Other Voices, Other Doors [Paperback]

Patrick O'Leary (Author), Gene Wolfe (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001

OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS collects the best stories, poems and non-fiction of the last twenty years by Patrick O'Leary, acclaimed author of DOOR NUMBER THREE and THE GIFT. OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS is an unabashedly different book. It is a celebration of the inexhaustible shape-shifting power of stories.It is fantastic. It is mundane. And we are not in Kansas anymore. Disturbing, amusing, frank and original, OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS is Patrick O'Leary's first (and probably last) collection of writing. Foreword by Gene Wolfe.

Patrick O’Leary wants to tell you a story: about Van Morrison, and vasectomies, and the aliens who are us; about the way it feels - really feels - to be alive and loving and hurting in a world made of wonders. So pull up a chair, open this book: and listen. —Kathe Koja, author of Extremities

Other Voices, Other Doors is essential O’Leary-zany, serious, unclassifiable, and delightful. It reveals the many brilliant facets of a deeply humane and utterly original writer. —Kathleen Ann Goonan, author of Crescent City Rhapsody

Other Voices, Other Doors neatly captures the kaleidescopic nature of Patrick O’Leary’s imagination. Begin reading with any piece - short story, essay, poem - and when next you check the time you will find hours have flown like some impossible bird. A truly hypnotic collection. —Jeffrey Ford, author of The Physiognomy

From LOCUS Magazine, January 2001:

Though today's publishing field is making it harder and harder to find volumes devoted to shorter pieces, collections live on thanks to small presses and the burgeoning print-on-demand business. We should also be grateful to those masters of the field who are willing to support newcomers. Gene Wolfe provides an entertaining intro to Patrick O'Leary's Other Voices, Other Doors, subtitled "A Collection of Stories, Meditations, and Poems"...he shows us through one of those doors and introduces us to the work of an author "so damned human it's a wonder the man-eating sharks haven't come ashore to get him." An author, this reader can now report, whose quirky versatality and hidden depths remind me of none other than Gene Wolfe.

If I were really clever, I might be able to disguise this review as something other than a rave. But nah — Wolfe and O'Leary are the masters at that game. So I just urge you to take a look at Other Voices, Other Doors. You won't be disappointed. —Faren Miller, Locus

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS includes * A magical poetry-making device from Yugoslavia. * A computer therapist * Alternate John Lennons

* An amateur alien novelist who cannot sell his autobiography even when it's disguised as science fiction
* A not-too-distant future
* where 5 corporations own everything and religions have been replaced by brands
* A bat whose bite transforms an ordinary boy into a genius
* A Christmas story about murderers
* A poet who encounters his genetic duplicate
* A hit man who specializes in retribution for bad book reviews
* The Story of Job, starring Randy Newman.
* An unreleased secret MonicaGate tape
* The mystery of the greatest living writer
* The shocking truth behind DOOR NUMBER THREE
* A tennis match between Freud and Jung
* A graphic depiction of a promising author s vasectomy
* The strangest nudie bar on the planet
* A Cowboy Hospital Romance
* And Much, Much More!

About the Author

Patrick O'Leary was born in 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan. He graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from Wayne State University. His poetry, fiction and non-fiction have appeared in Magazines across North America. His first novel, Door Number Three, was chosen as "One of the best Science Fiction novels of 1995" by Publisher's Weekly. His second novel, The Gift, was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award, the Mythopoeic Award, and was chosen as "One of the best fantasy novels of 1997" by Publisher's Weekly. His novels have been translated into German, Japanese, French, Polish, and Braille. As an Associate Creative Director in Advertising he travels extensively, but as human he makes his home in Detroit with his wife and sons.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Fairwood Press, Inc; 1st edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966818431
• ISBN-13: 978-0966818437
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,792,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

PATRICK O'LEARY was born in Saginaw, Michigan. His poetry has appeared in Literary Magazines across North America. His first novel DOOR NUMBER THREE (TOR) was chosen by Publisher's Weekly as one of the best novels of the year. His second novel THE GIFT (TOR) was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and The Mythopoeic Award. His first collection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry was OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS (Fairwood Press). His third novel THE IMPOSSIBLE BIRD (TOR) made the preliminary shortlist for the Nebula Award. His latest collection of stories is THE BLACK HEART (PS Publishing). His short stories have appeared in MARS PROBES and INFINITY PLUS One, SCIFICTION.COM, TALEBONES and THE INFINITE MATRIX. His poetry was chosen for the 17th Annual THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR. His novels have been translated into German, Russian, Japanese, Polish, French and Braille. Until recently he was a Creative Director at an advertising agency. His work has won numerous industry awards. He has traveled extensively, but he makes his home near Detroit, Mich with his wife, artist, Sandra Rice. His homepage: http://web.mac.com/paddybon/ His Blog: http://patrickoleary.wordpress.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Patrick O'Leary's THE GIFT, November 21, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Other Voices, Other Doors (Paperback)

I love this book. At first when I heard we had to read an assigned book I thought oh great another boring book report, but I really enjoyed reading this one. The book, The Gift, was published in 1997 by the author Patrick O'Leary. It's very complicated and hard to summarize. It takes you through many different times and places, bringing an unruly team of an orphan, a king, and a Waterman (magical frog) together to triumph over an evil wizard and his accomplice at impossible odds. It is a network of many stories being told by the characters in other stories, interwoven to make one awesome novel.

The review I choose to respond to was written and published by Kate Nepveu on February 21, 1999. She named this book "an astonishing novel of and about stories." Her opinions of the book were all positive, but she thought it was "a book that neither summarizes well nor a book that should be spoiled." She claimed it was a science fantasy for mixing magic with technology, but with the two often confused. In summary, she said "The Gift is an elegant and interesting meditation on story, power, women, and the price one pays with regard to all of them."

I agree with most of the review. While at times it can be hard to follow, The Gift is the kind of book that can take your mind to places your body may never be able to get to. I agree with her (the author's) comment that the book carries some importance of female characters in it. The triumphing hero in the end was female; even the reason the antagonist became the antagonist was because of women. I agree totally with the review's comment on how the importance of women wasn't preached upon but was a natural undertone throughout the plot. After all, the book begins and ends with women with untold stories that cross other stories surrounding them, leaving much to the imagination.

One of the parts I liked in the book that this review touches on is the fact that you can't sum it up in just one story. Kate Nepveu said it the best with her comment that "This is a book about stories." There is the story of the Teller telling the sailors and their Captain another story, the story of Tim. Tim and Simon and Marty encounter many different people, who each have their own background stories and more to tell. It's kind of hard to follow until the last chapter and epilogue, where everything is explained. The review I chose labeled The Gift's many overlapping stories as having "an intricately nested effect that illuminates the world and its characters in a concise, elegant fashion." I agree wholeheartedly with that statement because though there are many things going on. The one story that contains all the others is explained by its contents. The little stories make the big picture, and that in turn made it a very interesting and good book to read.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that will make them think. It's not the kind of book you can read in bits and pieces; once you start it you won't want to stop. It's a modernized fairy tale full of dragons, wizards, people who can fly, frogmen, and anything your imagination can fathom. I guarantee it'll keep any reader enthralled till the very last word.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OtherWise, October 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Other Voices, Other Doors (Paperback)

"Other Voices, Other Doors" will introduce you to the work of Patrick O'Leary. The book is chock full of charm, wit, compassion, style, and voice. A wonderful collection. But what else should we expect from the author of the marvelously inventive novels, "Door Number Three" and "The Gift"?