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Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone
New original stories set in the world of the original Planet of the Apes films and TV series. Each writer will explore a different facet of the post-apocalyptic world, so readers will be treated to a wide and variety of action-adventure short stories.
421 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2017
68 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Rich Handley
54 books9 followersRich Handley has written or co-written five books (Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes, The Back to the Future Lexicon, The Back to the Future Chronology and the novel Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes), helped to update the reference book Planet of the Apes Revisited, and penned articles for POTA magazine Simian Scrolls. Rich has written fiction and other works for Lucasfilm's licensed Star Wars franchise, and has contributed essays to IDW's Star Trek newspaper strip reprint books, Fantom Press's upcoming Tales from the Forbidden Zone: The Unseen Scripts of Doug Moench, Sequart's New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics, and ATB Publishing's impending Star Trek anthology, Outside In: TOS 109. In addition, he has written for or edited numerous other publications, including Star Trek Communicator, Star Trek Magazine, Cinefantastique, Dungeon/Polyhedron, RFID Journal (for which he currently serves as managing editor), and Realm Press's Battlestar Galactica comic book line.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 25, 2018
I think I get to post this even though I contributed a story.
It's nice to read the positive reviews. One reviewer mentioned Earth Abides as a touchstone for the story my wife and I did, The Pacing Place. We loved that book; Stephen King says it was the touchstone for The Stand.
It was great for us to write something in a different universe, where some of the parameters were set. We worked solely after the end of the first movie; but I do really like where the movies have gone recently. Very powerful stories.
It's nice to read the positive reviews. One reviewer mentioned Earth Abides as a touchstone for the story my wife and I did, The Pacing Place. We loved that book; Stephen King says it was the touchstone for The Stand.
It was great for us to write something in a different universe, where some of the parameters were set. We worked solely after the end of the first movie; but I do really like where the movies have gone recently. Very powerful stories.
February 6, 2017
As a lifelong Apes fan, I was thrilled to read this brilliantly conceived and outstandingly executed collection of Apes-inspired short stories.
One thing that makes this book such a success (and a pleasure to read) is how seriously the authors and editors treat the source material. There’s a deep level of understanding and respect shown towards the entire Apes saga here, and the writers clearly know their stuff. More than that, though, is the sheer level of creativity to be found here. The premise of each story is unique and undeniably compelling, and each one makes excellent use of all the various places, time periods, and characters of the original films and series—and beyond. The stories are at once loyal to what has come before, but also vividly inventive enough to make satisfying and welcome contributions to the canon. An excellent example of this is the first story, “Unfired,” which adheres to what we know about the subterranean mutants from Beneath and Battle while also expanding on their culture and motivations in a way that seems not only logical, but wholly overdue.
For me, the highlight of this collection is a “What If?” type story that imagines a different future for the character of Taylor from the original 1968 film. No spoilers here, but in many ways what you read in “The Pacing Place” aligns better with the philosophies and themes of the original film than anything in the 1970 sequel ever did, and it doesn’t take much to prefer this outcome for Taylor than the one he received on film. Also, if you’ve ever wondered exactly how the ape scientist Milo (along with Cornelius and Zira) could restore and fly Taylor’s crashed ship in Escape (a longstanding and glaring plot hole in the entire film series), this book takes a swing at explaining it in a way that, for sheer boldness, knocks it out of the park.
As with all collections, some stories work better than others, but there isn’t a bad one in the bunch. If you are any sort of fan of the Planet of the Apes series, this book is a must-read and I recommend it highly. Here’s hoping for a Volume 2.
One thing that makes this book such a success (and a pleasure to read) is how seriously the authors and editors treat the source material. There’s a deep level of understanding and respect shown towards the entire Apes saga here, and the writers clearly know their stuff. More than that, though, is the sheer level of creativity to be found here. The premise of each story is unique and undeniably compelling, and each one makes excellent use of all the various places, time periods, and characters of the original films and series—and beyond. The stories are at once loyal to what has come before, but also vividly inventive enough to make satisfying and welcome contributions to the canon. An excellent example of this is the first story, “Unfired,” which adheres to what we know about the subterranean mutants from Beneath and Battle while also expanding on their culture and motivations in a way that seems not only logical, but wholly overdue.
For me, the highlight of this collection is a “What If?” type story that imagines a different future for the character of Taylor from the original 1968 film. No spoilers here, but in many ways what you read in “The Pacing Place” aligns better with the philosophies and themes of the original film than anything in the 1970 sequel ever did, and it doesn’t take much to prefer this outcome for Taylor than the one he received on film. Also, if you’ve ever wondered exactly how the ape scientist Milo (along with Cornelius and Zira) could restore and fly Taylor’s crashed ship in Escape (a longstanding and glaring plot hole in the entire film series), this book takes a swing at explaining it in a way that, for sheer boldness, knocks it out of the park.
As with all collections, some stories work better than others, but there isn’t a bad one in the bunch. If you are any sort of fan of the Planet of the Apes series, this book is a must-read and I recommend it highly. Here’s hoping for a Volume 2.
February 6, 2017
I've been a fan of Planet Of The Apes for a long time, so this collection of short stories was a must for me. Each story is based around characters & situations from the original films, the TV series & even the animated series. Many of them take directions I didn't expect & the quality of writing is never less than excellent. Hopefully this will not be the last collection, as I for one am eager for more.
February 6, 2017
If you love PotA, Read this book!
I devoured this book the day it came out in half a day. So often when I read a themed anthology based on a popular media franchise I find myself disappointed. This collection did just the obvious. Full of fantastic tales, that enriched the mythos and intrigued the long time fan in me. This was worth the wait, and then some!
I devoured this book the day it came out in half a day. So often when I read a themed anthology based on a popular media franchise I find myself disappointed. This collection did just the obvious. Full of fantastic tales, that enriched the mythos and intrigued the long time fan in me. This was worth the wait, and then some!
July 12, 2017
The Planet of the Apes series would be nothing without Pierre Boulle’s original book, La Planete des Singes (The Monkey Planet). An outstanding book in its own right that would spawn a franchise which would include films, television, animated series, comic books and novelisations of these works.
Almost fifty years later and Titan Books along with esteemed authors which include Dan Abnett, Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Beard, Nancy Collins, Greg Cox, Andrew E.C. Gaska, Robert Greenberger, Rich Handley, Greg Keyes, Sam Knight, Paul Kupperberg, Jonathan Maberry, Bob Mayer, John Jackson Miller, Ty Templeton, Will Murray and Dayton Ward have come together to produce a body of work that is new and fresh but carries on with the Ape ethology.
The book is a cornucopia of stories that takes its cue from the original five film series, television series and animated series and continues the saga or gives an alternative view of the world that we have all love and cherish. The amazing thing about the book is that it explores the sociological, economical and political structures within these worlds whilst staying deeply rooted in a very humanistic approach giving the work pathos, emotion, and depth.
Consisting of sixteen stories to fill the intellectual palette, the anthology includes side stories that fill in the blanks between films, such as the story of Milo who helps bring Cornelius and Zira to present day earth in ‘Escape’. We have an alternative history that shows Taylor and Nova setting up a colony and the alternative future of mankind. One of the stories reaches further afield and shows what is happening beyond the shores of North America and how Ape cultures adapted on foreign shores. We also have back stories to include Taylor, Nova, Cornelius, etc and these are really brought to life by such skilled writers.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone is a strong anthology that never falters with plenty of rich stories professionally woven to provide a colorful tapestry. Each tales is very strong and it boggles the mind that there is not a weak story in the batch. Normally, in most anthologies, you have a couple of strong stories that stand in amongst the mediocre with the weak sprinkled in between. Forbidden Zone does not suffer from this dilemma, in fact, Titan Books has insured that every tale is intelligently handled and exciting to read.
Points of view are toggled from the source material to provide a psychological three-dimensional effect amongst the characters that give them more depth. After reading the novel, I have re-entered the Apes franchise and it gave the original films and television shows more depth. It also engaged the reader to view the original franchise a different perspective into each of the characters that we have all learned to love and cherish. This is really a phenomenal piece of work and hopes through the success of this, we will be given more equally strong anthologies to carry the franchise further.
One of the most amazing experiences of ‘Tales’ is that the love and dedication each of the authors have put into their contribution and it really shows. Even the introduction was written by a very accomplished writer who whole heartedly put his life and soul into his cherished love of the series. This is truly an amazing and worthwhile book that works for the fan as well as for the novice. This is an extraordinary work that is highly recommended. If you are looking for something that will transport you through time and dimension whilst feeding your soul for the literary art, you will not go wrong. An anthology that works on so many levels makes this one of the most exceptional anthologies to come our way in a long time. This is a must read.
Almost fifty years later and Titan Books along with esteemed authors which include Dan Abnett, Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Beard, Nancy Collins, Greg Cox, Andrew E.C. Gaska, Robert Greenberger, Rich Handley, Greg Keyes, Sam Knight, Paul Kupperberg, Jonathan Maberry, Bob Mayer, John Jackson Miller, Ty Templeton, Will Murray and Dayton Ward have come together to produce a body of work that is new and fresh but carries on with the Ape ethology.
