25 Sci-Fi Universes We Wish Were Real

The popular Old Man’s War book series by John Scalzi first begun on his blog years ago and is now a critical and commercial success story. In the story, you either age and die on Earth or decide to get a new body. The only catch is if you get a new body, you’ll have to head out into space and fight space aliens. But, as protagonist John Perry discovers, there’s much more lying underneath.

The Mass Effect video game universe is full of great spaceships, high-tech weaponry, and bizarre and interesting aliens. Believe it or not, the universe is not far from our own, located in the Milky Way galaxy. When humanity landed on Mars and discovered abandoned alien technology, they were able to create the mass effect technology to manipulate space-time and discover non-human entities. From the Asari to the Turians, there are plenty of awesome alien races to meet and also go to war with if that’s what you so choose.

The Cowboy Bebop universe is all about the wild-west of space exploration. Using “astral gates” to quickly travel from one planet to the next, you can use your spaceship of choice and tour the solar system. Other than that, the Cowboy Bebop universe is one cool, slick, and blues-infused ride where you can become a bounty hunter and find targets across the galaxy. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer and author and is known primarily for his many science fiction novels. Isaac’s Universe is a collection of three anthologies of science fiction stories all in the same universe. However, what makes it even more unique is Asimov set out to create a sandbox for all authors to participate in if they so choose. In it, there are 25 million habitable planets, but only 10,000 species and 6 space-faring species. A seventh species vanished from existence even though much of its technology remains intact. The depth and beauty of the Isaac Universe can’t be overstated and would be an exciting and intriguing world to live in.

In the 23rd century, humanity knows it is not alone in the universe. At a rapid pace, it expands its role and power in the galaxy, protecting and keeping the peace until a war breaks out with the Minbari. When the Minbari have us cornered and almost obliterated, they stop, but only a few know why. The Babylon Project is conceived as a kind of United Nations, but only one is completed and it vanishes without a trace. While Babylon 5‘s story was primarily diplomatic, there was so much rich mythology, it’s hard not to imagine going to the various worlds and meeting the many beings that exist there.

Farscape is a television show developed by the Henson company; it’s full of badass aliens, sweet technology, and difficult moral dilemmas. In the universe, John Crichton accidentally travels through a wormhole and is lost in another part of the universe. He’s now part of a fugitive band of aliens and is entangled in a full-scale conflict between many beings. Much like Babylon 5, Farscape is full of bizarre aliens we’d love to meet and planets we’d love to visit.

The Hyperion series of novels by Dan Simmons is an award-winning and complex set of stories, full of intriguing characters, governments, religions, and of course, technology. Simmons went to great lengths to create a rich and fully-developed universe that would take a life-time to explore.

Created by the video game company Blizzard Entertainment, the StarCraft universe involves three races: the Terrans, the Protoss, and the Zerg. War between the Protoss and the Zerg led to massive destruction for all three races. Set 500 years in the future in a galaxy enraged by war, this universe would be both terrifying and thrilling. Perhaps only adrenaline addicts would really want this universe to exist.

Created by Masamune Shirow, the Ghost in the Shell universe is set in a futuristic and dystopian metropolis where a cyborg with a human brain known as Major Motoko Kusanagi hunts down various targets for Section 9. From the hacking to high powered weaponry and cloaking devices, the world of Ghost in the Shell is most attractive when it showcases all of its futuristic tech and its alien yet all-too-familiar dark city.

Half-Life was first created by the video game company Valve Corporation in 1998 and since then has spawned various sequels and a spin-off known as Portal. Beginning with physicist Gordon Freeman, he and his teammates unwittingly open a portal from an unknown alien universe, and the aliens invade Earth through it. While seemingly dangerous and scary, the Half-Life science fiction universe is also fascinating and full of stellar sci-fi technology we’d love to get our hands on.

First written and directed by Michael Crichton and later adapted as an HBO television show, this universe focuses on a high-tech amusement park where people can live out their wildest fantasies as cowboys in the west. From the intricacy of the world to the human-like artificial intelligence, it’s hard not to be curious about ever visiting such a place. However, it’s also likely no one would want to be around when the androids eventually take over.

Based on the best-selling novels, The Expanse universe is near-future science fiction involving inter-planetary political disputes between Mars, Earth, and an Astroid-Belt colony. This world is perhaps not that far off from reality and one our future children may take part in. With that in mind, it would be great to experience it now.

Starting with its own film and then expanding into several different television shows, this universe follows a group of human explorers as they travel through a portal to other alien worlds. Stargate SG-1 is arguably the universe’s most successful show with 10 seasons; it plays a big part in greatly expanding the mythos.

In the Matrix Universe, the world we know is a simulation created by artificial intelligence to keep us busy while they harvest our bodies for energy. A faction of humans on the outside rebel to break people free from the Matrix. While slightly unnerving to live in a simulated universe, it would still be pretty awesome to jack in to it and learn Kung Fu almost instantly.

Based on the best selling video game of the same name, this universe revolves around the interstellar conflict in the 26th century between humans and an alliance of aliens known as the Covenant. Anyone who has played this action-packed game will know it has a rich and full story and universe. Primarily militaristic in nature, if you existed in this universe, you’d likely be a soldier fighting an endless war. But, for some, that might be just the ticket.

From Mobile Suit Gundam to Gundam Wing, the Gundam Universe is vast and sprawling. This insanely popular franchise has released a handful of television shows, manga, and video games all because of its rich story and world. Usually, the story centers around colonies oppressed by Earth and those colonies building massive robots to pilot and fight for independence. In the end, we just want to fly the Gundams.

Jurassic Park captured the world’s imagination in 1993, and since then, the universe has expanded tremendously with numerous sequels and the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom slated for June 22nd, 2018. Whether in a zoo or freely roaming about, who wouldn’t want to live in a universe where dinosaurs walked the Earth again?

Lying underneath Stephen King‘s books aren’t just terrifying clowns but an expansive, intricate, and fascinating multiverse that connects them all together. The Dark Tower series digs the most extensively into this multiverse, jumping through dimensions with Roland Deschain and his band of gunslingers. While, yes, there would be a horrifying element to having this multiverse exist, it would also be pretty awesome if you had Roland by your side.

First begun by the short story Ender’s Game published by Orson Scott Card in 1977, the Enderverse expanded into 16 novels, 15 short stories, 13 comic book series, and a film, among other mediums. About young cadets trained at a battle school to fight an intergalactic group of space bugs, the Enderverse becomes so much more intricate and complex as it grows. Anyone who reads the novels will immediately want to be part of the battle school.

Similar to some degree to Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica is about a civilization of humans in a distant galaxy. These humans create fully sentient robots called Cylons. When the Cylons rebel, they push humanity to near extinction. The last cradle of humanity is on the Battlestar Galactica, and they’re desperate to find a new planet to call home. While the idea of having robots wipe out most of humanity doesn’t sound fun, it’s the mythology and universe which makes this universe most alluring.

Starting with the titular novel written by Frank Herbert, the Dune Universe quickly expanded with multiple novels building on the mythology of that first book. Much of the story revolves around the spice melange on the planet Arrakis. The spice was a vital export for many of the superpowers in the universe and they desperately wanted to mine it. Much of the advanced technology was all thanks to the spice. With its wonderful characters and planets, not to mention the terrifying force of the giant worms that produce the spice, the Dune universe is definitely a place we wish existed.

This universe, also called the Whoniverse, has expanded from television to novels and comics, making it a huge sandbox for fans to enjoy. While the main television show has changed over time with different actors and writers, many of the key pieces have stayed the same, including the Tardis, the Daleks, and of course, Dr. Who. This universe has also expanded into other spin-offs, like Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, showcasing a broad, shared universe. Its mind-bending nature where almost anything is possible makes is a must for universes we wish existed.

In a universe where humanity and four other species have developed a Federation of planets with the goal of living peacefully and exploring for new life, Star Trek is an optimistic vision of the future, full of whimsy and adventure. From teleportation devices to warp drive, it’s hard to imagine anyone wouldn’t want this universe to exist. Of course, there are plenty of conflicts and bizarre things in it, but the interesting characters and alien species make it a must.

From intergalactic travelers like The Guardians of the Galaxy to human defends like Captain America, Marvel has weaved together a compelling, exciting, and hilarious universe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s safe to say we’d all like to ride in the Milano with Star-Lord or hop into an Iron Man suit and fight Loki. It would be too tempting to resist.

First starting with the Star Wars film in 1977, the Star Wars universe blew up into movie sequels, books, comics, and video games. From flying in the Millenium Falcon to wielding the force, there’s so much to do and see in the Star Wars universe that it’s easily the number one place we wish were real. And, believe it or not, the closest we might get to something like that is at a new theme park Disney is building.