Why The Twilight Zone Is Not A Sci-Fi Series, Says Rod Serling

The original “Twilight Zone” series from October 1959 to June 1964 remains unrepeatable. Series creator Rod Serling helped create the anthology model of short, punchy episodes with quirky endings, each one united by the surreal appeal of a nominally liminal space. To venture into the Twilight Zone was to experience the strange and the macabre, which often took on mundane guises to deceive unsuspecting travelers. While some episodes are unconventional morality tales that warn against the evils of consumerism or the prices of arrogance, others take mysterious turns and offer thought-provoking “what if” scenarios. Although “Twilight Zone” transcends a single genre, it memorable offers have always been considered science fiction.

Of course, not every Twilight Zone story conforms to the conventions of the genre, but the shared connection to this liminal space creates a commonality that cannot be ignored. Some science fiction stories like In The After Hours, explore the horrors of embracing one's identity. Others, such as the excellent pilot episode “Where Is Everybody?” — bring a claim against the acute isolation of a person. These science fiction stories have varying shades like “Walking Distance” is Serling's deeply personal reflectionor the absurdly nasty “Mr. Dingle, The Strong,” which unfolds like an alien plot gone horribly wrong.

However, Rod Serling disagrees with the general view that The Twilight Zone is purely a science fiction show. Despite the occasional alien presence and time travel, he once told The Modesto Bee (via MeTV), “This isn't science fiction; it's total fantasy that we're doing.”

Although The immense influence and legacy of Serling's series is undeniable today, it was not easy to sell the idea of ​​an anthology series that dressed up in such different, topical themes. In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Serling talked about his pre-CBS days and how difficult it was to make The Twilight Zone a fantasy series that challenged the definitions of what was considered acceptable for network television. “I tried to sell this idea three years ago and I was exhausted,” he said. “Fantasy used to be a dirty word in television.”

Serling's feelings about fantasy and science fiction can be traced back to the Season 3 episode “The Fugitive,” where he distinguishes between the two genres in his classic opening narration. He posits science fiction as “the impossible made possible” and fantasy as “the impossible made possible”. He then suggests a fusion of these genres within the episode, noting that this union marks a journey “into the heart of the Twilight Zone.”

While Serling may have started out envisioning the series as fantasy, the nature of its genre-defying episodes certainly caused him to reassess his position, though he still shied away from the “sci-fi” label:

“It is difficult to give a genetic classification, a single definition of the series. You can say that they are stories of the imagination. They are all inclined from the center – unreal, told in terms of reality. No, they are not public means. criticism, they are mature stories of adults.

Strict genre classification is hardly relevant given such fascinating mysteries and more. You can classify The Twilight Zone as speculative fiction, but it seems to have always aimed to defy expectations.