5 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Based On Books Right Now

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Science fiction TV shows work best when they combine big ideas with compelling characters, and that’s why sci-fi books are often a great starting point for a TV series. Even amazing world-building isn’t enough – shows created directly for television sometimes struggle without the solid foundation of a pre-existing novel or book series.

Although science fiction shows aren’t required to be based on books, there’s a unique benefit to adapting from novels or book series. Books allow for a deeper development of characters, settings, and conflicts, which helps creators decide what elements are essential for the screen and what might not translate well to a TV show format.

Many of today’s popular sci-fi shows are based on novels, proving that adapting books for the screen can be a winning strategy. Starting with a novel provides a solid foundation that helps fantastical or futuristic ideas feel more believable and connected to reality than completely original stories.

Novels offer a solid framework with well-developed stories and themes, which is a great starting point for TV show creators. When adaptations stay true to the heart of the original book, they can make complicated ideas easier to understand on screen. We’ve seen a lot more of these book-to-TV projects lately, and they’re increasingly telling longer, more detailed stories over multiple seasons.

Book adaptations can succeed in different formats – some work better as movies, while others shine as TV series, allowing for a more detailed unfolding of the story. The current landscape of science fiction shows based on books is particularly interesting, combining imaginative worlds with relatable characters and their journeys. These series truly stretch the limits of what we can imagine, and do so exceptionally well.

Interview With The Vampire

AMC

Larry Horricks / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

AMC’s Interview With The Vampire is a fresh take on Anne Rice’s classic The Vampire Chronicles. While the show updates the story’s timeline and how characters interact, it remains true to the core conflict of the first book. The series excels by focusing on the complex and troubled connection between Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat de Lioncour (Sam Reid).

As a huge fan of the book, I was really pleased with how the series handled the storytelling. They kept that cool interview framing device, jumping back and forth in time as Louis tells his story. And honestly, it’s been a critical hit because they really focused on making the characters feel more real and fleshed out. They also built on the world-building, adding layers to the mythology that I think makes the whole story even more captivating for viewers.

Foundation

Apple TV

The Apple TV+ series Foundation, which debuted in 2022, is based on Isaac Asimov’s classic Foundation trilogy. While the novels are a hugely influential work of science fiction, the series takes many creative freedoms with the original story. The show stays true to the core idea of Hari Seldon (played by Jared Harris) and his development of psychohistory – a strange and unsettling science of prediction – but delves deeper into the characters and their stories.

The Foundation series gives its characters more depth and development than the original novels, giving them complex emotional journeys and allowing them to evolve. Spanning generations and a vast universe, the show delves into themes of identity, the nature of empires, and differing belief systems, all while remaining faithful to the central concepts of Asimov’s books.

The Boys

Prime Video

Eric Kripke’s series, The Boys, based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, is now a major draw for Prime Video. Unlike many superhero stories focused on sci-fi, The Boys is a satirical look at the genre, blending realistic experimentation, political intrigue, and detailed world-building. The show centers around a team of corrupt superheroes and the group trying to reveal their misdeeds.

Even though the TV show The Boys, starring Karl Urban and Jack Quaid, takes some different paths than the original comics, it maintains the same darkly funny and extremely violent style. Its success – with five seasons planned and even more spin-off shows on the way – has introduced a wider audience to this kind of storytelling.

Dark Matter

Apple TV

Apple TV’s Dark Matter adapts Blake Crouch’s popular 2016 sci-fi novel into a thrilling television series. The show expands on the book’s complex story of the multiverse and its impact on the characters. It centers on Jason Dessen, played by Joel Edgerton, as he navigates different realities in a desperate attempt to find his way back to his family.

The show stays true to the feelings and ideas of the book, but it wonderfully develops the side characters who didn’t get as much attention in the original story. By connecting the main themes with different character journeys, Dark Matter maintains the book’s suspenseful and realistic feel while also making the story bigger and more complete.

Silo

Apple TV

©Apple TV+ /Courtesy Everett Collection

The captivating series Silo is adapted from Hugh Howey’s Wool novels and presents a gripping dystopian story. Set in a future where humanity lives in a massive underground silo, the Apple TV+ drama follows engineer Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) as she begins to discover the secrets behind the silo’s creation. The show draws on three of Howey’s books—Wool, Shift, and Dust—to create a complete and compelling narrative.

Silo creates a dark and mysterious world through detailed storytelling and compelling characters, and explores what it means to be human. Fans are excited that the second season promises to delve even further into these complex themes and mysteries than the first.

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2025-11-23 22:29