You should really add Netflix Sci-Fi TV shows to your watch list

Stranger Things caught on like wildfire when the genre series quietly premiered its first season on Netflix in 2016. What started out as a tribute to ’80s cinema, with references to E.T., Dungeons & Dragons, Goonies, and the works of Stephen King. A layered sci-fi adventure. The program follows a group of children in Hawkins, Indiana, who, after meeting a mysterious girl named Eleven, discover a sinister dimension hiding beneath their feet. Government cover-ups, diabolical hellbeasts and a cast full of lovable Misfit characters make up this Tour-De-Force series.

3 Body Problem was created by Game of Thrones alums David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, alongside terror showrunner Alexander Wu, and is based on the novel by Hugo Award winner Liu Cixin. The high-concept sci-fi series links the watershed moment of 1960s China to the present, where 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 Bana, the series follows a group of adopted superhero siblings who grow up to save the world. From traveling through time to saving humanity from multi-apocalyptic events, the continuing adventures of the dysfunctional Hargreeves turn their careers on their heads. It’s weird, off-air, hilarious and poignant.

Supacell takes the familiar superhero narrative and flips the script. The series follows four black people living in south London who suddenly develop superpowers. What connects each of them to their newfound abilities is their family history with sickle cell disorder – a common genetic condition. Using this type of narrative foundation, the show flows into the human drama playing out between these characters while highlighting culturally relevant themes such as racism, human trafficking, and predatory healthcare practices.

Charlie Broker’s Black Mirror set the standard for what modern genre anthology series could do. Each story featured throughout the series, which currently has six seasons and Interactive independent film Worth a visit, it takes place in a near-future world where technology has affected humanity in wonderful, strange and terrifying ways. Apocalyptic Black Mirror to Apocalyptic Mirror is a brain teaser of a TV show that will keep you thinking long after the credits roll.

They broke the mold when they made OA. Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the series follows the story of Prairie Johnson (Marling), a young blind woman who, after being lost for seven years, returns to her family with her sight restored. Where have you been all these years? How can you see? Parallel existence across multiple dimensions, like that. Well, this answer barely scratches the surface of this very unique and layered program. Come for quantum physics, stay for the interpretive dance routines.

Like Stranger Things, Dark takes off with the inexplicable disappearance of a child. Rather than another version of The Space Down afflicting the town, the German series flings itself with time travel to explore how a family and community can be affected by the event of a child getting lost. A slow burn of noir that leans heavily on the horrors of generational trauma, The Darkness lasted 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 Darkness to Netflix — and follows a group of passengers on a ship heading to New York during the turn of the century. This is more of a running period piece. Once things get going, the show throws time travel, multi-dimensions, reality simulations and other sci-fi bits on screen. It may not have gotten a season 2, but there’s still a lot of goodness to go around here.

In Parasyte: Gray, alien parasites land on Earth and begin transforming people into shape-shifting monsters. To combat this growing invasion of the body-style threat, the survivors—known as “The Gray”—rise up to save humanity and the planet. Inspired by the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, this Korean series should please any horror and sci-fi fan.

The Matrix creators Lily and Lana Wachowski teamed up with Babylon 5 creator J.J. Michael Straczynski Sense8 To Netflix. The supernatural drama follows eight random people from around the world who learn they are connected emotionally and mentally. Called “Senses,” the group learns as they are literally forced to walk in each other’s shoes and take on new and exciting skills. It wouldn’t be complete without including a mysterious organization that’s hunting them all down. Over the course of two seasons, the show explored timely issues such as gender, sexuality, and identity, blending genres such as Telenovela, K-Drama, Bollywood, and Euro-Noir while jumping around the world.

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 former captain Takeshi Kovak. His mission to solve the murder evolves into a journey of self-discovery as he works to track down his lost love and answers regarding his past life. Season 2 finds Anoni Mackie stepping into the role to further the Cyberpunk Noir story.

Mixing different anime styles with live action, Love & Death + Robots is an anthology unlike many others. The series, which draws comparisons to Black Mirror, is reduced to several standalone stories that explore a world where robots, creatures, and other human beings have more humanity than humanity itself.

Using the 1965 series as inspiration, Lost in Space follows the Robinson family on a space mission to colonize a new planet while humanity teeters on the brink of collapse. The show is heavy on family drama, which can be off-putting at times. Thanks to sociopolitical strife, an adorable alien robot sidekick and deliciously evil Parker Posey, the show delivers.

Emma Stone and Jonah Hale star in this mind-bending drama from Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) and Patrick Somerville (The Leftovers). The 10-episode series follows Annie (Stone) and Owen (Hale) as they enter a drug trial due to a drug that claims to cure all their problems. As you can guess, no. Stone and Hill look like they’re having a crazy time during the show, trying out a variety of different characters. The addition of Sonoya Mizuno, Justin Theroux, and Sally Field to the cast makes this a limited gem worthy of your attention.

For its first three seasons, Meanyest was an NBC original. After it was canceled by the network, Netflix swooped in to revive the series. The story follows the passengers of Flight 828, who arrive at their destination five years after they originally took off. Survivors begin to gain preconceptions and visions that help them save others from disasters that have not yet occurred. It’s kind of like Destination Lost, and it had a baby, kind of.

Alice in Borderland is based on the manga by Haro Aso and follows a group of characters in a parallel version of Tokyo forced to compete in a set of twisted games to survive. The Battle Royale-style thriller will appeal to fans of life-or-death competition titles like The Squid Game, The Hunger Games, and Battle Royale.