Night Sky takes a unique approach by putting elders like Franklin and Irene in the spotlight. The two are ordinary people grappling with aging, and the last thing they should be dealing with is an intergalactic fugitive on the run. Yet what they lack in mobility and technical knowledge, they make up for with warmth and compassion, which become their greatest strengths.
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https://collider.com/near-perfect-soft-sci-fi-shows-no-one-remembers/
Dyah Ayu Larasati
Almontather Rassoul
