Remembering writer and pacesetter Charles Beaumont on his birthday along with his contributions to The Twilight Zone

Most members of this Twilight Zone Reddit forum are fully aware that Rod Serling was born on Christmas Day and just had his centennial remembrance.

Sadly, few know that Charles Beaumont was born the day after New Year's Day and could have been 96-years-old tomorrow. But he died 58 years ago at the age of 38.

After Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont wrote the most episodes for the original Twilight Zone run.

Charles Beaumont Episodes

• "Perchance to Dream" (S01E09)

• "Elegy" (S01E20)

• "Long Live Walter Jameson" (S01E24)

• "A Nice Place to Visit" (S01E28)

• "The Howling Man" (S02E05)

• "Static" (S02E20) (Based on a story by OCee Rich)

• "The Prime Mover" (S02E21)

• "Long Distance Call" (S02E22) - with William Idelson

• "Shadow Play" (S02E26)

• "The Jungle" (S03E12)

• "Dead Man's Shoes" (S03E18)

• "The Fugitive" (S03E25)

• "Person or Persons Unknown" (S03E27)

• "In His Image" (S04E01)

• "Valley of the Shadow" (S04E03)

• "Miniature" (S04E08)

• "Printer's Devil" (S04E09)

• "The New Exhibit" (S04E13) [ghost written by Jerry Sohl]

• "Passage on the Lady Anne" (S04E17)

• "Living Doll" (S05E06) [ghost written by Jerry Sohl]

• "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" (S05E17) [ghost written by John Tomerlin from Beaumont's short story "The Beautiful People"]

• "Queen of the Nile" (S05E23) [ghost written by Jerry Sohl]

In this ancient YouTube video Harlan Ellison reads aloud "Place Of Meeting" written by Charles Beaumont in 1953 (two years into his professional career):

Harlan Ellison flawlessly recites "Place Of Meeting" during the first ten minutes

This was a talk radio program tribute 20 years after the death of Charles Beaumont.

If you fancy yourself a writer, analyze the word selection and evocative imagery laid out within the mere four page story. Let Beaumont's tale of devastation, dread, desire, and determination be injected into your blood and seep into the deep crevices of your mind and soul.

Charles Beaumont was a writer's writer. When a collection of Beaumont's most powerful short stories were published in a deluxe edition by Dark Harvest Collectibles in 1988 the line quickly began forming : Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson, Jerry Sohl, and others contributed personal recollections of their friend and analyses of his art. Most were professional writers themselves who worked with and bounced around story ideas alongside Beaumont during his brief thirteen year professional career.

Ray Bradbury stated that had Beaumont been given a normal lifespan, the volume and quantity of Beaumont's body of work (and status as a writer) would have surpassed that of Bradbury himself. Ray Bradbury was Beaumont's mentor and he saw firsthand how rapidly Beaumont's craftsmanship with words and evocative storytelling progressed.

If you are lucky enough to locate a signed edition you will see two pages of autographs from some of the best known fantasy authors of the 1950s and beyond. Looking at the names signed within the publication it plays out like a funeral guest book. The writers who knew Beaumont best logged their presence, respect,  and admiration for a beloved fallen comrade. An author who died too young and left a huge void of unfulfilled dreams of fancy and restless nightmares untold.

Beaumont also wrote scripts for a handful of movies. Here's a 5-minute clip on YouTube from "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao" 1964

A family film about philosophy and egos exposed when a mysterious Chinaman bring his circus to town in the wild west. This scene is the introduction for Apollonius of Tyana. He who cuts through bullshit like a white hot sabre through cotton candy.

This post is already too long by Reddit standards. Much has been omitted about the volume of living and creating was packed into Charles Beaumont's limited 38 years of life. Most people forgot Charles Beaumont long ago... except for the group of writers who knew him and his talent. Beaumont set the pace as the rest played catch up with their friend.

A friend who was leaving them in the dust.... only to suddenly combust like a doomed star and dust away too soon. Fading from the public memory before becoming one of THE greats in the fantasy and psychological horror pantheon.