There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
At PulpFest 2019, we celebrated the many ways pulp fiction and pulp art have inspired and continue to inspire creators. Our theme was “Children of the Pulps and Other Stories,” an examination of the pervasive influence of pulp magazines on contemporary pop culture.
One of our guests at PulpFest 2019 was Nicholas Parisi, the author of Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination, and president of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. Nicholas discussed the creation and history of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone and its relationship to the science fiction and fantasy pulps and digests of the past.
As part of our salute to the centennial of Sport Story Magazine and the sports pulps at PulpFest 2023, we’ve asked Nicholas back to talk about “The Sports Stories of Rod Serling.”
A longtime baseball fan and former boxer who had dreams of quarterbacking his high school football team, Rod Serling wrote some absolutely terrific sports stories. His award-winning Requiem for a Heavyweight is considered one of the best boxing films ever made.
We hope you’ll join PulpFest 2023 on Friday, August 4, at 10:35 pm for “The Sports Stories of Rod Serling,” featuring Nicholas Parisi. It’s all part of our salute to Sport Story Magazine and Its Pulp Offspring, one hundred years old in 2023.
Craig McDonald has created a short preview of Mr. Parisi’s presentation. You’ll find The Sports Stories of Rod Serling on the PulpFest YouTube Channel. While you’re visiting, please be sure to subscribe. You can find our channel by clicking here.
And here’s a direct link to Craig’s Twilight Zone film: https://youtu.be/1yldPUonEiw
When watching Craig’s film, try not to get lost in the fifth dimension. We hear it’s as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.
Our featured image is excerpted from George Gross’ cover art for the Spring 1949 issue of Fight Stories. Published by Fiction House, Fight Stories was the first specialized sports pulp and only the second sports pulp magazine after Sport Story Magazine.
Our lead image is the title shot from The Twilight Zone. It remains in syndication to this very day.
Our final image was adapted by PulpFest advertising director William Lampkin from several images related to The Twilight Zone. Created and developed by Rod Serling, it ran for five seasons from October 2, 1959, to June 19, 1964.
