5 Perfect Sci-fi Miniseries That You Can Finish In One Day

FX

There's too much TV; there's no arguing that. Between new high-profile shows, every streamer competing to produce blockbuster productions, and anime churning out 50 new shows every three months, it's hard to find time to watch anything, let alone go back and watch older titles. Especially because there have been plenty of incredible sci-fi television series over the years, with the genre being integral to the very history of the medium since the 1930s.

That being said, not everyone has time to watch all 156 episodes of "The Twilight Zone" (though you should watch at least these 5 episodes), or all of "Star Trek." Considering many landmark series debuted in the era of 26-episode seasons, it can be a big commitment to watch a whole show. Thankfully, there are plenty of fantastic miniseries that explore the best the sci-fi genre has to offer, and you can watch them in a single day.

Whether it's a Steven Spielberg-produced show that's perfect to prepare for "Disclosure Day," or a radical reimagining of a groundbreaking anime classic, there are worlds to discover in a short amount of time. Here are five of the best sci-fi miniseries you can (and should) watch in a day.

Syfy

Before you watch Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day," the best thing you could do is revisit Spielberg's 2002 miniseries "Taken." No, it's not about Liam Neeson saving his family from human traffickers, but an epic and inspirational story of alien abductions.

Despite having a fantastic ensemble that includes both Fanning sisters, the late Anton Yelchin, Julie Benz, and directing legends like Tobe Hooper and "Orphan Black" co-creator John Fawcett, you've likely never seen "Taken." This is a Steven Spielberg production, yet it isn't streaming anywhere, which is a shame because it's fantastic. The 10-episode miniseries feels epic in scale, spanning 50 years of human history with alien encounters.

Yet what makes this show so memorable is how it mixes the alien-encounter lore, government paranoia, and high stakes with a rather intimate human drama about intergenerational trauma. The show follows three families over the years as alien encounters deeply affect them and their descendants, as they navigate the public, the government, the aliens themselves, and their own lives. It's one of Spielberg's darker stories, a transitional project for him as he goes from the more whimsical alien films of his youth to the bleakness of "War of the Worlds." It's a show that feels deeply ingrained in Spielberg's sensibilities and themes, yet looks and feels completely new and unique, particularly for television.

If you're lucky, you can find DVDs of the series on resale sites like eBay.

Max

Part of the appeal of science fiction is seeing new and exciting worlds that couldn't exist otherwise, letting the imagination run wild with creativity. Few shows have managed to showcase a truly alien world quite like "Scavengers Reign." This animated short-lived series that HBO Max should never have canceled follows the survivors of an interstellar cargo ship that becomes stranded on an alien planet filled with dangerous flora and fauna. The beauty of Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner's "Scavengers Reign" lies in how it portrays an alien world full of visually inventive wonders. Most importantly, every aspect of this world serves a clear purpose, with the creators finding ways to incorporate even the smallest creatures into the story – like flying creatures that also function as gas masks, or flowers that bloom from corpses.

It's a great showcase of visual storytelling, as it features long stretches without dialogue, letting the scenery do the talking. The best thing to say about this animated series is that it feels like Mœbius's art brought to life. This isn't to say "Scavengers Reign" has no story, quite the opposite. There are some compelling messages here about expansionist impulses and the downfall of empires, as well as a thrilling story of survival; it's just that "Scavengers Reign" knows it's better to show you all this rather than hit you with exposition. By the end of the season, you feel like you've stepped into an unforgettable world that you desperately want to see more of.

Netflix

This is the "Watchmen" of the "Astro Boy" franchise, an anime that begins as a hard-boiled crime thriller about a robot detective investigating a string of murders involving the world's strongest robots. And yet, the story quickly evolves into a thought-provoking sci-fi epic with a mature and nuanced look at themes of the nature of evil, AI, identity, hate, and war. "Pluto" is a masterclass in reimagining classic characters for a new audience, a show that takes one of the most influential anime series of all time and uses it as a springboard to tell a unique, fresh story that is nevertheless in conversation with the original.

No, you don't need to even know what "Astro Boy" is to enjoy this masterpiece or to get engrossed in its gripping mystery, thrilling action, and emotionally devastating story. That being said, "Pluto" does feel like the latest chapter in a story that began long before the first episode, one that's part of a fleshed-out, living world of tragedy and joy. Yes, you better expect tears, because there is at least one tear-jerking scene in each episode, all in service of a beautifully told self-contained season of television.

And in case you're not well-versed in anime, don't worry, "Pluto" features realistic and grounded visuals. This is particularly true of the character designs, which look like real people with flaws and all, a staple of the manga creator whose work was almost adapted by Park Chan-wook and Guillermo del Toro.

FX

What starts out as a simple thriller about a software engineer investigating her boyfriend's death quickly reveals itself as a mind-bending miniseries about determinism and quantum computing. Alex Garland delivers what's arguably his most thematically ambitious project ever with "Devs," a slow-burn approach that lets the filmmaker tell a character-driven story while also exploring the creation of an all-powerful supercomputer that can look into the future. "Devs" deals with ideas of determinism and free will. It is often densely packed with ideas, pondering big philosophical questions, testing the patience of its audience.

Yet Garland, who directs every episode, puts in a lot of effort to ensure the show doesn't cross any line. The visuals, hauntingly beautiful and claustrophobic in the framing, ensure the story is at least engaging to look at. This is a rather cerebral sci-fi miniseries, but it is still a thriller that builds tension with every episode, culminating in a phenomenal and unforgettable finale. "Devs" has only become more timely over the years; its take on the inevitability of technology, the egos that unleash inventions we perhaps should leave dormant, and the utter disasters that result from those inventions make it an even more terrifying watch in 2026.

Netflix

The "Cyberpunk 2077" game may have been a bit of a disaster, but it did inspire one of the best sci-fi anime of the past decade. "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" fulfills the promise of not just its source material, but its titular genre. Rather than just using the cyberpunk genre as a visual palette, the anime lives up to cyberpunk's origins as all about class warfare and rotten institutions. At the same time, "Edgerunners" does deliver a visually stunning miniseries with vibrant colors, a kick-ass soundtrack, and some absolutely gnarly kills. This is a seriously R-rated show; one that uses its rating to portray the cruel reality of its cyberpunk world, a world where poverty impacts every single aspect of the characters' lives (EMTs leave the protagonist's mother on the side of the road due to lack of insurance), and death is not at all quick or painless for anyone here.

You don't need to be familiar with "Cyberpunk 2077" to enjoy "Edgerunners," as the anime introduces a lived-in world populated by characters who feel alive and believable. This is a show set in a world where wealth is everything, so there's plenty of decadence hiding seedy alleys and neglected buildings. The characters, though memorable, are very clearly painted as just some of an untold number of others caught in the same circumstance, characters whose names are unknown, whose stories are untold. By the time the credits roll on the last episode to the tear-jerking tunes of Rosa Walton's "I Really Want To Stay At Your House," it is clear this is a truly outstanding sci-fi series that never overstayed its welcome but rather leaves you wanting more.