Holes, Incorporated

In Short

This science fiction short story follows two basement inventors who create a device capable of punching holes into the fourth dimension, essentially allowing them to anchor objects in thin air. When they bring their discovery to a cutthroat construction magnate, they are quickly swindled and discarded. The narrative moves between their personal frustration and a surreal, parallel disaster occurring in a distant kingdom. It endures as a sharp, cynical look at the exploitation of labor, the fragility of corporate ambition, and the unintended ripples of unchecked technological advancement.

The Story

Ted Baker, a supermarket clerk, and Bill Stephens, a gas meter reader, spend their evenings in a basement workshop where they accidentally invent a handheld device that creates "holes" in the fourth dimension. These holes, which hold fast against any physical pressure, appear to be a revolutionary shortcut for construction work. They approach H. Joshua Blair, a powerful and arrogant construction mogul, hoping to sell their invention. Blair initially scoffs at the men, but after a convincing demonstration where a pencil is anchored into invisible, solid space, his greed takes hold. He dismisses the inventors, instructing them to leave their device behind for "evaluation."

Weeks pass, and the inventors notice Blair’s company using their technology to construct a new City Hall addition. When Ted and Bill confront Blair, he denies their contribution, claiming he has filed his own patents and cruelly orders his security staff to throw them out. Blair revels in his ability to underbid every competitor in the city, believing he has secured a monopoly through his usual unscrupulous business tactics.

Simultaneously, the narrative shifts to the kingdom of Szkazia, where the government is in a panic. The "holes" created by Blair’s construction work—anchored in a dimension that overlaps with this foreign realm—are manifesting as structural debris appearing within the kingdom’s halls and bedrooms. The Prime Minister threatens the Chief Scientist with execution unless he neutralizes the phenomenon. The scientist develops a counter-device that reverses the fourth-dimensional anchoring, causing all the girders and rivets held by the invention to abruptly vanish.

Back in their own city, the City Hall addition collapses completely during the night. Because the building was empty, there are no casualties, sparing the inventors from the legal and moral fallout of their creation. Blair is arrested and denied bail, facing the consequences of his reliance on stolen, unstable technology. Reflecting on their brush with disaster, Ted and Bill realize that Blair’s rejection was actually a stroke of luck. They decide to move on, turning their attention back to their next failed experiment: a solution to make leather shoes last forever.

How It Unfolds

The demonstration Ted and Bill present their hole-making device to H. Joshua Blair, who remains skeptical until he sees a pencil left floating in mid-air. He is immediately struck by the commercial potential of anchoring steel girders into the fourth dimension.

The corporate theft Blair retains the device and immediately begins using the technology to undercut his competition on a large-scale government contract. When the inventors return to claim their due, they are humiliated and physically ejected from the office by corporate security.

The inter-dimensional crisis The story expands to the kingdom of Szkazia, where the "holes" are causing violent, unpredictable debris to materialize inside homes and offices. The local authorities demand an immediate solution, threatening their head scientist with death to ensure results.

The collapse The Chief Scientist successfully develops a device to neutralize the holes, which inadvertently triggers a structural failure in the City Hall addition back in the inventors' world. The building collapses, ending Blair’s career and his illegal empire in one stroke.

The People

Ted Baker and Bill Stephens are modest, blue-collar workers who possess high-level scientific ingenuity but lack worldly wisdom. They are defined by their resilience; despite being cheated by a titan of industry, they remain focused on their hobbyist tinkering. Their evolution is subtle: they move from naive excitement about their invention to a pragmatic, almost fatalistic acceptance of their narrow escape from catastrophe.

H. Joshua Blair represents the archetypal cutthroat businessman. He is motivated entirely by profit, arrogance, and the desire to suppress the "little man." He views his theft not just as a business move, but as a moral victory of the strong over the weak. His downfall is a direct result of his refusal to acknowledge the inventors, which leaves him without the technical knowledge to manage or secure the dangerous technology he stole.

The Chief Scientist of Szkazia serves as the desperate counterpart to the inventors. He works under the constant threat of execution, highlighting the thin line between brilliance and survival. Unlike the others, he is purely reactive, focused only on solving the immediate, physical problem that the inventors’ device has forced upon his people. He ends the story as a weary, functional survivor of a brutal political system.

In Its Own Voice

"It's for construction work. It makes holes."

Ted explains the seemingly simple, yet world-changing nature of their invention to a dismissive secretary.

"The hole goes into the fourth dimension. There's no other explanation. And the fourth dimension holds solider than concrete."

Ted clarifies the scientific mechanism of their device to a skeptical and increasingly greedy Blair.

"That was the trouble with people nowadays. They either handed you a medal or your head."

The Chief Scientist reflects on the precarious nature of his existence under the pressure of an unreasonable government.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the intersection of raw invention and the predatory nature of modern business. It asks whether genius is inherently doomed to be exploited by those who control the levers of power and capital. The story suggests that technological progress, when detached from ethical oversight and legal protection, is inherently unstable. By juxtaposing the inventors' basement workshop with the bizarre, violent intrusion of their tech into a foreign kingdom, the book illustrates that actions taken for personal profit have consequences that ripple far beyond the boardroom. Ultimately, it is a cynical meditation on the idea that the "little guy" is often saved not by justice, but by the sheer, chaotic failure of the system built to suppress them.

Why Read It Today

This story will appeal to readers who enjoy "what-if" science fiction that balances a high-concept premise with the grimy, everyday realities of work and social class. The prose is lean and conversational, capturing a mid-century, noir-inflected tone that feels both dated and strangely immediate. The dialogue is snappy, reflecting the fast-paced, unsentimental style of the era’s pulp magazines.

However, readers should be prepared for the abrupt pacing typical of short fiction from this period. The narrative jumps between worlds with little preamble, and the resolution of the Szkazian crisis—while clever—is handled with a brevity that might feel jarring to those accustomed to modern, slow-burn storytelling. There is also a distinct lack of character interiority; the focus remains entirely on the plot and the mechanics of the "holes." If you appreciate stories that view human greed as a constant, dangerous variable that can turn even a brilliant breakthrough into a disaster, you will find this a fascinating, if slight, piece of speculative history. It lingers in the mind, not because of its scale, but because of the chilling realization that the inventors’ luck—and the mogul’s hubris—could easily repeat itself in any era.