The book is a cornucopia of stories that takes its cue from the original five film series, television series and animated series and continues the saga or gives an alternative view of the world that we have all love and cherish. The amazing thing about the book is that it explores the sociological, economical and political structures within these worlds whilst staying deeply rooted in a very humanistic approach giving the work pathos, emotion, and depth.
Consisting of sixteen stories to fill the intellectual palette, the anthology includes side stories that fill in the blanks between films, such as the story of Milo who helps bring Cornelius and Zira to present day earth in ‘Escape’. We have an alternative history that shows Taylor and Nova setting up a colony and the alternative future of mankind. One of the stories reaches further afield and shows what is happening beyond the shores of North America and how Ape cultures adapted on foreign shores. We also have back stories to include Taylor, Nova, Cornelius, etc and these are really brought to life by such skilled writers.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone is a strong anthology that never falters with plenty of rich stories professionally woven to provide a colorful tapestry. Each tales is very strong and it boggles the mind that there is not a weak story in the batch. Normally, in most anthologies, you have a couple of strong stories that stand in amongst the mediocre with the weak sprinkled in between. Forbidden Zone does not suffer from this dilemma, in fact, Titan Books has insured that every tale is intelligently handled and exciting to read.
Points of view are toggled from the source material to provide a psychological three-dimensional effect amongst the characters that give them more depth. After reading the novel, I have re-entered the Apes franchise and it gave the original films and television shows more depth. It also engaged the reader to view the original franchise a different perspective into each of the characters that we have all learned to love and cherish. This is really a phenomenal piece of work and hopes through the success of this, we will be given more equally strong anthologies to carry the franchise further.
One of the most amazing experiences of ‘Tales’ is that the love and dedication each of the authors have put into their contribution and it really shows. Even the introduction was written by a very accomplished writer who whole heartedly put his life and soul into his cherished love of the series. This is truly an amazing and worthwhile book that works for the fan as well as for the novice. This is an extraordinary work that is highly recommended. If you are looking for something that will transport you through time and dimension whilst feeding your soul for the literary art, you will not go wrong. An anthology that works on so many levels makes this one of the most exceptional anthologies to come our way in a long time. This is a must read.
March 20, 2017
A collection of 16 short stories set in the world of the original Planet of the Apes films and television series. This is best read after a recent viewing of the films, because some stories extrapolate on the plots or tell the backstory on certain film/series characters. I have never seen the tv series, but still understood what went on in the stories centered on it. I liked some stories better than others, but enjoyed the collection overall. Something a bit different.
February 21, 2017
This is the book apocalyptic apes dream of.
It's hard to be unbiased about this book because I am an ApeHead since childhood. Anything new in the Planet of the Apes realm is like a nostalgia life preserver.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone gives us sixteen tales set across the various Planet of the Apes classic universes. Meaning - the original five movies, television series and Saturday morning cartoon. It does not include the 2001 movie or the recent movies.
The stories are enjoyable. I preferred some more than others but that is the nature of anthologies. Your mileage may vary.
Five of my favorites were; "Unfired" by Dan Abnett, "The Unknown Ape" by Andrew E.C. Gaska, "Message in a Bottle" by Dayton Ward, "Milo's Tale" by Ty Templeton and "Banana Republic" Jonathan Maberry.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone is a welcome addition to the Planet of the Apes universe. If you enjoy that universe, you'll enjoy this book. Perhaps if it performs well, there could be another volume. So, buy yours today and go ape!
It's hard to be unbiased about this book because I am an ApeHead since childhood. Anything new in the Planet of the Apes realm is like a nostalgia life preserver.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone gives us sixteen tales set across the various Planet of the Apes classic universes. Meaning - the original five movies, television series and Saturday morning cartoon. It does not include the 2001 movie or the recent movies.
The stories are enjoyable. I preferred some more than others but that is the nature of anthologies. Your mileage may vary.
Five of my favorites were; "Unfired" by Dan Abnett, "The Unknown Ape" by Andrew E.C. Gaska, "Message in a Bottle" by Dayton Ward, "Milo's Tale" by Ty Templeton and "Banana Republic" Jonathan Maberry.
Tales from the Forbidden Zone is a welcome addition to the Planet of the Apes universe. If you enjoy that universe, you'll enjoy this book. Perhaps if it performs well, there could be another volume. So, buy yours today and go ape!
February 6, 2017
Anthologies like this can sometimes be a hit and miss proposition. This one is very much hit after hit. I'm hoping this is the first of many.
June 7, 2017
I knew I was in good company when I was invited to contribute to this all-new anthology but now that I have read the book, I see readers are in for a real treat. All five films, the CBS TV series, and animated version are all here and therefore there's something for everyone. some of these made me laugh, some made me eager to turn the page, and I was overall impressed with the imagination and passion brought to these characters and their world.
February 28, 2017
From my blog, www.wctechblog.com.
If you are a dedicated reader of this fine technology blog you surely are aware that I am always reading a book. From history to science to tech to biography to Star Trek and science fiction in general I always have a trusty book on my night stand.
With this in mind I decided that it would be pretty cool to take a few moments to mention my book reads right here – on this very blog. I must do it here because I do not have the energy or time to start another blog! I understand if you want to skip these book mentions & reviews but forgive me – I need to get it out of my system.
This evening I finish a pure joy of a book, “Planet of the Apes – Tales From The Forbidden Zone”. This is a collection of 16 short stories from the Apes universe.
Why is this book so much fun? Well I grew up fascinated by the Planet of the Apes universe. Only second to Star Trek did the Apes universe capture my imagination (as it still does). Also you must understand Planet of the Apes books are actually quite a rare thing. This year there are several books being released, with this being the first and only original one. This collection of stories is such fun because the sheer range of the tales here are a sight to behold.
Apes Stories Of All Kinds Abound
There are side-stories such as John Jackson Miller’s “Murders’ Row” with its intriguing perspective on Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, tales that delve into the back-stories of classic character such as Anderson and co-author Sam Knight’s “Of Monsters And Men”, explorations of Ape culture such as the tales written by Greg Cox and co-editor Handley, and stories that present new additions to the mythology such as Keyes’ tale which also takes readers beyond the usual North American setting of the franchise. There are stories that fill-in plot holes such as Ty Templeton’s story that sets up the aforementioned film Escape or that act as sequels such as Dayton Ward’s “Message In A Bottle” that helps to start wrapping up the canceled 1970s live-action TV series (which I still enjoy). There’s even room for some poignant tales such as Bob Mayer’s “what if?” sequel to the 1968 film or co-editor Beard’s epic “Silenced” that will have you looking at parts of the series in a whole new light.
I also love it that the Planet of the Apes short lived 1974 TV series gets some much deserved loved with a couple of awesome stories in this collection.
Apes Quality
Perhaps more than the individual stories is the sheer quality of the overall product. Anthologies, by the nature of them being a hodgepodge of different authors, tend to be hit and miss with some stories being better than others. There are exceptions to almost every rule and this proves to be such as case as there isn’t a single miss in the entire collection. Every single story here presents its own intriguing (and sometimes knowingly contradictory) take on Planet Of The Apes as we know it with always intriguing results.
Good short fiction always leaves you begging for more and this collection is full of such tales.
Tales From The Forbidden Zone is among the rarest species of anthologies. That’s not just because it finally presents a collection of Planet Of The Apes short fiction but because of the sheer quality of the tales it presents. It is a book that expands and explores the Planet of the Apes franchise in new and exciting ways, sometimes outside the box but it never ceases to be interesting. So if you are one of those with even a modicum of interest in classic Apes, this is an anthology for you.
I went Ape for this book and if you – like me fondly recall the Apes movies & TV series you will GO APE for it as well!
If you are a dedicated reader of this fine technology blog you surely are aware that I am always reading a book. From history to science to tech to biography to Star Trek and science fiction in general I always have a trusty book on my night stand.
With this in mind I decided that it would be pretty cool to take a few moments to mention my book reads right here – on this very blog. I must do it here because I do not have the energy or time to start another blog! I understand if you want to skip these book mentions & reviews but forgive me – I need to get it out of my system.
This evening I finish a pure joy of a book, “Planet of the Apes – Tales From The Forbidden Zone”. This is a collection of 16 short stories from the Apes universe.
Why is this book so much fun? Well I grew up fascinated by the Planet of the Apes universe. Only second to Star Trek did the Apes universe capture my imagination (as it still does). Also you must understand Planet of the Apes books are actually quite a rare thing. This year there are several books being released, with this being the first and only original one. This collection of stories is such fun because the sheer range of the tales here are a sight to behold.
Apes Stories Of All Kinds Abound
There are side-stories such as John Jackson Miller’s “Murders’ Row” with its intriguing perspective on Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, tales that delve into the back-stories of classic character such as Anderson and co-author Sam Knight’s “Of Monsters And Men”, explorations of Ape culture such as the tales written by Greg Cox and co-editor Handley, and stories that present new additions to the mythology such as Keyes’ tale which also takes readers beyond the usual North American setting of the franchise. There are stories that fill-in plot holes such as Ty Templeton’s story that sets up the aforementioned film Escape or that act as sequels such as Dayton Ward’s “Message In A Bottle” that helps to start wrapping up the canceled 1970s live-action TV series (which I still enjoy). There’s even room for some poignant tales such as Bob Mayer’s “what if?” sequel to the 1968 film or co-editor Beard’s epic “Silenced” that will have you looking at parts of the series in a whole new light.
