We just wrapped up a killer year in TV, and it looks like 2018 is poised for similar excellence, thanks to all the long-awaited series returns (for both new seasons and midseason cliffhanger resolutions) and enticing brand-new shows. Here's your guide to what's on the horizon (along with a few that will have aired by the time you read this).

When someone says "Australian science fiction movie," thoughts immediately and inevitably turn to Mad Max - if not George Miller's insanely influential 1979 original, then to any of the sequels that followed over the years, including the recent, justly lauded Fury Road. But here's the thing: it was never just about Max.

As 2017 comes to an end, we start to look back at the year that was. In film, at least, the year was excellent. So excellent, in fact, that figuring out the top 10 scifi, superhero, and fantasy films was incredibly difficult. However, while there are at least 25-30 movies from 2017 deserve at least some recognition, ultimately, the cream rises to the top.

If nothing else, 2017 has been a truly great year for science fiction and fantasy films. While many have been major motion pictures that no one could have avoided hearing about, there were also several standout movies that may have fallen through the cracks. We're here to fix that. Here are the fantastic films you may have missed this year, most of which are now currently streaming or available on Blu-ray.

Here at Lifehacker, we love our books. We like them even more when we can justify dropping mad stacks on them due to the insane Black Friday Sales happening at the moment.

We figured that you probably like books too. So we compiled some of our favourite sci-fi and fantasy picks that are currently on sale!

Speculative fiction is the literature of change and discovery. But every now and then, a book comes along that changes the rules of science fiction for everybody. Certain great books inspire scores of authors to create something new. Here are 21 of the most influential science fiction and fantasy books.

Ever since Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner in 1982, the writings of Philip K Dick have been a rich source of inspiration for Hollywood. Brimming with paranoia, mind-bending concepts, unpredictable and surreal imagery; his counterculture generating novels and short stories have often proved alarmingly prescient for modern audiences.

Now, as the Sci-fi anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams streams on Stan., here are the best, and worst, adaptations of the author’s greatest work.

The much-heralded sci-fi anthology show Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams has arrived on Aussie streaming service Stan. For those who missed the memo, it's based on ten short stories by visionary author Philip K. Dick, the man whose words inspired the cinematic brilliance of Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly and Minority Report. To celebrate here are ten of the finest Sci-fi television shows you should be watching right now.

Just last week, I mentioned sci-fi author Jerry Pournelle in an article about writing I posted. Today, I'm sad to report that Pournelle has passed away at the age of 84 after a short illness. As well as writing great science fiction, he wrote a monthly column for Byte magazine that was the main reason I spent my $6 each month on that publication (sometimes more to get a rushed copy from the US). He's also one of the people who inspired my love of tech and writing about it.

TV is a cutthroat business - whether it's cable, streaming or free-to-air. In 2017 and 2018, a bunch of beloved shows will be bidding adieu to their dwindling fan bases to make room for the next hopeful hit. Here are all the shows that you care about whose days are sadly numbered. Marco Polo, we hardly knew ye. *Sniff*

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: the best video game hand guns, Facebook's impending assault on TV, is Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets any good?

We're well into winter now, but there's still plenty of time to add a book or eight to your reading list. And you'll want to, after checking out all the amazing-sounding science fiction and fantasy titles coming in July -- including several short story collections and the authorial debut of actor Wesley Snipes.

The movies of 2017 are a truly star-studded bunch. There's Spider-Man, Batman, Wolverine, Thor and Wonder Woman. King Kong, the Gunslinger, Power Rangers. Luke Skywalker, Peter Quill and Jason Voorhees. The return of Rick Deckard, Jack Sparrow and Optimus Prime. The list goes on and on.

To help you keep track of them all, here's our handy guide to the science fiction, fantasy, horror, superhero and generally weird movies coming out between now and December. We've also included trailers for the most exciting releases - so bring yer popcorn!

The Handmaid's Tale isn't just making people nervous about the upcoming dystopian apocalypse, it's also amping up interest in female-authored science fiction and fantasy. Humble Bundle's giving people a chance to check out a ton of titles.

Part of world-building is language. If you're creating an entirely new alien species, you're generally also going to have to create an entirely new language for them. And what good is a language without a bit of profanity? Not much.

It's the weekend, which probably means you have some down time. What better activity than catching up on some of 2016's best sci-fi and fantasy films ?

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: The World Chess Championship gets interesting, Frank Herbert's Dune makes a comeback, the ten countries with the highest average wealth.

The Humble Bundle is best known for its game bundles, but it also packages applications and other media at discount prices from time to time. Right now it's running a book bundle containing digital sci-fi novels penned by actual scientists, starting with six titles for $US1.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: 2017 Ford Focus RS Australian review, retro sci-fi posters, Sony Japan's crazy press conference.