It's Such a Beautiful Day is a science-fiction short story by Isaac Asimov.
It was first published in the 1955 anthology Star Science Fiction Stories No.3. It was later collected in 1967's Through a Glass, Clearly, 1969's Nightfall and Other Stories, 1986's The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov, and 1990's The Complete Stories Volume I.
Summary[]
In the year 2117, Richard "Dickie" Hanshaw lives in a world where travel is conducted exclusively through matter-transmitting devices called "Doors". When the Door from his home to his school malfunctions one morning, he is forced to walk outside, an experience that is novel and unsettling.
Despite the Door being repaired, Dickie develops a strong aversion to using it and begins walking everywhere, much to the horror of his mother. She consults a psychiatrist, Dr. Sloane, fearing her son's behavior is a sign of mental illness. Dr. Sloane investigates by accompanying Dickie on a walk. During this outing, he begins to understand the boy's perspective—the simple pleasure of experiencing the natural world directly, something their society has completely abandoned.
Dr. Sloane advises Dickie's mother to stop treating the walks as a forbidden activity, predicting the boy will lose interest if it is no longer a rebellion. The story ends ironically when, after the consultation, Dr. Sloane himself, struck by the beauty of the day, decides to walk home instead of using the Door.
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov