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Doorways
Aurora Award Finalist
Dr. Lucius Rainer, head of research at GenTech, is dead. But to Jack, it seems that his old mentor still lives on through his house. Certainly, Rainer’s strange island retreat exudes the personality of its late owner: isolated and eccentric, brooding and uninviting. But when GenTech learns that the house holds a working model of Rainer’s final project, Jack discovers that the house shares one other trait with its former owner.
Dangerous.
The house will open only to Jack’s biometrics, and will only allow two very specific people to accompany him: Wendy, Jack’s now ex-wife, and Deak Sanderson, Wendy’s new lover and Jack’s former rival at GenTech. As the three of them explore the house and its secrets, Jack discovers that some doors—in this house and in life—should never be opened.
Science Fiction, contemporary (novelette)
“A couple months ago I was introduced to Douglas Smith by way of his collected short stories, Impossibilia. So I was looking forward to his story 'Doorways' and was not disappointed. ... This story has a cunningly satisfying conclusion. I find a good short story falls into two categories: There is the complete story, the novel miniaturised, which is a nearly perfect art form. These are hard to capture but constantly illustrated by such writers as Douglas Smith.” —SF Crowsnest Book Reviews
“…is based on an interesting concept … The puzzles [in the story] and the final invention that they hint at are intriguing … Smith ties [the story's] denouement’s metaphorical significance in well with the technological concept at the center of the plot.” —The Fix
Dr. Lucius Rainer, head of research at GenTech, is dead. But to Jack, it seems that his old mentor still lives on through his house. Certainly, Rainer’s strange island retreat exudes the personality of its late owner: isolated and eccentric, brooding and uninviting. But when GenTech learns that the house holds a working model of Rainer’s final project, Jack discovers that the house shares one other trait with its former owner.
Dangerous.
The house will open only to Jack’s biometrics, and will only allow two very specific people to accompany him: Wendy, Jack’s now ex-wife, and Deak Sanderson, Wendy’s new lover and Jack’s former rival at GenTech. As the three of them explore the house and its secrets, Jack discovers that some doors—in this house and in life—should never be opened.
Science Fiction, contemporary (novelette)
“A couple months ago I was introduced to Douglas Smith by way of his collected short stories, Impossibilia. So I was looking forward to his story 'Doorways' and was not disappointed. ... This story has a cunningly satisfying conclusion. I find a good short story falls into two categories: There is the complete story, the novel miniaturised, which is a nearly perfect art form. These are hard to capture but constantly illustrated by such writers as Douglas Smith.” —SF Crowsnest Book Reviews
“…is based on an interesting concept … The puzzles [in the story] and the final invention that they hint at are intriguing … Smith ties [the story's] denouement’s metaphorical significance in well with the technological concept at the center of the plot.” —The Fix
53 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2011
About the author
Douglas Smith
51 books206 followersDouglas Smith is a multi-award-winning author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction.”
His latest work is the multi-award-winning YA urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition). Other books include the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World; the collections, Chimerascope, Impossibilia, and La Danse des Esprits (translated); and the writer's guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.
His short fiction has appeared in the top markets in the field, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, InterZone, Weird Tales, Baen’s Universe, Escape Pod, On Spec, and Cicada.
Published in 27 languages, Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award, most recently in 2023 for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. He's been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.
Buy Doug's books
Follow Doug on Amazon
His latest work is the multi-award-winning YA urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition). Other books include the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World; the collections, Chimerascope, Impossibilia, and La Danse des Esprits (translated); and the writer's guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.
His short fiction has appeared in the top markets in the field, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, InterZone, Weird Tales, Baen’s Universe, Escape Pod, On Spec, and Cicada.
Published in 27 languages, Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award, most recently in 2023 for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. He's been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.
Buy Doug's books
Follow Doug on Amazon
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 18, 2021
I could not put this story down!
When Rainer, an eccentric researcher, dies his assistant Jack is called upon to open Rainer's house because the folks at GenTech think they have the rights to Rainer's work. The only trouble is, no one knows the house is a real-life example of Rainer's last project...a project that just might kill you. It's up to Jack to figure out what the house wants so he can get out alive, but will he also help his ex-wife and her lover escape the dangers within? Better ask the mice.
