The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits is an anthology, so there is no single plot to follow from start to finish. Its stories bring science fiction together with mystery and horror. It is often compared with The Twilight Zone, though science fiction has more weight here. I think that is useful to know if you are choosing what sort of strange night you want.

For me, the fear is the sort that starts with a question and keeps asking it after the television goes off. It is less about bracing yourself and more about letting an odd idea sit in the room with you. That can be quite enough, thank you. I would put it in the middle of the scare scale: an uneasy choice for the evening, rather than one that demands you sleep with the lights on.

If you like your horror with a curious mind and your science fiction with an uncomfortable edge, this belongs on your list. It suits a quiet night when you want a story to turn over in your head without taking on one enormous continuing plot. Put the kettle on. If it makes a peculiar noise afterwards, I am sure that is entirely its own business.