NONFICTION

The Twilight Zone FAQ: All That's Left To Know About the Fifth Dimension and Beyond

Hal Leonard. 2015. 392p. photos. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781480396180. pap. $19.99. TV
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Rod Serling called The Twilight Zone the dimension of imagination, but he couldn't have imagined the impact the show would continue to have decades beyond its 1959 debut. This classic TV show is a cornerstone of pop culture, widely parodied and reverently imitated. The show captured the zeitgeist of its time but in a way that is still relevant today. In this latest look at the landmark series, Thompson (Haunted America FAQ) interweaves episode synopses with behind-the-scenes stories, details about casts and crews, analysis of the time period in which it aired, and, of course, information about Serling (1924—75), the show's driving force and narrator. Thompson's main focus is on the original run, which ended in 1964, and he takes a different approach by grouping similar episodes instead of plowing through them chronologically. The author also touches on merchandise; attempted reboots; and the show's success in books, comics, and other iterations, including a theme park ride. Appendixes provide an episode guide for the show's incarnations; a detailed index helps readers jump to their favorite stories.
VERDICT Thompson is a prolific author, and his experience shows here, with both a well-researched volume for television scholars and an extremely readable overview for Zone's many fans.
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