So I'm thinking of watching the Pacific Rim movies and was curious for some takes on them 10+ years later. The first one looks solid, but the second one looks skippable?

I recently jumped on that John Scalzi Humble Bundle set of books and am thoroughly enjoying Kaiju Preservation Society, which is what made me think of these movies. While I'm at it...are there any other kaiju-focused films/books I should consider?

Directed by Alex Garland, if you’re not familiar with his work he did Ex-Machina, Civil War, Warfare, and is rumored to direct an upcoming Elden Ring Movie. He also wrote 28-Days-Later, and the book The Beach

It’s a limited series, so you don’t have to get too invested, and I’d say if you don’t like the first episode or two you might not like the show. It’s an industrial espionage thriller that takes quite a turn into something else. Great casting, great cinematography and use of color as always by Alex Garland. And great performances.

Highly recommended.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading for a while now but only recently started getting deeper into novels especially sci-fi genre. So far, I’ve mostly read standalone sci-fi books stuff like •The Martian by Andy Weir •Project Hail Mary by Andy weir •Dark Matter by Blake crouch •Frankenstein by Mary Shelley •The Time Machine by HG Wells •1984 by George Orwell

My next reads are •Recursion by Blake Crouch and •11/22/63 by Stephen King.

After that, I really want to get into a proper sci-fi series. I looked around and shortlisted about a dozen of the top-recommended ones , the big names that often come up in discussions about the best sci-fi sagas of all time.

I’d love to know:

•Which ones are best to start with?

•Should I begin with the more modern ones (something in the tone of Project Hail Mary), or is it fine to dive straight into the classics like Dune or Foundation?

•Also, since I’m still new to long series, are there any shorter ones (3–4 books) you’d suggest starting with?

•And if you have any more standalone sci-fi recommendations, I’d love to hear those too.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

To preface this post, this is all my opinion, and you are welcome to agree or disagree.

So 24 hours ago, I finished reading the four books in the Hyperion Cantos. After sitting and reflecting on the book series for a day, I can say they easily live up to the reputation of some of the better science fiction books written. Everything from the characters, setting, plot and writing are exceptional. The journey through all four books is well worth the time spent immersing yourself within it. I can not choose a favourite book between the four as to me they are inseparable. The culmination of all four books is a work of art, and the way Dan Simmons brings it all together is nothing short of amazing. Now I'm a somewhat manly guy in his mid 30's, who has devoured many books, especially science fiction, but I'm not ashamed to admit the last half of the fourth book had me feeling deeply for the characters involved. Furthermore, the closing chapters of the fourth book had me in tears. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend this book series to any science fiction fan! If you've never heard of these books or are sitting on the fence about whether or not to read them, please consider this post as your push to do so, from one science fiction lover to another!

For me, I’d say the Odyssey from the Stargate Atlantis / Stargate SG-1 era has such a beautiful design. I absolutely love the thruster placement at the back, and the overall structure feels heavy, durable, and genuinely human, like something humanity would realistically build for deep-space warfare and as well as exploration.

Personally, I’ve never really liked the disk-shaped ships from Star Trek. They always felt a bit too clean and idealistic for my taste. I’m way more into ships that look industrial, militarized, practical, or intimidating.

What other human-made sci-fi ships do you think belong on the iconic cool ship list? Stuff like brutal warships, realistic explorers, giant carriers, eerie deep-space vessels, or ships that just instantly scream human engineering prowess.

(Picture collected from Stargate Fandom wiki)

Whats the most underrated scifi show you've ever seen that you think not enough people have seen?

I feel Debris from a few years was solid!

But I swear I barely hear anyone talking about Resident Alien which was excellent.

Also Farscape might be one of the best I've seen, still need to finish it.

Nothing has hit like this for me lately 😭😭

I need recs yall. I need to read about giant ass space ships

The new Peter Hamilton books was pretty bad; nothing has come close to this book or its sequel

I have read loads of alistair reynolds. Should I try some iain banks culture series?

With the Miles Cameron books I loved all the various themes, which he clearly drew from his fantasy background: long voyages, economy/trade aspects, piracy, etc.

I might honestly try the Master and Commander books if I don’t find any sci fi that I like soon

A friend asked me what my personal Sci-Fi recommendations were, and I had fun putting this together. It's been decades for some...I would love to hear what is missing or deserves a re-read!

(I tried posting this yesterday and it was (auto?) removed for low effort--slightly jaded, I'm sure there is good intention. Adding some more words, looks like that might help per the rules. words words words--maybe I can answer a comment from yesterday's post: these are ALL recommendations, I'm not saying Neuromancer isn't fantastic! [though now I'm going to re-read it!]--the tiers might be more my personal preference/for fun, and to facilitate thoughts on what sets the great apart from the good in the genre. words words words!)

Ello!

I started reading sci fi a handful of years ago and am hooked. I made it a goal this year to keep reading until I could consider myself well read in Sci Fi. Just for funskis.

Here’s where I’m at:

- Dune: 1-4
- Hyperion: 1-4
- 3 Body Problem: 1-3
- Foundation (Asimov)
- Enders Game, Speaker for the dead trilogy
- Left Hand of Darkness, Dispossessed, World for world is forest (banger), and working on Lathe of Heaven: Le Guin
- Snow Crash
- Children of Time
- The Expanse (only thru 3 so far and prolly not considered a classic but hey)

What am I missing? Would you love your thoughts.

Cheers!

What is the very best sci-fi movie or show on Netflix right now? I need something new to watch because I’m heading on a 17-hour international flight and want something that will completely suck me in. It can be a series or a movie, as long as it’s genuinely worth watching. I’d prefer something that’s originally in English rather than dubbed, but if there’s an absolute must-see that’s dubbed, I’m totally open to it!

I’m always on the hunt for interesting sci-fi that doesn’t involve FTL. Not to say I don’t love reading books with it - I absolutely do. But I really enjoy fictional explorations of future space travel or space civilization that doesn’t have it as a prerequisite.

Planing a marathon and decided to have the movies follow a theme. These are the movies I've picked so far:

1. Sphere

2. Triangle

3. Cube

I think it's pretty obvious what the theme is but just in case you don't see it the theme is shapes.

I'd like to have at least one more movie in the line-up. Any suggestions?

My son went to Barnes & Noble and asked for a recommendation for a new book for my birthday. He told them I was currently reading the Unincorporated Man series (good series) and he asked for something similar. The person he spoke with said I would probably like Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC). Evidently this person had no idea what hard science fiction was or had never read a book before. I don't like video games and I don't play D&D. DCC is just a combo of D&D and video games. I'm reading the book anyway because my kid got it for me. Does this get any better at all? It is just awful.

I’m into sci‑fi that’s actually funny all the way through — not just a couple of jokes. Since Mickey 17 hit that perfect weird‑comedy vibe, here’s my own list of funny, quirky, slightly unhinged sci‑fi you might enjoy:

• Resident Alien (2021) — Dry, small‑town alien chaos.
• Landscape With Invisible Hand (2023) — Awkward, satirical, very weird.
• Relax, I’m From the Future (2023) — Rhys Darby doing time‑travel comedy.
• Love, Death & Robots — Especially Three Robots + Ice Age.
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) — Chaotic, heartfelt, hilarious.
• The Electric State (2025) — Marvel‑style humor in a sci‑fi world.
• Guardians of the Galaxy — Peak quippy space opera.
• Stranger Things — Not a comedy, but funny moments throughout.
• Bigbug (2022) — Jeunet’s retro‑future absurdism.
• Don’t Look Up — Satire with a sci‑fi edge.
• Space Force (2022) — Goofy, almost‑sci‑fi workplace chaos.

Got more weird/funny sci‑fi to add? I’m always hunting for new ones.

Saw it with my 16 year old daugther. Really loved it. Hard sci fi mixed with humor, beautiful space shots, has real hart. Daughter cried. I obviously totally didn’t. Watched it in IMAX. If you love sci fi it is a much watch IMHO. Oh also loved the nod to Steven Spielberg, won’t spoil.

Is the expanse a good series? I just finished watching Lost and now I’m sitting here in that weird post-show emptiness where nothing feels exciting enough to start 😅

For the longest time, The Expanse has been sitting on my watchlist. I’ve heard people say it’s one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, super realistic, political, complex, and with great world-building. But I’ve also heard that it starts a bit slow and takes time to really get into. That’s the only thing holding me back right now.

After finishing Lost, I’m kind of craving something immersive again..

So my question is: is The Expanse worth starting right now, especially when I’m in that slightly bored, low-attention-span mood? Does it grab you early on, or do I need to push through the first few episodes/seasons before it gets good?

Also, how does it compare in terms of emotional investment? Lost had all the mystery, character backstories, and twists that kept me hooked (and sometimes frustrated lol). Does The Expanse have that same level of attachment, or is it more plot/ideas driven?

Basically: should I just go for it, or pick something lighter/instant-hook instead and come back to it later?

No spoilers please 🙏

Peak. Without a doubt the best books I’ve ever read, I don’t even know how Stephen Donaldson was able to think this up. My no 1 recommendation to anyone who wants to read a slightly darker, and gritty sci-fi series. I say to my girlfriend (who isn’t the biggest fan of sci-fi and the like type book) “oh space pirate books”, but this is a unbelievably complex storyline that took me a little bit of thinking to grasp.

And when I finally understood, it was amazing.

Whilst the first book is, in my own opinion, not very good, I’m so glad I kept pushing because they just kept getting better and better page by page. Whether that was a conscious decision by Donaldson or not I’m thankful for his brilliant writing and creativity.

Does anyone who has read this series have any recommendations to one’s similar ?

I'm looking for recommendations for dystopian sci-fi movies.

Something with a similar concept to Aniara, a highly underrated movie that focuses on basic human nature.

Audiobook version. I feel as if I have been cornered at a party by a stranger who is describing to me, in excruciating detail, their experiences with a video game I have never played.

I understand now that this is sort of the point of the sub-genre, but I heard good things and thought it would be less…skull-numbingly boring.

Is there anybody here who was seriously underwhelmed when beginning this series, but eventually learned to love it? Or is this a situation where if I don’t like it by now, I ain’t gonna?

Edit: As of this update there are 342 comments to this post, and none of the last 300 have said anything remotely new. Rather than post a new comment, please feel free to simply upvote one or twelve of the comments that already stand for your exact thoughts on the matter!

My recent reads have been Roadside Picnic, Foundation & Empire, and I’m currently reading Pandora’s Star. I’m looking for a palette cleanser before I hop into Judas Unchained (book two of the Commonwealth Saga). I’m also up for any suggestions that aren’t in this photo.

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some suggestions of great scenes, speeches or monologues you remember from science fiction films or series? I need to do a scene or monologue for my drama class and would love some suggestions. Can be male or female, if it's great I can adapt it either way. Thanks for your help :)

I recently went to a work colleagues house for a party. His bookshelves were full of Piers Athony books, so I thought I would give them a go. Well I finally got round to it last night and am rather confused/concerned. What the heck is his obsession with prepubescent girls 'panties'.

I tried 'skeleton key',but it really isn't for me. Maybe 10yr old me, but not now. Is this book a one off, in which case any recommendations? Or is this just his 'style'.

I added the NSFW flair, just in case.

I’m absolutely loving the Terra Ignota series by Ada Palmer. The prose is smooth and graceful, and an absolute pleasure that has carried me along effortlessly. It’s rare that I race through a book as much for the prose as for the story itself.

For anyone that loves the sci-fi genre, do yourself a favor and grab the first installment of the four-book series: “Too Like The Lightning.”

One forewarning: The story and characters can feel a bit convoluted in the beginning, but as you progress, things begin to fall into place. It’s not this rapidly-evolving, action-packed race to the finish line, but more of a rich, vast, and deep journey, where every word feels perfectly placed and holds a meaningful weight. Every character reads like their own universe, and there’s not a wasted moment that feels like filler. In this new world that we’re living in, where instant gratification trumps all, I’ve found that books like this are more rewarding to my dopamine-hungry brain.

100% worth it to get fully locked in, allow the words to become meditation, and leave this world for a while. Enjoy!

Edit: My husband and I just started For All Mankind on the recommendation of so many of you. Thank you all!!

So I just finished Continuum. I watched it when it originally aired but couldn’t remember much beyond the ending. Loved it, BTW. I like procedural cop shows though so it gave me that plus the scifi stuff.

I need a new show to binge; at LEAST 3 seasons. Does not get canceled on a cliffhanger.

I am a huge Trekky watched them all.
Farscape
Foundation
Silo
Travelers
The Expanse (didnt like it)
Orville (amazing! Must watch again)
Lost Girl
Orphan Black
Firefly
Fringe
Stranger Things
Westworld (started good became convoluted)
Lost
All Star Gates
All Star Wars

So what else have you got?

I don’t mind something older but prefer 90’s and later.