Prime Video’s best sci-fi TV shows to transport you to another world

Fallout is a fun, kinetic, action-packed video game adaptation that maintains the atmosphere of Bethesda’s iconic franchise while charting a new course, story-wise. You don’t need to be familiar with games to enjoy this show. Of course, there are plenty of fresh Easter eggs for fans to appreciate. But Fallout was created with a wider audience in mind. And thanks to killer performances from the cast — Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell are perfect — and detailed world-building, you won’t want to miss this wild ride into the Wasteland.

Cyberpunk icon William Gibson wrote the novel that inspired The Peripheral. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — the duo that brought Westworld and Fallout to the small screen — the series stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher, a woman who gets swept up in a virtual reality video game. A trip to future London and an unexpected mission to save the world turn her life, and this series, on its head.

From The Office to Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, Greg Daniels has extensive experience bringing game-changing comedies to the small screen. In Upload, he brings his strange sensibilities to the afterlife with a program that posits that, in the near future, technology companies will offer virtual resorts where the consciousness of the recently deceased can enjoy a heavenly rest forever. That is, of course, if they can afford it.

The Expanse is the little engine that could have sci-fi TV shows. The series explores a future reality where humanity has successfully colonized the solar system. It began as an original scripted series on SyFy, but after three seasons, the network axed the program. Thankfully, Amazon stepped in to save it from cancellation. During its six-season run, the series found its feet and its audience, blossoming into an intelligent, engaging sci-fi drama.

A few years after Garth Ennis’ Preacher was a mild success on AMC, the writer’s hit superhero comic The Boys hit Prime Video and blew the doors off. In the series, a group of famous corrupt superheroes fight for power and fame while a gang of outlaws (aka The Boys) hunt them down individually. It’s a violent spectacle that slaps the audience in the face with a heavy helping of social and political commentary. And it’s pretty good too.

Read our review of The Boys.

Just as powerful, violent and surprising as its parent series, Gen V shines a light on the next generation of genetically altered superheroes. Common social and political tropes are exposed here. Additionally, Gen V delves into topics such as the impact of social media, body image, classism, and race in the field of higher education.

Inspired by the narrative art book by Swedish retro-futurist artist Simon Stålenhag, the series balances the sleek aesthetic of a technology-heavy future world with the laid-back nature of rural America. Jonathan Pryce and Rebecca Hall give incredible performances in this weird, slow-burning sci-fi series.

If Yellowstone and The X-Files had a baby, it would probably be the Outer Range. The sci-fi western follows Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin), the patriarch and owner of the Abbott family farm. His family lives in the wake of his daughter-in-law’s unexplained disappearance. When a stranger comes to stay with the family, Royal must reckon with his past, present and possible future. This would be it if you’re looking for a quirky series based on its writing and stellar performances.

Read our Outdoor Ranges review.

What if America didn’t win World War II? This is the main question that “The Man in the High Castle” aims to answer. Based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, the series takes place in the 1960s and presents an alternate reality where Nazi Germany and Japan share control of the US. When newsreel footage from an alternate timeline where Germany and Japan lost the war surfaces, the seeds of rebellion are planted. Ridley Scott executive produced the touching and thought-provoking series.

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) and Michael Dinner (Justified) teamed up to bring Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams to life. The futuristic anthology series explores how technology can affect humanity in a variety of fantastical and terrifying ways. The narrative similarities between Electric Dreams and Black Mirror certainly abound. However, every episode of the Prime Video program draws inspiration from the work of the titular sci-fi author.

Thematically, The Night Sky is reminiscent of close encounters of the third kind and the cocoon. The slow-burn series, which lasted just one season, stars JK Simmons and Sissy Spacek as an older married couple dealing with the trials and tribulations of their golden years. Also, a mysterious portal to a strange planet exists under their shelter. This sentimental mystery box series explores aging and mortality in a surprisingly heartfelt way — thanks to riveting performances from its two leads.

Inspired by Robert Kirkman’s comic series of the same name, Invincible follows Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), an ordinary high school kid who happens to be the son of Omni-Man (JK Simmons) – the most powerful superhero on the planet. When Mark displays special abilities, he discovers the unfortunate truth about who his father is and the insidious things he has done. This animated series is beautifully designed, well written and wonderfully acted. It’s seen by many as the best superhero show on TV, and for good reason.

In The Power, the Prime Video series based on Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel of the same name, teenage girls across the globe suddenly develop the ability to shoot electricity from their hands. How exactly does this superpower change the female experience in America and beyond? Toni Collette and Jon Leguizamo star alongside a cast of talented young women in a series that aims to turn tropes and gender dynamics on their head.

It’s easy to compare paper girls to foreign objects. Parts of the story take place in the 80s and follow a group of kids who try to understand a supernatural event in the city while riding their bikes. However, the similarities end there. Based on Brian K. Vaughn’s comic books of the same name, the one-season program begins as our 12-year-old letter-delivery girls face their future selves and fight for survival amid a time-traveling war that unfolds around them.

As surprising as it may seem, Truth Seekers is the first TV show that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have created together. Over the past few decades, the pair cultivated a reputation for performing hilarious genre jams from Shaun of the Dead to World’s End. Truth Seekers may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as their previous collaborations, but that’s okay. The ghost-hunting series is still chock full of horror homages, and thanks to the fun chemistry of its ensemble cast, it’s worthwhile low-stakes fun.

The boom in genre anthology series that followed the initial success of Black Mirror helped bring The Feed to Prime Video. It’s another program that explores the dark side of technology. The show takes place in a London of the near future, where people can live-stream their daily lives thanks to an implant in their head. Tapping into society’s obsession with social media and the dopamine rush that drives terrible decisions, The Feed features a top-notch cast that includes names like David Thewlis (Wonder Woman, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Game of Thrones alum Thrones, Michelle Fairley.

Prime Video took a big hit with Dead Ringers. This updated twist on David Cronenberg’s cult horror classic finds Rachel Weisz in a dual role as Doctors Elliott and Beverly Mantle. Their attempt to push the health care envelope blows up medical ethics. The result is a program that never shies away from exploring topics like big pharma’s control over women’s health, outdated reproductive practices, bodily autonomy, and much more.

The rotoscoping animation used in Undone provides a tapestry of dreams for the audience. One could easily see the show as an ethereal work of art, but there is also a deep substance here. The show follows Alma (Rosa Salaza), a troubled 20-year-old whose life is turned upside down after an accident. As her reality dissolves into something else, she must struggle to make sense of her trauma. Part mystery, part thriller, and part family drama — it’s safe to say that Undone is unlike any TV show you’ve seen before.

Not to be confused with the short-lived Patrick Warburton sitcom, this live-action rendition of the blue superhero with pointy antennae is broader, more action-packed, and takes the comic book genre it’s parodying a little more seriously. Ben Edlund, creator of the original comic and 2001 television series, executive produced this iteration of the character, ensuring that the show’s sense of humor and atmosphere stayed true to his original vision. Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman have great chemistry together. Jackie Earle Haley’s sinister portrayal of the Terror is an absolute delight. This makes the three season series a must watch for any comic book fan.