I also love it that the Planet of the Apes short lived 1974 TV series gets some much deserved loved with a couple of awesome stories in this collection.
Apes Quality
Perhaps more than the individual stories is the sheer quality of the overall product. Anthologies, by the nature of them being a hodgepodge of different authors, tend to be hit and miss with some stories being better than others. There are exceptions to almost every rule and this proves to be such as case as there isn’t a single miss in the entire collection. Every single story here presents its own intriguing (and sometimes knowingly contradictory) take on Planet Of The Apes as we know it with always intriguing results.
Good short fiction always leaves you begging for more and this collection is full of such tales.
Tales From The Forbidden Zone is among the rarest species of anthologies. That’s not just because it finally presents a collection of Planet Of The Apes short fiction but because of the sheer quality of the tales it presents. It is a book that expands and explores the Planet of the Apes franchise in new and exciting ways, sometimes outside the box but it never ceases to be interesting. So if you are one of those with even a modicum of interest in classic Apes, this is an anthology for you.
I went Ape for this book and if you – like me fondly recall the Apes movies & TV series you will GO APE for it as well!
February 9, 2017
What. A. Ride! I'm by no means a devotee of Planet of the Apes, but by golly, if the rest of the literature is as good as this book, I have been in a loss all my life!
These 16 stories by a number of respectable sci-fi authors bring life to the mysterious settings of the different iterations of Planet of the Apes, be the original movies, the TV series, the animated series, etc.
The best part is that all the stories work perfectly as science fiction stories, dedicated knowledge of Planet of the Apes is not required to enjoy them! Of course, it's obvious that if you have that knowledge, you will be rewarded with nods and references all around. But taking me as an example, you will be delighted in reading them no matter your level of Ape lore.
Rich Handley and Jim Beard have gone great lengths in order to have this anthology happen, to make it a product for the average or die-hard fan, and here's hoping that they can continue producing quality material like this.
These 16 stories by a number of respectable sci-fi authors bring life to the mysterious settings of the different iterations of Planet of the Apes, be the original movies, the TV series, the animated series, etc.
The best part is that all the stories work perfectly as science fiction stories, dedicated knowledge of Planet of the Apes is not required to enjoy them! Of course, it's obvious that if you have that knowledge, you will be rewarded with nods and references all around. But taking me as an example, you will be delighted in reading them no matter your level of Ape lore.
Rich Handley and Jim Beard have gone great lengths in order to have this anthology happen, to make it a product for the average or die-hard fan, and here's hoping that they can continue producing quality material like this.
January 25, 2018
Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone is an anthology that spans all of the classic apes films as well as the short lived TV series and animated series. There are tales in this book that also take a different turn than what they do in the movies or TV series and give us perspectives on characters that were fascinating. It's hard to nail down one story that stood out since they all did in their own way and they show us what would've happened had events in the films gone down a different path. I highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves science fiction and Planet of the Apes.
June 4, 2019
This is the first story collection I read in a long while and I find it thoroughly engrossing and pleasing. If you are a fan of old Planet of the Apes movies, then you will definitely like it! Some stories are merely good, but the prevailing majority of then are stunningly written and ultimately engaging. My favorite is by The Pacing Place by Will Murray about the alternative universe, where Taylor is not dead but living in the village of his own, and THE KING IS DEAD—LONG LIVE THE KING by RICH
HANDLEY - the two strongest tales of all! Highly recommend!
HANDLEY - the two strongest tales of all! Highly recommend!
February 4, 2017
My local bricks and mortar bookshop had this on the shelf ten days before official release date. I hadn't known it was coming out. I have the original films, TV series and animated series on DVD (also Tim Burton's on DVD and the first two reboot films on Blu) , original novelisations, two annuals, all the soundtrack CDs and an old worse for wear gorilla soldier from Mego -I even attended an arena show when I was young, in the 1970s! You can't pull the wool over my eyes, the original five films and TV series are between them, far superior to the new reboot films in my opinion (I guess nostalgia is a big part of that). But onto this book.
The original Apes mythos, in all its iterations, was overdue for an anthology like this and as I approach my fiftieth birthday later in 2017, nostalgia is once again on my mind and this book feeds that. I intend to mention every story in the volume; without spoiling things for those yet to read the book, things got off to a very strong start with my fellow townsman Dan Abnett and his story Unfired. It was a good study of the society first featured in Beneath and drew a lot from the ideas in the non-Apes book, the classic A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller. Nancy Collins' More Than Human, Less Than Ape didn't quite work for me, particularly in the portrayal of Cornelius.
Blood Brothers by Will Murray, featuring the TV series incarnation, was wonderful, I could hear all the characters in my head, it was spot on, just like an episode of the series (which would have been my first introduction to the Apes mileu). Bob Mayer's The Pacing Place was very poignant and brought a tear to the eye.
Things went a bit pear shaped (as opposed to banana shape!) with John Miller's Murderer's Row. I was rather bored by this, marred by poor writing and execution but what was clever, was dovetailing the events of Escape into the events of its sequel, Conquest. Greg Cox' Endangered Species didn't ring true for me and I had an issue with it, which I actually found with most of the other stories, even those I loved-I will explain at the end. Dangerous Imaginings, by Paul Kupperberg, was intriguing and again reminded me of the Walter Miller book mentioned above. Of Monsters and Men, by Kevin Anderson and Sam Knight, was one of the worst stories in the collection, straying too far from the source and was like a hastily written 'throw every idea you can into the mix' story.
Andrew Gaska's The Unknown Ape was again poorly written, although it tried hard by using characters from the numerous iterations of Apes films and series. It just didn't hang together for me and read more like an extended synopsis for a not very interesting story. Co-editor Jim Beard's Silenced gave me a window onto the main character from the first film and I was glad for this, although it was a little confusing in places as it opened windows onto different periods across the span of centuries. Again, poignant at the end. Robert Greenberger's Who Is This Man? What Sort Of Devil Is He? didn't quite work for me at recalling the TV series, as Blood Bothers did. The blurb before the story mentioned explaining a mystery from the series but I am still left with a loss as to what said mystery was and how it was answered, if indeed it was.
Greg Keyes' Stone Monkey was quite awful, is was one of the most tedious entries and didn't add anything to Apes, although it started out in a humorous fashion, this was soon lost. Milo's Tale by Ty Templeton was intriguing, though not quite as I imagined it would have happened, based on what the ape characters mentioned onscreen in Escape. It was interesting though,suggesting Ape civilisation was not at the same level as that shown in Ape or Central City, for instance. Dayton Ward's Message In A Bottle again was very good in its TV series portrayal and I'd love to read a sequel!
Co-editor Rich Handley's The King Is Dead-Long Live The King, although it was great reading about the characters post-Battle, was such a downer by the climax. I was depressed after, like I was after seeing the film The Book Thief! Finally, Jonathan Maberry's Banana Republic again stepped too far outside the Apes property for me, it failed to ring true and was like a hastily written synopsis, although it bore similarity to the discoveries in the excellent earlier story Message In A Bottle.
So despite the negative points above, this was clearly a labour of love for all concerned, the introduction and afterword by the editors prove that. One caveat, the level of described violence in some of the stories was very off-putting to me as a reader and in some cases, it marred some otherwise solid work. I was hoping that the difference between the first film's year of 3978 and Beneath/Escape's 3955 would have been explained but that's a story for another time (and maybe from this writer)!
I eagerly await a second volume of short stories and tall tales but would prefer it not to include the rebooted film series.
The original Apes mythos, in all its iterations, was overdue for an anthology like this and as I approach my fiftieth birthday later in 2017, nostalgia is once again on my mind and this book feeds that. I intend to mention every story in the volume; without spoiling things for those yet to read the book, things got off to a very strong start with my fellow townsman Dan Abnett and his story Unfired. It was a good study of the society first featured in Beneath and drew a lot from the ideas in the non-Apes book, the classic A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller. Nancy Collins' More Than Human, Less Than Ape didn't quite work for me, particularly in the portrayal of Cornelius.
Blood Brothers by Will Murray, featuring the TV series incarnation, was wonderful, I could hear all the characters in my head, it was spot on, just like an episode of the series (which would have been my first introduction to the Apes mileu). Bob Mayer's The Pacing Place was very poignant and brought a tear to the eye.
Things went a bit pear shaped (as opposed to banana shape!) with John Miller's Murderer's Row. I was rather bored by this, marred by poor writing and execution but what was clever, was dovetailing the events of Escape into the events of its sequel, Conquest. Greg Cox' Endangered Species didn't ring true for me and I had an issue with it, which I actually found with most of the other stories, even those I loved-I will explain at the end. Dangerous Imaginings, by Paul Kupperberg, was intriguing and again reminded me of the Walter Miller book mentioned above. Of Monsters and Men, by Kevin Anderson and Sam Knight, was one of the worst stories in the collection, straying too far from the source and was like a hastily written 'throw every idea you can into the mix' story.
