The Twilight Zone: The Odyssey of Flight 33

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up

In 1973, Trans-Ocean Flight 33 destined for New York departs from London. The pilot initiates what seems to be a routine flight when a sudden shift in acceleration is noticed by crew members. Breaking barriers of time, the flight travels to the projected destination, but approaches New York in the year 1939. When the pilot attempts to correct this error, the flight is sent back in time to a prehistoric era of dinosaurs. The passenger list includes a parachute performance artist, an older woman who prattles incessantly, and a tightly wound young man recently discharged from the Air Force who is instantly branded by the flight attendants as a troublemaker. The story follows these travelers during this unexpected and startling odyssey, hurtling back and forth through countless millennia as they search for New York in 1973. The opening narration from the original television series and flight-attendant references to Valhalla add to the futuristic feel of impending doom. Text in boxes announces a voice-over of Rod Serling informing readers that they have entered the Twilight Zone. His original TV story has been re-created from an original uncut script for this full-color graphic adaptation. For those who are familiar with the old series, the sound effects as well as Serling's signature voice-over are sadly missing. For those who have not experienced the bizarre and unexpected world of the original, this volume provides an introduction to a "fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man."-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY