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

It’s hard to believe such a groundbreaking, influential show only lasted five seasons, especially when you consider that tripe like Gunsmoke lasted for twenty. But even in that brief timespan, The Twilight Zone established itself as a stylistic and storytelling benchmark against which so many stories and TV shows will continue to be measured.

The Twilight Zone FAQ not only gives us the history of Rod Serling, but the creation, rise, and fall of the show, taking us behind the scenes of the creative struggles, accusations of plagiarism, moments of TV magic, and indelible stories that impacted an entire generation of writers.

Unlike many of the Applause FAQ books, The Twilight Zone FAQ is a bit less linear, abandoning the usual season-by-season episodic breakdowns for themed collections — space, the apocalypse, alternate dimensions, flight — woven into the story of Rod Serling’s rise to prominence and the ebbs and flows of working on The Twilight Zone.

This is a terrific introduction to the show for the uninitiated, and a wonderful walk down memory lane for long-time fans. Find yourself “time enough at last” to check it out.