Forget ‘Stranger Things’: These 8 Sci-Fi Shows Have Much Better Writing

After five seasons spread over nearly a decade, the Duffer Brothers’ genre-bending sci-fi series Stranger Things finally came to a close in 2025. During its nine-year run, the show developed a massive international fanbase and a successful franchise. However, as celebrated and influential as the show may have been, there’s no denying the fact that its writing was not always the best.

So why not take a look beyond Hawkins to the wider multiverse of TV science fiction, where there’s no shortage of elevated, high-concept sci-fi shows you could watch, including some that reach far greater heights of storytelling than the iconic Netflix favorite? Here’s our handpicked selection of phenomenal sci-fi shows that all feature much better writing than Stranger Things.

1

‘Dark’ (2017–2020)

Image via Netflix

Netflix’s first German-language original series, Dark is a sci-fi mystery thriller created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, which centers on four families in the small town of Winden. In the aftermath of a child’s disappearance, the investigation brings to light the families’ fractured relationships, secret lives, and dark pasts, unfurling a complex time travel mystery that spans four generations. The show features an ensemble cast starring Louis Hofmann, Karoline Eichhorn, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schöne, and Moritz Jahn in main roles.

Presented through a deceptively non-linear and highly intricate narrative, Dark blends philosophical horror, sci-fi mystery, and character drama to explore themes of existentialism, free will vs. fate, and time travel paradoxes. From its production style to performances, the series is intense and complex in every aspect, full of twists and turns, and feels more like a puzzle for the viewer to solve than just a straightforward sci-fi story. Critically acclaimed for its writing, direction, and acting, Dark is a modern sci-fi gem that’s sure to satisfy most genre fans.

2

‘Westworld’ (2016–2022)

Image via HBO

Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Westworld is a dystopian sci-fi Western based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film, centered on the titular, technologically advanced, Wild-West themed amusement park run by android “hosts,” who cater to wealthy guests and their wildest fantasies. When the hosts begin to inexplicably malfunction, Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), one of the park’s oldest hosts, finds herself on a path of rebellion. Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Angela Sarafyan, Ed Harris, and more star in other key roles.

Westworld truly is a unique kind of science fiction that fantastically blends classic Western and cyberpunk aesthetics to explore themes of existentialism, morality, artificial consciousness, and free will versus programming. Its narrative defies all limits and conventions of traditional sci-fi storytelling with its bold themes and shifting focus from human characters to AI protagonists. Distinguished for its remarkable visual style, great background score, effects, and cinematography, which earned it nine Emmy Awards, Westworld is a highly ambitious sci-fi series of its time that could someday be regarded as a TV classic.

3

‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)

Image via Netflix

An adult-animated series adaptation of the popular video game League of Legends, Arcane was created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee and explores the reimagined stories of sisters Violet/Vi and Powder/Jinx. The series, set in the same universe as the game, explores their ordeals and conflicting loyalties as they get embroiled in the raging conflict between the utopian city of Piltover and its seedy counterpart, Zaun. The show’s voice cast stars Hailee Steinfeld as Vi and Ella Purnell as Jinx, with Kevin Alejandro, Katie Leung, Jason Spisak, and more in supporting roles.

Arcane is a towering example of refined animation where steampunk aesthetics meet intricate character stories. The series takes a visual-first storytelling approach, realizing it with well-designed characters, thrilling action sequences, rich color schemes, and surrealist art. With its breathtaking cinematography, art design, and soundtrack, every episode of Arcane feels like an animation masterpiece, rightfully earning the series several Primetime Emmy and Annie Awards.

4

‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)

Image via HBO Max

Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner and produced by Titmouse, Inc., Scavenger’s Reign is an adult-animated sci-fi series based on their Adult Swim short film, Scavengers. The show follows the survivors of a wrecked interstellar cargo ship, who get stranded on an alien planet, where the seemingly lush environment, rich with flora and fauna, is also complex, unusual, and deceptively dangerous. The voice cast stars Sunita Mani, Wunmi Mosaku, Alia Shawkat, Bob Stephenson, Ted Travelstead, and more.

Unlike most sci-fi shows, Scavenger’s Reign uses its visual atmosphere as an active storytelling device, using the art, movements, and sound effects just as effectively as the dialogue. The narrative treats the planet itself as a character, exploring the interconnectedness of its various inhabitants, which makes for a very hypnotic journey for the audience. A beautiful and bizarre cinematic adventure, Scavenger’s Reign has been hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time, even though it’s relatively underrated.

5

‘Black Mirror’ (2011–Present)

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A modern sci-fi landmark created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is an anthology that explores various stories set in indeterminate timelines and universes (but mostly in the future) and revolving around a rotating cast of characters. What they all have in common is a shared theme of the fallacies of technology, which leads to shocking outcomes, and each episode explores how technology and media impact our social, psychological, and even political lives. Over the course of its seven seasons, Black Mirror has featured a number of notable stars, including the likes of Miley Cyrus, Salma Hayek, Jon Hamm, Daniel Kaluuya, Peter Capaldi, Benedict Wong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and more.

Taking equal inspiration from sci-fi classics and modern speculative fiction, Black Mirror is unarguably a 21st-century television icon that has redefined the genre. Because of its anthology format, the series has explored all possible subgenres and narrative styles, including political satire, surrealism, psychological thriller, crime, mystery, and film noir. While heavily inspired by The Twilight Zone and often compared to the TV classic, Black Mirror has evolved in its own distinctive way, driven by good storytelling and excellent production design.

6

‘Severance’ (2022–Present)

Image via Apple TV+

Created by Dan Erickson and primarily directed by Ben Stiller, Severance revolves around a group of employees at a mysterious biotech company, where the staff have to undergo the titular procedure that separates their consciousness between personal and professional identities. After an unexpected encounter with a co-worker outside the office, one employee, Mark, begins to question the policy, and the corporation’s seemingly perfect system begins to fall apart. Adam Scott stars as Mark, with Patricia Arquette, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken in key roles.

One of the most popular sci-fi series of the 2020s, Severance is a high-concept psychological thriller that takes a remarkably innovative angle on the evil corporation trope, satirizing modern corporate culture and work-life imbalance. It does this through a dark, surreal narrative with a stylized dystopian aesthetic that makes this Apple TV original a unique kind of sci-fi show. Every season of Severance has been a delightful surprise, with increasingly clever writing, elevated production design, and award-winning performances, making it a leading genre hit like Stranger Things, only more mature.

7

‘Fringe’ (2008–2013)

Image via FOX

A sci-fi series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, Fringe revolves around the titular division of the FBI, following agent Olivia Dunham, mad scientist Walter Bishop, and his estranged son Peter as they take on inexplicable cases. The team implements fringe science to investigate various ghastly and uncanny incidents, tracing connections to a parallel universe. Anna Torv stars as Olivia, Joshua Jackson as Peter, and John Noble as Dr. Bishop, with Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, and Jasika Nicole in other main cast roles.

A sci-fi series way ahead of its time, Fringe begins as a procedural but quickly evolves into a series with more scientific depth, exploring theories about time travel, parallel universes, quantum entanglement, and so on. Barring perhaps the first season, every season of Fringe is highly binge-worthy for its incredible storylines, production style, and compelling performances by the core cast. A modern TV classic, Fringe intelligently mixes elements of fantasy, crime fiction, TV procedurals, serialized storytelling, and classic television to create an elevated, ahead-of-its-time narrative.

8

‘The X-Files’ (1993–2018)

Image via FOX

An iconic sci-fi procedural created by Chris Carter, The X-Files follows FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate complex events and unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder uses his knowledge and belief in the unnatural to arrive at possible solutions, while Scully relies on scientific evidence, hard facts, and theories to arrive at her conclusions, creating the primary conflict that drives the series. David Duchovny stars as Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Scully, with Robert Patrick, Annabeth Gish, and Mitch Pileggi in other key roles.

The X-Files is pure ’90s nostalgia that grew into a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a host of sci-fi shows of the future. The show’s storytelling style, character development, and innovative “monster of the week” plots have since been highly praised, especially the characters of Mulder and Scully and their believer vs. skeptic dynamic, which turned them into pop culture icons. Even though the show’s plot does suffer in later seasons, The X-Files is still widely celebrated for its unique narrative style that blends conspiracy mythology, monster horror, and crime procedural elements, creating a new kind of sci-fi TV.

Release Date

1993 – 2018-00-00

Network

FOX