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The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia
Since its 1959 debut, The Twilight Zone has been an indelible part of the American cultural fabric and remains one of TV’s most influential series. Assembled with the full cooperation of the Rod Serling estate, this fact-filled collectible includes biographies of every principal actor involved in the series, and detailed descriptions of the characters they played. The hundreds who toiled behind the scenes—producer, writers, and directors—enjoy a place of equal prominence. The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia is two books in one: an episode-by-episode guide and a compendium of credits, plot synopses, anecdotes, production details, never-before-seen images, and interviews with nearly everyone still alive who was associated with the show.
- GenresNonfictionReference
444 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 25, 2021
The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia by Steven Jay Rubin is a 2017 Chicago Review Press publication.
For the serious Twilight Zone Junkie!
I stumbled across this book on Scribd. As a big fan of the original series, I decided to stop and browse through the book for a bit, just out of curiosity.
Only a little way in to the book- the first word that popped into my head was ‘encyclopedic’- 😁😁😁 – so, at least you know the title is not misleading!!
The book goes through every single episode- by seasons, in order. For each episode, the author includes Rod Serling’s opening narration, the setup, and then a ‘behind the scenes’ segment which includes some fascinating trivia about that specific episode. From there, the cast- actors and the part they played- is listed, as is the crew, including writers, producers, directors, etc., in other words, everyone who worked on that episode all the way down to the set decorators.
Also included are biographies of contributors and actors, and black and white photos, as well notes, with links provided if you have the digital version of the book-which weighs in at 1264 pages!
One thing to keep in mind it that the presentation is designed to keep the reader interested and to propel the flow of the book- so, from that standpoint, the word ‘encyclopedia’ should not be taken too literally.
That said, it is still a good source of reference, and doubles as a book packed full of little- known information and trivia.
Personally, because there is so much information to digest, reading it cover to cover like any other book didn’t seem feasible- although I did find myself reading it for longer periods than I had intended to on occasion.
It has been a while since I watched some of the original episodes and to be honest, there were many I had no memory of ever having watched- though I probably did way back in the day. I had also forgotten how many people guest starred on the program who went on to become big stars, but there were just as many who already had an impressive resume before they worked on the show.
Although I really do think this book will appeal to the biggest fans of the show, I think even the casual fan, with the slightest knowledge of the show, will find this book enticing, and it will certainly build interest- or in my case renew interest in the show- which was definitely ahead of its time!!
This book might also make a nice companion piece if you decide to watch the tradition series. *As of this writing, one can stream the series on Hulu, CBS All Access, and Netflix.
Overall, this is an exhaustive archive, if you will, of one of the most inventive and groundbreaking shows of early television.
4.5 stars
For the serious Twilight Zone Junkie!
I stumbled across this book on Scribd. As a big fan of the original series, I decided to stop and browse through the book for a bit, just out of curiosity.
Only a little way in to the book- the first word that popped into my head was ‘encyclopedic’- 😁😁😁 – so, at least you know the title is not misleading!!
The book goes through every single episode- by seasons, in order. For each episode, the author includes Rod Serling’s opening narration, the setup, and then a ‘behind the scenes’ segment which includes some fascinating trivia about that specific episode. From there, the cast- actors and the part they played- is listed, as is the crew, including writers, producers, directors, etc., in other words, everyone who worked on that episode all the way down to the set decorators.
Also included are biographies of contributors and actors, and black and white photos, as well notes, with links provided if you have the digital version of the book-which weighs in at 1264 pages!
One thing to keep in mind it that the presentation is designed to keep the reader interested and to propel the flow of the book- so, from that standpoint, the word ‘encyclopedia’ should not be taken too literally.
That said, it is still a good source of reference, and doubles as a book packed full of little- known information and trivia.
Personally, because there is so much information to digest, reading it cover to cover like any other book didn’t seem feasible- although I did find myself reading it for longer periods than I had intended to on occasion.
It has been a while since I watched some of the original episodes and to be honest, there were many I had no memory of ever having watched- though I probably did way back in the day. I had also forgotten how many people guest starred on the program who went on to become big stars, but there were just as many who already had an impressive resume before they worked on the show.
Although I really do think this book will appeal to the biggest fans of the show, I think even the casual fan, with the slightest knowledge of the show, will find this book enticing, and it will certainly build interest- or in my case renew interest in the show- which was definitely ahead of its time!!
This book might also make a nice companion piece if you decide to watch the tradition series. *As of this writing, one can stream the series on Hulu, CBS All Access, and Netflix.
Overall, this is an exhaustive archive, if you will, of one of the most inventive and groundbreaking shows of early television.
4.5 stars
November 8, 2017
This book contains more than I ever thought I wanted to know about The Twilight Zone.
Author Steven Jay Rubin is clearly a super-geek, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. He has dissected and catalogued every episode of the original series in this alphabetical look at each one, the actors, the creators, from "The After Hours" episode to Zamba, the lion who appeared in the episode "The Jungle."
(That's not exactly where Rubin starts and ends the book, but I wanted to mention Zamba.)
The behind-the-scenes notes include quotes from actors and creators about individual episodes. My favorite one at the moment is from James Best from "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank." The future Roscoe P. Coltrane says he stuck a pencil under the coffin lid while he was in it, so it didn't get "too stuffy."
While many super-fans of shows might scoff at such books, believing they know everything about their favorite show, I say to them "Scoff not."
Each episode's entry includes Rod Serling's opening narration and crazily detailed information. It acts like a concordance that you can keep handy as you freak yourself out watching all the episodes.
Seriously, don't do that all at once. Your mannequins will all start talking to you (if they don't already).
Author Steven Jay Rubin is clearly a super-geek, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. He has dissected and catalogued every episode of the original series in this alphabetical look at each one, the actors, the creators, from "The After Hours" episode to Zamba, the lion who appeared in the episode "The Jungle."
(That's not exactly where Rubin starts and ends the book, but I wanted to mention Zamba.)
The behind-the-scenes notes include quotes from actors and creators about individual episodes. My favorite one at the moment is from James Best from "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank." The future Roscoe P. Coltrane says he stuck a pencil under the coffin lid while he was in it, so it didn't get "too stuffy."
While many super-fans of shows might scoff at such books, believing they know everything about their favorite show, I say to them "Scoff not."
Each episode's entry includes Rod Serling's opening narration and crazily detailed information. It acts like a concordance that you can keep handy as you freak yourself out watching all the episodes.
Seriously, don't do that all at once. Your mannequins will all start talking to you (if they don't already).
November 8, 2017
This book contains more than I ever thought I wanted to know about The Twilight Zone.
Author Steven Jay Rubin is clearly a super-geek, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. He has dissected and catalogued every episode of the original series in this alphabetical look at each one, the actors, the creators, from "The After Hours" episode to Zamba, the lion who appeared in the episode "The Jungle."
(That's not exactly where Rubin starts and ends the book, but I wanted to mention Zamba.)
The behind-the-scenes notes include quotes from actors and creators about individual episodes. My favorite one at the moment is from James Best from "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank." The future Roscoe P. Coltrane says he stuck a pencil under the coffin lid while he was in it, so it didn't get "too stuffy."
While many super-fans of shows might scoff at such books, believing they know everything about their favorite show, I say to them "Scoff not."
Each episode's entry includes Rod Serling's opening narration and crazily detailed information. It acts like a concordance that you can keep handy as you freak yourself out watching all the episodes.
Seriously, don't do that all at once. Your mannequins will all start talking to you (if they don't already).
Author Steven Jay Rubin is clearly a super-geek, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. He has dissected and catalogued every episode of the original series in this alphabetical look at each one, the actors, the creators, from "The After Hours" episode to Zamba, the lion who appeared in the episode "The Jungle."
(That's not exactly where Rubin starts and ends the book, but I wanted to mention Zamba.)
The behind-the-scenes notes include quotes from actors and creators about individual episodes. My favorite one at the moment is from James Best from "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank." The future Roscoe P. Coltrane says he stuck a pencil under the coffin lid while he was in it, so it didn't get "too stuffy."
While many super-fans of shows might scoff at such books, believing they know everything about their favorite show, I say to them "Scoff not."
Each episode's entry includes Rod Serling's opening narration and crazily detailed information. It acts like a concordance that you can keep handy as you freak yourself out watching all the episodes.
Seriously, don't do that all at once. Your mannequins will all start talking to you (if they don't already).
November 7, 2017
This is obviously a great book for long time fans of the Twilight Zone, but a great book for those who are new to the series because, unlike earlier books about the series, it doesn't give away the endings of the various episodes. Instead it focuses on how the series was made and who made it and includes an incredible amount of background information on the series. A good read and good fun and the perfect book to have on your coffee table when you are watching the annual marathon ...
November 26, 2017
I won this book thru a first reads giveaway.
I have been a fan of the show for as long as I can remember. Still this book gave me new insight into the series.
Great read!
I have been a fan of the show for as long as I can remember. Still this book gave me new insight into the series.
Great read!
March 1, 2025
Well-researched, exhaustive book on the s emiinal series "Twilight Zone", covering actors/actresses, producers, writers, anything and everything you might be iinterested in knowing about "Tweilight Zone"...even fees paid to writers and actors/actresses.
My only quibble? While Rubin includes Serling's opening narration for each epsiode....he does not include the closing narration.
Highly recommended to all fans of the series.
Jeff McIntosh
My only quibble? While Rubin includes Serling's opening narration for each epsiode....he does not include the closing narration.
Highly recommended to all fans of the series.
Jeff McIntosh
November 22, 2017
I was so thrilled to win a copy of the Twilight Zone Encyclopedia from Goodreads! I am a hugTwilight Zone fan! I used to camp out in front of the tv as a kid during the marathons that would run over the holidays. I recently just watched the entire series again, thanks to Netflix, and kept googling and IMBD to learn information about each episode and the actors in them. Now that I have this book, I have all the information I want right at my fingertips.
I can't even imagine how much time it took to put this book together, because it is so detailed! First of all, every single episode is in this book, and includes the narration given by Rod Serling at the beginning. Then the author included the cast, crew and other interesting information about the production. The author also has an entry for each big named actor who appeared in the series and gives a brief bio of their other work.
This isn't a book you sit down and read from cover to cover. Instead, I look at this as a companion to the show, to grab when you wonder about the actor in the episode or want to learn something neat about the making of the show. The information in this book was interesting and well organized. Just loved it! This is a must for fans of the show!
I can't even imagine how much time it took to put this book together, because it is so detailed! First of all, every single episode is in this book, and includes the narration given by Rod Serling at the beginning. Then the author included the cast, crew and other interesting information about the production. The author also has an entry for each big named actor who appeared in the series and gives a brief bio of their other work.
This isn't a book you sit down and read from cover to cover. Instead, I look at this as a companion to the show, to grab when you wonder about the actor in the episode or want to learn something neat about the making of the show. The information in this book was interesting and well organized. Just loved it! This is a must for fans of the show!
July 16, 2023
I borrowed this book and the DVD series from the library so I could watch the series once again in chronological order and follow along with Rubin's book. I was able to see a few episodes I never saw in syndication and quite enjoyed reading about the episodes, production notes, cast, interviews, photos, and other bits of fascinating trivia. If you are a Twilight Zone junkie like me, you'll appreciate this book and Rubin's thoroughness and attention to detail. I did want more, however. So it goes. Definitely recommended for fans and those curious to know more about television's finest anthology program.
October 15, 2018
I wanted to read this because it only focuses on the original Twilight Zone tv-series (1959–1964), my favourite, and it turned how that this particular encyclopedia is truly an excellent one for a true fan. The section on Charles Bronson was spot-on; I'm so used to historians not doing him justice, so I appreciated that the historian in this got it right. I will definitely continue to use this as a reference as I re-watch the show; I recommend reading this cover to cover, though, as there are such suprising delights to be found that way.
June 9, 2018
A very thorough, one-stop shop for information on this iconic series, but it irritates me for two reasons. The first is a tone to some of the actor entries -- it starts out charming, but it occasionally feels sycophantic. The second is the inconsistency in the episode entries; some are high detailed in the behind-the-scenes category, while others are non-existent...and I would prefer they were all consistently detailed. Ultimately, one can't deny its fascinating usefulness.
July 1, 2018
A thorough look at The Twilight Zone television series - episodes, actors, props, locations.
It got a little much for me at times, possibly because I was reading it all the way through.
What actors were paid, brief explanations of each episode, biographies of the famous actors who were in it were some of my favorite parts.
This fulfills the 2018 Popsugar reading challenge for a book with a time of day in its title.
It got a little much for me at times, possibly because I was reading it all the way through.
What actors were paid, brief explanations of each episode, biographies of the famous actors who were in it were some of my favorite parts.
This fulfills the 2018 Popsugar reading challenge for a book with a time of day in its title.
June 28, 2020
Great reference book for fans of the original Twilight Zone. Information about each member of the cast and crew and for each episode it has Rod Serling's opening narration, a setup of the story and a brief look behind the scenes. It also contains information on the Twilight Zone movie.
I generally use my local library and read e-books, but for fans, this is one where I recommend buying the physical book.
I generally use my local library and read e-books, but for fans, this is one where I recommend buying the physical book.
February 6, 2018
An Interesting History of a Popular Television Program
After having read the many books that have been written about The Twilight Zone and Rod Serling, I still found this book to be well written and informative. I will never tire of reading about this ‘phenomenon ‘ and this read is full of ‘behind the scenes’ information.
Thank you
After having read the many books that have been written about The Twilight Zone and Rod Serling, I still found this book to be well written and informative. I will never tire of reading about this ‘phenomenon ‘ and this read is full of ‘behind the scenes’ information.
Thank you
xx-dnf-skim-reference
January 4, 2020Would have been excellent to have on hand as I watching the DVDs, but my sources are two different libraries. :( Truly an encyclopedia - you need to know the names of things to look them up. Great book for fans, would be an excellent holiday gift I think.
April 19, 2021
Having such a ready resource on all things Twilight Zone was very nice indeed. I could just look up any episode and see who was in it, etc. This is for TZ aficionados especially. If you are one this is a great guide!
September 24, 2019
Amazing research work, wish every good TV show had a book like this one.
November 29, 2018
An ill-conceived concept. Perhaps they should've taken this material and formed a book around all the episodes. Something like: Twilight Zone--The Episode Guide. Instead it just seems cobbled together to fit the title, filled with peripheral irrelevancies. And a number of the entries hardly seem designed to be looked up in a reference book--they clearly are meant to be read through.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews