Short Stories That Would've Made Great Twilight Zone Episodes

[BAYLOR]

What's it about?

It would have made a great Twilight Zone episode.

 

[BAYLOR]

Its about this guy called Yoh-Vombus, who takes part in a gymnastics competition.

This story was one of the inspiration for the movie Alien . I don't recall an scene in the story involving gymnastic competition . Hm, perhaps a reread of this on is in order.

 

[Guttersnipe]

"They" by Robert A. Heinlein

 

[Guttersnipe]

"Heartburn" by Hortense Calisher

 

[Toby Frost]

"That was the story of Yoh-Vombus, a gymnast who dreamed of glory. An athlete who aimed for the stars. A man who, when he left the ground, was very much a part of our world. And yet, when he landed so awkwardly, he found himself in... The Twilight Zone."

 

[Guttersnipe]

"Winthrop Was Stubborn" by William Tenn
"The Men Who Murdered Mohammed" by Alfred Bester

 

[BAYLOR]

Jeffty is Five by Harlan Ellison

 

[Guttersnipe]

"The Answer" and "The Return" by H. Beam Piper.

 

[Servomoore]

No one mentioned The Street That Wasn't There, right? 1941 so the dates certainly fit. Some effects might be tricky but there are ways to shoot around them with some clever cinematography like they used for Shadowplay.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Street That Wasn't There, by Clifford D. Simak and Carl Jacobi

 

[Author Robbie]

So many TOS' episodes are based on short stories, some from magazines, especially those written by Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson. If you were able to revive The Twilight Zone but could only use stories pre-1970 (let's say, even though it ended earlier) which stories would you think would fit the mold? Twisty speculative tales? Here are my offerings:

"That Hell-Bound Train" and "The Movie People" by Robert Bloch
"The Vanishing American", "Free Dirt", and "Gentlemen, Be Seated" by Charles Beaumont
"Shipshape Home" and "Deadline" by Richard Matheson
"Miracle of the Lily" by Clare Winger Harris
"Human Is" and "Beyond the Door" by Philip K. Dick
"Shottle Bop" by Theodore Sturgeon
"The Veldt" and "The Crowd" by Ray Bradbury

‘Mask’ is one of my favorites. The dialogue between the old man and the other family is wonderful! One of the greatest shows of all time.

 

[BAYLOR]

‘Mask’ is one of my favorites. The dialogue between the old man and the other family is wonderful! One of the greatest shows of all time.

And in that episode , all of the actors were terrific in their respective roles.

 

[Guttersnipe]

"A God in a Garden" and "Fluffy" by Theodore Sturgeon
"Stanley Toothbrush" by Terry Carr (as Carl Brandon)

 

[KGeo777]

The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brien
I can hear the Rod Serling narration:

"Our protagonist for this evening is an explorer. But he isn't setting out on an expedition through the jungle, or bound in a rocketship for another planet. The uncharted continent that he intends to discover is a drop of water. And when he breaches this diminutive paradise, he will, in point of fact, be in the Twilight Zone."

 

[BAYLOR]

The Nightwire by H . F Arnold

 

[Guttersnipe]

"2 B R 0 2 B" and "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut.

 

[Guttersnipe]

"The Grunder" by Zenna Henderson.

 

[Guttersnipe]

"First Lesson" by Mildred Clingerman.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C Clark

 

[sule]

The Prize of Peril by Robert Sheckley

 

[paranoid marvin]

The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C Clark

This would have made for a great Twilight Zone episode. With their inimitable style of telling stories I'm sure that they could have made a marvellous version of it, and it still puzzles me as to why they wouldn't have.

I see there is a short film on Youtube telling the story.