Favorite Stories from the Twilight Zone Anthology Collection

There's something about anthologies that really intrigues me.

Unlike many shows where you have to start from the beginning, and seemingly have to remember every little plot thread, anthologies work so that you can pick and choose what episode you want to watch without any worries of continuity.

The Twilight Zone, of course, is the granddaddy of all anthologies and since it's debut in 1959 has remained as popular as ever.

However, in 2009, Rod Serling's widow edited and released an anthology of original stories from various authors. Being a fan of both The Twilight Zone and horror anthologies I knew I just had to pick it up and I'm happy to say was definitely worth the price.

Though the quality of stories do vary, and some hit their mark more than others, I still found myself really enjoying myself and never finished a story and said: "Oh wow that was a waste of time!"

I recently made a GoodReads comment about which stories I recommend but I thought I'd take this post to personally go into a little more depth as to why I think these are worth reading.

So without further ado let's get into it! And don't worry there won't be any spoilers.

• A Haunted House of Her Own

Dare I say this might be my favorite story of the bunch? Well I think so. I always love ghost stories and this particular one certainly hits its mark.

A young woman, who is skeptical of the paranormal, begins to wonder if the inn she bought carries evil spirits that are trying to take over her husband. Throughout the story we see her skepticism erode bit by bit until she realizes how much danger she is truly in.

Well paced and dripping with atmosphere, this story also comes with not one but two twist endings that truly caught me off guard. And this is coming from a guy whose job it is to figure out plotlines.

• The Art of the Miniature

Earl Hamner (writer of such original Twilight Zone episodes such as 'A Piano in the House' and 'Stopover in a Quiet Town') crafts this short and sweet story about a man growing an obsession with bonsai plants and how he deals with those who accidentally ruin them.

All of the stories begin and end with a classic narration and reading the latter with the ending really made me feel like I was watching a lost episode of the show. Which for any Twilight Zone fan is a major plus!

• Benchwarmer

An imaginary friend reminisces of the time he spent playing with a boy who had no friends of his own, and wonders if someday he will reunite with him.

I really enjoyed not only how such an imaginary friend could exist, but especially reading about the different plane where they all reside, awaiting for their chance to join back in with their friends as if they were awaiting to get back into a basketball game.

The other imaginary friends are a lot of fun and add quite a bit of depth to the story but it also perfectly explains how a child could lose touch with such a friend as they grow older.

This one definitely tugs on the heart strings more than raises the hair on the back of your neck but it's still a well told story that might make you remember having such a friend growing up.

• Puowaina

Alan Brennert will be a familiar name in the Twilight Zone community as he served as a writer for several episodes of the 80's revival such as "A Message From Charity" and "Her Pilgrim Soul".

And his talent certainly carries over into the literary world as he crafts an engaging tale of a young Hawaiian girl who begins to have strange visions that may or may not come true.

Brennert certainly knows how to capture the essence of the island nation during the WWII era and manages to craft a tale that, like many of the stories he wrote for the 80's Twilight Zone, manages to be both heartbreaking yet hopeful.

• Torn Away

I've always had a soft spot for stories involving characters trying to escape something or someone only to have it find them in the end.

This story, involving an incarcerated man dreading his shadow finding him, is no exception. The ending is ghoulishly gruesome and perfectly shows how some fates are truly worse than death.

• Vampin' Down the Avenue

A classic 'be careful what you wish for' story, this tale involves an A-list actor resorting to a new drug that makes him invisible to cameras at night. At first he enjoys having his life back but soon learns why he should read all instructions carefully.

Written at a steady pace, and a story that fits the modern celebrity culture so well, this one provides ample entertainment but also makes you wonder how certain celebrities go from the top of their game to shelling it out for the money.

• The Street that Forgot Time

This is the kind of story that could've been written today and it would still resonate so well. After incorporating a dog into his life, an average joe begins to realize how structured and suffocating his ordinary routine is and how no one seems to notice.

With the help of a new neighbor, he soon begins to realize that the neighborhood, and the people in charge, don't want him to break the mold.

I definitely would place this story in the top 3, not only for how eerily accurate it is to life nowadays, but it feels like the kind of story that Rod Serling himself would have made for the original show. I can't help but feel that he's up there now, reading this particular story, and feeling so happy that his style continues to live on.

• The Wrong Room

Maybe I'm biased to place this story in here, considering it's written by the one and only R.L Stine from Goosebumps, but the man once again proves how good of a writer he truly is.

A man enters a hotel for a conference only to find everything and everyone seems slightly off. At first he tries to play it off but he soon comes to a chilling conclusion as to what exactly is going on. Or does he?

Stine once again proves that the best stories are often a slow burn that escalates into something you simply can't forget.

• Ants

A man finds a solution for getting rid of his nagging wife and the colony of ants invading their home.

One of the few stories in the collection that features no supernatural elements, this story nonetheless moves along at a brisk pace and makes you wonder if the husband will actually get away with the perfect crime.

• El Moe

It would be absolutely criminal not to include a story from Rod Serling himself. At only eight pages, it's a fast but intriguing story about a drifter caught between becoming a hero or allowing himself to become a villian.

It's unknown if Serling intended on using this story as a basis for an episode of the Twilight Zone or for some other project. But it's great to get a glimpse of one last story from the man who helped fuel imaginations for generations to come.