Ten Favorite (Exterior) Portal Novels
(This is a list of novels, in alphabetical order by author, in which characters access other worlds via wardrobes, doors, or other such mechanisms. You’ll find a companion list here.)
House of Holes by Nicholson Baker
The Mustache by Emmanuel Carrère
The Voice of the Moon by Ermanno Cavazzoni
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman *
The Medusa Frequency by Russell Hoban
The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis **
Version Control by Dexter Palmer
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck
* Coraline, too
** The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the most obvious Narnia candidate, of course, but I simply like The Magician’s Nephew better.
— January 7, 2023