SERLING

A portrait of the man who introduced legions of fans to a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind.

Rod Serling’s name is inextricably linked to The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), the groundbreaking science-fiction show he created; accordingly, journalist Sepinwall, author of TV (The Book), titles many chapters of his biography after celebrated episodes that offer sharp insights into Serling’s life. “A World of His Own,” for instance, named for an episode about a playwright whose characters literally come to life, considers Serling’s almost “godlike” power and prestige “at a moment when the idea of writers having any authority in television still seemed foreign.” Understandably, The Twilight Zone looms large, and Sepinwall’s analysis of the show is one of this volume’s strengths: He cogently points out that while the program is most associated with creepy twist endings and terrifying bogeymen, many episodes are marked by real warmth and even sentimentality. But Sepinwall never loses sight of the man himself; he delves into Serling’s other works—both the more well-known, like his follow-up anthology show Night Gallery, and the obscure (his ultimately disappointing and short-lived take on the Western, CBS’ The Loner). The author also provides a compelling psychological profile of Serling: his reputation as TV’s “Angry Young Man” who frequently clashed with censors, the loving family man who made time for his wife and children amid a grueling schedule, and his shockingly outsize sense of self-criticism. As he told author Mark Olshaker, “The good writing, really good writing—like wine—has to age well with the years and my stuff is momentarily adequate.” The account of Serling’s death at 50 in 1975 (the result of a heart attack while undergoing a coronary bypass) feels especially devastating given that he didn’t live long enough to recognize the impact of his work. Frequent quotes from the many creators who have drawn influence from The Twilight Zone, among them Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, and J.J. Abrams, are a rich testament to his legacy; this is the biography one wishes Serling himself could have read.

Thorough, illuminating, and above all deeply empathetic.