This story kept me turning the pages due to the sheer cleverness and the author constantly piquing my curiosity. And while it is a little technical, the technical bits were handled perfectly. I was expecting a little something different from the ending, but what actually happened was even more satisfying than I'd hoped.
When Rainer, an eccentric researcher, dies his assistant Jack is called upon to open Rainer's house because the folks at GenTech think they have the rights to Rainer's work. The only trouble is, no one knows the house is a real-life example of Rainer's last project...a project that just might kill you. It's up to Jack to figure out what the house wants so he can get out alive, but will he also help his ex-wife and her lover escape the dangers within? Better ask the mice.
This story kept me turning the pages due to the sheer cleverness and the author constantly piquing my curiosity. And while it is a little technical, the technical bits were handled perfectly. I was expecting a little something different from the ending, but what actually happened was even more satisfying than I'd hoped.
July 20, 2020
I loved the comparison the author made to Gormenghast. It immediately raises the house in this story to the same level as the other characters. Brilliantly done!
What if the choice of which door you take could change your life completely or even end it? Imagine a house, a genius scientist’s island retreat, as a sophisticated high-tech maze. The man is dead, but the research for all of his projects are still in his house.
Who will end up getting the product of this genius’s work? The man who was his assistant? The crooked head of the corporation some of these projects were financed by? Or will the house win? Taking all the secrets with it.
What if the choice of which door you take could change your life completely or even end it? Imagine a house, a genius scientist’s island retreat, as a sophisticated high-tech maze. The man is dead, but the research for all of his projects are still in his house.
Who will end up getting the product of this genius’s work? The man who was his assistant? The crooked head of the corporation some of these projects were financed by? Or will the house win? Taking all the secrets with it.
November 18, 2021
Whenever I read a new Douglas Smith story two thoughts always come to my mind. Firstly, what an imagination this writer has to come up with so many new and different settings and stories. Secondly, how each story feels so alive as if it’s part of a much wider world. By this point, having read so much of his work, I shouldn’t be surprised and I guess I’m not but I am impressed and certainly in awe. This particular story starts with a mouse, features some people, in awkward relationship situations, and has a very technologically advanced house at it’s centre. Where will it go? I kept wondering just that but won’t ruin it for future readers by explaining that here. As I always say with a Douglas Smith story, either short or long, just start reading it, don’t look for the blurb and reviews, just read it, he never disappoints. Simply, excellent.
November 28, 2024
This eerie short story is well written and it pulled me in with the first sentence. The tension kept me reading, as quickly as possible, straight through to the end. I love it, especially the mice.
Second reading: I throughly enjoyed the second reading.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook as a gift from the author and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.
Second reading: I throughly enjoyed the second reading.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook as a gift from the author and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.
October 30, 2014
Enjoyed this short story, as with the other's from Douglas Smith. Main character a nice geeky guy. Enjoyed the mice characters as well.
July 4, 2023
Doorways
Douglas Smith
Calling this Sci Fi does it a disservice. It’s much more.
The author shares my love of Mervyn Peake.
There’s a sinful streak in my nature that gets a malicious delight in seeing someone get back at the people who exploited him during his lifetime. And since he’s already dead he can’t be held accountable for those acts. Mad scientist indeed.
And the magic at work here is advanced artificial intelligence in a work published 15 years ago.
Douglas Smith
Calling this Sci Fi does it a disservice. It’s much more.
The author shares my love of Mervyn Peake.
There’s a sinful streak in my nature that gets a malicious delight in seeing someone get back at the people who exploited him during his lifetime. And since he’s already dead he can’t be held accountable for those acts. Mad scientist indeed.
And the magic at work here is advanced artificial intelligence in a work published 15 years ago.
November 2, 2024
Awesome.
What a story. An inventor dies and three people are the only ones that can enter the house. In order to exit the house a mathematical equation must be solved
What a story. An inventor dies and three people are the only ones that can enter the house. In order to exit the house a mathematical equation must be solved
November 24, 2021
I thought this was a novel when I purchased this, and now after I’ve read it, I’m kinda wishing it was. It wasn’t as much of a challenge as it could have been. But again, I should rate this on what it was, not what I wished it was. A very good twisty tale.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews