Books On Twilight Zone or By Twilight Zone-linked People
edited by Andrew Ramage
View a few select pages from Volume 1
"What a wonderful book. Can I get a few more copies?!" — Ted Post (director, four episodes of Twilight Zone)
“I just read the commentaries—haven't read the teleplays yet - but you've written a strong book.”
“Just read the teleplays—excellent! The ‘Templeton’ episode was always one of my favorites.”—
"I was wondering when someone was going to publish the rest of "The Twilight Zone"
scripts...and I hope Andrew or someone will eventually make sure the remaining ones
get into print. What Andrew has done here is tremendous. I can't believe all
the venues there are for The Twilight Zone out there these days!"
- George Clayton Johnson (writer, eight Twilight Zone teleplays)
"Your devotion to The Twilight Zone will keep it glowing. My compliments to you." - Marsha Hunt (actress)
"I am just so glad you did this. A totally unexpected surprise. Thank you." - Del Reisman (Twilight Zone story editor,
Seasons 1-3)
"Thankx for the two books Andrew. I haven't read the scripts yet, just the commentaries. You are a really, really good writer." - Karyl Geld Miller (writer of numerous old TV episodes including "The Cosby Show")
"The Twilight Zone was made by writers. Andrew has done us all an enormous service by highlighting these less-touted, and yes, even "forgotten" gems, reminding us of the extraordinary literary quality that The Twilight Zone always had, even when in the hands of its lesser lights."—
"In fine fashion, this book rounds out the line-up of Twilight Zone script books currently available. Revisit the lost art of television writing and enjoy Forgotten Gems from "The Twilight Zone."—Tony Albarella (writer)
Volume 1 (release date 4/30/05) includes Bill Idelson's "Long Distance Call", "The Trouble With Templeton" by E. Jack Neuman, Robert Presnell Jr.'s "The Chaser,""Dead Man's Shoes" by O'Cee Ritch, and John Furia's "I Dream of Genie." Includes the scripts for each, plus extensive commentary, and biographical information on the writers. Getting sick of reading the nearly 30-year-old reviews in "The Twilight Zone Companion"? Look no further! And you get the scripts as well.
Volume 2 (release date 2/28/06) includes "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" by Reginald Rose, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" by John Tomerlin, "What's In the Box" & "The Encounter" by Martin Goldsmith, "Come Wander With Me" by Anthony Wilson, and the unproduced episode "Dreamflight" by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.
This distinguished 2-volume set is published by Bear Manor Media. Read this Interview with Andrew (8/2004).
"Beyond Peyton Place
My Fifty Years on Stage, Screen, and Television"
by Ed Nelson
"I've Met All My Heroes from A to Z"
by Ron Masak
Trivia from The Twilight Zone
by Bill DeVoe
Bill DeVoe, one of our planet's true TZ experts, has written this fine compendium of trivia. A must-have book for any TZ fan - keep it on the coffee table next to your copy of the Zicree TZ Companion!
June Foray's Autobiography
by June Foray with Mark Evanier & Earl Kress
June Foray, voicethrower extraordinaire, did the voices of Talky Tina in TZ's "Living Doll" (she also looped Mary Badham in "The Bewitchin' Pool" for odd reasons). She has been behind the camera, and at the microphone, for over 65 years. Her signature role has always been Rocky the Flying Squirrel. "June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc is the male June Foray."
James Best Autobiography
by James Best
James Best has said that his role as Rosco P. Coltrane set him free financially, but there are a few other roles that he really cherished, and how fortunate he was to work three times on "The Twilight Zone" in starring or co-starring roles. Finally, Jimmie's autobiography is here!
"As Timeless as Infinity" - Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" Scripts
Volumes 1-6
edited by Tony Albarella
Ever since the release of "The Twilight Zone Companion" by Marc Scott Zicree nearly 25 years ago, followers of THE TWILIGHT ZONE and Rod Serling have awaited the possible release of a second opinion, if you will. Zicree's comprehensive volume covers the series in depth, and everyone who calls themself a fan of THE TWILIGHT ZONE has a copy of this book. But for all its strengths, "The Companion" has been criticized for its brevity and lack of thorough coverage of many episodes, possibly due to publisher requests that the book serve as a casual episode guide.
Other attempts have been made in recent years to expand upon what "The Companion" did. Most recently and notoriously, the overpriced volume by Presnell and McGee (1998) and several other books on the series that have included episode guides with commentary. 2001 and 2002 marked the release of Richard Matheson's TWILIGHT ZONE SCRIPTS, and in 2003 Earl Hamner's eight scripts were released. The scripts of Charles Beaumont (edited by Roger Anker, Gauntlet Press 2004), the three TWILIGHT ZONE scripts written by Jerry Sohl (edited by Chris Conlon, Bear Manor Media 2004), plus a collection of ten scripts written by non-mainstream writers hired by Cayuga Productions to write TZ scripts, (edited by Andrew Ramage, Bear Manor Media 2005). The eight ZONE scripts and stories written by George Clayton Johnson were released a number of years ago, in 1976.
Tony Albarella undertook the project of introducing all ninety-two scripts written by Rod Serling. Having gotten a warm-up on the art of commentary writing as editor of Hamner's TWILIGHT ZONE SCRIPTS (Cumberland House, 2003), Albarella's commentaries here are excellent. Interview with Tony.
Volumes of approximately 10 scripts are scheduled for release over the next several years (at a rate of about two books per year). Tony worked with Carol Serling to make this project a reality. Gauntlet Press is producing the 8 1/2 x 11" oversized volumes. Although not cast as an episode guide, this looks to be the finest analysis of TWILIGHT ZONE episodes to date. After audiences have taken Zicree's words as 'the last words on TWILIGHT ZONE' for many years, Tony Albarella gives a particularly insightful look at each episode. He has taken the time to interview many actors who appeared in/starred in each segment. His analysis of the episode "The Big Tall Wish" (the only TWILIGHT ZONE episode to star black actors) is particularly impressive; this episode is largely downgraded in fan circles for its problematic and flawed plotline, but here receives a thorough explanation for why it succeeds.
Included in each volume are the original, unedited, typewritten copies of Serling's scripts, sometimes with handwritten annotation. Bonus items include a photo gallery with production and publicity stills, and short but touching tributes to Serling and the series by actors. Also included are essay appreciations by well-known TV and sci-fi writers.
Volume 1, approx. 500 pages, oversized and hardbound, with a limited press run of 750 copies, is scheduled for release in June 2004. Retails for a modest $60 plus shipping, if ordered from Gauntlet Press. Connoisseurs who collect the 'lettered' editions get what they want, too. These are modestly priced at $250, and are signed by Albarella and other distinguished people associated with the zone.
After years of being bottled up and not readily available, this series of script books surely looks to be one of the finest of TV script collections available.
The “Twilight Zone” Scripts of Charles Beaumont
edited by Roger Anker
Gauntlet Press will be publishing in two volumes, "The Twilight Zone Scripts of Charles Beaumont". Beaumont, who wrote 18 episodes of the Twilight Zone, which included many of the finest of the series ("The Howling Man", "Long Live Walter Jameson", "Perchance to Dream", "In His Image", and more) is considered one of the major writers for the series, next to Richard Matheson. The volumes will be edited by Roger Anker, who had also edited "Charles Beaumont: Collected Stories", which won the 1989 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection. The volumes will contain all of Beaumont's published scripts, plus several that were unproduced. We may include several collaborations, and there will be at least one script that has numerous versions. This will be a definitive book not only on Beaumont's scripts, but also on his life, and his work with other authors. For more information, see Gauntlet Press.
The "Twilight Zone" Scripts of Jerry Sohl
edited by Christopher Conlon
Bear Manor Media, publishers of Filet of Sohl: The Classic Scripts and Stories of Jerry Sohl, are proud to announce the follow-up to that volume: The Twilight Zone Scripts of Jerry Sohl, edited by Christopher Conlon with a Foreword by George Clayton Johnson. This book, due in the first half of 2004, will collect Sohl's three Twilight Zone scripts, all of which were originally produced under Charles Beaumont's byline. "It's a strange story," editor Conlon says. "Sohl was a significant contributor to The Twilight Zone in its last two seasons, but his name is virtually unknown to fans because his name never actually appeared in the credits." Sohl wrote the episodes, Conlon explains, as a favor to his ailing friend Beaumont, who was a major (credited) contributor to the series. "When Beaumont became too ill to write, he handed the scripting chores for three episodes over to Jerry," says Conlon. "The first was the fine hour-long episode, "The New Exhibit," featuring Martin Balsam and a lot of very threatening wax dummies. Another was "Queen of the Nile," a story about immortality. Finally there was 'Living Doll,' a universally-beloved top-ten classic starring Telly Savalas as an evil stepfather under siege by his stepdaughter's doll, Talky Tina. It's one of the best-remembered of all episodes of the show." The Twilight Zone Scripts of Jerry Sohl will mark the first time these scripts have appeared under their correct byline--and the first time two of them, "The New Exhibit" and "Queen of the Nile," have never been published anywhere. In addition to its regular trade paperback, Bear Manor Media plans a limited edition with a bookplate signed by Conlon and original Twilight Zone writer Johnson. For more information, go to
by June Foray
For more information about this fascinating memoir by the legendary voiceover artist June Foray, who did the voice of Talky Tina in "Living Doll", go to BearManor Media.com
The Life and
Career of Agnes Moorehead
by Charles Tranberg
For more information about this fascinating memoir by the legendary actress who starred in the episode "The Invaders," go to BearManor Media.com
The Seesaw Girl and Me
by Dick York
For more information about this fascinating memoir by the legendary actor of "The Purple Testament" and "A Penny For Your Thoughts", go to New Path Press.com
My Life in Outer Space
by Gloria Pall
For more information about this fascinating book by Gloria Pall, go to GloriaPall.com
"Spotlights and Shadows: The Albert Salmi Story"
by Sandra Grabman
Most ardent fans of The Twilight Zone know of Albert Salmi's three roles in the episodes "Execution", "A Quality of Mercy", and "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville". He also appeared in numerous TV episodes and a number of movies. His life came to a tragic end, but not before he achieved a certain level of stardom. A compelling biography by Sandra Grabman was released in March 2004. Salmi was one of a whole legion of accomplished character actors, and at long last a book is being published that details the life of one of these unsung heroes. It is a GREAT book, and actually, much of it was written by Salmi himself (his unfinished, published memoirs form the comprise the majority of the book.) For more information, visit Albert Salmi.com (or
by David Macklin
The actor David Macklin, who appeared as the teenaged 'Bud' in the episode "Ring-a-Ding Girl" with Maggie MacNamara, has written this superb book about acting. You can order it through his website at www.davidmacklin.com.
Pulling Faces, Making Noises: A Life on Stage, Screen & Radio
by Barry Morse
Barry Morse, whose career highlights include The Fugitive and Space 1999, has a newly-released bio. Most of you know that Barry also starred in the Old-World style Twilight Zone episode "A Piano in the House" with Joan Hackett which was directed by his old friend, the late David Greene. Written by Barry Morse, with Anthony Wynn and Bob Wood, it promises to be an exceptional volume that covers Morse's colorful life and career in film, TV, and theater. Also just released is a book called "Merely Players: The Scripts" compiled by the same authors. This volume has the scripts from Barry's one-man show called "Merely Players", which he has performed on the stage since 1959. For more information, visit his website at Barry Morse.com.
by Stewart T. Stanyard
I don't know much about this particular book - the latest-released TZ book - other than the fact that it has a length of 300 pages and that the author did some interviews with a number of actors. I've heard that some of the material was extracted from our first "Stars of the Zone" Convention in 2002**, and that it is being endorsed by such people as Jack Klugman and M.S. Zicree. It might be worth a read, so feel free to check it out and give us your feedback. The retail price is $20-something but of late it appears to be available used for around $12
**Note: We at Twilight Zone Museum take no responsibility for anything printed about the "Twilight Zone" Conventions held in Los Angeles or elsewhere (which includes photos, quotes/comments, or other general information.) Additionally, the 2002 and 2004 Stars of the Zone Conventions were productions by Andrew Ramage and Bill DeVoe. Please disregard anything you might read that might suggest otherwise.
by Martin Grams
This book is a "phone book"-style (weighing in at 600-something pages!) compendium of anecdotes on each episode of the original series...apparently everything from the production budget to the specific filming locations off the MGM backlot and what the grips, gaffers, and gofers had for lunch on various days of the shoot! The author/editor, Mr. Grams, also wrote "The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion" as well. Although this book appears to be impressive, I have not read more than a few pages' worth of it so I can't comment further. In light of what the author did with the "AHP Companion" and its reviews on Amazon.com......I'm not too anxious to read it. I don't know the author or where this information came from, but I doubt it was from CBS or their archives. I did get a request from the author's agent/rep requesting some of my production photos for inclusion in the book, and was told that CBS had 'blessed' the book and a major publishing house was lined up to publish it. Apparently neither happened. A few too many strikes against this particular book, wouldn't you say?!
"The Truth Is Out There: Christian Faith and the
Classics of TV Science Fiction
by Thomas Bertonneau and Kim Paffenroth
For more information on this title, please go to www.brazospress.com. Don't read the review by Amazon.com. The reviewer didn't understand the book.
by Douglas Brode (with intro by Carol Serling)
This book is one man's opinion of most, but not all, of the episodes of the original series. There is really nothing in it that can't be found elsewhere...or things that might come up in a casual conversation between TZ fans. It is larded with typographical errors and is not a bonafide 50th Anniversary tribute to the series or to Serling. Used copies run at about $10 on Amazon.com, or you might find it at Barnes and Noble in the Books for a Buck bin.
