Twilight Zone

July 27, 2009
Serling (Journeys to the Twilight Zone
, etc.) returns to The Twilight Zone
, the most famous work of her late husband, Rod Serling (1924–1975), with this inspired anthology. Though constrained by the surprise ending format of the original show, Kelley Armstrong's “A Haunted House of Her Own” is pleasantly creepy; Alan Brennert's “Puowaina” is a well-executed period piece; and the murderous protagonist of Tad Williams's “Ants” nicely demonstrates self-destructive hubris. The other entries are less satisfying: William F. Wu offers tepid baby boomer nostalgia in “On the Road,” Carole Nelson Douglas provides telegraphed foreboding in “Truth or Consequences,” and Robert J. Serling's “Ghost Writer” includes a painfully obvious and banal final twist. While largely inoffensive and faithful to the Twilight Zone
format, this anthology is primarily of interest to hardcore fans.

October 12, 2009
If there's anything horror fans agree on, it's The Twilight Zone. It was groundbreaking, subversive, and a launching pad for the careers of dozens of great authors-and more than a few good actors. With the arrival of the show's 50th anniversary, an anthology like this was inevitable, and it's remarkable. A-list talent includes Tad Williams, Whitley Streiber, Joe Lansdale, R.L. Stine, and Carole Nelson Douglas. The stories are bracketed with pitch-perfect intros and outros and edited by Rod Serling's widow, Carol; there's even an unpublished episode treatment by Serling himself. Verdict With this slate of authors and the perennial popularity of the show, all libraries should own a copy.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2009
Fifty years after The Twilight Zones TV debut, its title remains a popular term for uncanny events, and even much younger generations hum the programs eerie theme. Its only fitting, then, that the widow of series creator Rod Serling compiles a celebratory anthology, whose 19 contributors see to it that their tributary tales are faithful (mostly) to the shows trademark reality bending. As were each of the programs episodes, each tale is introduced with a paragraph of wry narration that sets the scene. A bonsai enthusiast wreaks vengeance on a careless groundskeeper. An East Texas police chief imprisons a man who can change his identity at will. A traveling food vendor finds himself trapped in a salesmans version of hell. The impressive lineup of participating TV and book veterans includes such familiar names as Earl Hamner, R. L. Stine, Whitley Strieber, even Serling himself with a previously unpublished TZ episode treatment. Superior craftsmanship ensures cant-miss entertainment for speculative-fiction fans and anyone nostalgic for the original Twilight Zone aura.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)