10 Best HBO Max Sci-Fi Shows

Published Oct 1, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. HBO Max contains one of the most robust libraries of any streaming service, including a healthy collection of exciting sci-fi TV shows. For the longest time, HBO has been home to some of the best TV, priding itself on creating prestige content and raking in numerous awards for the outstanding productions created under its label. So, it makes sense that when the network moved to create a streaming platform with HBO Max, it would have a strong offering that held its own against more established streamers. Add to this the fact that HBO Max benefits from many shows from the Warner Bros. Discovery library, along with a handful of other established brands, and it's evident that this is a competitive service. And upon closer inspection, digging into what specific genres have to offer, it's exciting to see how HBO Max fares in categories like sci-fi against some of the other platforms that have been getting a lot of attention for their science fiction shows. With that said, these are among the very best sci-fi shows available on HBO Max. The Last of Us Via MovieStillsDB First on the roster, The Last of Us is a stunning series that adapts the story of one of the most decorated narrative video games in recent history. When a virus quickly spreads among the population, killing a huge number of people and transforming many others into terrifying plant hybrid monsters, people must fight to survive. With Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey leading the cast as Joel, a grieving father, and Ellie, a special young woman who could play a key role in humanity's survival, this story takes many beautiful, unexpected, and tense turns. It's deeply emotional and examines a terrifying alternate reality that sometimes transcends the sci-fi label, but always keeps the audience locked in. Station Eleven Following a similar vein with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi dystopian narrative, Station Eleven is an outstanding exploration of what it means to be human. Stripping back much of the mundanities and realities of modern life, Station Eleven sees the last remnant of humanity attempt to preserve art and the things that make life worth living. It's a tense and dramatic watch, with a mystery unfolding at the heart of the story, but it also contains incredible depth as it attempts to highlight what it means to be human in the first place. With compelling performances from Mackenzie Davis as the lead, and Himesh Patel offering up an outstanding performance in a supporting role, this is absolutely worth a watch. Scavengers Reign ©HBO MAX / Courtesy Everett Collection Scavengers Reign is an animated miniseries that follows the crew of an interstellar space freighter after their ship crash lands on a planet that's beauty is only exceeded by the terrifying mysteries that lurk in the shadows. It isn't long after they are stranded on this apparent paradise that they encounter the hostile inhabitants that thrive on the planet in the absence of human interference. This is a moving series that explores poignant questions and offers a spectacle that presents contradicting concepts, like beauty and monstrosity, and encourages probing questions about preconceived ideas. Dune: Prophecy Denis Villenueve's Dune films have brought the high sci-fi world of Arrakis and the surrounding planets from Frank Herbert's novels back into vogue, but beyond the core films, Dune: Prophecy takes the narrative back 10,000 years to the start of the Bene Gesserit order. Now, while Villeneuve does not technically have any role in the production of this series, it remains an appendage to the films, and is visually and narratively inspired by the films. And it effectively builds out the narrative, creating deep roots for the films and expanding on the incredible works of Herbert. Watchmen Watchmen remains one of the best graphic novels ever produced, with Alan Moore's deeply insightful and creative writing paired with the inspired illustrations of Dave Gibbons, leading to the creation of a superhero story with a difference. And following the resurgence in popularity of this story with the 2009 movie, it was inevitable that the story would be revisited in some format. In addition to comics building out the world of Watchmen, HBO created an original series that serves as a sequel to the film. Today, superhero stories with a dark side are everywhere, but Watchmen remains one of the most fascinating and prescient, blending the fictional world of heroes with reality in a way that sometimes feels too real. Doom Patrol Also from the world of comic books, Doom Patrol is a standout series that, thanks to a messy release plan, gets nowhere close to the love that it deserves. Initially, the show debuted on the short-lived DC Universe platform, but when the dedicated DC streaming service was quietly decommissioned, the series had to move to a new home for subsequent seasons. With almost no one having jumped aboard when the show kicked off, the series failed to get traction, but nevertheless, it managed to get a solid four-season run that gave the characters an opportunity to grow and develop. That being said, it would have been great to see the story extended even further. Regardless, the show boasts a star-studded cast including Matt Bomer, Diane Guerrero, Brendan Fraser, Alan Tudyk, and Timothy Dalton, to name a few. It's a gripping series that isn't afraid to get weird, and delivers the entire spectrum of emotions as the characters begin to reveal more of themselves throughout the show's run. Rick and Morty Image courtesy of Everett Collection Rick and Morty may be an Adult Swim original series, but as mentioned above, HBO Max has a robust library supplemented with some extraordinary shows, including the ever-innovative, deeply inventive, and always bold series that is Rick and Morty. The series may seem like a simple off-beat reimagining of Marty McFly and Doc Brown's relationship from the Back to the Future films, but the rabbit hole goes so much deeper. Rick and Morty is a bold comedy show that often leaves the audience with deep, introspective thoughts thanks to the provocative storytelling. Wrapping up each new episode with quirky meta humor and references to popular TV and film, the series still manages to deliver profound messages in tight, 20-minute packages that exceed the quality of so many other shows in the sci-fi space and beyond. Years and Years This incredible British miniseries follows a typical family living through the changes that transform life as they know it, and clears the path for their home to become a dictatorship. Evidently, the narrative leans heavily into dystopian sci-fi, but the narrative structure is far more intimate. Years and Years is a captivating watch, and over the course of six episodes, they build a robust and tense world that stands out in terms of quality and realism. Avenue 5 Avenue 5 stars the incredible Hugh Laurie as the captain of a space cruise. When a short three-week holiday turns into a three-year voyage due to an unexpected incident, those residents on the cruise begin to reveal the very worst parts of themselves, leading to what has proven to be one of the most engaging dark comedy stories in recent history. The show obviously benefits from a deeply talented cast, and a simple high-concept sci-fi story that opens the door to spectacular comedy moments thanks to a blend of writing, direction, and performances from an incredibly talented team that all come together to create something truly spectacular. Lanterns Lanterns may be fresh off the press as a show that debuted in late 2026, but combining the critic's and audience reactions to the first season, it's clear that this new foray into an unexpected corner of the growing DCU has been a sensational hit with almost everyone who has watched it. The series combines the dark mystery thrills of shows like True Detective, with the best parts of superhero storytelling, and invites audiences into a world where aliens are an established fact, and heroes fly in the skies overhead. Lanterns does an incredible job of blending genres and creating a story that highlights the best of sci-fi on HBO Max, just as every other entry on this list.