Andrew Gaska's The Unknown Ape was again poorly written, although it tried hard by using characters from the numerous iterations of Apes films and series. It just didn't hang together for me and read more like an extended synopsis for a not very interesting story. Co-editor Jim Beard's Silenced gave me a window onto the main character from the first film and I was glad for this, although it was a little confusing in places as it opened windows onto different periods across the span of centuries. Again, poignant at the end. Robert Greenberger's Who Is This Man? What Sort Of Devil Is He? didn't quite work for me at recalling the TV series, as Blood Bothers did. The blurb before the story mentioned explaining a mystery from the series but I am still left with a loss as to what said mystery was and how it was answered, if indeed it was.
Greg Keyes' Stone Monkey was quite awful, is was one of the most tedious entries and didn't add anything to Apes, although it started out in a humorous fashion, this was soon lost. Milo's Tale by Ty Templeton was intriguing, though not quite as I imagined it would have happened, based on what the ape characters mentioned onscreen in Escape. It was interesting though,suggesting Ape civilisation was not at the same level as that shown in Ape or Central City, for instance. Dayton Ward's Message In A Bottle again was very good in its TV series portrayal and I'd love to read a sequel!
Co-editor Rich Handley's The King Is Dead-Long Live The King, although it was great reading about the characters post-Battle, was such a downer by the climax. I was depressed after, like I was after seeing the film The Book Thief! Finally, Jonathan Maberry's Banana Republic again stepped too far outside the Apes property for me, it failed to ring true and was like a hastily written synopsis, although it bore similarity to the discoveries in the excellent earlier story Message In A Bottle.
So despite the negative points above, this was clearly a labour of love for all concerned, the introduction and afterword by the editors prove that. One caveat, the level of described violence in some of the stories was very off-putting to me as a reader and in some cases, it marred some otherwise solid work. I was hoping that the difference between the first film's year of 3978 and Beneath/Escape's 3955 would have been explained but that's a story for another time (and maybe from this writer)!
I eagerly await a second volume of short stories and tall tales but would prefer it not to include the rebooted film series.
July 6, 2017
I enjoyed all the classic Planet of the apes films and tv and it was great to revisit some of those characters again for what some might consider plot holes between films are filled in by some great writers. It is a fun read for all damn dirty apes.
May 3, 2018
As a fan of the original movies, these stories were like going home again. Each of the storied takes place in that world, where we'll revisit Cornelius, Caesar, Zaius and other old friends. This was such a fun ride!
July 24, 2025
The book was good I would give it 3.5 stars. it's an anthology so a group of short stories some were great some were just ok. You also need to know ape lore like the TV show and all the older movies. If you know ape lore then I may bump to 4 stars.
December 11, 2018
I really liked Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone, it covers the Planet of the Apes from the original movies, to the t.v. Series and animation series. It tells stories from different views, I've enjoyed the Planet of the Apes stuff since I was a kid growing up in the 70's during the Apes craze. If you like the Planet of the Apes or sci-fi I think you will enjoy Tales from the Forbidden Zone.
August 4, 2020
Let me get this out of the way first: I freaking love Planet Of The Apes!
Now: I’ve spent the first half of the year slowly reading the short stories collected in Tales From The Forbidden Zone. The collection was put together by Jim Beard and Rich Handley, two Apes and Star Trek fiction writers, and boasts 20 or so other other established authors from television, comics, fiction and video games who also all happen to be Team Zaius.
Every story is set in a different time period: the OG film, the various sequels, the live action 70s series, the animated series... it’s all there, so if you’re a POTA fan you get a taste of every main character and setting through the franchises’ long and sordid history, which is a great deal of fun.
The only downside, really, is that the quality varies a bit. Some stories are really strong, especially when the author is able to venture outside the paradigms of the media and do something new, (including filling some holes in the Apes mythos) but others seem to be happier revisiting the same old cultural touchstones they’ve hit since Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel.
The writers here took this seriously, and I appreciate it. The fun I had reading this is not in question. Apes rule, Cornelius is my hero. 🌍 🦧
Now: I’ve spent the first half of the year slowly reading the short stories collected in Tales From The Forbidden Zone. The collection was put together by Jim Beard and Rich Handley, two Apes and Star Trek fiction writers, and boasts 20 or so other other established authors from television, comics, fiction and video games who also all happen to be Team Zaius.
Every story is set in a different time period: the OG film, the various sequels, the live action 70s series, the animated series... it’s all there, so if you’re a POTA fan you get a taste of every main character and setting through the franchises’ long and sordid history, which is a great deal of fun.
The only downside, really, is that the quality varies a bit. Some stories are really strong, especially when the author is able to venture outside the paradigms of the media and do something new, (including filling some holes in the Apes mythos) but others seem to be happier revisiting the same old cultural touchstones they’ve hit since Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel.
The writers here took this seriously, and I appreciate it. The fun I had reading this is not in question. Apes rule, Cornelius is my hero. 🌍 🦧
March 1, 2017
I'm a huge Planet of the Apes fan, and was looking forward to this short story collection for quite a while. So long, in fact, that I completely forgot about its release. On our way to New Orleans to board a cruise ship for a week, we stopped for the night in some southern town with a Books a Million. I dragged my mom with me - because she still loves me, unlike my wife, who made that apparent by going to bed instead - to the bookstore to see if I could find any last-minute reads for the cruise. Walking through the sci-fi section, searching for the first book of The Walking Dead novelizations, my heart skipped a beat when Tales from the Forbidden Zone caught my eye instead. Needless to say, I was out the door a few minutes later, and anxious to get started.
It's very rare that I finish a book, let alone a 400+ page book in just a week. Yet, Tales from the Forbidden Zone kept sucking me in. There are 16 short stories here, and all of them take place in one part of another of the Planet of the Apes timeline. It can be the film universe, or even the television world where there was an animated series and a live-action, fugitives-on-the-run tale. I have not had a chance to watch either of those, but I still adored the stories involving those characters, which is to say that you don't have to be a Planet of Apes know-it-all to enjoy what these stories offer. They fall very much in line with the politics, religion, and themes of the original series, which is likely to be enough for many readers to enjoy.
It's hard to pinpoint a favorite story, but I will say that Jonathan Maberry's Banana Republic stands out as an ultra-relevant and terrifying political tale. John Jackson Miller's Murderer's Row, a story about the goings-on behind the scenes during Escape from the Planet of the Apes, is another wonderfully imaginative story about a television executive banking on Cornelius and Zira to save his failing cable company. There are so many other excellent stories in this, though, that it almost seems unfair to point out just two.
Planet of the Apes fans rejoice: there is finally a short story collection that you can add to your collection, and, even better, it's fantastic. Fans of the series will absolutely want to check this collection out, and if enough people do, hopefully we'll get a second one.
It's very rare that I finish a book, let alone a 400+ page book in just a week. Yet, Tales from the Forbidden Zone kept sucking me in. There are 16 short stories here, and all of them take place in one part of another of the Planet of the Apes timeline. It can be the film universe, or even the television world where there was an animated series and a live-action, fugitives-on-the-run tale. I have not had a chance to watch either of those, but I still adored the stories involving those characters, which is to say that you don't have to be a Planet of Apes know-it-all to enjoy what these stories offer. They fall very much in line with the politics, religion, and themes of the original series, which is likely to be enough for many readers to enjoy.
It's hard to pinpoint a favorite story, but I will say that Jonathan Maberry's Banana Republic stands out as an ultra-relevant and terrifying political tale. John Jackson Miller's Murderer's Row, a story about the goings-on behind the scenes during Escape from the Planet of the Apes, is another wonderfully imaginative story about a television executive banking on Cornelius and Zira to save his failing cable company. There are so many other excellent stories in this, though, that it almost seems unfair to point out just two.
Planet of the Apes fans rejoice: there is finally a short story collection that you can add to your collection, and, even better, it's fantastic. Fans of the series will absolutely want to check this collection out, and if enough people do, hopefully we'll get a second one.
February 7, 2017
Planet of the Apes: Tales From The Forbidden Zone, is an anthology worth getting. It makes me crave more Planet of the Apes anthologies! Stories here do a great job expanding the universe (or multiverse, rather) of the franchise. The stories that fill in gaps fare well for the most part. The only exception, in my opinion, is "Milo's Tale." This explains what Milo was up to prior to his appearance in Escape from the Planet of the Apes. The problem is that I have read a different version of this story before in Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes. And I have heard that there is a comic story that is yet another different version of this story. As such, "Milo's Tale" feels redundant. I understand that there are infinite lanes with infinite possibilities, but I feel that writers should be more careful with the POTA stories that they tell in the future so that they do not step on each other's toes.
That minor gripe aside, there is still some good gap-filling. Rich Handley's story, "The King Is Dead - Long Live The King," feels like an epilogue to Battle for the Planet of the Apes that tells of events that make sense and fit the tone of the film series. The strength of that it shows familiar characters while also telling untold tales of what was never seen onscreen, such as baboons, a siamang, and reptilian creatures. While it may be easy to imagine such creatures as they would look in real life (or in the recent motion-capture POTA films), trying to imagine them within the schema of the 1968-1973 POTA films proved to be an interesting challenge.
And it is not just the films that are explored; THREE stories are set in the time-frame of the short-lived live-action series. "Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Is He?" acts as a sequel to the episode "The Trap" while also expanding upon the fates of the astronauts alluded to in the first episode, incorporating characters and elements from an early draft of the show. "Blood Brothers" feels like a new episode of the series with an interesting revelation. And "Message in a Bottle" initially felt like it would wrap up the storyline of the show, but it is actually open-ended and makes me want to read what happens next. (This is why we need another POTA anthology.)
And it is not just the live-action series that gets touched upon; Return to the Planet of the Apes, the animated series, has a return of sorts in "The Unknown Ape." This story is actually a crossover between the films and the two TV series. Andrew E.C. Gaska, author of Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, (sequels of which I am awaiting) shows once again that he knows POTA lore and welds the different aspects of the franchise in a way that works. I REALLY want to read about the events that lead up to this story, which, along with Bob Mayer's "The Pacing Place" (a story that asks "What if the world had not been destroyed and Taylor had lived on with Nova and other humans?"), was a very emotional read for me. Indeed, "The Unknown Ape" goes out with such a bang that I feel that it should have been the final story in this anthology.
This brings me to my proposed reading order for anyone who may be interested. Below, I have organized the stories in a loose chronological order. I say "loose" because there are multiple timeframes in Jim Beard's "Silenced," multiple timelines, and stories with unspecified dates.
Silenced
Murderers' Row
The King Is Dead - Long Live The King!
Stone Monkey
Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Is He?
Blood Brothers
Message in a Bottle
Unfired
Endangered Species
Of Monsters and Men
More Than Human, Less Than Ape
Banana Republic
Milo's Tale
Dangerous Imaginings
The Pacing Place
The Unknown Ape
But whatever order you read these in, you are bound to find a lot of great stuff. Bring on volume 2! And throw in some stories to fill in gaps and expand the universes of the video games, the 2001 film, and the mo-cap films!
That minor gripe aside, there is still some good gap-filling. Rich Handley's story, "The King Is Dead - Long Live The King," feels like an epilogue to Battle for the Planet of the Apes that tells of events that make sense and fit the tone of the film series. The strength of that it shows familiar characters while also telling untold tales of what was never seen onscreen, such as baboons, a siamang, and reptilian creatures. While it may be easy to imagine such creatures as they would look in real life (or in the recent motion-capture POTA films), trying to imagine them within the schema of the 1968-1973 POTA films proved to be an interesting challenge.
And it is not just the films that are explored; THREE stories are set in the time-frame of the short-lived live-action series. "Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Is He?" acts as a sequel to the episode "The Trap" while also expanding upon the fates of the astronauts alluded to in the first episode, incorporating characters and elements from an early draft of the show. "Blood Brothers" feels like a new episode of the series with an interesting revelation. And "Message in a Bottle" initially felt like it would wrap up the storyline of the show, but it is actually open-ended and makes me want to read what happens next. (This is why we need another POTA anthology.)
And it is not just the live-action series that gets touched upon; Return to the Planet of the Apes, the animated series, has a return of sorts in "The Unknown Ape." This story is actually a crossover between the films and the two TV series. Andrew E.C. Gaska, author of Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, (sequels of which I am awaiting) shows once again that he knows POTA lore and welds the different aspects of the franchise in a way that works. I REALLY want to read about the events that lead up to this story, which, along with Bob Mayer's "The Pacing Place" (a story that asks "What if the world had not been destroyed and Taylor had lived on with Nova and other humans?"), was a very emotional read for me. Indeed, "The Unknown Ape" goes out with such a bang that I feel that it should have been the final story in this anthology.
This brings me to my proposed reading order for anyone who may be interested. Below, I have organized the stories in a loose chronological order. I say "loose" because there are multiple timeframes in Jim Beard's "Silenced," multiple timelines, and stories with unspecified dates.
Silenced
Murderers' Row
The King Is Dead - Long Live The King!
Stone Monkey
Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Is He?
Blood Brothers
Message in a Bottle
Unfired
Endangered Species
Of Monsters and Men
More Than Human, Less Than Ape
Banana Republic
Milo's Tale
Dangerous Imaginings
The Pacing Place
The Unknown Ape
But whatever order you read these in, you are bound to find a lot of great stuff. Bring on volume 2! And throw in some stories to fill in gaps and expand the universes of the video games, the 2001 film, and the mo-cap films!
February 4, 2017
Given its longevity, one would expect a mountain of prose tales based off of the Planet Of The Apes franchise. Yet outside of the novel that inspired the classic 1968 film, the amount of Apes prose is limited to a handful of novelizations and some other largely forgotten efforts. 2017 has seen that change thanks to Tales From The Forbidden Zone, a new anthology published in January by Titan Books. Edited by Rich Handley and Jim Beard, the book presents sixteen new tales set across the width and breadth of the “classic” franchise (that's the five original films and the two 1970s TV shows).
As if being an Apes anthology wasn't notable enough, consider the quality of the authors involved. The contents page reads like a who's who of familiar names including Dan Abnett, Kevin J. Anderson, Nancy Collins, Greg Cox, Greg Keyes, and Dayton Ward. That is just a few of the names involved but it hopefully gives an idea of the talent involved and the quality of what's present.
Because the sheer range of the tales is a sight to behold. There are side-stories such as John Jackson Miller's Murders' Row with its intriguing perspective on Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, tales that delve into the back-stories of classic character such as Anderson and co-author Sam Knight's Of Monsters And Men, explorations of Ape culture such as the tales written by Cox and co-editor Handley, and stories that present new additions to the mythology such as Keyes' tale which also takes readers beyond the usual North American setting of the franchise. There are stories that fill-in plot holes such as Ty Templeton's story that sets up the aforementioned film Escape or that act as sequels such as Ward's Message In A Bottle that helps to start wrapping up the canceled 1970s live-action TV series. There's even room for some poignant tales such as Bob Mayer's “what if?” sequel to the 1968 film or co-editor Beard's epic Silenced that will have you looking at parts of the series in a whole new light.
Perhaps more than the individual stories is the sheer quality of the overall product. Anthologies, by the nature of them being a hodgepodge of different authors, tend to be hit and miss with some stories being better than others. There are exceptions to almost every rule and this proves to be such as case as there isn't a single miss in the entire collection. Every single story here presents its own intriguing (and sometimes knowingly contradictory) take on Planet Of The Apes as we know it with always intriguing results. Someone once said that the hallmark of good short fiction is that it leaves you begging for more and this collection is full of such tales.
Tales From The Forbidden Zone is among the rarest species of anthologies. That's not just because it finally presents a collection of Planet Of The Apes short fiction but because of the sheer quality of the tales it presents. It is a book that expands and explores the Apes franchise in new and exciting ways, sometimes outside the box but it never ceases to be interesting. So if you are one of those with even a modicum of interest in classic Apes, this is an anthology for you.
Dare I say it: You might even go Ape for it.
As if being an Apes anthology wasn't notable enough, consider the quality of the authors involved. The contents page reads like a who's who of familiar names including Dan Abnett, Kevin J. Anderson, Nancy Collins, Greg Cox, Greg Keyes, and Dayton Ward. That is just a few of the names involved but it hopefully gives an idea of the talent involved and the quality of what's present.
Because the sheer range of the tales is a sight to behold. There are side-stories such as John Jackson Miller's Murders' Row with its intriguing perspective on Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, tales that delve into the back-stories of classic character such as Anderson and co-author Sam Knight's Of Monsters And Men, explorations of Ape culture such as the tales written by Cox and co-editor Handley, and stories that present new additions to the mythology such as Keyes' tale which also takes readers beyond the usual North American setting of the franchise. There are stories that fill-in plot holes such as Ty Templeton's story that sets up the aforementioned film Escape or that act as sequels such as Ward's Message In A Bottle that helps to start wrapping up the canceled 1970s live-action TV series. There's even room for some poignant tales such as Bob Mayer's “what if?” sequel to the 1968 film or co-editor Beard's epic Silenced that will have you looking at parts of the series in a whole new light.
Perhaps more than the individual stories is the sheer quality of the overall product. Anthologies, by the nature of them being a hodgepodge of different authors, tend to be hit and miss with some stories being better than others. There are exceptions to almost every rule and this proves to be such as case as there isn't a single miss in the entire collection. Every single story here presents its own intriguing (and sometimes knowingly contradictory) take on Planet Of The Apes as we know it with always intriguing results. Someone once said that the hallmark of good short fiction is that it leaves you begging for more and this collection is full of such tales.
Tales From The Forbidden Zone is among the rarest species of anthologies. That's not just because it finally presents a collection of Planet Of The Apes short fiction but because of the sheer quality of the tales it presents. It is a book that expands and explores the Apes franchise in new and exciting ways, sometimes outside the box but it never ceases to be interesting. So if you are one of those with even a modicum of interest in classic Apes, this is an anthology for you.
Dare I say it: You might even go Ape for it.
January 8, 2018
Some of the short stories in this anthology are better than others, but on the whole it’s an incredibly strong collection of tales spanning the length of the classic Planet of the Apes film and television series. Indeed, there are so many plot holes filled and details shaded in from those original adventures that this book is close to a must-read for any fan of the franchise. Individual reviews below:
1) Unfired by Dan Abnett: This opening story focusing on a group of underground mutants helps set up the events of Beneath the Planet of the Apes. It’s a welcome fleshing-out of the mutant culture, and the story as a whole is suffused with a sad dignity. A great contribution to the Apes mythos. 5 / 5 stars.
