Congratulations to the 2025 Winners
First Place: “Model Twelve” by John J. Earshen
Second Place: “The Village” by Joseph O’Brien
Third Place: “Back Track” by L. E. Johnson
THE CONTEST: Imagine a new Twilight Zone episode. Write Rod Serling’s opening and closing narrations.
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Eight years on, I’m still amazed. Delighted. And at times, overwhelmed. We had seventy-one entries this year, just one fewer than our all-time record. And there would have been more if everyone submitted on time.
Why? One reason could be our “advertising” on social media. But I think it’s the enduring alure of Rod Serling’s lightning-in-a-bottle masterwork. Multiple reboots have proven that Rod’s magic is still rare. But this contest is still doing what I hoped it would—and what I think Rod Serling would appreciate: a chance for promising writers to show their stuff. I’m particularly impressed this year by the inventiveness of many entries. Some great ideas for episodes, and some excellent writing. The next reboot—and there will be one sooner or later—ought to consult our Winners pages and buy an idea or two from these fantastic writers.
You have available to you the fruit of much honest labor: 71 stories that will take you on enjoyable flights of fancy. And a video of the contest winners, narrated by Stephen Dexter performing as Rod Serling. This is Stephen’s eighth time performing for you—pausing his busy schedule of acting, voicing, writing, and producing, to make these prizes such a treat.
Check out Stephen’s website for a dizzying list of this hard-working artist’s projects on stage, on audio, on TV, and in the movies. We thank Stephen for donating his abundant skill and limited time!
And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who submitted an entry. You are all winners!
–Steve Schlich, webmaster
Here are all of this year’s entries, for you to enjoy in the theater of your mind…
“A Balance of Nature”
“A Drive to Succeed”
“A Generative Notion”
“A Kind of Superpower”
“A Miser, Changed”
“A Row Down Memory Lake”
“A Sort of Field Trip”
“A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”
“An Honorable Man”
“Antigone on Appeal”
“Away Game”
“Back Track”
“Best Left Undisturbed”
“Bewitched”
“Bill 2.0”
“Bump in the Night”
“Can’t You See”
“Control”
“Control-Alt-Delete”
“Dial Atwater 4805”
“Due”
“Full Measure”
“He Has Your Eyes”
“Horror in Crayon”
“If You Can’t Be Big”
“Insect Insurrection”
“Is It Heaven or is it….?”
“Knock ‘Em Dead”
“¡Look on My Works!”
“Magic 8 Ball”
“Manic Pixie Dream Girl”
“Matters of Fact”
“Memory Lane”
“Model Twelve”
“New Stanton”
“No Cream No Sugar”
“Nowhere Man”
“One Time Special in Aisle 10”
“Pass No Judgement, Lest You Be Judged”
“Recovery Forces”
“Rest in the Pines”
“Sight and Sound”
“Social Disease”
“Supertoys Last All Summer Long”
“Tell ‘Em Smitty Sent You”
“The 65th Square”
“The Backwards Path”
“The Banquet”
“The Doll House Motel”
“The Flight”
“The Hero’s Tale”
“The House”
“The Incipient Stage”
“The Infinite Passport”
“The Inheritance”
“The Insurance Policy”
“The Last Librarian”
“The Last Planet”
“The Observer”
“The Paradox Algorithm”
“The Price of Living”
“The Signpost”
“The Space Between”
“The Traveler”
“The Village”
“The Voice Beyond the Veil”
“The Wedding”
“Time To Harvest”
“Weaving Spiders, Come Not Here”
“Welcome to Beth-Hell”
“Wormwood”
