The Doors of the Universe

The Doors Of The Universe. Sylvia Louise Engdahl. New York: Atheneum, 1981. 262 pp.
This end to a series may be trademark 1980s sci-fi, but holds an interesting future. In this world, humanity is gone except for a colony on a metal-starved world, where water and food cause mutation if not treated, and without metal, the treatment machines can’t be repaired. As such, some people know when Doomsday is. These Scholars, a caste of scientists walled up in the only city, are dedicated to finding a way to synthesize metal… and into this world we place a most interesting plot. The Scholar Noren has lost his wife in childbirth. Searching for answers, he asks the city computer what might have caused it, and one result sticks out. “Teratogenic Damage.” At first, genetics is merely a hobby, and then he slowly becomes more interested until he has the key for human salvation. And then things get tricky. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys “hard” science fiction or socio-religious themes.
The Doors Of The Universe is good, but it has flaws. Noren goes from brilliant to naïve to demagogical in less than a page. Other characters are two-dimensional, such as Noren’s mentor, Stefred, who remains the wise, calm, patriarchal figure throughout. The only exception is the character Lianne, who is the center of several plot twists. However, it is also a well-thought-out story, with plot twists that seem blatantly obvious about a chapter after they’re done. Above all, the book possesses the one thing critical to a good science fiction novel, believability. Noren’s world seems quite real, with an understandable people. They are classic humanity; oblivious to danger, clinging to tradition, but always malleable if you know the trick. If the story has a moral, it’s that tools aren’t enough; you have to know how to use them. I heartily endorse this book. (8 out of 10)
Reviewed by Jim.