2) More Than Human, Less Than Ape by Nancy A. Collins: A fairly straightforward story in which a young Cornelius discovers a tribe of savage baboons, the first known monkeys with the power of speech. That’s some neat worldbuilding, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. 3 / 5 stars.
3) Blood Brothers by Will Murray: Clumsy writing and a pretty racist attitude towards Native Americans, which is inexcusable for a book that came out in 2017. And it’s a shame, because this is one of the few stories in the volume to involve characters from the 1974 live-action TV show, and it would have been great to finally get a decent plot with that set of characters. Instead this reads like a bad missing episode of an already-bad TV show. 1 / 5 stars.
4) The Pacing Place by Bob Mayer: Finicky fans might not like that this story takes place outside of the proper canonical timeline of the film series, imagining a different future for astronaut George Taylor than the one seen in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. But alternate timelines and parallel worlds have always been part of the Apes franchise, and this story is a solid, reflective piece on how human society might have developed under Taylor away from the apes across the Forbidden Zone. It’s a lot like the classic post-apocalyptic novel Earth Abides as he struggles to describe his old reality to the new children who have grown up in a radically different world, and a neat look at what could have been. 4 / 5 stars.
5) Murderers’ Row by John Jackson Miller: Escape from the Planet of the Apes has a very different energy to it than the other films in the series, and this story taps into that comic vibe quite nicely. Its tale of a TV producer trying to arrange for Zira and Cornelius to appear on a new variety show amidst the events of Escape is fun, albeit somewhat inconsequential. 3 / 5 stars.
6) Endangered Species by Greg Cox: One of the basic thrills of the Planet of the Apes series has always been in the reversal of humanity’s accustomed dominance over our closest primate relatives, and this story delivers that inversion in spades. Set decades before the first movie (with the cameo of a newborn Zaius), it casts an idealistic chimp naturalist in the Dian Fossey role of studying wild humans and attempting to save them from gorilla poachers. She’s a great character, and this look at her struggle adds a nice depth to our understanding of Ape City society. 4 / 5 stars.
7) Dangerous Imaginings by Paul Kupperberg: Another what-if story that ignores Beneath the Planet of the Apes to depict ape society sometime after the first movie. In it, chimp scientists find some of Taylor’s old technical equipment and run afoul of the government censors who insist that all technology must spring from ape knowledge, not human. It’s a fine idea, but the story never really justifies its deviation from the movie timeline, and the characters are little more than a sketch. 2 / 5 stars.
8) Of Monsters and Men by Kevin J. Anderson and Sam Knight: A talking dinosaur is kind of a strange fit for the Planet of the Apes franchise, but the authors of this story about Dr. Zaius’s first expedition into the Forbidden Zone just about make it work. Their version of the jaded doctor as an idealistic young orangutan lends some intriguing shading to his familiar character from the movies, as we see how similar he was to Zira and Cornelius before surviving the events depicted here. The fact that those events include the brutal spectacle of a raptor attack in no way detracts from the engaging character work — but I’m still not sure one of the creatures needed to talk. 3 / 5 stars
9) The Unknown Ape by Andrew E.C. Gaska: This one’s a little cartoonish, but that’s only fitting for a story that draws so heavily on the animated Return to the Planet of the Apes TV show. It seeks to address once and for all why the world depicted in that series differs so drastically from that of the original movies, and the answer it proposes is audacious but more or less plausible. Time travel, alternate timelines, and a poignant end to a beloved character? I’m not the biggest fan of the cartoon show, but this story has everything I love about the Apes franchise as a whole. 4 / 5 stars
10) Silenced by Jim Beard: At first this story seems like a disjointed series of vignettes from across Apes history, ranging from a scene of Taylor before leaving earth to the aftermath of Caesar’s rebellion in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes to humans losing their ability to speak in the time before the original film. They all tie together in surprising fashion in the end, though, and the individual pieces are brief but strong. 4 / 5 stars
11) Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Os He? by Robert Greenberger: Another story set during the live-action TV show, this time bringing some pathos to the villainous General Urko. The insight into his motivations fleshes out what had been a fairly one-dimensional character on screen, while also resolving a slight plot hole from the pilot episode. 3 / 5 stars
12) Stone Monkey by Greg Keyes: Easily the best-told story in the book, and a delightful expansion of the Apes world. The main character is a clever trickster of a siamang, and the story is set in China, where ape society apparently developed somewhat differently than in all the familiar North American settings for this franchise. I would read a whole novel-length treatment of this story in a heartbeat. 5 / 5 stars
13) Milo’s Tale by Ty Templeton: The long-awaited backstory of Dr. Milo, the chimpanzee genius who single-handedly discovers time travel and allows the Planet of the Apes franchise to continue past the bleak apocalypse of the second film. I’m docking a point for the fact that we don’t get to see that discovery here, but Milo’s origin on a human-free continent where his technologically-advanced nation of chimps wages war against gorillas is utterly fascinating. This is another story I’d love to see expanded in some fashion. 4 / 5 stars
14) Message in a Bottle by Dayton Ward: The live-action Planet of the Apes TV show ended without a proper finale, and although this story doesn’t quite fulfill that function, it offers more resolution to the ongoing plot of the series than the show itself ever did. It’s also just a strong, satisfying piece of storytelling that avoids the show’s usual foibles. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one. 4 / 5 stars
15) The King is Dead — Long Live the King by Rich Handley: There’s always been an open question as to the meaning of the Lawgiver’s tears at the end of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, and whether this go-around will ultimately result in peace among species or in the bloodshed and inequality that greeted Taylor at the start. Reopening that ambiguity is a tricky proposition, and I’m not sure that this story ultimately brings anything fresh to the matter. As nice as it is to check in on Caesar late in life, pursuing peace with his former enemies, it’s not nearly as weighty as the conclusion of Battle itself. 3 / 5 stars
16) Banana Republic by Jonathan Maberry: There’s a darkness that creeps up on you in this final story, which at first just seems like the usual business of apes discovering advanced human relics and not being as surprised as they should be if they truly believed in their Sacred Scrolls. But the ending moments have a real bite to them, and a stark reminder of the ruthlessness of this world. It’s the perfect note for this book to go out on, with shivers to last until the next anthology gets written. 4 / 5 stars
1) Unfired by Dan Abnett: This opening story focusing on a group of underground mutants helps set up the events of Beneath the Planet of the Apes. It’s a welcome fleshing-out of the mutant culture, and the story as a whole is suffused with a sad dignity. A great contribution to the Apes mythos. 5 / 5 stars.
2) More Than Human, Less Than Ape by Nancy A. Collins: A fairly straightforward story in which a young Cornelius discovers a tribe of savage baboons, the first known monkeys with the power of speech. That’s some neat worldbuilding, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. 3 / 5 stars.
3) Blood Brothers by Will Murray: Clumsy writing and a pretty racist attitude towards Native Americans, which is inexcusable for a book that came out in 2017. And it’s a shame, because this is one of the few stories in the volume to involve characters from the 1974 live-action TV show, and it would have been great to finally get a decent plot with that set of characters. Instead this reads like a bad missing episode of an already-bad TV show. 1 / 5 stars.
4) The Pacing Place by Bob Mayer: Finicky fans might not like that this story takes place outside of the proper canonical timeline of the film series, imagining a different future for astronaut George Taylor than the one seen in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. But alternate timelines and parallel worlds have always been part of the Apes franchise, and this story is a solid, reflective piece on how human society might have developed under Taylor away from the apes across the Forbidden Zone. It’s a lot like the classic post-apocalyptic novel Earth Abides as he struggles to describe his old reality to the new children who have grown up in a radically different world, and a neat look at what could have been. 4 / 5 stars.
5) Murderers’ Row by John Jackson Miller: Escape from the Planet of the Apes has a very different energy to it than the other films in the series, and this story taps into that comic vibe quite nicely. Its tale of a TV producer trying to arrange for Zira and Cornelius to appear on a new variety show amidst the events of Escape is fun, albeit somewhat inconsequential. 3 / 5 stars.
6) Endangered Species by Greg Cox: One of the basic thrills of the Planet of the Apes series has always been in the reversal of humanity’s accustomed dominance over our closest primate relatives, and this story delivers that inversion in spades. Set decades before the first movie (with the cameo of a newborn Zaius), it casts an idealistic chimp naturalist in the Dian Fossey role of studying wild humans and attempting to save them from gorilla poachers. She’s a great character, and this look at her struggle adds a nice depth to our understanding of Ape City society. 4 / 5 stars.
7) Dangerous Imaginings by Paul Kupperberg: Another what-if story that ignores Beneath the Planet of the Apes to depict ape society sometime after the first movie. In it, chimp scientists find some of Taylor’s old technical equipment and run afoul of the government censors who insist that all technology must spring from ape knowledge, not human. It’s a fine idea, but the story never really justifies its deviation from the movie timeline, and the characters are little more than a sketch. 2 / 5 stars.
