December 25th, 2021: Happy 97th birthday to Rod Serling.

Unlock this door with
the key of your imagination.

Somewhere between light and shadow,
Between science and superstition,

We invited you to submit a story of
things and ideas, that could become…

As Timeless As Infinity!


THE CONTEST: Imagine a new Twilight Zone episode. Write Rod Serling’s opening and closing narrations. Give it a title and send us your entry …and you did!

Watch Winner Videos:     2024     2023     2021     2020     2019     2018     2017

Congratulations to the 2021 Winners

First Place (tie): Memory Lane by J. L. Hilton
First Place (tie): The Oracle of Hampton Street by James O’Neill
Second Place: The Feature Presentation by James Hughes
Third Place: Fly By Night by Ronald Adams


Submitted for your consideration…

  • Stephen Dexter, our extraordinary Rod Serling proxy for this contest, summed it up perfectly: “I’ve truly LOVED doing this.”
  • One of our judges wrote to me, “This and the scholarship are my two favorite things that we do.”
  • And one of the winners lamented that now he can’t enter again: “It’s a great mental challenge.”

You have before you the fruit of much honest labor: 38 stories that will take you on some surprising flights of fancy. And a video of the contest winners, narrated by Stephen Dexter performing as Rod Serling. This is Stephen’s fifth turn for us, pausing his busy schedule of acting, voicing, writing, and producing, to make these prizes such a treat. You won, yeah that’s cool, but wait—hearing Rod Serling perform your entry? That is seriously special. We thank him for donating his abundant skill and limited time.

Stephen continues to promote his film American Morning, and has received accolades at some amazing film festivals. View the official trailer here. View clips from the film and about making the film at the film’s Facebook page. American Morning takes on gun violence with the interior, personal approach that won Rod so many Emmys. Go Stephen!

A tie in judging gave us four winners—for the third time in a row! I love that…it’s an opportunity to honor more work. THANK YOU to everyone who submitted an entry. We’ve got some good stuff here, and not just the top four.

So here are all the entries, for you to enjoy in the theater of your mind…


ATTRIBUTIONS

Stills and video were collected over the internet from Creative Commons, Wikimedia Commons, and from various sites that did not specify copyright. All art is used in brief under the Fair Use Doctrine. No profit was acrued nor any infringement intended, from use. Below: available specifics.

MEMORY LANE

THE ORACLE OF HAMPTON STREET

THE FEATURE PRESENTATION

FLY BY NIGHT

END SPEECH

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