2 Of 2025’s Biggest Sci-Fi TV Shows Earn Huge Praise From George R.R. Martin

While he is globally renowned as the creator of the epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has been a significant voice in the science fiction community for decades. Long before the Starks and Lannisters, Martin was penning award-winning sci-fi stories like the novella “A Song for Lya” and his debut novel Dying of the Light. He also created and edited the long-running Wild Cards shared universe of superhero anthologies, which also draws heavily from sci-fi themes. As a veteran of the genre, Martin’s opinion carries substantial weight, and he recently took to his blog to share high praise for two of 2025’s most talked-about sci-fi television shows, singling out Apple TV+’s Murderbot and Disney+’s Star Wars: Andor as standout examples of excellent science fiction storytelling on television.

“There’s been some great SF on television,” Martin wrote. “The Murderbot stories are always a lot of fun, and the TV show did them justice. I look forward to another series.” Murderbot is based on the Hugo and Nebula award-winning book series The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. The series stars Alexander Skarsgård as a security android that has hacked its own governor module, gaining free will. Now, it must hide its autonomy while protecting its human clients, a task it finds far less interesting than its true passion: watching soap operas. Martin’s hope for more of the series was fulfilled even before its first season concluded, as Apple TV+ announced it had renewed Murderbot for a second season just ahead of its Season 1 finale.

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“ANDOR was this year’s highlight, though,” Martin continued in his blog post. “Far and away the best of the Star Wars spinoffs. Looked gorgeous, Diego Luna was first rate, and there was a realism and tension to the story that was sadly lacking in most of the other spinoffs.” His praise aligns with the universal acclaim the Star Wars series has received. The show, which concluded its two-season run earlier this year, explores the nascent days of the Rebel Alliance through the eyes of thief-turned-spy Cassian Andor (Luna). The second and final season was a critical juggernaut, earning an impressive 14 Emmy nominations, including nods for guest actor Forest Whitaker and voice actor Alan Tudyk.

How Murderbot and Star Wars: Andor Left Their Mark on 2025 Television

Martin is not alone in his praise for Murderbot and Star Wars: Andor. Murderbot quickly established itself as a breakout hit for Apple TV+, earning a “Certified Fresh” rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. The show’s success is built on a faithful adaptation of Martha Wells’ beloved source material, capturing the unique and wry voice of its titular character. Skarsgård’s performance as the media-obsessed android has been singled out for praise, perfectly balancing the character’s disdain for humanity with his begrudging sense of duty. As such, the series provides another victory for Apple TV+’s growing lineup of acclaimed sci-fi TV shows, which includes hits like Silo and Severance.

Andor, in its turn, carved its mark on television history by delivering a level of narrative maturity and grit that many fans felt had been missing from the Star Wars franchise. The show’s second season became the highest-rated Star Wars project ever on Rotten Tomatoes, also with a 96% score. This critical adoration was matched by strong viewership, particularly for its finale week. According to Nielsen data, Andor climbed to the number one spot on the overall streaming chart for the week of May 12-18, accumulating an incredible 931 million minutes watched. This viewership peak was the culmination of a successful season that defied early concerns about franchise fatigue. By focusing on a tense, grounded story of espionage and political radicalization, free of Jedi and overt fantasy elements, Andor expanded the boundaries of what a Star Wars story could be.

Both Murderbot and Andor are currently available for streaming on Apple TV+ and Disney+, respectively.

What did you think of Murderbot and Star Wars: Andor? Let us know in the comments!