by John Booth
As a child I was prone to fanciful fears, as are most children. A late night cheesy horror film like Frankenstein or The Mummy would leave me hidden under my bed with my father’s flashlight, watching for the feet of the Mummy shuffling into my room to get me.
Then I discovered The Twilight Zone. After a few episodes a transformation began within me. I began to appreciate the art of storytelling, albeit sometimes frightening. I became less and less afraid and more entertained by the art of crafting a story. Before long I couldn’t wait for another Twilight Zone and another chance to be both unnerved as well as entertained.
The fact that most of the episodes left me with a moral question to ponder simply added a new dimension to each story. The episodes were not only entertaining, but enlightening. Rod Serling’s work has completely changed the way I view storytelling. Indeed, I have written many stories myself over the years and my stories invariably carry a deeper message within them. I would not have found this depth in my writing if not for Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone.
