Door Number Three [Paperback]

Unfortunately, that one poem was probably his best work. This book is an example of why I quit reading Sci Fi in the 70's. It reads like a bad nightmare (and I don't mean a nightmare that is so real it is scary - I mean a nightmare from which you wake up and go "HUH?").

There is no real discernable plot in this book. It shows no imagination whatsoever on the part of the author. The author substitutes the shock-value of vulgarity, in actions and language, for plot and character development. It provided no comedic relief, no real drama or pathos, and left me not caring what happened to the characters.

Someone here compared it to HHGTTG by Douglas Adams. No way! Douglas Adams provides class-act comedy. O'Leary doesn't even approach the level of Three Stooges comedy.

First off, I have to give credit where it is due. Lawrence Person told me to read this, and although we don't always agree on literature, Lawrence knows my taste in SF and can often identify books that I will enjoy (it was he who pointed me in the direction of Zod Wallop, I believe). This time Lawrence was number one with a bullet! Door Number Three pushes several of my buttons, most importantly the study of dreams and the fluctuation of reality.

The subject matter reminds me of Philip Dick. What is the nature of humanity? Why do we do the things we do? These are Dickian subjects (at least in the SF genre), and O'Leary tackles them within a framework that Dick might have used. However, the style with which he describes his world and ideas is what Dick would have used it he were still alive. Trying to describe this, I have to resort to the simple description of this as a 90s novel--in 20+ years time, we will be able to definitively identify this as being written shortly before the turn of the century.

The basic story concerns John Donnelly, a psychologist whose new client, Laura, claims to have been in contact with aliens and if she can convince one sane person of this, they will let her stay on earth. But the real story is about John himself, his life, his family, and his personal adaptation to life. As such, it is not "true" science fiction, or, at least, science fiction as it is assigned as a label by most people. If the fantastical elements were less, or if O'Leary had been a little more post-modern with his prose, this would have been the latest hip college novel, rather than a forgotten debut on the SF shelf.

It is a strong novel, which should appeal to most readers. Be open to it, however, because many things are not as they first seem. And at a little less than 400 pages, there's a lot of space for twists and turns.

The story is actually two stories in one; the first being a psychologist dealing with a patient who claims to be an alien, and the second being the psychologist having to confront messy family issues in an attempt to figure out why he is the way he is.

Overall, the writing is excellent and the story well-told and engaging. If you're the type that likes to ponder things this book is a great springboard to get you to poke around a bit in your own psyche to figure out what forces have shaped your own personality and perceptions.