HELP! Looking for a short story involving a DEVILS TUNING FORK - 1995ish

[eon31337]

What I remember:

A man (who's family is dead) purchases a machine which forms any metal object shape. The man wants to return the machine for some reason so figures he'll try making something impossible. He keys in a 'devil's tuning fork', which to his surprise it creates. He looks into the impossible space and see's his family. The story ends with him keying in a larger version so he can go through the space to his family.

FYI 'devil's tuning fork' = blivet, poiuyt, widget (it's on wiki under 'blivet' if you need more info)

I've been after this for years so anything anyone knows will make my day.

 

[eon31337]

I do remember some of the other stories from this book, but not as intensely as the above. Here are the details:

1. In this story people live in houses and get from place to place via walk though teleportation doors. No-one ever goes outside and the lawns and gardens are all looked after by robots. The story focuses on a boy who teleports to school and back, but he is always looking outside, wanting to explore. In the end he does get outside and sees some amazing things.

2. The other story is about how the world has been converted into a massive junkyard. No animals or plants exist, and only one man is present. He spends his time searching through all the filth, and one day he discovers a lemon seed. He is able to grow this lemon tree, which produces one lemon. He eats the lemon, but dies. The tree was grown in pure garbage, and the lemon is pure poison.

If you have any questions or ideas let me know

 

[otistdog]

The story you listed as #1 in your second post (about the boy who likes to go outside when nobody does any more) sounds like Isaac Asimov's "It's Such a Beautiful Day," but I don't recognize either of the other two you mentioned.

I would try looking up "It's Such a Beautiful Day" on isfdb.com (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?62723) and see what collections it was published under -- you might recognize the collection title or look at the contents of each and identify the story you're after.