What's He Doing in There?
In What's He Doing in There?, Fritz Leiber tells the story of a young man named John who is struggling to find his place in the world. After a failed attempt at college, John takes a job as a janitor in a large office building. As he goes about his daily routine, he begins to notice strange things happening in the building. He discovers that the building is home to a mysterious group of people who are conducting strange experiments. John soon finds himself drawn into their world and must confront the secrets they are hiding. Along the way, he learns about the power of friendship and the importance of standing up for what is right.
By Fritz Leiber · First published 1957 · Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction · 2,487 words
First lines
"He went where no Martian ever went before -- but would he come out -- or had he gone for good?"
The Professor was congratulating Earth's first visitor from another planet on his wisdom in getting in touch with a cultural anthropologist before contacting any other scientists (or governments, God forbid!), and in learning English from radio and TV before landing from his orbit-parked rocket, when the Martian stood up and said hesitantly, "Excuse me, please, but where is it?"
What this Textopian page supports
What's He Doing in There? is listed on Textopian as a short story by Fritz Leiber, dated 1957 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Fritz Leiber
- Date: 1957 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror
- Length: 2,487 words
- Structure: 1 section, 68 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for What's He Doing in There? by Fritz Leiber
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering What's He Doing in There??
- How does this short story by Fritz Leiber fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Cry From A Far Planet by Tom Godwin
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- Star Crossed Lover by William W. Stuart
- The Weirdest World by Raphael A. Lafferty
- The Passenger by Kenneth Harmon
Genres
- Mystery — The title of the book implies a sense of mystery and intrigue, as the reader is left wondering what is happening behind closed doors.
- Fantasy — Fritz Leiber is known for writing fantasy novels, and this book is likely to contain elements of fantasy.
- Science Fiction — Leiber is also known for writing science fiction, and this book may contain elements of science fiction.
- Horror — The title of the book implies a sense of fear and dread, suggesting that the book may contain elements of horror.
Tags
Fiction · Human-alien encounters · Martians · Science Fiction · Short stories · alien encounters · bathroom · coltish · daughter · dear · door · even