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The Door into Infinity
The Door into Infinity

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edmond Hamilton • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Door into Infinity
Context Illustration Reading 1/90 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.
The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"
"_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"
"_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"
"_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Door into Infinity

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/90 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.
Line 2
The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"
/ðə ˈbrʌðərhʊd ʌv ðə dɔːr wer liːdz ðə dɔːr/
Line 3
"_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"
/ɪt liːdz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ˈaʊər wɜːrld huː tɔːt ˈaʊər ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz tuː ˈoʊ.pən ðə dɔːr/
Line 4
"_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"
/ðeɪ bɪˈɑːnd ðə dɔːr tɔːt ðem tuː huːm duː wiː brɪŋ ðiːz ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/
Line 5
"_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"
/wiː brɪŋ ðem tuː ðoʊz bɪˈɑːnd ðə dɔːr ʃæl ðə dɔːr biː ˈoʊpənd ðæt ðeɪ meɪ teɪk ðem/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

amazing adjective US /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/

surprising greatly

From this reading “[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Brotherhood noun US /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading “The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forefathers noun US /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/

plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family

From this reading “"_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leads noun US /liːdz/

plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race

From this reading “The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sacrifices noun US /ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/

plural of “sacrifice” — the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

From this reading “"_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
startling adjective US /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading “[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thrills noun US /θrɪlz/

plural of “thrill” — the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading “[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weird adjective US /wɪrd/

suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

From this reading “[Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

open the Door verb + article + noun counted as “open … door”

In this reading “"_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"”

13,665 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 45

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

Pending verification
amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/

surprising greatly

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BeyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BrotherhoodnounUS /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
DoornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forefathersnounUS /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/

plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leadsnounUS /liːdz/

plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

Velmora curated lexicon
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
packedadjectiveUS /pækt/

extremely crowed or filled to capacity

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sacrificesnounUS /ˈsækrəfaɪsɪz/

plural of “sacrifice” — the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Sidenote

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

Pending verification
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
taughtverbUS /tɔːt/

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading "_We bring them to Those Beyond the Door._" "Shall the Door be opened that They may take them?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thrillsnounUS /θrɪlz/

plural of “thrill” — the swift release of a store of affective force

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weirdadjectiveUS /wɪrd/

suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The Brotherhood of the Door_ "Where leads the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "_They Beyond the Door taught them._" "To whom do we bring these sacrifices?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading [Sidenote: _An amazing weird mystery story, packed with thrills, danger and startling events._] _1.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading "_It leads outside our world._" "Who taught our forefathers to open the Door?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity by Edmond Hamilton holds 454 sentences, grouped into 91 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity contain?

Chapter 1 holds 454 sentences of The Door into Infinity, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity by Edmond Hamilton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 454 sentences, grouped into 91 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Door into Infinity?

Work through the 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 91 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Door into Infinity

Common questions about reading The Door into Infinity by Edmond Hamilton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Door into Infinity?

Yes. All 899 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32847 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Door into Infinity is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32847, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Door into Infinity take to read?

About 74 minutes of reading across 180 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Door into Infinity section by section

How to work through The Door into Infinity section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Door into Infinity to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Door into Infinity

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Door into Infinity, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sidenote
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door into Infinity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Amazing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door into Infinity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Weird
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door into Infinity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Door into Infinity; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.