8) Of Monsters and Men by Kevin J. Anderson and Sam Knight: A talking dinosaur is kind of a strange fit for the Planet of the Apes franchise, but the authors of this story about Dr. Zaius’s first expedition into the Forbidden Zone just about make it work. Their version of the jaded doctor as an idealistic young orangutan lends some intriguing shading to his familiar character from the movies, as we see how similar he was to Zira and Cornelius before surviving the events depicted here. The fact that those events include the brutal spectacle of a raptor attack in no way detracts from the engaging character work — but I’m still not sure one of the creatures needed to talk. 3 / 5 stars
9) The Unknown Ape by Andrew E.C. Gaska: This one’s a little cartoonish, but that’s only fitting for a story that draws so heavily on the animated Return to the Planet of the Apes TV show. It seeks to address once and for all why the world depicted in that series differs so drastically from that of the original movies, and the answer it proposes is audacious but more or less plausible. Time travel, alternate timelines, and a poignant end to a beloved character? I’m not the biggest fan of the cartoon show, but this story has everything I love about the Apes franchise as a whole. 4 / 5 stars
10) Silenced by Jim Beard: At first this story seems like a disjointed series of vignettes from across Apes history, ranging from a scene of Taylor before leaving earth to the aftermath of Caesar’s rebellion in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes to humans losing their ability to speak in the time before the original film. They all tie together in surprising fashion in the end, though, and the individual pieces are brief but strong. 4 / 5 stars
11) Who Is This Man? What Sort of Devil Os He? by Robert Greenberger: Another story set during the live-action TV show, this time bringing some pathos to the villainous General Urko. The insight into his motivations fleshes out what had been a fairly one-dimensional character on screen, while also resolving a slight plot hole from the pilot episode. 3 / 5 stars
12) Stone Monkey by Greg Keyes: Easily the best-told story in the book, and a delightful expansion of the Apes world. The main character is a clever trickster of a siamang, and the story is set in China, where ape society apparently developed somewhat differently than in all the familiar North American settings for this franchise. I would read a whole novel-length treatment of this story in a heartbeat. 5 / 5 stars
13) Milo’s Tale by Ty Templeton: The long-awaited backstory of Dr. Milo, the chimpanzee genius who single-handedly discovers time travel and allows the Planet of the Apes franchise to continue past the bleak apocalypse of the second film. I’m docking a point for the fact that we don’t get to see that discovery here, but Milo’s origin on a human-free continent where his technologically-advanced nation of chimps wages war against gorillas is utterly fascinating. This is another story I’d love to see expanded in some fashion. 4 / 5 stars
14) Message in a Bottle by Dayton Ward: The live-action Planet of the Apes TV show ended without a proper finale, and although this story doesn’t quite fulfill that function, it offers more resolution to the ongoing plot of the series than the show itself ever did. It’s also just a strong, satisfying piece of storytelling that avoids the show’s usual foibles. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one. 4 / 5 stars
15) The King is Dead — Long Live the King by Rich Handley: There’s always been an open question as to the meaning of the Lawgiver’s tears at the end of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, and whether this go-around will ultimately result in peace among species or in the bloodshed and inequality that greeted Taylor at the start. Reopening that ambiguity is a tricky proposition, and I’m not sure that this story ultimately brings anything fresh to the matter. As nice as it is to check in on Caesar late in life, pursuing peace with his former enemies, it’s not nearly as weighty as the conclusion of Battle itself. 3 / 5 stars
16) Banana Republic by Jonathan Maberry: There’s a darkness that creeps up on you in this final story, which at first just seems like the usual business of apes discovering advanced human relics and not being as surprised as they should be if they truly believed in their Sacred Scrolls. But the ending moments have a real bite to them, and a stark reminder of the ruthlessness of this world. It’s the perfect note for this book to go out on, with shivers to last until the next anthology gets written. 4 / 5 stars
February 14, 2017
A great collection of short stories that spans the Apes universe, from the old movies, to the TV show, to the new movies. If you're a fan of the Apes franchise, there's a lot to like here.
March 21, 2017
A very enjoyable read, growing up in the Seventies the film and subsequent TV series was part of my sci fi education and this collection of short stories took me back to those days of innocence and wonder of all things Apes.
This collection of stories doesn't diminish the impact and importance of the recent reimagining of the films as who can say that there isn't multiple time lines at play within the Apes universe or is it a multi verse that we are watching or reading?
This collection of stories doesn't diminish the impact and importance of the recent reimagining of the films as who can say that there isn't multiple time lines at play within the Apes universe or is it a multi verse that we are watching or reading?
October 1, 2025
While I'm definitely a fan of the classic Planet of the Apes movies, I wasn't expecting this collection of short stories in that continuity to be my second five star read of the year. After all, the films themselves are somewhat inconsistent in quality and while I've liked the spinoff material I've read, none of it has hit that absolutely amazing level. But somehow this collection was just so consistently enjoyable that I can't not rate it five stars.
The thing with short story collections is that usually, even in the ones I really enjoy, there's a dud story or two. In fact I've found that sometimes even a collection I'm really enjoying will leave a bad taste in my mouth with a lousy final story. That never happened here. There are decidedly stories I didn't love as much as others, but all of them were enjoyable, satisfactory riffs on the original movies and TV show.
Many of the stories act to fill in gaps. There's tales of how the mutants got the launch codes for the alpha-omega bomb, early adventures of characters like Cornelius, and a neat story about a failed attempt between the mutants and the apes and humans twenty years after Battle. There's also stories that add new adventures for the TV show characters, including one that points towards a potential way for them to finally escape and return to their own time. And while I actually haven't yet watched the TV show, those stories reminded me I needed to and I never felt like I was lost or unable to enjoy them. Speaking of TV, there's a great story of a man trying to get Cornelius and Zira onto a variety show during the events of Escape. It's a really fun angle on one of my favorite parts of the saga. And while I think Death of the Planet of the Apes takes a different tack, I enjoyed a story exploring the backstory of Doctor Milo, showing him as a scientist from an all chimpanzee society that is much more technological. It's another neat bit of worldbuilding I'd love to see used more.
But the highlights for me might be the three not exactly canon stories. Two of these depict the human and ape sides of what might've happened if the events of Beneath never occurred. In one, Taylor and Nova escape past the Forbidden Zone and find a place to restart civilization. Over time, more feral humans join them and Taylor is slowly able to educate the future people and create new hope for humanity. It's reminiscent of one of the early story ideas for Beneath and the story is told really well, making me wish this was how things went. Especially because there's an equally intriguing story of the Ape side of things, where a young ape uses equipment left by Taylor to make new scientific discoveries. While he hopes to keep his work secret, he's discovered and inducted into a secret ape organization that acts to control the flow of technology into ape society. It's a really neat idea and I'd love to see these apes come into contact with Taylor's new humans.
The final non-canon story is write by Andrew Gaska, and where his two novels act to fill in a number of gaps in continuity, this is instead a wild off the walls ride. Caesar, MacDonald, and Virgil have become so concerned about the fate of the Earth that they ride up and down the highway of time, trying to avert disaster wherever they can. This story brings them into contact with the apes and humans of the cartoon (making this the only story to involve that continuity) and acts as a sort of "what if" scenario for Beneath, with our heroes working together to defeat the Alpha-Omega bomb. It's a great concept and I'm not surprised that the RPG references it as an inspiration for a time travel campaign.
Over all, this is definitely the most fun thing I've read during my spate of Planet of the Apes related stuff. Everyone here has done a great job of exploring and expanding on the films and other prior material and coming up with fascinating, exciting new stuff. Really, the only downside I can think of is it's been the better part of a decade and somehow there hasn't been a follow up anthology.
The thing with short story collections is that usually, even in the ones I really enjoy, there's a dud story or two. In fact I've found that sometimes even a collection I'm really enjoying will leave a bad taste in my mouth with a lousy final story. That never happened here. There are decidedly stories I didn't love as much as others, but all of them were enjoyable, satisfactory riffs on the original movies and TV show.
Many of the stories act to fill in gaps. There's tales of how the mutants got the launch codes for the alpha-omega bomb, early adventures of characters like Cornelius, and a neat story about a failed attempt between the mutants and the apes and humans twenty years after Battle. There's also stories that add new adventures for the TV show characters, including one that points towards a potential way for them to finally escape and return to their own time. And while I actually haven't yet watched the TV show, those stories reminded me I needed to and I never felt like I was lost or unable to enjoy them. Speaking of TV, there's a great story of a man trying to get Cornelius and Zira onto a variety show during the events of Escape. It's a really fun angle on one of my favorite parts of the saga. And while I think Death of the Planet of the Apes takes a different tack, I enjoyed a story exploring the backstory of Doctor Milo, showing him as a scientist from an all chimpanzee society that is much more technological. It's another neat bit of worldbuilding I'd love to see used more.
But the highlights for me might be the three not exactly canon stories. Two of these depict the human and ape sides of what might've happened if the events of Beneath never occurred. In one, Taylor and Nova escape past the Forbidden Zone and find a place to restart civilization. Over time, more feral humans join them and Taylor is slowly able to educate the future people and create new hope for humanity. It's reminiscent of one of the early story ideas for Beneath and the story is told really well, making me wish this was how things went. Especially because there's an equally intriguing story of the Ape side of things, where a young ape uses equipment left by Taylor to make new scientific discoveries. While he hopes to keep his work secret, he's discovered and inducted into a secret ape organization that acts to control the flow of technology into ape society. It's a really neat idea and I'd love to see these apes come into contact with Taylor's new humans.
The final non-canon story is write by Andrew Gaska, and where his two novels act to fill in a number of gaps in continuity, this is instead a wild off the walls ride. Caesar, MacDonald, and Virgil have become so concerned about the fate of the Earth that they ride up and down the highway of time, trying to avert disaster wherever they can. This story brings them into contact with the apes and humans of the cartoon (making this the only story to involve that continuity) and acts as a sort of "what if" scenario for Beneath, with our heroes working together to defeat the Alpha-Omega bomb. It's a great concept and I'm not surprised that the RPG references it as an inspiration for a time travel campaign.
Over all, this is definitely the most fun thing I've read during my spate of Planet of the Apes related stuff. Everyone here has done a great job of exploring and expanding on the films and other prior material and coming up with fascinating, exciting new stuff. Really, the only downside I can think of is it's been the better part of a decade and somehow there hasn't been a follow up anthology.
March 31, 2019
Most of the stories in this collection were written by folks with substantial experience writing comic books, and I didn’t even need the author bios at the end of the book to tell me that.
I have no objection to comic books – in fact, I love comic books. I’ve been reading them for 40+ years. Though I tend to look for a little more depth in my reading today, I still enjoy a well-written and well-illustrated story occasionally.
And there’s the issue with this collection of non-illustrated stories. They should be illustrated.
A straight prose story is a different kind of animal than an illustrated story. In a comic book (graphic tale for you high-falutin’ types out there), the pictures are integral to the story (OK – in a GOOD comic book the pictures are integral to the story). They don’t just give you a picture of the action, they act in harmony with the prose, adding in details of plot and characterization, giving tone and mood, providing a visual flow. This frees the words up to do their own thing (what that thing is varies from comic to comic, of course). If you took separated the words from the pictures you would have two different and equally incomplete versions of the story. The pictures themselves would operate as a sort of silent movie, which is not inherently a bad thing but try watching a talkie with the sound muted. It just ain't the same.
On the other hand, if you had the words without the pictures, you would have the bare bones of the plot – no real characterization, no depth of thought or emotion. Indeed, you would have a script without a movie, a bland reading of basic facts and statements with nothing behind them to make you fell or think or enjoy, nothing to move you or tale you away.
You would have this collection.
I have no objection to comic books – in fact, I love comic books. I’ve been reading them for 40+ years. Though I tend to look for a little more depth in my reading today, I still enjoy a well-written and well-illustrated story occasionally.
And there’s the issue with this collection of non-illustrated stories. They should be illustrated.
A straight prose story is a different kind of animal than an illustrated story. In a comic book (graphic tale for you high-falutin’ types out there), the pictures are integral to the story (OK – in a GOOD comic book the pictures are integral to the story). They don’t just give you a picture of the action, they act in harmony with the prose, adding in details of plot and characterization, giving tone and mood, providing a visual flow. This frees the words up to do their own thing (what that thing is varies from comic to comic, of course). If you took separated the words from the pictures you would have two different and equally incomplete versions of the story. The pictures themselves would operate as a sort of silent movie, which is not inherently a bad thing but try watching a talkie with the sound muted. It just ain't the same.
On the other hand, if you had the words without the pictures, you would have the bare bones of the plot – no real characterization, no depth of thought or emotion. Indeed, you would have a script without a movie, a bland reading of basic facts and statements with nothing behind them to make you fell or think or enjoy, nothing to move you or tale you away.
You would have this collection.
January 24, 2025
A really fun anthology set in the Planet of the Apes universe. Or, rather, the Planet of the Apes multiverse. Stories are set in the world of the original five movies, the TV series and even the animated Saturday morning series. There's even a fun story ("The Unknown Ape," by Andrew E.C. Gaska) uses time travel and alternate histories to mix together characters from the different movies/shows.
I enjoyed all the stories here, so listing personal favorites is subjective. That said, I particularly liked:
"Milo's Tale," by Ty Templeton, in which we find out just how Milo, Cornelius and Zira (the three apes who traveled back in time in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes") were able to salvage and repair Taylor's spaceship.
"The Pacing Place," by Bob Mayer, a heartfelt alternate history in which Taylor and Nova ride in a different direction after leaving the Statue of Liberty and find a completly different future.
"The King is Dead--Long Live the King," by Rich Handley is set several decades after "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and involves Caesar's attempts to make a permanent peace with the mutants in the Forbidden Zone.
"Message in a Bottle," by Dayton Ward, gives Virdon and Burke (the time-lost astronauts from the TV series) real hope of one day getting home.
As I said, these are just my personal favorites. The anthology as a whole is great and establishes that the Planet of the Apes is still a source of great storytelling.
I enjoyed all the stories here, so listing personal favorites is subjective. That said, I particularly liked:
"Milo's Tale," by Ty Templeton, in which we find out just how Milo, Cornelius and Zira (the three apes who traveled back in time in "Escape from the Planet of the Apes") were able to salvage and repair Taylor's spaceship.
"The Pacing Place," by Bob Mayer, a heartfelt alternate history in which Taylor and Nova ride in a different direction after leaving the Statue of Liberty and find a completly different future.
"The King is Dead--Long Live the King," by Rich Handley is set several decades after "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and involves Caesar's attempts to make a permanent peace with the mutants in the Forbidden Zone.
"Message in a Bottle," by Dayton Ward, gives Virdon and Burke (the time-lost astronauts from the TV series) real hope of one day getting home.
As I said, these are just my personal favorites. The anthology as a whole is great and establishes that the Planet of the Apes is still a source of great storytelling.
November 17, 2021
Planet of the Apes…the very title makes my inner child giddy with excitement! I have been a fan of the franchise for fifty-one of my fifty-six years. I have seen every movie, television show, and cartoon. In the 1970’s I collected the oversize black and white comic book (I wish I could go back in time and get them!). To say I am a fan is an understatement.
Then I found Planet of the Apes: Tales From the Forbidden Zone, an anthology containing sixteen stories dealing with my beloved Ape franchise. Each story deals with different aspects of the franchise and is a must-read for any PLANET OF THE APES fan. In this book, you will find stories that tell why the humans are silent, why the apes hate humans, a couple of “what-if ?” tales, and stories that go from the movie series to the television series. It is apparent that the contributors to this anthology are ape fans as well. Each story is thought-provoking and entertaining.
For me, this was a perfect anthology. I would like to say I found fault anywhere, and maybe it is bias on my part due to my love of the franchise, but each story is handled with respect for the series and it is apparent that the authors are fans as well. This book is a love letter to any Planet of the Apes fan and if you are new to the franchise, this book will draw you into the family of fans worldwide.
I give this 5 bookmarks out of 5!
Then I found Planet of the Apes: Tales From the Forbidden Zone, an anthology containing sixteen stories dealing with my beloved Ape franchise. Each story deals with different aspects of the franchise and is a must-read for any PLANET OF THE APES fan. In this book, you will find stories that tell why the humans are silent, why the apes hate humans, a couple of “what-if ?” tales, and stories that go from the movie series to the television series. It is apparent that the contributors to this anthology are ape fans as well. Each story is thought-provoking and entertaining.
For me, this was a perfect anthology. I would like to say I found fault anywhere, and maybe it is bias on my part due to my love of the franchise, but each story is handled with respect for the series and it is apparent that the authors are fans as well. This book is a love letter to any Planet of the Apes fan and if you are new to the franchise, this book will draw you into the family of fans worldwide.
I give this 5 bookmarks out of 5!
August 15, 2017
A solid anthology of tales set in the world(s) of the original Planet of the Apes franchise. Most of the stories are pretty good, with a few that rise above the rest, and a few that are a little weaker (but still fairly good). One minor complaint, however, is that a lot of stories follow a template of "ape finds out some dark secret about ape history and bad things happen". There are enough variations to keep it interesting, but it would have been nice to see less of that particular plot.
My favorite stories included "The Pacing Place" (an alternate fate for Taylor), "Dangerous Imaginings" (what if the world hadn't burned at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes?), and "Stone Monkey" (ape civilization in China; my favorite in the anthology). The slightly weaker stories in my view include "Blood Brothers" (about the fate of Native Americans in the ape future), "Of Monsters and Men" (which reveals some unexpected strands of lost human super-science), and "The Unknown Ape" (big crossover between the various original Apes continuities that reads like a fun but overeager fanfic). (B+)
My favorite stories included "The Pacing Place" (an alternate fate for Taylor), "Dangerous Imaginings" (what if the world hadn't burned at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes?), and "Stone Monkey" (ape civilization in China; my favorite in the anthology). The slightly weaker stories in my view include "Blood Brothers" (about the fate of Native Americans in the ape future), "Of Monsters and Men" (which reveals some unexpected strands of lost human super-science), and "The Unknown Ape" (big crossover between the various original Apes continuities that reads like a fun but overeager fanfic). (B+)
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