On today's episode of The Sisterhood of Sweat, Linda interviews Marc Scott Zicree, author of “The Twilight Zone Companion,” and Anne Serling, Rod Serling’s daughter and author of “As I Knew Him” – a memoir honoring the legacy of her father.
Zicree’s current third edition of “The Twilight Zone Companion” an American Book Award nominee that has sold more than a half a million copies, is an essential guide, featuring episode summaries, critical commentary, and behind-the-scenes stories. The complete show-by-show guide to one of television’s all-time greatest series, covers the celebrated show’s inception through to its subsequent offshoots and remakes, and is fascinating reading for even the most casual fan. Coverage of each episode includes a plot synopsis, Rod Serling’s narrations, critical commentary, behind-the-scenes stories, and anecdotes from the original artists who created the series, a complete list of cast and crew, and photographs. The Twilight Zone Companion has been credited with creating the modern genre of books on TV series and inspiring a generation of series creators and filmmakers, including J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof.
Meanwhile, “As I Knew Him: My Dad Rod Serling” offers an intimate look at Rod Serling as a father and a visionary, blending personal memories with rare family photos and letters. The soulful memoir reveals the fun-loving dad and family man behind the serious figure the public saw hosting THE TWILIGHT ZONE each week. In 1975, Rod Serling's untimely death left 20-year-old Anne stunned and reeling. But through talking to his friends, poring over old letters, and recounting her childhood memories, Anne not only navigated her profound grief, but gained a deeper understanding of this remarkable man both as her father and as a dynamic writer. In the book, Anne shares her journey, along with personal photos, letters, scenes of her dad's youth, his service in WWII, and her family's time together.