Having Rod Serling as a father makes for plenty of good memories, as well as some terrifying nightmares.

The Twilight Zone creator's daughter, Anne Serling, discussed what it was like growing up with Serling in her book, As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling.

In her book, Serling explained that although her father was known for his hair-raising science-fiction stories, he was actually warm and loving in person.

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Anne Serline's father began working on The Twilight Zone when she was still young, which meant that occasionally, her father's personal and professional lives collided, like when he brought an interesting prop home from set.

"My dad brings home one of the props, 'Willy,' the ventriloquist's dummy from the episode called 'The Dummy,' starring Cliff Robertson as an alcoholic, paranoid ventriloquist."

If you remember "The Dummy," you know that it's one of the creepier episodes of The Twilight Zone. The episode has an ending that we won't spoil here, but it's the sort of thing that sticks in your brain long after the episode is through.

However, it seems that the Serling family had a lovely weekend with Willy, as Anne Serling told it.

"Throughout the weekend, Willy sits on my father's knee," wrote the younger Serling. "My dad, acting the part of the ventriloquist, animates him, making him move and talk and gesture, bringing him to life for Jodi and me. I remember Willy propped up, sitting at the dinner table with us, and later covering him up for bed. We are only able to keep him for a couple of days and are sad when he has to return to the studio."

Anne was later shocked when she saw Willy once more, this time as the antagonist on her father's show.

"When I finally see this episode, my view of Willy completely changes," wrote Serling. "He is controlling and malevolent, keeping the increasingly crazed Jerry in his thrall... I think about this weird and chilling story and the darker, sinister side of the human beings my dad often explores."