The year is 2020 and the world as we know it is a burning dumpster fire. Each month of the year has brought a new plague, social unrest, or environmental disaster. In these seemingly dystopian times, there’s nothing better than escaping Earth entirely and venturing off into space.
Sometimes a futuristic escape is just what the doctor ordered. Whether you’re looking for something to take your mind off of the horrors outside or just consoling yourself that “we’re not that bad yet” a good sci-fi show is a great place to lose yourself for a bit. So, while you’re maintaining your social distance, check out these exciting science fiction shows to help you through these times.
Before we kick it off…
If you need a break from the sci-fi binge and want to get your head in the game, there are some fantastic science fiction themed games to play too. Online games allow you to really get into the world where you can voyage through space, build robots, or get to know some retro-looking aliens, all from the comfort of your couch.
Better yet, why not make some money while you’re playing too? Get some skin in the game with Sci-Fi slot machines for a different kind of entertainment that will scratch your sci-fi itch, get your adrenaline pumping, and delight your wallet all at the same time.
Battlestar Galactica
Ever wonder what would happen if artificial intelligence really takes off and the robots realize that they’re smarter than us? Well, then strap in for a seriously emotional survival story and the ultimate showdown of humans versus Cylons.
Too good to miss.
The technology was too good, and humans weren’t careful enough because even after the Great Cylon War, the androids have been lying in wait, improving their technology, and waiting for the right time to pounce. After the Cylons nuke the 12 colonies, all that’s left are a few military and transport ships that were already off-world. Now it’s up to Captain Adama of a museum relic (the Galactica) and the Secretary of Education (now promoted to the president) to save what’s left of the human race before they’re wiped out.
The 2004 iteration of Battlestar Galactica was a reboot of the original 1978 series of the same name. Get ready to see the best and worst of human nature as well as the consequences of unchecked technology in this incredible sci-fi military drama.
Black Mirror
If the dystopian hellscape that 2020 has become isn’t dark and techy enough for you, then definitely take a look in the mirror… Black Mirror that is.
Originally inspired by the dreamlike classic master series The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror is a British dystopian science fiction anthology series, following various characters through their trials and tribulations with modern, manipulative, and often terrifying technology. Set in an alternative version of the present day, in each episode, the characters grapple with the capabilities, eventualities, and unintended consequences of ever-advancing technologies.
Some like the escape of a happy place, however, Black Mirror is an escape that might make our current world look a little less dark. Not for the faint of heart, this is truly a “thinking” show in which you may start to question all realities, including our own.
Firefly
Set 500 years in the future when Earth-that-was is but a memory and the only two languages left are English and Mandarin Chinese, the ragtag crew of a Firefly-class space transport ship, Serenity travel around the galaxy, trying to earn some credits and getting on the government’s bad side.
It’s hard not to fall in love with the 9 characters who live aboard the spaceship, following their adventures through space and exploring a futuristic, human-occupied galaxy that still feels so familiar. The drama, comedy, and heartwrenching backstories will have you cheering on Captain Mal and his crew in no time.
This American space Western comedic drama only aired for one season (and then a movie, called Serenity) and has developed a loyal cult-like following in the wake of Fox’s cancellation of the show. Firefly allows us to travel back to a simpler time (2002) while jumping ahead 500 years and exploring the most exciting possibilities of a strange new galaxy that’s been populated by humans. Humans, that seem to have all of the same strengths and flaws as we do.
Science Fiction shows give us hope for the future. It enables us to speculate about the world around us, the technology we use, the possibilities of time travel and extraterrestrial life, and the concepts of parallel universes. When the world around us seems pretty bleak, viewing the world through a sci-fi lens can be both a comfort to us and an encouragement for the near future.
