Answer:
The popularity of Jackson’s stories in the 1950s parallels the popularity of The
Twilight Zone, a television anthology series that combined the elements of fantasy,
science fiction, and horror that took the viewer into what the series’ creator called
“the fifth dimension.” The narrator of The Twilight Zone, Rod Shirley, always
began the story with a standard opening similar to this: “There is a fifth dimension
beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as
timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between
science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit
of his knowledge. This is the dimension of the imagination. It is an area which we
call the Twilight Zone.”
Shirley then set the stage for what was to come by introducing the characters
and the setting in the story. The combination of his calm narration and the creepy
sound effects made viewers feel uneasy with anticipation.
