The Outer Limits
(1963 — 1965 / 1995 — 2002)
Flag of United States

THE OUTER LIMITS
60 Minute Drama
Science Fiction Anthology

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION
1963 — 1965
1995 — 2002

BROADCASTER
ABC (1963 — 1965)
Showtime (1995 — 2000)
Sci-Fi (2001 — 2002)

SEASONS / EPISODES
ABC: 2 Seasons / 49 Episodes
Showtime: 6 Seasons / 132 Episodes
Sci-Fi: 1 Season / 22 Episodes

They controlled the horizontal. They controlled the vertical. And for sixty-minutes each week, over the course of two seasons, they controlled all that you could see and hear.

Created by Leslie Stevens, The Outer Limits was an anthology series unlike most others. While its 1950s forebears had featured alien creatures, and its 1960s rival The Twilight Zone was famous for the quality of the scripting, The Outer Limits took a helping of each and then added some of the most effective black and white cinematography ever seen on the small screen to the mix.

Unlike The Twilight Zone, however, the series generally resisted the urge to moralise, and allowed each story to play out naturally across its alloted time without using the tried and tested sting in the tale that is so common in many other anthologies.

The axe finally fell, as ever due to low ratings, after a short second season of just seventeen episodes.

Fast-forward to the mid-1990s, with genre television in the United States going into overdrive due to the success of The X-Files on Fox and the new Star Trek series in syndication, and it was time to dust down The Outer Limits for a new generation.

Out went the aliens — or, at least, from a fair proportion of episodes — and in came CGI, occasional nudity and a rather more mundane science fiction anthology, as The Outer Limits began the first of six seasons on Showtime, before switching to Sci-Fi for year seven.
Novelisations
The Outer Limits: Volume One

Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Volume One cover image
Edited by Debbie Notkin & Roger Stewart
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Prima Publishing
  • 1996
Other Editions
Flag of Germany The Outer Limits: Die Unbekannte Dimension 1
Germany / Hardback / VGS Verlagsges / 1997

Flag of UK The Outer Limits: Volume One
UK / Paperback / Boxtree / 1997 / 075220274X

Flag of Germany The Outer Limits: Die Unbekannte Dimension 1
Germany / Paperback / Heyne / 2000
Novelised Episodes / Short Stories
  • Soldier
    The original short story by Harlan Ellison, adapted by himself for Season 2 of the television series in 1964.
  • It Crawled Out of the Woodwork
    Novelisation by Diane Duane, based on the 1963 episode by Joseph Stefano.
  • If These Walls Could Talk
    Novelisation by Howard Hendrix, based on the 1995 episode by Manny Coto.
  • The Sixth Finger
    Novelisation by John M Ford, based on the 1963 episode by Ellis St Joseph.
Back Cover Blurb — Boxtree
"There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission..."

The original OUTER LIMITS series ran for only a season and a half in the mid-1960s, but is still hailed as a classic. Revived in the 1990s, the new OUTER LIMITS has met with critical and popular acclaim. In this volume of anthologies, Boxtree presents some of the best stories from both the old and the new series.

"Soldier" by Harlan Ellison
Ellison [Edgeworks] composed two legendary teleplays for the series, Soldier and Demon with a Glass Hand. Here is the original story of love and war that spawned an unforgettable episode.

"It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" by Diane Duane
Bestselling author Duane [The Wounded Sky] shows how the thirst for power can lead to a darkness that destroys all in its path.

"The Sixth Finger" by John M Ford
Two-time World Fantasy Award winner Ford brings to life the unforgettable 1960s episode featuring an angry Welsh miner who becomes the subject of a Frankensteinian experiment.

"If These Walls Could Talk" by Howard V. Hendrix
Newcomer Hendrix creates an atmosphere of extreme dread in a house on the borderlands of reality.
Notes
  • Surprisingly, this was the very first book based on The Outer Limits to be published and was the first of three that would be released by Prima Publishing.
  • The screenplay to Soldier, and a sequel to the episode written by Kevin J Anderson, were included in Outer Limits: Armageddon Dreams.
The Outer Limits: Volume Two

Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Volume Two cover image
Edited by Debbie Notkin & Roger Stewart
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Prima Publishing
  • 1997
Other Editions
Flag of Germany The Outer Limits: Die Unbekannte Dimension 2
Germany / Hardback / VGS Verlagsges / 1997

Flag of UK The Outer Limits: Volume Two
UK / Paperback / Boxtree / 1997 / 0752202790
Novelised Episodes / Short Stories
  • Arena
    Original short story by Fredric Brown, adapted for the 1964 episode Fun and Games by Robert Specht and Joseph Stefano.
  • The Choice (90s)
    Novelisation by Diane Duane, based on the 1995 episode by Ann Lewis Hamilton.
  • A Feasibility Study
    Novelisation by Michael Marano, based on the 1964 episode by Joseph Stefano.
  • The Message
    Novelisation by Richard A Lupoff, based on the 1995 episode by Brad Wright.
Back Cover Blurb — Boxtree
"There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission..."

These words seized the nation's attention and launched one of the most chilling series of all time — THE OUTER LIMITS. Recently revived, the new show is as shocking as the original.

Now you can read the landmark stories that inspired the best OUTER LIMITS episode, old and new. Venture into the mind-bending new worlds with this second volume in the Boxtree series.

"The Choice" by Diane Duane
Aggie is a child with extraordinary powers — and no idea of how to control them. An organization of women with similar powers exists only to kidnap such young girls and "save" them from the governments "experiments". Who will win the struggle for Aggie's life?

"Arena" by Fredric Brown
This intriguing account of controlled combat pits the heroes of two races in a struggle for the survival of their species. OUTER LIMITS fans will recognise the roots of the 1960s episode "Fun and Games" in this story.

"The Message" by Richard A. Lupoff
When a deaf woman starts to hear for the first time, it should be good news. But what if all she can hear are incomprehensible "messages" from outer space?

"A Feasibility Study" by Michael Marano
Feasibility studies are useful to find out if a new bridge is worth building. But this time the purpose of the study is to see if the human race is worth abducting.
Notes
  • Arena also formed the basis of the 1967 Star Trek episode of the same name, novelised by James Blish in Star Trek 2.
  • For anyone thinking that the image of the house used on the front cover looks familiar, it may be because the exact same one was used again in 2006 on a hardback re-release of Stephen King's Salem's Lot from Hodder & Stoughton.
The Outer Limits: Volume Three

Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Volume Three cover image
Edited by Debbie Notkin
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Prima Publishing
  • 1997
Other Editions
Flag of Germany The Outer Limits: Die Unbekannte Dimension 3
Germany / Hardback / VGS Verlagsges / 1997

Flag of UK The Outer Limits: Volume Three
UK / Paperback / Boxtree / 1997 / 0752202847
Novelised Episodes / Short Stories
  • I, Robot
    Original short story by Otto Binder, adapted for the 1964 episode by Robert C Dennis and for the 1995 episode by Alison Lea Bingeman.
  • The Quality of Mercy
    Novelisation by Phoebe Reeves, based on the 1995 episode by Brad Wright.
  • The Voyage Home
    Novelisation by Diane Duane, based on the 1995 episode by Grant Rosenberg.
  • The Forms of Things Unknown
    Novelisation by Richard A Lupoff, based on the 1964 episode by Joseph Stefano.
Back Cover Blurb — Boxtree
"There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission..."

So begins every episode of television's most frightening and innovative series — THE OUTER LIMITS. Presented here are some of the most daring stories from the old and new episodes that continue to push the boundaries of the possible. What's more, this volume has an original introduction by David Schow, author of THE OUTER LIMITS COMPANION and one of the foremost authorities on the history of THE OUTER LIMITS.

"The Voyage Home" by Diane Duane
The Martian expedition was placid and uneventful — until the last day of the trip, when the three astronauts discovered an alien artifact. A momentous discovery indeed, but the astronauts don't realize just how momentous it is...until the voyage home.

"The Forms of Things Unknown" by Richard A. Lupoff
When a man who was murdered suddenly comes back to life, is it horror or just a surrealistic vision? "The Forms of Things Unknown" is classic OUTER LIMITS.

"I, Robot" by Eando Binder
Dr. Link has created the ultimate robot — one with feelings. But when the doctor mysteriously dies, the robot has the dubious task of convincing the hostile, frightened townspeople that a robot is not born evil, but driven to it.

