Copyright Screen Rant
Forget about Neuromancer, there's another upcoming sci-fi TV show based on an acclaimed book that I'm much more excited for: Murderbot season 2. There are plenty of upcoming sci-fi book adaptations on the horizon, from Apple TV+'s take on Neuromancer to the Handmaid's Tale sequel show The Testaments. The future looks very bright for science fiction fans. These upcoming shows offer quite a bit to be excited about. Neuromancer, for example, is one of the most acclaimed cyberpunk books ever written. The Captive's War will also expand the universe of The Expanse, which everyone should be excited about. Still, as exciting as the next few years is going to be for sci-fi television, there's a different show that I'm more excited to see, and its name is Murderbot. Murderbot Season 2 Is The Most Exciting Upcoming Sci-Fi Show Based On A Book Murderbot, which is based on The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, is the most exciting upcoming sci-fi show on the horizon. While it's not technically new — Murderbot season 1 was one of the best sci-fi shows of 2025 — it is returning for a second season which will adapt new books in the series. Based on the nature of The Murderbot Diaries, Murderbot season 2 is also set to feel like an entirely new show. There are plenty of reasons why I think Murderbot season 2 is the most exciting upcoming sci-fi show. For starters, season 1 was a blast. It was funny, it stayed relatively faithful to its source material, and Alexander Skarsgård was great as SecUnit. There's no reason to believe season 2 wouldn't be just as much fun to watch, especially with such great books to use as a starting point. More than that, however, is the books Murderbot is based on. The first book in the series feels like a lighthearted romp, but the sequel is when the story of Murderbot really takes off. SecUnit gets a lot more character development and growth, the stakes get much higher, and the overarching story really starts to take shape in Artificial Condition. Murderbot is also a story that gets better as it goes along, which I'm sure will translate to television well. Murderbot Season 2 Still Needs To Fix Some Issues As exciting as Murderbot season 2 is, there are still a few kinks the show needs to work out. The most obvious problem is with PresAux, the human characters on the show. PresAux doesn't appear in the second or third Murderbot books, which season 2 is set to adapt. Murderbot season 2 has to "remix" the books to keep its main cast in the show. That will be a big obstacle to overcome while preserving Murderbot's tone. Murderbot also has some more foundational issues, though. For one, the show needs a more distinct visual style than the flat greys and beiges of the first season. Murderbot also needs a serious tonal shift as it gets into the more serious and character-driven books; season 1 was a comedy, but season 2 needs to be a dramedy. Some better, more dynamic action scenes (and longer episodes) would also help the show a lot.
