Twilight Zone: The Original Stories

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor, Contributor, Introductio), Richard Matheson, Charles G. Waugh

Although Rod Serling, who created the classic television series that ran from 1959 to 1965, is the writer most associated with The Twilight Zone, he was not, of course, the only one. Serling was a serious admirer of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, and he scoured every magazine and collection available to find stories suitable for his series. This anthology showcases almost every original story that had been adapted into an episode. The result is a masterful collection of 30 classic tales by Richard Matheson (who also wrote the warmly nostalgic introduction), Charles Beaumont, Ray Bradbury, Damon Knight, Lewis Padgett, Jerome Bixby, and Manly Wade Wellman, among others. Fans of The Twilight Zone will enjoy revisiting their favorite episodes in literary form, but even if you've never seen the show, you'll enjoy this fine anthology. --Stanley Wiater

CONTENTS
Preface · Carol Serling · pr
Introduction · Richard Matheson · in
One for the Angels · Anne Serling-Sutton·
Perchance to Dream Charles Beaumont
Disappearing Act · Richard Matheson
Time Enough at Last · Lynn A. Venable ·
What You Need · Lewis Padgett ·
Third from the Sun · Richard Matheson ·
Elegy · Charles Beaumont ·
Brothers Beyond the Void · Paul W. Fairman ·
The Howling Man [as by C. B. Lovehill] · Charles Beaumont ·
It’s a Good Life · Jerome Bixby ·
The Valley Was Still · Manly Wade Wellman ·
The Jungle · Charles Beaumont ·
To Serve Man · Damon Knight ·
Little Girl Lost · Richard Matheson ·
Four O’Clock · Price Day ·
I Sing the Body Electric! [“The Beautiful One Is Here”] · Ray Bradbury ·
The Changing of the Guard · Anne Serling-Sutton ·
In His Image [“The Man Who Made Himself”] · Charles Beaumont
Mute · Richard Matheson ·
Death Ship · Richard Matheson ·
The Devil, You Say? · Charles Beaumont ·
Blind Alley · Malcolm Jameson ·
Song for a Lady · Charles Beaumont ·
Steel · Richard Matheson ·
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet · Richard Matheson ·
The Old Man · Henry Slesar ·
The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross · Henry Slesar ·
The Beautiful People · Charles Beaumont ·
Long Distance Call [“Sorry, Right Number”] · Richard Matheson ·
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge · Ambrose Bierce

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

550 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the standards of early television, these stories are fantastic. By literary standards?...

Science fiction, in general, doesn't age well. (Men from Mars? No, I've seen Mars. There are no men.) It's ironic how this genre keeps one so firmly entrenched in a time and place! We always imagine a linear trajectory: today's values...but more so, today's fears...but more so, today's aesthetic...but more so. Sci-fi ultimately functions as commentary on the here and now, which makes vintage sci-fi delightfully...nostalgic.

My favorites:
One for the Angels by Anne Serling-Sutton
Perchance to Dream by Charles Beaumont
Time Enough at Last by Lynn A. Venable
Brothers Beyond the Void by Paul Fairman
The Howling Man by Charles Beaumont
It's a Good Life by Jerome Bixby --A great allegory on religious fear.
To Serve Man by Damon Knight --We all know the ending! But, there's a bit more to it...
In His Image by Charles Beaumont
Mute by Richard Matheson --A startlingly insightful autism allegory (though I disagree with the conclusion)(in every way).
Blind Alley by Malcolm Jameson
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson --I'm still not sure how we're meant to interpret the ending! But, a rather astute description of a panic attack.
Long Distance Call by Richard Matheson --So spooky!!

If anyone knows where to find The Depository by Marvin Petal, please let me know! It was the basis of Five Characters in Search of an Exit, the best episode of anything, ever. EVER.


Ballerina. Soldier. Clown. What more do you need?

[A~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Twilight Zone: The Original Stories Edited by Martin Harry Greenberg
One for the Angels by Anne Serling-Sutton (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?2...)
This is one of the ones I have seen. A sidewalk pitchman, Lew Bookman, is finishing up his day. On his way home he talks to some of the children, remember this was the 50’s not so weird to stop and talk to children and give them small toys. He gets home to find a man waiting for him in his lounger. The man explains that he is an agent of God and that it is time for the Lew to move on to the afterlife. The pitchman asks to keep living and the angel gives him the few reasons he would take. One of them would be a lifelong unfulfilled dream. Lew says he always wanted to make that one pitch, that big one, the one for the angels. The angel informs him that this meets the criteria and asks when he thinks it can be delivered. Lew replies soon but plans on never selling again. Later one of the kids he was talking to gets hit by a car and a doctor is rushed to her side. She is taken up to her apartment and the doctor says it will be hours but by midnight they should know if she is going to survive. The pitchman sees the angel hanging around and asks what’s going on. His response is that he has to bring in one person today so if it isn’t going to be him it will be the little girl. He states he will be by later to come collect her. That night the angel is approaching the apartment and Lew is outside with his table set up. He tells the angel he isn’t going to try to change his mind but first has he see the ties that are on sale? Then he is off going over all the different things he has for sale each one better than the last and the angel is buying them all. Soon the clock has struck 12 and the angel has missed his appointment. The angel is disturbed but then it becomes apparent that the Lew has done his one big pitch. The man accompanies the angel but first stops to pack his bag, stating “Who knows who might want to buy something up there, up there right?” After a few seconds of tense silence the angel replies, yes, up there.
Perchance to Dream by Charles Beaumont (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charl...)
I have seen this one. Dr. Jackson is a psychologist that has an appointment with one Mr. Hall. When Hall arrives he is in an agitated state and refuses to lay down. The Dr. manages to calm him down and asks Hall to tell him why he is so upset. Hall states that he is afraid to fall asleep as he will die the next time he goes to sleep. As a young man, he has poor health and a heart condition. His doctors have warned him that a bad scare will finish him. As a child, he believed he had the ability to make his dreams come true. Lately, he has been having a reoccurring dream that gets further along each time he has it. He is at a carnival and a woman has grabbed his hand and plans to take him on a roller coaster. He knows that the next time he dreams she is going to get him on the roller coaster and he will have a heart attack. At this point, the psychiatrist calls in his receptionist. Upon seeing her Hall freaks out and says she is the girl from his dream and that his dreams have become real again. In a panic, he jumps out of the office window and falls to his death. However, it is then revealed that this is a dream and that Hall walked into the office, sat on the couch and fell asleep, and a minute after died. The Dr. quips that at least he died in peace dreaming.
Disappearing Act by Richard Matheson (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richa...)
This is one that I have not seen. An unnamed author is writing about the last few weeks of his life. A couple of weeks ago he had an argument with his wife over money, in particular, his inability to provide with a writing career he is pursuing. The fight escalates and he leaves the house and looks up a friend of his. A few drinks later they look up some girls they know and one thing leads to another and he ends up having an affair. The next morning he is sorry and starts to try to make things up to his wife, without telling her. However, any peace he builds up gets thrown out the window when he receives another rejection slip from a publisher. The author starts to think about how nice the girl was to him and about cheating. He goes to give a call to her apartment, this is when some of the apartment houses shared a phone and asks for her. No one at the apartment house knows of her. The next day while at work he tries to call her work and ask for her, they say they have never had an employee by that name. Later on, he decides to walk to her office, no that isn’t creepy at all guys, but when he arrives he finds the company doesn’t exist and the building has a totally different business in it. Confused he calls his friend who was with him that night. Being circumspect he tries to ask about the girl but his friend acts like he has no idea what happened. After some time to think it over the author decides that he must have not asked directly and tries to call his friend. He is told at that number that his friend doesn’t work there. As the days go on more and more people he knows no longer exist and no one he talks to knows who they were. Eventually, he goes into his part-time job only to find it not there. His bank account doesn’t exist and his bankbook, if you don’t know what that is, look it up, is blank. Then he gets home and finds his wife is gone. He started to write this down as a way to prove he isn’t going insane. The story ends with him speculating that he will soon disappear, the last sentence ending mid-word.
Time Enough at Last by Lynne A. Venable (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1...)
This is a favorite of a friend of mine and I like it as well.
Henry Bemis is a mild-mannered man who just wants to read but is never able to find the time to do so. One day while in the vault of his bank there is a large explosion and part of the bank collapses. By the time he is able to get out the rubble he finds that it looks like there has been some type of attack that has killed all the humans on earth but him. Most of the city is damaged but quite a bit of it is still standing. He makes his way through town till he gets to the library and it occurs to him that he finally has time to read. However, as he is rejoicing his glasses fall off and break revealing that he has terrible sight and will be unable to read without them.
The story and the show do differ some. In the show, the man is always trying to read but keeps getting pulled away by his wife, his boss, and others. However, in the book there isn’t this interplay, it’s simply stated that he wants to read but his family and busy life keep him from doing so. In the show it makes the man looks bad and his wife a shrew, I feel the characters come out more likable in this version. Another big difference is that after the bomb goes off there are a few descriptions in the story of what he sees, including bodies in various states of damage. The show did not have any of this, just sets full of bricks and broken windows. The last difference is in the show when he leans over to pick up a book he drops his glasses. Something he would not have done considering how careful he is with them. In the story a piece of the rock he is sitting on snaps off dumping him, making the glass breaking more believable.
What You Need by Lewis Padgett (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis...)
A man who is a reporter, I guess he is what we would now call an expose reporter, is looking for his next story when he notices a sign for a store. The sign says “We Have What You Need.” The display of items are eccentric and make no sense, the pretentiousness of the sign and the eccentricity of the stock perks his interest. He tries to interview the store owner only to be turned down. Not taking a no he starts to watch the customers and the delivery boy and eventually thinks he has enough information to force a story. Claiming that the store is a scam he says he will write a report about a store that sells ordinary items such as eggs for thousands of dollars. The owner says that if he is quiet he will take the reporter on as a client and that his first and only order will be free, after that he does not want to see the reporter again. He goes in the back and then returns and hands the reporter a package. Outside the reporter finds that the package contains a pair of tailor shears. Miffed that he has no story and thinking the shears are a joke he puts the item into his pocket and heads to the office to catch his boss. The boss is next to a printing press and when the reporter goes to talk to the boss, the reporter's tie gets caught in the press and starts to pull him to what would be a grisly death. He remembers the shears and cuts the tie. The next day the reporter breaks his promise and returns to the store saying that he has to know what he needs the next day. The owner hands him a pair of dress shoes that have no traction on the bottom. The reporter puts them on and leaves. In the back of the office, the reporter turns on a machine and watches the reporter walk out of the store and into the subway. During a bit of crowding the reporter is pushed and because his shoes are slick, he loses balance and falls onto the track, then he is run over by a train. It is revealed that the machine is showing the future. The man then tunes into the future where he instead gave the reporter a good pair of shoes and sees that the reporter will keep extorting him until one day he becomes greedy and decides to kill the shop owner for his machine.
Third from the Sun by Richard Matheson (Repeat Author)
I have not seen. An astronaut is supposed to take his spaceship up for a test flight. He has different plans. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and a devastating war is about to break out so he has gotten his family and a few friends together. They plan on leaving the world and finding another planet to live on. The astronaut has squirreled away food and other resources on the spaceship. He uses the excuse that his family wants to say goodbye to get them on the base. They sneak into the ship and he takes off. Once in space, the Astronaut reveals their destination as being a small yellow sun, in particular, the third planet from the sun.
Elegy by Charles Beaumont (Repeat Author)
Another I have not seen. Damaged a spaceship makes a landing on an asteroid that seems to have a biosphere on it. After landing the crew walk around and find the biosphere is set up like earth and that there are different scenes set upon them. In each of the scenes, lifelike mannequins are set in various poses. Eventually, they discover an old man named Mr. Greypool, who introduces himself as the caretaker. He serves all the men wine and starts to tell about the place. It is a cemetery for the rich. When someone rich dies they have their body sent to space and get placed into a set that is decorated like the place they loved the most. This means that some of the mannequins are actually bodies. Creeped out the Captain orders his men to the ship. As they board they all start to get tired and one by one die. Mr. Grepool enters and tells the captain that he will make sure that the ship and his crew are well taken care of and starts to finish the embalming process he started with chemicals in the wine. After everything is set and still the caretaker goes back to a rocking chair and stops moving. It is revealed he is more robot than human and goes into suspended animation unless there is work.
Brothers Beyond the Void by Paul Fairman (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_...)
I feel like I have seen this one but not sure. An astronaut lands on a planet and discovers it is inhabited. He works on learning their language and being peaceful with them. Eventually one day he wakes up and finds they have built him a house, based on drawings he made for them. He gets in and the front windows open. He sees a sign and realizes that sentient life is the same everywhere and that he is now an exhibit at a zoo.
The Howling Man by Charles Beaumont (Repeat Author)
This is one I have seen. I thought the whole backpack through the European countryside was a newer thing, however here is a story from the fifties where the protagonist does just that. It starts off as a good trip but somewhere along the way he picks up a virus and wakes up in a monastery. Everything seems normal and he has a monk introduce himself explaining that he got close to dying. During the middle of the conversation, the young man hears a howling. However, the monk acts like he heard nothing. This goes on for a few days as he recovers. Finally, one day as the monk is sleeping the man slips out and finds a cell where the screaming is coming from. Inside there is a man who claims that he was kidnapped from his family by the monks. Before he can do anything the monk finds him and brings him to the director of the monastery. The director explains that the man is not a man, but instead the devil in human form. The monks keep him in a cell and ever since there has been peace in the world. Feigning interest, the young man acts like he believes it and returns to his room. That night he slips the man out of his cell. Immediately he knows it was a mistake as the man changes in appearance and runs off. The young man finally returns home and watches the news as he sees a familiar face start to show up and a terrible war brews. Years later the war has ended the man receives a postcard telling him that he can rest, the monastery has their captive back.
It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerom...)
This one was so good that they made two versions of it. One for the tv show and one for the movie. The TV show one had Billy Mummy as the child. Anthony is a young boy who lives in a town in the middle of nothing. Generally this means a town surrounded by a desert or forest but in this case, it is literally surrounded by a great mass of nothingness. The reason is that Anthony has the ability to make whatever he wants to happen, happen. And if the idea of a grown man with unlimited power makes you nervous, think of a small child without any of the moral or social control having the same power. It goes about as well as you can expect. Anthony generally spends his days making people do what he wants, and if they disappoint him he punishes them by killing them, transforming them, or even mentally castrating them. The title of the story comes from the phrase that all the villagers have to say to each other to remember not to screw up and complain.
The Valley Was Still by Manly Wade Wellman (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly...)
I have not seen this one. Joe Paradise is a Confederate scout. He is sent to explore a small town that is a bottleneck on the part of the country his army is going to go through. The leadership expects that the Union might have put up an army in the town to delay the
Confederates. Joe watches the town for a while but can see no signs of Union activity, in fact, he can find no signs of activity at all. He rides down into the town and finds that there is a full deployment of Union soldiers right on the main street, but all them, including the horses, are laying flat on the ground. In addition so is every other person and animal in the town. He investigates and finds that they are not dead but seem to be in a very deep sleep. Before he can report back to his group a man approaches him. He claims to be a wizard and says that he cast a hex on these people so that the south can advance. In addition, he tells Joe that if he signs a pact with him he will make sure that Joe and he will together win the war for the Confederacy. It’s a tempting offer and the man gives a few demonstrations that show Joe that he can do as he says. However, Joe notices that the book he is reading from has words scratched out of it with words like God replaced with vile names he can not utter. He pretends to accept and when the man leans in so that Joe can sign a contract, in the blood, of course, Joe brings his sword up and decapitates the man. He then reads the spell the man read, but with the real words. The Union army starts to wake up and soon they are in battle with the Confederates. Joe has to spend the rest of his life knowing that he had the power to win the failed war.
The Jungle by Charles Beaumont (Repeat Author)
I found this one to be the weakest of the stories in the book. This is not one that I have seen. A man has built a magnificent city in the middle of Africa. It is intended to fix the overpopulation issue that earth is having with there not being enough space for everyone. There is a problem, everyone who hasn’t left the city has died of a terrible wasting disease, including the wife of the engineer. The disease is a result of a curse put on the city by the local medicine man as retribution for taking their land and relocating them. The engineer is certain that Science will be the answer to the disease and meets one last time with the head of the African village to convince them to be happy with what they have been given. The village refuses. The man returns to his city and sees part of it is being overtaken by the jungle. Inside his apartment he finds his wife being eaten by a lion.
To Serve Man by Damon Knight (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon...)
Chances are you know the Simpson parody of this, which was based on the Twilight zone episode, which was based on this story. Aliens come to Earth bringing peace. They offer technology to cure world needs of food, energy and medical care. The protagonist is a translator for the UN who soon finds himself out of a job as world peace no longer necessitates a reason for the UN. The aliens claim all they do for humanity is because of their book “To Serve Man.” One of his fellow translators is suspicious and manages to get ahold of a copy and starts to try to translate. In the meantime, the aliens are giving humans a chance to visit the world. At the very end, the protagonist and his friend are selected to go on the ship. As they are in line the friend who, as it turns out did not have a choice about going, mentions that he finally translated some of the books and “To Serve Man” is a cookbook.
Little Girl Lost by Richard Matheson(Repeat Author)
This is one that my dad said scared him as a kid. I didn’t care for it much when I saw it. Somehow a hole to the fourth dimension opens up inside the apartment of a family. During the night their daughter falls into it and can not be found. Soon the dog joins them and eventually, the dad does, however, he only goes in with the top half of his body. Once he has the girl his friend and wife drag him out. I think it might have been more of a better story in its time in the thought process that there might be more than the three dimensions that we are used to and that they would be beyond our ability to comprehend.
Four O’Clock by Prince Day
Mr. Crangle believes that he has some kind of power that randomly appears and then disappears. During this time he has the ability to make changes to all of anything he has power over. Currently, the power is telling him he can change all evil people. He thinks long and hard about it and decides that he will make it so that all evil people will be half their current size. As the time approaches he wills it to happen. The story notes at the end that he now has to stretch to give his bird a nut, something he was tall enough to do before.

[Roy Buttons]

I don't think that these stories are real. But they are good.

[Anjanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE the original Twilight Zone series, but like the show, a lot of these stories are reflective of the times they were written. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet has smoking on an airplane.
Stories about the future set in the 1990s. Some of these are innocuous; some aren't. But the stories are still richly told. I could have sworn I'd seen every episode, but I didn't recall quite a few. Probably the best was 'I Sing the Body Electric' by Ray Bradbury. Very beautiful poetic writing. Other classic stories are 'Time Enough At Last' (which should appeal to everyone on Goordreads), 'An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge', my favorite episode 'To Serve Man', and 'Long Distance Call', which was turned into 'Night Call' for the series. That episode still scares the bejesus out of me (although this original story is altered a bit from the episode, if memory serves). Each story has the airdate and actors listed at the beginning.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think of it like this: you have just seen Lord of the Rings. But! Lord of the Rings is not a popularly published set of novels in this country. In fact, you didn't know if it was properly written down as a story anywhere. And out of the blue someone hands you a bound anthology of all three books. That is my excitement level at finding this book.

While I agree with some of the reviewers that a few of these stories are weak, they are nonetheless parts of my childhood. I lived to watch Twilight Zone and having a written examination of the story, seeing what Rod Serling had to work with when he began to adapt these stories for television, is just an amazing journey for me.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad got this book for me for Christmas last year. It is awesome. Many of the Twilight Zone episodes were original stories adapted for screenplay. This book contains 30 of the original stories, and they're even better than the show. Some were a bit predictable, some I already knew the ending because I'd seen the episode, and others completely threw me off with the plot. A very thrilling read.

[Adam Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Twilight Zone contained many interesting concepts and twists which made it a delight to read. However, some stories were too long and dragged on, taking away from the others compiled in the book. If you enjoy old science fiction, impossible feats, legendary creatures and magic, this book might be for you.

[Centauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total Rating: 110 Stars > 3.67 Stars
30 Short Stories – I will do my best to rate the stories without influence of the episode weighing in
(I read these because I enjoy the original show)
SPOILER ALERT

One for the Angels – 2 Stars
As far as 1st stories of an anthology goes, this may not have been the best selection. 1st question that nagged at me profusely: who goes out at midnight to buy things from a stand? Seriously, people gathered around at midnight to hear the pitch of all pitches? Doubtful. Then, why was Death so eager to agree to an extension when they would require to take another life in place of the delayed? Are many people as benevolent as the protagonist, quickly refusing the delay & accepting their fate? Then, to top it all off, the kind generous protagonist quickly turns character and tries to manipulate an opportunity against a cosmic natural force? It seemed forced and out of place. Maybe it is a statement about how people can drastically alter who they are when faced with their own mortality? Not really sure, but there are other things I did not care for with this tale, but I am done ranting

Perchance to Dream – 4 Stars
The power of dreams! And nightmares! This was cleverly written, the reader not knowing the character has fallen asleep and everything that is the story is pretty much the final night-terror. The anxiety and exhausting rush of adrenaline is pumping throughout the few paragraphs. The last line is so troubling, original, perplexed, and haunting: at least he went peacefully. We never know what truly occurs in the mind of those departed in their last moment. Chilling short story

Disappearing Act – 5 Stars
The POV made this story what it is: thrilling melancholy and fear. You really fall into the character as their life is unraveled until the last proverbial string of destiny has spun out and floated away on the winds. You don’t need to know why it’s happening. Heck, you don’t even need to know if it is all just in the protagonist’s mind. Example – maybe the wife found out about the adultery and the protagonist begins to lose their grip with reality because of it. I personally think for one reason or another, he was simply erased from existence (there is a fan-fiction tale in there somewhere)  . The only thing that matters is the decent as the reader rides into the abyss along with the protagonist. Nerve-wracking tension holds you until the last few words not completed

Time Enough at Last – 2 Stars
So, why does he not have time to read, truly? It seems like he makes up excuses, which is something we all do: do it enough, and that becomes your cycle of dismay; as it had done with the protagonist in the story. There was not a lot of exposing why the man felt he never could read; a solitary glimpse or 2 into their life prior to Bomb X. the quick ending made it feel like a dark joke where the punchline came too soon

What You Need – 2 Stars
I have a known bias against time-travel stories … this story is not really time travel but having foresight into a potential future & then acting upon thus knowledge to alter it favorably. So, yeah, not a fan right off the back. Beyond that, the story had odd and weird cuts or jumps from paragraph to paragraph; and it was not related to the time travel – like poor editing, or maybe I was tired. The ending did not have a shock value & throughout it was fairly rushed & boring

Third from the Sun – 1 Stars
Knowing Twilight Zone concepts, the ending was predictable. If read in another sci fi anthology maybe not done as easily so. There was no real feel for drama, tension, despair, or loathing. The characters did what they had to do and it was easy. There was no real antagonist; nor in physical or emotional or psychological form. A simple mission required execution for survival, and it was achieved

Elegy – 3 Stars
I enjoyed this one. No real review, just a good piece of short sci fi goodness. An asteroid dedicated to the dead in such a way that those who stumble upon it are in awe and confusion at the wondrous sight. Aside from that, I was bothered with how military personnel were not even cautious nor hesitant when in a new & awkward place. Where was the basic training? But aside from that, what lies out in the stars? What awaits us when we as a people attempt to spread our violence to the galaxy like a cosmic virus?

Brothers Beyond the Void – 4 Stars
Another “where was the basic training?” moment … a soldier and/or an adventurer on the frontier of space & sentient discovery would be fascinated excited and optimistic, but they would also be vigilant, cautious, suspicious, and prepared for anything. They would not leave themselves defenseless, no matter how kind those they encounter were. This story would be best as a prose, that way the reader could really feel the comfort, ease, and trust that the protagonist felt toward the martians. For this tale, I think that storytelling is required
In all honesty, it is sad to think that we are all the same. I would like to think that there would be deviation out in the galaxies so many light years away. Have all sentient beings become self-obsessed greedy hunters of the unknown? Are we so amazed at other life in such a way that we feel we must capture & imprison to continue enjoying? Can we move away from zoos and fully accept true sanctuary? These were just some of the concepts or wanderings that rang inside me as I finished reading this tale

The Howling Man – 3 Stars
Even by the end of the story you still question all involved: their sanity, their trustworthiness, and their credibility. Why would a monk lie? Or was it a lie? Satan is not a man after all, right? I like this story because it’s about trust, sanity, faith, and the questioning that they all bring to one’s psyche. A quick fun tale about what the world is and why it is that way, along with, one man’s journey throughout its myriad scopes. I like to think that the monks and the protagonist released Chaos or Madness back into the world, not precisely Satan

It’s A Good Life – 5 Stars
Terrifying, thrilling, inspiring, and complexing all at the same time. How did the boy become so powerful? Why does no one attempt to “teach a good way” so the boy could learn sooner? What has the rest of the world done about the missing town? Is there any world left? Is everyone simply dead following a nuclear blast and their hell is being controlled by a boy of 3 or 4?
Diver into the simple, albeit skewed mind of a child, where everything is black & white, good or bad, no levels in between. Experience the dread of fearing your own thoughts & what that could mean if someone knew, then judged you on it. All of it is here and its nuts

The Valley Was Still – 2 Stars
The confederacy loss due to a lone soldier refusing a mystic loyal to an unknown evil force? ‘nuff said

The Jungle – 4 Stars
There were some confusing small bit where I could not follow the action, but the message was clear: civilized & human progress should not be in the eye of the beholder. This tale is what we’re headed towards … the spirit of the world, or those linked to it, will surely rise up in a way that is subtle to reclaim what is theirs, or simply punish mankind. This was a warning about becoming over industrialized & processed. We are natural organic beings attempting to thrive on artificial everything! It will catch up to us all, and we will be the feed for the animals for which the world was first inhabited

To Serve Man – 4 Stars
So subtle, so casual … then a cliffhanger that leaves the jaw agape with “what the deuce?!” We as earthlings are already too weary & frightened of the unknown cosmos, and this story will not help the matter. What is out there? Why shall they visit? How far should our trust go? It makes me think of that old saying ‘nothing is free’

Little Girl Lost – 5 Stars
Thrilling & frightening. I couldn’t imagine being a parent and having lost my child to nothingness *that dimension slightly out of sync with our own” The terror that would tear a parent apart, I can only feel in my nightmares. But at the same time, it makes me wonder what is out there, and where are the doorways to these other worlds & places. Nothing is ever confirmed, and the government never tries to seize the apartment for experiments (which is exactly what would have occurred), but then again the reader never finds out how the doorway was open, how did the girl find it, or why it was so sudden. How long had that family lived there with it open? Or had it just appeared? In all honesty, none of that matters because the fear of losing your child without explanation, or at least a plausible one to explain to authorities, was the focus here. What would a parent do to find their child? Who knows, maybe some of the world’s unsolved missing persons cases may have a tether to this tale

Four O’Clock – 5 Stars
One man’s heroism is another narcissism; where one wishes to find valor and righteousness, only conceit & irony blossom. This was a fun little story about a man with dreams of grandeur, believing they’re a hero but in reality they are seeded with selfishness and contempt, so karma kindly obliges their actions. I guess I liked this one because it hit home. As a child I wanted nothing more than to be a superhero, but reality brings out the inevitable truth of being, not just the facets we admire in ourselves. This story proves it

I Sing the Body Electric! – 2 Stars
I did not care for this longwinded story. I know it is Bradbury’s style but it felt as if he were trying too hard, like he was forcing the pietism & metaphors. There was no real character development, or plot for that matter. It was a snipit of something greater I guess. Felt incomplete. I was waiting for the big reveal, the cliffhanger, the moral … found myself asking, why was this needing to be told? I gave a 2nd star because there was a passage where the android attempted to explain why machines were greater than mankind; they basically provided logic reason for their lack of mortal faults. But in doing so, though they made a nice point of a few grounds, they lose the essence which, sadly, makes people human

The Changing of the Guard – 5 Stars
Mr. Feeny Mr. Feeny … the teacher from “Boy Meets World” popped into mind reading this one: undervalued and underappreciated; the professor we as children all wanted to have. Sometimes we forget how much energy patience time and worth teachers and instructors put into the lives of the young future. We surely need to take the time to thank them & let them know what affect they have had on us. This story was sad for a good spell because everyone needs a reminder or two of their worth and legacy.

In His Image – 3 Stars
To not know who you are has to be the worst feeling. Wait, worst yet, knowing beyond doubt that you are someone, when in fact you are not. Identity crisis wrapped up in a nice sci fi blanket with a cup of therapy please. This story started out strong – am I reading about a man misplaced in time, about a man who has come unhinged with reality, is this a tale about going insane, or simply a guy who has believed their own hustle? It’s terrifying not recalling facts accurately, or misremembering cherished moments. But worse, knowing I am this person only to find out I am a shoddy clone days old? That’s the absolute pits! I would have liked to give it more stars but the ending was so uninspired & felt thoughtless. It was like the writer had the climax but no clue how to decline the action for a finale. It just seemed like the writer no longer cared about the character setting or reader’s time. I gave an extra star for the potential the story possessed.

Mute – 5 Stars
We adults think we know best! We know what’s best for children, the environment, the world, existence. We know diddly! The boy was wonderful & had a view of life that I wish I could grasp even for a moment. To know a words true content, the root of its purpose in all its splendor, would be awesome. So often I look at language and realize its shortcomings and its false ideology – we miss out on so much when we take for granted the spoken word. What is a cloud? That word does what? Bring images of white puffy stuff in the sky. Is that all? Do you not hear the howl of wind, smell the fresh grass underneath your back as you gaze toward infinity, giggle when you see forms that are not there because your imagination has seized an opportunity? What is a cloud? This story delves deep into the world that adults destroy when they do what is best for the young – teaching what is proper, normal, and expected. What have we missed out on learning how to be like the rest of the world?

Death Ship – 3 Stars
The fear and horror of seeing yourself dead should be enough for anyone to make themselves feel lucky when the inevitable is escaped. But to allow pride to force you back into the foreboding destiny? That was my first take on this story, but that last line read a few times made me realize that this was a ghost tale from the beginning, and these poor aeronauts are in a purgatory of repetitive & inescapable doom. Poor souls trying to hold onto their life but forever they must travel the cold dust of the cosmos

The Devil, You Say? – 4 Stars
Tabloids! Those nonsense fantastical tales are the whimsy of the bored demon-king freed for a spell of fun to keep a contract with a poor soul so misguided they sought only serenity for their first life. That is a story you must read

Blind Alley – 5 Stars
Never allow yourself, not even for a moment, to think you could outwit or out-business the original hustler. Never jump into a contract without laying down every finite detail & rule. “Be careful what you ask for” is the quote the trumpets throughout this story. Never get involved with the devil or their lackeys – it’d only end up with you on the short end of the stick, no matter how confident & great you see yourself as being

Song for a Lady – 3 Stars
Stubbornness is not always a good thing; it can sometimes lead to your demise. I was expecting some kind of ghost story, or supernatural time travel deal, not mass-suicide from nostalgia. It was still a “fun” little read

Steel – 2 Stars
I expected that either the fight-bot would miraculously be the victor, or once the twist occurred, that the man would win; had not seen the boring, uninspiring ending that occurred. Maybe it is a statement about never giving up, despite all outside forces going against you? It read more like: foolish persistence regardless of barriers, which in itself can be a bad thing. Not sure. I just did not like how it just ended. It was a good read until the last 2 pages.

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet – 5 Stars
How does one know if they are insane? Comparting self to all those around? Self-confidence and re-assuredness? Is there a way? This is a truly frightening aspect to one psyche – not knowing if thyself is mad or insane, or simply have a bad moment of inescapable fear. This story explores this mindboggling query. Maybe, as the tale ends, the answer is simply: you are as sane as you feel. Now, is that really all that bad? 

The Old Man – 5 Stars
Short, to-the-point, and absolutely terrifying … this is the world we are heading towards. We are putting too much control of our daily lives into the whim of A.I. and what not. Soon, we will not be able to live without it.

The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross – 4 Stars
Another “be careful what you wish for” tale from the anthology. What happens when you trade compassion for wealth & materialism? This whole story is a metaphor about the corruption of mankind’s perspective on value in life. Just when you think you have it all…

The Beautiful People – 5 Stars
Conformity is death of individuality and true freedom. Why must we be like everyone else? Are we as a society heading this route so that we could avoid bigotry & war & other such atrocities only linked to mankind? Problem is, even when you achieve the “perfect society” or utopia, we as human-kind will find a means to belittle, judge, fear, bully & hate. We as a creature are consumed with control & superiority, so it is inevitable fated to our lives

Long Distance Call – 5 Stars
Simple dread & terror. No answers to all the potential questions are required to make the tale chilling. It is so plausible that one could receive unusual calls without a means to decipher where from or why, which makes it that much more frightening.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge – 3 Stars
“Just before death, your life flashes before your eyes” is a western world phrase or philosophy, for the most part. But what if it’s more like “what you desire most in life encompasses your mind just before death”? That is this tale, in a nutshell. The doomed protagonist wants to escape their fate, against all odds of course, find home, and fall into his wife’s arms. This sort of illogical dream is what provides this man peace in his final moment. Maybe that will be the thing for all of us just before the last time we close eyes: finding serenity to allow the passing into the next? I am not sure, but this was what I could not help but think about as I read this story. I lack of stars is due to some confusing paragraphs which I found slightly difficult to follow. 4 stars is what I initially thought about

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgic fun! A quick break from everyday reading and news!

[The Brothers Rodemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The iconic show - which I loved btw - doesn't do the stories justice. Matheson, Bradbury, Beaumont, I mean do I need to say more? "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is also one of the many spine-tingling stories in this compilation of brilliant, albeit spooky as hell, tales. You'll find yourself humming the song to yourself when you read. When in doubt of my next read, this book is always my failsafe.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this book! Sure, all the old Twilight Zone reruns are amazing mini-adventures but to read the original stories, most all written by the same three or four guys and then changed slightly for tv, is amazing. These authors had so much imgination and morals: they really put their own perspectives into their characters to make the strange situations more believable. I think everyone should read "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Pierce (or Bierce, not sure) and my personal fav will always be "I Sing The Body Electric!" by Ray Bradbury.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories from the original series. I read this in high school as an assignment from an English teacher who thought I might like the stories, and he was right! I'd love to track this down and read it again.

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the show and when I saw this book of stories that the show was based on I had to read it. I was not disappointed. I would recomend this to anyone who was a fan of the show, or if you like a good story with a twist.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm far too young to have watched the original airing of "Twilight Zone" and have only seen a few episodes, I can't deny that it has earned its place in our pop-culture history, and find its short stories chilling and fascinating. So when I happened upon this anthology at a book sale, I was immediately intrigued, and more so when I found that such heavyweights as Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, and Ambrose Bierce had contributed to this collection and to the series itself. If nothing else, I figured, I could enjoy the stories by those big names, right?

Most of the time when I pick up an anthology of short stories, there will invariably be some stories that are much better than others, and some that are just plain duds. But in the case of "Twilight Zone: The Original Stories," not only did the great stories far outweigh the mediocre ones, but I don't think there was a single story that was a pure dud -- all were at least good, and many were great. Many had something extremely valuable to say about our world at the time, and those messages still resonate today. And while the "twist ending" has been done to death in recent media, the revelations and endings of many of these stories are still fascinating, even startling.

And yes, every story in this anthology was adapted into a "Twilight Zone" episode -- the heading of each story even states the episode's air date, its starring actors, and its title if it's changed from the original short story's title. "Twilight Zone" buffs will probably appreciate this data, and even I found it interesting -- I hadn't realized that Cloris Leachman and William Shatner had featured in episodes...

Favorite stories in this anthology would have to include "To Serve Man" (a first-contact story with benevolent and extremely helpful aliens... for a price), "Blind Alley" (a man makes a deal with the devil to return to the small town of his past, only to realize the past is far different than he remembers), "Steel" (which would not only spawn a TZ episode but inspire the movie "Real Steel"), "I Sing the Body Electric" (which would likewise inspire both a TZ episode and the made-for-TV movie "The Electric Grandmother"), and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (a famous Civil War era story and perhaps one of the first examples of a twist ending in literature).

While "Twilight Zone" buffs will probably appreciate this story the most, anyone who enjoys short fiction with a science fiction or slight horror bent will appreciate this anthology. The stories are short but well-written and effective, and despite changes in technology and society over the years (a character bringing a gun onto a plane or having to call the phone company to get a telephone number might be jarring to some), the stories remain just as powerful and entertaining many years later.

[Norman Weatherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good compilation of fantastic stories from the original television series. Some of the stories are easily worth 5 stars but there are a few that felt as if they were pulling an anchor start to finish, such is the nature of compilations. This also was a glimpse into the early years of popular sci-fi and showcased some period pieces of prognostications about what much have felt like a long ways off. Looking back now gives an interesting view of the success and failure of these future casters.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved "The Twilight Zone" and this collection of stories which were adapted into some of the classic episodes of the show is a very enjoyable read. The majority of stories are by Richard Matheson or Charles Beaumont (two of the major contributing writers to the show), but there is also some great stuff by Ray Bradbury, Ambrose Bierce, Damon Knight, Jerome Bixby, Lewis Padgett (the husband and wife team of Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore) and other.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching the show, and I'm not completely surprised at how well the show was and still is because they had some great writers attached to it: Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Ambrose Bierce, and Charles Beaumont. Most of the stories are still superb and they focus on the follies of human nature in the face of the supernatural or unusual circumstances. All of these factors are why the Twilight Zone is still making an impact over The Outer Limits or Tales from the Crypt.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! I've always been a huge fan of the original show but had assumed most of the episodes were written as teleplays. Turnd out they sourced a lot of material from gothic and sci fi short stories written at the time or earlier. ‘It’s a Good Life’ is creepy as hell and was written in 1953, almost a decade before the show. This was 30 great short stories that inspired the show and most of them were bangers.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are surprisingly accessible, despite being aged over fifty years. Sure some may be a little bit dated, but the themes of the unknown and the fragility of the human condition shine through. If you're a fan of the simple suspense of The Twilight Zone, or sci-fi/macabre/horror stories, then you will enjoy this collection.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any die-hard Twilight Zone fan. I disagree with the reviews that say the stories don't hold up to the test of time; while some stories may be a bit outdated, it's the psychological reaction to the stories that never gets old. I found "Long Distance Call" in particular much more terrifying than the episode even, and that one always gave me the creeps!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to read the stories having seen the TZ episodes. Stories are not exactly the same as the episodes but it's interesting to see how the stories were adapted to television. What parts were kept and what parts were tweaked. I could put a face to many of the characters which made it come more alive in my mind.

[Blair Hoyle]

I'm a massive fan of the original Twilight Zone television series, but I had never read any of the short stories that inspired some of the most iconic episodes. My main takeaway from doing so is that I much prefer Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont as screenwriters. Almost every single story here lacks the punch of its respective episode. Rod Serling truly was a genius.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who loves the Twilight Zone, or great sci fi stories in general should pick this up. It’s a must read. I knew a lot of the stories from watching the shows but it was interesting to see the changes made from print to tv. Absolutely loved it.

[Rachel Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the TV series since I was a kid, so our was fun to read the stories that inspired the episodes. The show made a lot of changes to the original stories, so even if I knew the story I was never sure how it would turn out.

[Jason Martian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was great reading these stories in the writers own voice and often getting a bit more story than what was televised. There were also stories that I don't remember from the series.

If you are a fan of the original show and love great sci-fi I highly recommend this book.

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just put this out there: I have never watched any of the Twilight Zone episodes. This book has me so interested now though! I almost can't wait until the New Year's Day marathon!

I'm not crazy about science fiction, but I enjoyed just about every one of these stories, with the exception of one or two. Each story came with its own unexpected twist, which always makes for fun reading. The only complaint I read could have had is that science fiction often lends itself to becoming outdated, like talking about Mars exploration in the "distant" future of 1997. My favorite story was "The Changing of the Guard."

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and it makes for perfect reading during this time of year when the dark nights begin early and there is a chill in the air--perfect for cozy nights spent reading!

[Mary]

Extensive collection of stories that formed the basis of the series. Many of the "biggies" are there and it's fascinating to read the words of the original authors. Equally fascinating is comparing the originals to Serling's adaptations.

[Wildon Mitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories differ from the versions that were aired. The book explained things much better, but then again, the written word, coupled with human imagination, is almost always better than what Hollywood portrays.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun

[Kimberly Karalius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing!!! I loved reading some of the short stories that the episodes were based on. Some of them were so different and it was fun to see how.