The Sci-Fi TV Show Starter Pack

In the last decade, with the growing popularity and the increasing quality of sci-fi films, TV shows have been seeing an equal if not greater increase in the number of shows in the sci-fi genre. And the beauty of many of these shows extend beyond the cutting edge CGI graphics, giving viewers incredible storylines with well-thought out executions. Even if you are not a fan of this genre, it is worth your time to check out some of these shows simply for the sake of how well they are made. Here is a list of sci-fi TV to start off with.

BLACK MIRROR

This part of the article is for the poor souls who have not yet watched this show and are seriously missing out on something extraordinary. Black Mirror follows one philosophy; the dark impact technology could have for us. Even the name comes from how a screen of any electronic device looks like a black mirror when it's turned off. There have been four seasons so far and each season consists of episodes that tell a completely independent story. Each episode will leave you questioning many of the ideas we have about our society and our increasing dependence on technology. But mind you, this is not a show for the faint hearted and in many ways it can even be described as a horror show. There is also a Christmas special episode, so don't forget to watch that too.

LEGION

This has to be one of my favourites, if not my top pick as a fantastic TV show. It revolves around a man named David Keller, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and so spent many years going through various psychiatric hospitals. In one such hospital he meets a woman named Sydney Barrett who is also a patient and soon events unfold that makes him realise that his illness is actually a special kind of power he possesses. Soon he finds out there are more like him out there, some of them good and some of them evil. Whether he is able to control his power, or loses his way, is what you will have to watch to find out.

The best thing about this show is that it's not obnoxious in any way, nor is it elusive in a way that it feels annoying. The cinematography and the shifts between the real world and the mental realm of David Keller is beautifully merged into a kind of abstract universe, where you willingly feel confused. The show recently premiered its second season, so binge that first one and you'll dive into the next on your own.

THE OA

Another gem of a show, The OA is the strange and mystical journey of Prairie Johnson, who loses her sight at a young age after a near death experience, and is adopted by an old couple who raise her as their own. When she runs away on her 21st birthday to New York, to find her father whom she sees during intermittent premonitions, she goes missing for the next 7 years, only to resurface again with strange markings on her back and her blindness permanently cured. When questioned by the FBI, she insists on being addressed as the OA. The story unfolds as she gathers an awkward quartet of people and begins to tell them her story and talks about her mission.

The show itself is not only visually excellent, but the story is very unique and the lead actress and executive producer Brit Marling does a fantastic job at making you question what is real and what is make believe, throughout the show. I won't restrict it by referring to it as just a sci-fi show, for it explores various elements of drama, mysticism and sci-fi, making them seamlessly fit together.

ALTERED CARBON

This show was almost as well received as was Stranger Things, only it takes place in the future and is about a world where a person's memories can be stored in "cortical stacks" and can be activated by inserting them into the vertebrae of synthetic human bodies, known as "sleeves" through a process known as "needlecasting". The story surrounds a man named Takeshi Kovacs, who wakes up in a new sleeve after 250 years and is faced with the choice between staying in jail for eternity and helping in solving the murder of a wealthy man named Laurens Bancroft.

Before watching the show I was perhaps a little sceptical as to how well the execution would be, but it went beyond expectations with great action sequences and beautifully stark and colourful cinematography. It's perhaps not as emotionally or mentally heavy as the previous shows, but it is still a great watch if you want to experience some hardcore cyber-punk magic.

I hope this suffices as a starter pack to good sci-fi shows to watch. Happy binge watching, everyone.

Mohua Mouli likes cats and all things art. She also thinks she is good at some types of art. To confront her about her claims, write her at mohua210@gmail.com