Summary: In the near future, suicide is a constitutional right. Tom Galloway is just an ordinary single parent, trying to keep his rebellious and depressed teenage daughter from going to the Happy Endings Clinic. If there's one thing he doesn't need, it's a tenth century Viking time traveler dropping into his world. But Tom is about to begin the adventure of his life, one that will change the whole world.

Review: Lars Walker crafts a chilling dystopia in Death’s Doors. Unlike many contemporary stories with similar settings, this novel goes into the grim details of what this future-version of America looks like and why. Religion is heavily regulated so-as not to cause discomfort to others. Infants may be disposed. Autonomous persons, even children, can opt for physician assisted suicide. People will do anything to avoid pain. There are no heroes anymore. Everyone is looking for comfort.

Greatness does not arise from comfort.

And in this context, Walker utilizes an old speculative fiction device. He brings a man of the past into the present. I almost skipped over this book because of this plot point. I’ve seen it done too many times. Walker, however, turns the device on its head. He doesn’t bring a good man back to the present. He brings back Haakon, a tenth century Viking. Haakon hates Christians. He is brutal and violent. He treats women like objects to be won or used.

Haakon isn’t a complete villain, though. He brings perspective into this comfort-obsessed dystopia. He is a complex character who I found myself simultaneously applauding and condemning. By coupling this Viking with our well-meaning but powerless protagonist the character dynamics become quite dramatic.

Death’s Doors contains aspects of both science fiction and fantasy. I dare not say more than that, lest I ruin the plot.

I found myself highlighting numerous passages in the book. Like C.S. Lewis I find Lars Walker quite quotable. Typically, I don’t go out of my way to notate fiction. I marked twenty-nine passages in this book.

My only complaint is that the book is available only in an electronic edition. While I enjoy reading digitally, I also like to place great books on my bookshelf. Death’s Doors should sit right next to my Charles Williams collection.
Even though the novel is a work of speculative fiction it is grounded in reality. Death’s Doors was so wonderfully crafted that I would love to sit down for a meal with Lars Walker someday just to pick his brain.

I’d even be willing to eat Lutefisk to do so.

Rating: 5/5 (I Loved It!)

Find it here on Amazon.

Doctor assisted suicide is starting to gain support in the United States. I think it's important to divide these types of issues into two parts. There needs to be an intellectual answer to these questions as well as an emotional answer.

Below are a few bullet points addressing the intellectual question:

• We are all created in the image of God, so we have intrinsic worth.
• Death is not "normal" to the human condition. It is alien. It is the last enemy of humanity. (Even though its stinger has been removed by Christ, it is still an enemy).
• The Fall (Genesis 3) has damaged every aspect of life on this planet. Including the introduction of death.
• Science rightly tries to limit to effects of The Fall. It is good that we have greatly reduced the infant mortality rate via modern medicine. It is good that we can prolong natural life. It is good that we have developed technologies to give us clean drinking water.
• Death, however, is still an enemy. While it comes for us all, it is still an enemy. And it is not an enemy that we should embrace.
• Furthermore, God is the author of life. He gives. He takes away. He has numbered our days. We simply have no clue how he will use us in our last days. We don't know what his plans are. So, we cannot presume his plans for him.
• Finally, a "Theology of the Cross" rightly teaches that God reveals himself particularly through pain. We don't like thinking about this, but it is a reality in this fallen world. Personally, I have experienced this in my life, where God has revealed himself in my moments of misery (including a childhood illness). We see this in the Cross of Jesus Christ. God has revealed so much of His character in that place of suffering. How much does God love us? Look at the cross. How much does he hate sin? Look at the cross. What good gifts will he withhold from his children? Look at the cross, he gave his son - he will withhold nothing.
• Even if we take God out of the equation, we simply do not know the what tomorrow will bring.

We are largely living in an emotionally driven society, though. Our decisions are often driven by our emotions over and against any intellectual arguments. And because of this, I offer two resources that address the emotional problem of doctor assisted suicide.

The first is Leota's Garden  by Francine Rivers.
Yes I will have to check in my man-card for suggesting this, but if you want to read a contemporary story that addresses this issue, this is your book.

The second is Death's Door by Lars Walker (review here). This is a speculative fiction story set in a near-future dystopian America. The end results of a constitutional right to die are horrifying.

Additionally, I would ask if anyone knows of a good speculative fiction short story dealing with doctor assisted suicide, please let me know. I would love to produce it on the Untold Podcast.