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Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Stories from the Twilight Zone by Rod Serling

As we close in on the annual New Year’s Twilight Zone marathon on the SyFy channel, I decided to delve into two collections of stories that I was fortunate enough to find in August while helping to sort donated books for my local library’s annuStories from the Twilight Zone by Rod Serlingal book sale. I hope to track down more of these collections as I comb used book stores and dealer tables at conventions.

Last week, I reviewed the 1964 collection, Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone Revisited, which contains a brilliant collection of nine short stories, adapted by venerable writer and magician Walter B. Gibson, from both produced and unproduced scripts.

Stories from the Twilight Zone was published in 1960 and is, I believe, the first collection of adaptations from the series. All six of the tales in this book aired as episodes of the series and all were written by Rod Serling himself.

In “The Mighty Casey,” it’s tryout day for the foundering Brooklyn Dodgers and team manager “Mouth” McGarry is sick and tired of scraping the bottom of the barrel to find pitchers, until a tall, lean kid named Casey turns up with an unbelievable throwing arm—or perhaps inhuman might be a better description…

Hypochondriac and all around miserable wretch Walter Bedecker lives in a constant state of psychosomatic illnesses, until a mysterious old man named Cadwallader materializes with an offer of immortality. It’s soon revealed that Cadwallader is actually the devil. Nevertheless, this fact barely deters Bedecker from signing the contract, which contains an “Escape Clause” should he ever decide to cancel the deal…

Advertising exec Martin Sloane is sick of the pressures and demands of corporate life in New York City. One day he decides to drive upstate and revisit his old hometown. After stopping at a gas station along the way, Martin notices that the town is within “Walking Distance.” He decides to let the gas station attendant work on his car while he finishes the rest of his journey on foot, but what he finds on the streets of his childhood is much more than nostalgia…

As a religious man of high moral standards and a precisely arranged life, Franklin Gibbs becomes quite annoyed when his timid wife wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Las Vegas, the capital city of vice and sin. Franklin chastises his wife for dropping a nickel into a slot machine, until Franklin hears the slot machine call his name. It isn’t long before he succumbs to “The Fever.”

A young man, unable to recall his own identity, finds himself walking along a highway in parts unknown. He finally arrives in a town only to find it completely deserted, yet with signs of recent occupancy—a smoking cigar in an ashtrays and a pot of fresh boiling coffee in a diner. After days of this, the young man finds himself on the edge of sanity as he wonders, “Where is Everybody?”

“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” when a strange object passes over a suburban neighborhood on a warm autumn Saturday. Shortly after, all utilities shut off, cars fail to start, even portable radios no longer work. As confusion sets in, 12-year old Tommy Bishop warns that it could be the work of extraterrestrials disguised as humans, just like in the comic books! The adults laugh him off at first—before violently turning on one another as strange occurrences escalate.

Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone Revisited

In this anthology of nine tales that extend the eerie and wondrous universe known as the Twilight Zone, it was challenging for me to choose a favorite. I enjoyed every one of these adaptations by the legendary writer of The Shadow novels, Walter B. Gibson. In addition to his extensive writing credits, Gibson was also a magician who published two books on the secrets of Houdini’s escapes and tricks from the master’s original notes and with the permission of Houdini’s widow, Bess.Twilight Zone Revisited

Of the nine tales in this Twilight Zone collection, seven were ghost stories, one a time travel tale called “Beyond the Rim,” that was produced for the TV series as “100 Yards Beyond the Rim”, and another about a genie in a bottle (called, appropriately, “Man in a Bottle“). The latter was also an episode of the show, but one that leaned close enough toward cliché as to be predictable.  “The Purple Testament” and “The Mirror Image” were also memorable episodes of the series. The best of the stories from the book are summarized below.

In “Two Live Ghosts”, Jeff Tupper and Hank Merchand are a pair of adventurous prospectors mining the Black Mountains after the Civil War. They soon find themselves caught up in a battle between the U.S. Calvary and the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes, but not before witnessing a bizarre and mystical ritual of a medicine man who beckons the spirits of ancient warriors…

“Silent” John Moreland is one of the best riverboat pilots on the Mississippi. He seems to have an uncanny ability to sense what’s happening miles ahead on the great river. One thing Silent John doesn’t tolerate on board the Dixie Belle is gambling. Shortly after ordering a renowned card sharp off of the boat, the Dixie Belle collides with another vessel and Moreland is found dead in the pilothouse. At the same time, Moreland’s brother and sister each have a vision of their late brother in which “The Ghost of the Dixie Belle” tries to convey a message…

In “The Purple Testament“, Lieutenant Hugh Fitzgerald is among US forces fighting the Japanese on the Philippine Islands. During one particularly grueling battle, Fitzgerald manifests the ability to predict which of the men will die next…

Traveling to upstate New York during a fierce snowstorm, sports reporter Peter Dunning and photographer Bert Carey encounter an obsolete steam locomotive, painted white, and a strange young woman who pleads for help in getting home to her sick father, only to disappear into the storm after Pete drops her off. Determined to capture evidence, Pete sets off alone with a camera during the next snowstorm to find the truth about “The Ghost Train“…

In the autumn of 1847, pioneer Christopher Horn leads several families, including his own, across the country to California only to run out of water in the New Mexico desert. Worse, Horn’s son is ill with fever. Many in his caravan are growing restive and threaten to turn back until Horn decides to travel alone to the rim of the desert in search of water. What Horn finds “Beyond the Rim“ is more than he can handle…

During WWII, U.N. forces occupy Fort Defiance in Cape Regal overlooking Hangman’s Bay, once governed by reformed pirate Roger Crisp in the 1600s. A ruthless executioner of pirates, Crisp had come to be known as Jolly Roger for his gaunt appearance and demonic grin. Now, U.N. soldiers report unusual experiences and apparitions in the Fort leading to speculation as to the existence of “The Ghost of Jolly Roger“.

It’s late night in a city bus terminal when Millicent Barnes, while waiting for the last bus to Cortland, begins experiencing episodes of confusion and possible hallucinations. Her luggage seems to move about on its own and she sees a doppelganger behind her in reflective surfaces. Is it possible that Millicent is being taunted by “The Mirror Image“?

In the old Abington Arms apartment complex, Wilfred Laraby is everyone’s friend, always willing to lend whatever help is needed, financial or otherwise. He enjoys randomly visiting his neighbors living on the floors below his penthouse suite—to the chagrin of stamp collector and master counterfeiter Milton Casper who tries to elude Wilfred only to find himself in an awkward confrontation with “The Man Who Dropped By“.