The Twilight Zone Haiku - by Chad Ellis Boykin (Paperback)

About the Book

The Twilight Zone Haiku explores the essence of Rod Serling's iconic 1960s television show.

Book Synopsis

The Twilight Zone Haiku explores the essence of Rod Serling's iconic, uncanny 1960s television show through haiku, giving us dazzling, spot-on snapshots of each episode. In seventeen syllables, Boykin captures the show's main objective: to deliver a keen jolt of existential awareness. As you read, you find yourself marooned on an alien planet, lost in time, trapped inside a mannequin, surrounded by the debris of a nuclear attack, and always, always powerless to forces beyond your control. The Twilight Zone Haiku conjures the trappings of each haunting plot of the series, but more astutely, its scalpel-edged soul.

Spellbinding, incisive, and trenchant - The Twilight Zone Haiku unlocks the forbidden door both for devoted Twilight Zone fans and those stepping through the portal to parts unknown for the first time.

Review Quotes

"Chad Boykin's "The Twilight Zone Haiku," astonishes us with "aha" moments that entice readers to revisit the series, unveiling the eerie prescience of Rod Serling's imagination."

-Cathryn Shea, author of Genealogy Lesson for the Laity.

"Rod Serling was a master of storytelling and Chad Ellis Boykin is his poet protege in The Twilight Zone Haiku. What a treasure to readers and fans everywhere."

-Carol Owens Campbell, author of Look Away No More

"Boykin's haiku conjure the trappings of each haunting plot, but more astutely, its scalpel-edged soul."

-Sommer Browning, poet, artist, and author of Good Actors.

"Deliriously insane in all the best ways. May you have time enough at last to enjoy what Chad has wrought here."

-Jim Beard, editor, Planet of the Apes: Tales From The Forbidden Zone

"With 17 syllables per episode, Chad Ellis Boykin boils the Twilight Zone and its progeny down to its essential truths and builds an overall effect of complexity and awe. The brevity of haiku encourages a quick read, but the depth of thought compels the reader to slow down and savor this book."

-Hayden Childs, author of Richard and Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights (33 1/3)

"Chad Boykin's The Twilight Zone Haiku is a masterpiece of poetry and cultural criticism. As I read each poem, I could see the black-and-white episodes replay in my mind. The first thing I did when I finished this book was flip back and start reading it again."

-Jason McBride, author & illustrator of Wild Divinity, and creator of WeirdoPoetry.Substack.com

"It's like traveling through The Twilight Zone again for the first time."

-Jason Schwartz, Host of Twilight Zone Sandbox

"Being an artist myself, his work here - including its presentation and layout, is nothing short of inspiring."

-Uncommon Nasa

Owner of Uncommon Records, author of Withering: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories.

"Chad Boykin's The Twilight Zone Haiku conjures up a kaleidoscope of brilliant images delightfully presented in the venerated Japanese truncated poetic structure of haiku."

-Ron Roman, Author, Of Ashes and Dust

"By paying homage to Serling and The Twilight Zone in haiku form, Boykin guides faithful fans as if for the first time through the fifth dimension and beyond."

-Christopher Benedict, author of The Twilight Rounds: Rod Serling Explores the Dark Side of Boxing

"Even if you've never seen an episode, the haiku can be enjoyed for the precision of the language and the lessons they share about the human condition. This book is smart, playful, and a joy to read. Be warned: once you step into that slippery dimension between time, space, and the open page, you'll have a hard time leaving The Twilight Zone Haiku."

-Chuck Augello, author of Talking Vonnegut: Centennial Interviews and Essays