15 Great Gifts for the Sci-Fi Fanatic in Your Life

Science fiction has found its way into countless books, movies, TV shows, and video games over the years, making it tough to figure out which products are actually worth your time when shopping for a person who loves the genre. We’re taking the stress out of it though with this roundup of the best gifts for sci-fi fans in your life.

1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 4K Blu-ray; $19

Steven Spielberg's sci-fi opus about a man (Richard Dreyfuss) making alien contact gets the 4K treatment with a theatrical and director's cut both included.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Doctor Who Mad Libs; $5

Take a young Doctor Who fan on a time-hopping adventure with this fun workbook that lets you plug in silly words and phrases in classic Mad Libs style.

Buy it: Amazon

3. Jurassic Park: The Original Topps Trading Card Series; $18

Topps trading cards have long defined some of the hottest properties in pop culture, which means it was a no-brainer for the company to partner with Universal to compile a card set based on Steven Spielberg's monster 1993 hit Jurassic Park. If you couldn't score a complete assortment, you can flip through them all in this lavish hardcover book from Abrams, which has also produced a similar volume on Topps's Star Wars ($25).

Buy it: Amazon

4. Star Trek Socks; $22

Though you might not want your loved one to walk around the house in a Starfleet uniform, you should definitely get them these Next Generation socks to make their feet feel a bit more official. And whether they relate to the command, engineering, or science division of the Enterprise, there’s a pair here for them.

Buy it: Amazon

5. Sci-Fi Book Cover Postcards; $25

One of the most striking aspects of the sci-fi genre is the imaginative, if not downright weird, book covers that come along with it. This collection of postcards features reproductions of 100 covers from publisher Penguin’s past, featuring work from H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, J. G. Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury. This set is ideal for any avid collector, especially those who want to turn the postcards into unique crafts and decorations for the home.

Buy it: Amazon

6. and 7. The Making of Alien and The Making of Aliens; $34-$48

If you ever want a comprehensive behind-the-scenes book about your favorite movie, look for the name J.W. Rinzler. He’s best known for his in-depth accounts of the original Star Wars trilogy, but he’s also dabbled in other franchises, like the first two movies in the Alien series. Packed with rare photos, unused concepts, original script drafts details, and more, these books contain all the anecdotes and details a fanatic could ever want.

Buy them: Alien; Aliens

8. The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women; $18

Some of sci-fi’s best women writers get the spotlight in this expansive anthology collection from the Library of America. The stories themselves range from the campier pulps of the '20 and '30s through the more thoughtful and serious evolution of the genre in the ‘60s. This is a crash course in sci-fi history, told through the lens of an often-unappreciated group of authors, including James Tiptree, Jr. (real name Alice Bradley Sheldon) and Leigh Brackett, who was responsible for the first draft of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back.

Buy it: Amazon

9. Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films; $127

Godzilla’s unique charms are evident in the way the franchise seamlessly alternates between thought-provoking and schlocky. And in this handsome, 15-movie Blu-ray set from Criterion, fans can revisit the series’s most influential installments, from 1954's groundbreaking original all the way through the campier later days of Megalon and Mechagodzilla. The set also contains both the U.S. and Japanese versions of 1963’s cringe classic King Kong vs. Godzilla. In typical Criterion fashion, the whole package is accompanied by hours of extras and a gorgeous hardcover book filled with original artwork.

Buy it: Amazon

10. Moebius Library: The World of Edena; $35

Moebius, one of sci-fi comics’ most important artists, helped define a visual style that would influence George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and pretty much every other major force in the genre for decades to come. In this collection, Moebius’s The World of Edna stories are reprinted in beautiful hardcover format, complete with lush colors that perfectly complement the strange worlds to which he transports readers.

Buy it: Amazon

11. Blade Runner Rick Deckard Funko Pop!; $12

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner still stands near the top of the sci-fi movie heap, and this Funko Pop! perfectly captures Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard in the company’s signature blocky style. If Ford’s unique brand of nonchalant heroism isn’t for you, then you can always go for the more villainous (and theatrical) Roy Batty instead.

Buy it: Amazon

12. Metroid Dread; $53

Nintendo's Metroid franchise is known for its claustrophobic sci-fi atmosphere, and Metroid Dread dials that tension up to a 10. For the most part, the game is typical of the series: Players control Samus as they make their way through a mysterious planet while unlocking new weapons and abilities along the way. But this time, Samus is pursued by the EMMI robots, unstoppable mechanical nightmares that can kill gamers in one shot. Maybe you should tell your giftee to play it with the lights on.

Buy it: Amazon

13. Dune T-Shirt; $24

Dune is finally back on the big screen, meaning a new generation is beginning to discover author Frank Herbert’s sprawling sci-fi classic. And whether you’re shopping for a new fan or a longtime devotee, they’ll no doubt appreciate this sandworm-approved shirt from Redbubble. It has a vintage flair that captures the never-ending sands of Arrakis perfectly, and is available in multiple colors and styles.

Buy it: Redbubble

14. Planet of the Apes Puzzle; $18

Mount Rushmore gets a primate makeover in this 1000-piece Planet of the Apes puzzle from Mondo and artist Laurent Durieux. It depicts the stone-carved visages of a group of apes—Dr. Zaius included—lording over their dominion as Taylor and the other astronauts journey through the valley below.

Buy it: Amazon

15. The History of EC Comics; $165

EC Comics blazed a trail for nearly every genre imaginable during the golden age of comics, but it's the company’s sci-fi efforts that remain some of their most memorable output. In this massive history book from TASCHEN, readers will get a crash course in EC with the help of author Grant Geissman, a renowned authority on the publisher’s history. His story is aided by thousands of illustrations, photos, and anecdotes that help paint the full picture of one of the comic industry’s most important voices.

Buy it: Amazon

A version of this story originally ran in 2020; it has been updated for 2022.