10 shows to stream like Black Mirror for your sci-fi needs

Black Mirror has become one of the hottest hits on television. Netflix's anthology has become a sensation because of its often dark tales involving science fiction themes and boasting some top-notch acting and production. Each episode can be a stand-alone story in part with a movie and making viewers think along with statements on the human condition.

A lot of shows use such mind-bending ideas for narratives, but it's more fun to see the anthologies around. Many boast the same ideas as Black Mirror in daring storylines that blur the lines of reality and often shock the viewer. Others are a bit more heartwarming, but it's fun seeing the different tales around. If you like Black Mirror, these 10 anthologies are also a fun watch to show how daring some writers can be.

The Twilight Zone

Watch on Paramount+ and Prime Video

The obvious pick, but it has to be counted. Every mysterious anthology series of the last 60 years owes a debt to Rod Serling's 1960s masterpiece. Each episode boasts some of the best writing and acting of its time, with several episodes still standing up with the twists, the performances, and some spectacular direction.

The twists may be famous, but the show still works beautifully. Whether it's one scary or a surprisingly heart-warming ending, the series still remains a TV gem. Choose the original, the underrated 1980s version, the overlooked 2000s UPN one or the more recent Jordan Peele production and enjoy this twisted trip into the 5th Dimension with style. 

The Outer Limits

Watch on MGM+

The original 1960s version of this sci-fi anthology was pretty good and often on par with The Twilight Zone. The 1990s revival was much better, a stunning series mixing various sci-fi themes with casts of top actors and occasionally some future famous faces like Kirsten Dunst popping in. Some episodes can be dark in the twists yet add to the fun. 

A great highlight is "Stitch in Time" with Amanda Plummer in an Emmy-winning turn as a woman who travels through time to stop serial killers before they strike. The series melds some fantastic storylines in each stand-alone episode and its seven-season run is right up there with the best anthology shows. 

Room 104

Watch on Max

The title of this HBO anthology refers to the hotel room every episode is set in. The storylines can range from thriller to horror to sci-fi and the fact they're all set in one room makes the show feel more compressed, adding to the tension. The actors are all good in their short appearances, and the fact that each episode is just half an hour long means it doesn't drag out. 

Several stories can involve ghosts or a person talking to a past or future version of themselves. The twists can be dark and yet some fun tales like a man stuck in a 1990s sitcom, deals with the Devil and so on. The sci-fi themes are light yet the fact it's a series composed totally of "bottle episodes" makes this a highly underrated anthology. 

Electric Dreams 

Watch on Prime Video

Phillip K. Dick is the father of cyberpunk fiction and one of the most influential names in all of sci-fi. So a Prime Video TV show based on his works is naturally a winner. Each episode adapts a different Dick story and boasts some top-level actors with terrific production values.

The stories may push technology yet never lose the human focus that makes them more worthwhile. At the same time, the themes of how we can lose our humanity to technology and militarism are timeless. It lasted only one season but deserved a watch as it more than does justice to a sci-fi pioneer. 

Love Death + Robots

Watch on Netflix

This Netflix animated series is brilliant in that every episode shifts not just what genre it is but the animation style. From traditional to cel to 3-D and even a bit of stop-motion thrown in. That means no two episodes are the same, adding up to a terrific watch. That's joined by some top writing and voice work and guarantees some terrific episodes. 

The storylines can vary from a trio of robots in a post-apocalyptic world to a killer caught in a time loop to space vampires. No matter what episode you watch, the style of animation will suck you in and provide one of the best animated series on television. 

Solos

Watch on Prime Video

The star power of this Prime Video anthology is incredible. Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Anthony Mackie, Constance Wu, and many more feature in these tales, which can be unique. Hathaway is a scientist communicating with her future self, Mirren is a senior citizen astronaut, and a woman handling her son going from newborn to adulthood in a day.

The links between the stories are interesting, but each can be watched easily on its own. The actors are the best part as the A-listers taking part makes this series more striking than others so seeing them alone makes this one of the better sci-fi anthologies out there. 

American Horror Stories

Watch on FX and Hulu

Even if you've never watched an episode of American Horror Story, you can get into this anthology spin-off. A couple of episodes link to past seasons of the FX hit, yet the better ones are original tales that stand on their own. Most are more horror, yet there are a couple of good sci-fi ones, like a man driven to obsession by his electronic aid (voiced by Gwenyth Paltrow) and a movie that drives anyone who watches it mad.

The guest cast can have the Ryan Murphy regulars, but a few fresher faces like Bella Thorne can spark it up. The length of the episodes can vary a bit, yet each story is well-written, hits a lot of good themes, and, in many ways, a much more entertaining watch than a standard muddled AHS series to be entertaining. 

Inside Number 9

Watch on Brit Box and Prime Video

Leave it to the British to take black comedy anthologies to the hilt. The only common bit in all the episodes is somehow integrating the number nine into the storyline in some form. Aside from that, no two episodes are the same, sometimes played straight drama while mixing in some fanciful themes now and then. 

Some tales may call out like a fan trying to "fix" the divisive ending to his favorite fantasy work or a few ghost tales. The guest stars are a who's-who of British television and it all culminates in a wonderful meta finale. It may seem more comedic yet some darker edges for one of the best British anthology series ever. 

Maniac

Watch on Netflix

This Netflix show isn't an anthology, but there are enough alternate realities and personas to appeal to Black Mirror fans. It helps that it boasts a good leading lady in two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone. She and Jonah Hill are recruited for a drug trial that allows each to unlock alternate personalities, allowing Stone to show off her stunning range. 

The pair move into bizarre mindscapes based on fantasy epics, sci-fi adventures, character dramas and more as the drugs shift their minds. The production is fantastic, and the story deepens as it goes, so any fan of Black Mirror can enjoy this terrific romp as well. 

Tales From The Loop

Watch on Prime Video

This underrated Prime Video series is a true gem. It's set in an Ohio town that somehow straddles multiple decades and whose residents try to "make the impossible possible." Each episode focuses on a different character while showing how linked they are by the lab known as the Loop. Body swaps, robots, time travel and more are all showcased nicely. 

The series is nice with the acting and the retro feel of it is a throwback to classic sci-fi storytelling. The eight episodes flow well, and the show deserves a watch for a linked anthology that can appeal to Black Mirror fans.