The Exit Door Leads In
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The Exit Door Leads In is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. First published in 1979.
"The Exit Door Leads In" was written for Rolling Stone College Papers, a short-lived publication. It is unusual among Dick's stories in that it was written at the request of the editors. The story centers on a certain Bibleman going out for a hamburger and, when asked by the robotic counterman if he wants to enter a contest, says yes. The contest instantly enrolls him in a quasi-military college where he is tested and fails. But, counter-intuitively, they aren't looking for toe-the-line people but rather rebels. The story does not expand on the meaning of what is going on or why.
Reprinted in Terry Carr's The Best Science Fiction of the year #9.
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