The Call From Beyond
The Call From Beyond, by Clifford D. Simak: A man named John Muller is driving home from work when he receives a strange phone call from beyond the grave. The caller claims to be his dead wife, and she tells him that she has been trying to contact him for years. Muller is skeptical at first, but as the calls continue, he begins to believe that his wife has truly returned to him. However, things take a dark turn when Muller realizes that the calls are not coming from his wife at all, but rather from some unknown entity that is using her voice to torment him.
By Clifford D. Simak · First published 1960 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure · 4 chapters · 13,880 words
First lines
_Alone, accursed, he set out on the long, dark voyage to the forbidden gateway to worlds beyond life itself -- restless forever with an ultimate knowledge, possessing which no man could die! _
The pyramid was built of bottles, hundreds of bottles that flashed and glinted as if with living fire, picking up and breaking up the misty light that filtered from the distant sun and still more distant stars.
What this Textopian page supports
The Call From Beyond is listed on Textopian as a novel by Clifford D. Simak, dated 1960 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Clifford D. Simak
- Date: 1960 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Horror
- Length: 13,880 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 454 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Call From Beyond by Clifford D. Simak
- 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 The Call From Beyond?
- How does this novel by Clifford D. Simak fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Lotus Eaters by Stanley G. Weinbaum
- Cosmic Yo Yo by Ross Rocklynne
- Voyage To Eternity by Stephen Marlowe
- The 13th Immortal by Robert Silverberg
- The World Mover by George O. Smith
Genres
- Science Fiction — The book features elements of advanced technology, alien creatures, and other planets - typical of the Science Fiction genre.
- Fantasy — The book includes elements of the magical and fantastical, i.e., the call from an unknown entity beyond the known world.
- Adventure — The plot presents a journey or quest that takes the characters to unfamiliar places, a common element in Adventure stories.
- Horror — The presence of supernatural forces and the creation of fear and suspense align it with the Horror genre.
Tags
science fiction · alien contact · telepathy · philosophy · humanity · cosmic exploration · time travel · parallel universes · mystery · adventure · technology · existentialism
Contents
- The Pyramid of Bottles
- The White Singer
- The Painting
- The Last Man