Early Life and Education
Zicree was born in Santa Monica, California, and later attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in painting, sculpture, and graphic arts.1 The visual arts background informed a career spent constructing vivid, image-driven storytelling across both prose and screen.
Career
Zicree broke into television writing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, contributing to animated series including The Smurfs, Super Friends, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and Captain Power. During the same period he researched and wrote The Twilight Zone Companion (Bantam Books, 1982),2 a comprehensive episode-by-episode study of Rod Serling's classic anthology series that required five years of research and interviews with many of the original writers and directors.1 The book sold over half a million copies, received an American Book Award nomination in 1983, and was named one of The New York Times' ten "Science Fiction Books for the Ages" in 2006.3 It is widely credited with creating the modern genre of books on individual TV series and has been cited as a formative influence on writers and creators including J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof.3 A revised second edition appeared in 1989, and a third edition was later published by Silman-James Press.13
Through the late 1980s and 1990s Zicree expanded into live-action drama. He served as story editor on Friday the 13th: The Series (1987-90)1 and wrote teleplays for prestige genre dramas including Beauty and the Beast and Forever Knight. He contributed to Star Trek: The Next Generation, providing the story for the fourth-season episode "First Contact,"4 and later wrote the story for the acclaimed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine sixth-season episode "Far Beyond the Stars."5 He also wrote for Babylon 5 and produced Sliders during its Sci-Fi Channel run (1998-99).6
As a novelist, Zicree authored the Magic Time fantasy trilogy (HarperCollins, 2002-2005), co-written with Barbara Hambly, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, and Robert Charles Wilson.1 He later co-wrote Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities.6
Alongside his television career Zicree has served as an NPR commentator on Morning Edition for three years6 and has been cited as a media expert by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Variety. He has won the Hamptons Prize and both the Rondo and Saturn awards, and was recognized as a 2014 WGA Diversity Honoree.6
Zicree also founded The Table, a support community for entertainment industry professionals that has operated for more than two decades at no charge to members.6
Space Command
Beginning around 2012, Zicree launched an independent crowdfunded science fiction film series called Space Command, raising over $220,000 through Kickstarter.7 Writing, directing, and producing alongside his wife Elaine Zicree, the project assembled a cast of genre veterans including Doug Jones, Armin Shimerman, Mira Furlan, Bill Mumy, Robert Picardo, Bruce Boxleitner, and Ethan Phillips. The first feature, Space Command: Redemption, was released in 2024.7
Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
Zicree wrote four episodes of The Real Ghostbusters animated series:
On The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection DVD box set, Zicree recorded introductions for his episodes. For "Lights! Camera! Haunting!" he described visiting the MGM Studios back lot before it was demolished and explained that the experience directly inspired the episode. For "Look Homeward, Ray" he revealed the episode drew on classic Twilight Zone stories in which a character returns to their hometown only to find things have gone strangely wrong, a theme central to his own writing sensibility. Zicree is credited as a commentator on the box set.
Personal Life
Zicree is married to Elaine Zicree, who is a writer and producer and his creative partner on Space Command. The couple resides in West Hollywood, California, and operates a writing critique service together.
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"Zicree, Marc Scott 1955," Encyclopedia.com, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zicree-marc-scott-1955
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Zicree, Marc Scott (1982). The Twilight Zone Companion. Bantam Books, New York NY USA. ISBN 9780553014167.
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Silman-James Press, "The Twilight Zone Companion, 3rd Edition," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/tv/the-twilight-zone-companion-3rd-edition/. "Over half million copies sold to date... named one of ten 'Science Fiction for the Ages' by The New York Times (2006)... credited with creating the modern genre of books on TV series and inspiring a generation of series creators and filmmakers, including J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof." Silman-James Press, Beverly Hills CA. ISBN 9781935247173.
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"First Contact (Star Trek: The Next Generation)," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Contact_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
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"Far Beyond the Stars," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Beyond_the_Stars
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Silman-James Press, "Marc Scott Zicree," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.silmanjamespress.com/authors/marc-scott-zicree/
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"Marc Scott Zicree," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Scott_Zicree. "Raised funds of $75,000 (its initial goal) in three days, and went on to raise over $220,000."
