Science fiction at its best

The Twilight Zone may have been science fiction at its best. It grew out of a time of great discovery, wonder, expectations and fears. It came out of the minds of those who saw atomic bombings, Sputnik, new technologies and man on the moon. What they did not see but imagined was equally as great and often depicted in the episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Part of the reason I feel Twilight Zone could be the best of science fiction is because it keeps the human spirit and experience at the forefront of the stories. No matter how far from reality the Twilight Zone may take us we know the elements of the human spirit and experience maintain a consistent relevance to our lives.

There are certain episodes that I often think of as being true to this. ‘The Obsolete Man’ is set in a totalitarian society where the state has outlawed anyone who is not beneficial to the state and proven the nonexistence of God. It tells of a man, Wordsworth, was declared obsolete and sentenced to death. He was a librarian in a state that banned books and a Christian in a state that ‘proved’ God did not exist. As part of his final rights he is give a say in the mode of his execution and a final wish will be heard. He asks that he be killed by an assassin by a mode and at a time known only by him and his assassin, this was granted. For his final wish he asks that his death be televised for all the state to view. This is also granted because it is believed it will glorify and display the ultimate power of the state.

The chancellor comes to Wordsworth’s room to see that everything is set up and to further glorify the state. Once in the room he turns to leave and finds the door looked. It is then that it is revealed that Wordsworth had a bomb hidden in his room set to go off at midnight. It then becomes a game of what is the greater weakness a faith in God or a faith in the state.

The episode explores the fears of man and “the worth, the dignity and rights of man” as Rod Serling so eloquently narrates.