We’re not colonizing the moon (yet), but with artificial intelligence taking over the tech sector and large-scale commercial space travel only a few years away, in 2026 the science-fiction genre seems closer than ever to our lived reality. So perhaps it’s appropriate that the films and TV series featured on Inverse’s list of the best sci-fi of the year so far are as engaged with the world we live in today as they are with the possibilities of life in the future.
Conspiracy theories, class conflict, fears of an AI apocalypse — these aren’t just trending topics, but vital themes in some of the most prescient and entertaining sci-fi storytelling of today. You’ll get all of this, plus nostalgia trips, revenge plots, interstellar friendship, and a rainbow of multicolored goo, on our list of the best the genre has to offer in 2026 so far.
