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The Best of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Scripts by Rod Serling


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Memento & Following


Christopher J. Nolan - 2001
    Its protagonist Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a puzzle, even to himself. He sports the trappings of an expensive lifestyle, yet he lives in seedy motels, and seems to be on a desperate mission of revenge to find the man who murdered his wife. Worse, Leonard suffers from a rare form of amnesia that plagues his short-term memory, so in order to keep track of his life, he must surround himself with written reminders, some of them etched onto his own flesh. In this state, Leonard finds that nothing is what it seems, and no one can easily be trusted.Following (1998) was Christopher Nolan's micro-budgeted debut feature. Bill (Jeremy Theobald), a lonely would-be writer, spends his considerable free time stalking strangers at random through the streets of London. This vicarious form of 'research' takes an unexpected turn when Bill is caught out by one of his quarries: a suave cat burglar who introduces him to the art of breaking and entering. Soon Bill is striking up a liaison with a girl whose flat he has turned over. But Bill discovers too late that he is out of his depth.This volume includes both screenplays, plus an interview with Christopher Nolan and Jeremy Theobald in which they talk to James Mottram about the making of Following, and a piece by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, author of the story on which Memento was based, in which they recall the conception of the film.

Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series


Andrew Vine - 2010
    It premiered 37 years ago, in 1973, and, after 31 series it finally came to an end last year – even though all its original protagonists – Compo, Foggy, even Nora Batty – are now dead. Remarkably, for a series of such longevity and international appeal, it is all about elderly people, has little action or plot, and is set and filmed in and around the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth. Now, Andrew Vine, the deputy editor of Yorkshire’s daily newspaper, has written the definitive history of this television phenomenon. It covers the show’s inauspicious beginnings, with low ratings, its endless reinvention as participants like Bill Owen, Michael Bates, Brian Wilde and Kathy Staff retired or died, the appearance of a string of guest stars from John Cleese and Norman Wisdom to Thora Hird and Russ Abbott (both of whom soon found themselves fixtures in the cast), and the ingenious plot contrivances as the protagonists became too old and frail to attempt any of the slapstick stunts with runaway prams – indeed any outdoor action. Holmfirth is now a year-round tourist attraction, and endless repeats and new DVD box sets will ensure a readership for this book for years to come.

NOT A BOOK: Little Brother (Cory Doctorow Novel)


NOT A BOOK - 2011
    

Gotham: Dawn of Darkness


Jason Starr - 2017
    The death of a masked intruder. Amid the seething crime and corruption of Gotham City, Thomas Wayne fights to protect his family and his company from forces unknown. While detective Harvey Bullock investigates the incident as a simple burglary, Wayne discovers that the threat may come from his own dark past. Peeling back layer upon layer of secrets, this is the official prequel to the hit television series.

The Island of Dr Moreau


Fiona Beddall - 2007
    I drifted very slowly to the eastward, approaching the island slantingly; and presently I saw, with hysterical relief, the launch come round and return towards me.

The Pilot


Michael R. Cole - 2019
    But upon arrival, they discover ravaged military equipment, a mass grave, and a platoon of hostile forces already in retreat. As the team investigates, they uncover the secret that the island has contained for centuries. For the first time, modern man will come face-to-face with a being from beyond the stars. A member of a deadly intergalactic invasive species, the beast is ravenous, cunning, lacking emotion or empathy. With his team dwindling, Seymour must fight to keep the beast from leaving the island, and to save humanity from the terrifying extraterrestrial known as The Pilot.

Red Dot: Contact


Eugene Linn - 2015
    The question is: will there be any humans left when the aliens arrive? NASA scientist Claire Montague is a single mother in her thirties who’s leading a special team near Washington, DC, assigned to handle the approaching spaceship and report their findings to President Al Douthart. News of the impending ET encounter spreads after a tumultuous National Security Council meeting, causing social, economic, and political upheaval around the world. Just as governments are beginning to calm the chaos of their countries, thousands of unexplained red dots appear on the ground all over the globe. As the countdown continues, Claire and her colleagues struggle to make sense of the mysterious dots and determine what the extraterrestrials’ plan is once they arrive on Earth. But as the questions go unanswered and global tensions erupt into violence, President Douthart wonders who will be more harmful in the end—humans or aliens? Red Dot is a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller complete with a remarkable cast of characters and an intriguing portrayal of alien life. Expect the unexpected and you’ll still be surprised.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Twilight Zone: A Fifth Dimension Guide to Life


Mark Dawidziak - 2017
    The proof is in this lighthearted collection of life lessons, ground rules, inspirational thoughts, and stirring reminders found in Rod Serling’s timeless fantasy series. Written by veteran TV critic, Mark Dawidziak, this unauthorized tribute is a celebration of the classic anthology show, but also, on another level, a kind of fifth-dimension self-help book, with each lesson supported by the morality tales told by Serling and his writers.The notion that “it’s never too late to reinvent yourself” soars through “The Last Flight,’’ in which a World War I flier who goes forward in time and gets the chance to trade cowardice for heroism. A visit from an angel blares out the wisdom of “follow your passion” in “A Passage for Trumpet.” The meaning of “divided we fall” is driven home with dramatic results when neighbors suspect neighbors of being invading aliens in “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.” The old maxim about never judging a book by its cover is given a tasty twist when an alien tome is translated in “To Serve Man.”

The War of the Worlds: Aftermath


Tony Wright - 2010
    Now, a few months on, the Martian invaders are dead, slain by the earthly bacteria against which they had no defence.Then, as England begins to rebuild, terrorist outrages begin to rock society. A new adventure begins, as a daring plan is put into place to discover the source of these disruptions.

The X-Files: Cold Cases


Joe HarrisDean Haglund - 2017
    Featuring a mind-blowing and otherworldly soundscape of liquefying aliens, hissing creatures, and humming spacecraft, listeners get to experience the duo's investigations like never before.Set after the events of The X-Files: I Want to Believe and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016's miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved - dubbed cold cases - by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.Here, fans are treated once again to Mulder and Scully's irreplicable chemistry as only the series' leads could deliver, Duchovny's deadpan and cynical aloofness finding its natural counterpoint in Anderson's unwavering intelligence and rigidity. Appearances from series regulars and the actors who made them fan favorites round out this must-listen arc: the gruff, no-BS righteousness of Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi); the distinctive click-puff of the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis); and the stooge-like hijinks of three beloved conspiracy theorists called the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, and Bruce Harwood).Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, find your "I Want to Believe" poster. Break out that makeshift alien stiletto. Grab a pack of Morley cigarettes.The truth is out there. You just have to listen.Join the conversation: #istillwanttobelieve© The X-Files ™ & © 2016 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars


Warren Hammond - 2018
    Luna is uninhabitable. Mars is our last chance.Once considered humanity's future home, Mars hasn't worked out like anybody hoped. Plagued by crime and a terraforming project that's centuries from completion, Mars is a red hell.Denver Moon, P.I., works the dark underbelly of Mars City. While investigating a series of violent crimes linked to red fever--a Martian disorder that turns its victims into bloodthirsty killers--Denver discovers a cryptic message left by Tatsuo Moon, Mars City co-founder and Denver's grandfather. The same grandfather who died two decades ago.Twenty-year-old revelations force Denver on a quest for truth, but Tatsuo's former friend, Cole Hennessy, leader of the Church of Mars, has other plans and will stop at nothing to keep Denver from disclosing Tatsuo's secrets to the world.Hell-bent on reclaiming her grandfather's legacy, Denver--along with her AI implant, Smith, companion android, Nigel, and shuttle pilot, Navya--set out on a quest to find the answers they hope will shed light on the church's true agenda, the origin of red fever, and the mysteries surrounding Tatsuo's tragic death.

The Fountain


Darren Aronofsky - 2006
    In three different lives in three vastly different time periods, one man, Thomas, Tommy, Tom, is desperate to beat death and to prolong the life of the woman he loves.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?


Joel Coen - 2000
    With their latest work, O Brother, Where Art Though?, The Oscar-winning team returns to the period-piece films of their earlier career (Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy) and showcase once-again their pitch-perfect ear for hilarious and outrageous dialogue, as well as their penchant for the fantastic. Based on Homer's Odyssey, the movie stars George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill, along with Coen-mainstay John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as fugitives from a chain gang who embark on a mystical and musical journey through 1930s Mississippi. History and allegory are expertly entwined as, along the way, the three escapees encounter a blind prophet, are tempted by sirens, do battle with a Cyclops (in the form of a one-eyed Klansman), fall in with George "Baby Face" Nelson on a bank heist, and cut a blues record with a young guitar prodigy who bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Robert Johnson.

Escape Velocity (The Quantum War Book 1)


Jonathan Paul Isaacs - 2017
    A mysterious threat. One man is all that stands between destruction and salvation. In 2271, space is anything but empty. Exoplanet settlements drive a constant demand for new colonists and unending trade. But the dangers of interstellar expansion are many.With responsibility for everything from pirates to broken spacecraft, Lieutenant Wyatt Wills doesn't understand his latest orders: perform a covert reconnaissance mission to Juliet, home to twenty million people and humanity's largest presence beyond Earth. All contact has been lost from the other side of the quantum gate. And what few rumors make it through smack of government conspiracies and an uncontrolled pandemic. Some even mention an alien invasion.It will be up to Wyatt and a hastily-assembled team of replacements to go to Juliet and uncover the truth.Once there, they may not make it back alive.

Stargate SG-1: Savarna


Sally Malcolm - 2008
    And she was right.”Returning from a mercy mission, the Prometheus is attacked and Doctor Janet Fraiser is kidnapped. Finding herself amongst a crew of outlaws, the Doctor must treat a desperately ill patient and keep herself alive long enough to escape. But are things all that they seem?