I know that some people will claim that The Obsolete Man really isn’t a horror story but consider this: What’s more horrifying than a world without freedom of thought or expression? The Obsolete Man takes place in a world where books have been banned. As a result, librarian Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith) has been determined to be obsolete and, hence, is now scheduled to be executed. Wordsworth appears to have accepted his fate but, as the Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) discovers, Wordsworth is far more clever than he originally appears.
This episode of The Twilight Zone was written by Rod Serling and directed by Eliot Silverstein. It was originally broadcast on June 2nd, 1961.
Through the Shattered Lens 
Easily one of the greatest episodes of “The Twilight Zone”, as far as I’m concerned. “The Obsolete Man” ranks very highly on my list of favourites. Burgess Meredith appeared in several episodes, and this is possibly his finest work on the show.
The telephotography in this episode is really too good for the small screen. Look at the magnificent shot just before the three minute mark, with the stoic Josip Elic in the foreground and a pompous Fritz Weaver high up on the dais in the background. That’s a really brilliant shot, especially by the standards of the early days of television.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who recognises this episode as a horror story. There’s room in horror for zombies and gore, but so many so-called horror buffs have such a narrow view of what the term means, so I’m glad I’m not alone on this one. Believe me, at the end of the day, there is nothing scarier than the idea of living in a world such as the one portrayed in “The Obsolete Man”–and if anybody chooses to differ, you might want to talk to somebody who survived the Nazis, Mussolini or Stalin–they know horror well beyond our understanding.
And you know what? We’re heading very rapidly into a world like the one envisioned in “The Obsolete Man”. With so many books being converted to Kindle format, “They” will be able to eradicate any texts they may find offensive or subversive. If printing presses become obsolete, if books become obsolete, and all information, literature, what have you is stored digitally, how much freedom shall we have? No more reading radical propaganda underneath your bed by candlelight–all texts with be Kindled, and “They” will know everything you read.
Books will become obsolete, and destroying books shall be done at the press of a button. Everything will be digitally recorded. In essence, “They” will be able to burn books without a bonfire.
That’s why they call this new technology Kindle.
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As I was reading your observations about the ramifications of the digitization of literature and written information, it occurred to me that it would be very easy also for a conquering nation to eradicate the writings, and there much of the culture, of a vanquished people. Just destroying their power grid could do much of the work.
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How about that Burgess Meredith? Later in his career, he was sometimes cast as an amusing cantankerous or eccentric character, but he really kicked ass when the role called for it.
I didn’t know he had appeared in more than one episode of “The Twilight Zone”. The one I’ve seen him in is that in which he is the only survivor of an apocalypse. He is an introverted man who loves to read, and is actually happy to have been left alone with all the books he could ever read. A very poignant and memorable episode, and yet another classic.
It seems many of the stories intended as social commentary, catalysts for change, or cautionary tales were written by Serling himself. He really was an interesting guy – brilliant, creative, and morally proactive.
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Burgess Meredith appeared in the following episodes of “The Twilight Zone”:
“Time Enough at Last”: Meredith portrays Henry Bemis, a bookworm who works in a bank and is married to an abrasive wife. Nobody seems to appreciate his passion for books–if only Bemis had the time to sit down and read at his leisure.
“The Obsolete Man”: Interestingly, Meredith once again portrays a lover of books.
“Mr. Dingle, The Strong”: A comedy episode, probably the least impressive of the Meredith episodes, but still good for a laugh. Meredith really makes this one work. It wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun with a lesser actor.
“Printer’s Devil”: Speaking of printing presses…and guess who Burgess Meredith portrays in this one? A newspaper desperate to stay in business literally makes a deal with the devil. A season four episode, hence this one was made for a one hour slot as opposed to the normal half hour format. Very good idea, well worth watching.
Getting back to “The Obsolete Man” and Rod Serling, the closing monologue by Mister Serling really does it for me, the perfect cap for a perfect episode (Spoiler warning: if you’ve not seen the episode, read no further!):
“The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete, but so is the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under “M” for mankind—in the Twilight Zone.”
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