Photo Gallery
20 Greatest Sci-Fi TV Shows

6. LOST
(2004-)
A mysterious island that's home to a shape-shifting smoke monster, a weird science project tasked with saving the world, and a secret society of sinister ''Others'' who can't make babies — yes, Lost certainly has its fair share of sci-fi stuff. And yet, like the best examples of the genre, this unfolding saga about plane-crash survivors trapped in a tropical twilight zone doesn't wallow in its genre elements, but uses them to embellish an exploration of identity, community, and reality itself. Coyly sublimating everything from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Star Trek and Star Wars, Lost aspires to be an important entertainment for a pop-soaked, soul-searching age. Now, at the risk of missing the point, how about some damn answers?! —Jeff Jensen