"The Quality of Mercy" by Phoebe Reeves
One of the most acclaimed episodes of the new OUTER LIMITS is this story of two humans confined in an alien prison, where the humanity of both will be tested in unprecedented ways.
Notes
  • I, Robot was actually produced as an episode for both versions of the series — Leonard Nimoy appeared in both.
  • A sequel to The Quality of Mercy was produced during Season 2 as The Light Brigade.
The Outer Limits: Armageddon Dreams

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Armageddon Dreams cover image
by Harlan Ellison and Kevin J Anderson
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tessloff Publishing
  • 2000
Scripts / Novelised Episodes / Short Stories
  • Soldier
    Script to the 1964 episode by Harlan Ellison
  • Prisoner of War
    An original short story sequel to Harlan Ellison's Soldier, written by Kevin J Anderson.
  • The Man Who Was Never Born
    Novelisation by Kevin J Anderson, based on the 1963 episode by Anthony Lawrence.
  • The Human Factor
    Novelisation by Kevin J Anderson, based on the 1963 episode by David Duncan.
  • Memories of Ice
    An original short story sequel to David Duncan's The Human Factor, written by Kevin J Anderson
Notes
  • The original short story of Soldier was reprinted in the Outer Limits: Volume One anthology.
  • Kevin J Anderson is probably best know for writing a number of Star Wars tie-in novels including the Jedi Academy trilogy and Darksabre, not to mention three of the six original X-Files novels, beginning with Ground Zero in 1995.
Young Adult Novelisations
The Outer Limits: The Zanti Misfits

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Zanti Misfits cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1997
  • Book Number: 1
Novelised Episodes
The Zanti Misfits
Notes
  • Released as part of the young adult series of Outer Limits novels. The Zanti Misfits is based on the 1963 episode of the same name by Joseph Stefano.
  • The Zanti Misfits was also issued in Germany as part of an Omnibus Edition.
The Outer Limits: The Choice

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Choice cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1997
  • Book Number: 2
Novelised Episodes
The Choice
Notes
  • Released as part of the young adult series of Outer Limits novels from Tor. The remaining ten books in the series would all be original stories. The Choice is based on the 1995 episode of the same name by Ann Lewis Hamilton.
  • The Choice was also issued in Germany as part of an Omnibus Edition.
Young Adult Novelisations: Omnibus Editions
The Outer Limits: Die Unbekannte Dimension: Die Ausgestossenen von Zanti / Das Z-Chromosom

Die Unbekannte Dimension: Die Ausgestossenen von Zanti / Das	Z-Chromosom cover image
by John Peel
  • Germany
  • Paperback
  • Burgschmiet
  • 1997
Original Novels
The Outer Limits: Always Darkest

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Always Darkest cover image
by Stan Timmons
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • I Books
  • 2003
Young Adult Novels

The first two books in the series of young adult Outer Limits books were novelisations based on the television episodes The Zanti Misfits and The Choice. See above for further details.

The Outer Limits: The Time Shifter

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Time Shifter cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1997
  • Book Number: 3
The Outer Limits: The Lost

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Lost cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1997
  • Book Number: 4
The Outer Limits: The Invaders

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Invaders cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1998
  • Book Number: 5
The Outer Limits: The Innocent

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Innocent cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1998
  • Book Number: 6
The Outer Limits: The Vanished

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Vanished cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1998
  • Book Number: 7
Back Cover Blurb
Do Not Attempt To Adjust Your Brain

Where is everybody?

The alarm clock goes off. You wake up and get ready for school, just like every other day. So what's the big deal? Well, what if one morning you suddenly discovered that you were one of the last surviving people on Earth? That's right, everyone else has disappeared. No idea how, no idea why, just...gone — vanished. This has come true for a small group of teenagers who have just awakened to their worst nightmare.

But it gets worse. Someone — or something — is hunting them down.
The Outer Limits: The Nightmare

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Nightmare cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1998
  • Book Number: 8
The Outer Limits: Beware the Metal Children

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Beware the Metal Children cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1999
  • Book Number: 9
The Outer Limits: Alien Invasion from Hollyweird

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
Alien Invasion from Hollyweird cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1999
  • Book Number: 10
The Outer Limits: The Payback

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Payback cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1999
  • Book Number: 11
The Outer Limits: The Change

Click to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk Click to buy a copy from amazon.com
The Change cover image
by John Peel
  • United States
  • Paperback
  • Tor
  • 1999
  • Book Number: 12