The Calling [Kindle Edition]

David B. Silva (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This short story by David B. Silva won a Stoker Award in 1990. It's the story of an adult son caring for his mother, dying from cancer. The last few days of the struggle, and the inevitable horror at the end.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 20 KB
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003NE6CXE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,748 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

David B. Silva has written seven novels, his most recent, All The Lonely People, a story about Chase Hanford, who owns a little bar at the edge of town, with a few regulars and not much else. Until a man shows up one day with a spirit box. When the contents of the box are released, Chase awakens with the realization that bits and pieces of his life are being stolen and he sets out to regain control of his very soul.

Silva's first short story was published in 1981. His short fiction has since appeared in The Year's Best Horror, The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, and The Best American Mystery Stories. In 1991, he won a Bram Stoker Award for his short story, "The Calling." His first collection, Through Shattered Glass, was published by Gaunlet Press in 2001. In 2009, Dark Regions published his collection of eleven new stories and one reprint, In The Shadows of Kingston Mills.

He is probably best known as the editor of The Horror Show, which was published quarterly from 1982 to 1991. This small-press horror magazine won a World Fantasy Award in 1988 and went on to publish the first early works of some of today's most talented and influential horror authors, such as Bentley Little, Brian Hodge, and Poppy Z. Brite.

Silva co-edited (with Paul F. Olson) two anthologies published by St. Martins Press: Post Mortem and Dead End: City Limits. In addition, he edited The Definitive Best of The Horror Show, published by CD Publications in 1992.

In addition, from February 1997 until September 2002, and from late 2004 until the present, Silva served as co-editor (along with Paul F. Olson) of Hellnotes. Originally a weekly subscription newsletter dedicated to the horror professional and horror fan alike, Hellnotes is currently a free blog, updated several times a day with latest news in the horror genre.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An AMAZING Story!!!!!!, May 22, 2010

By 

Keith E. Hammer (Ravensdale, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Calling (Kindle Edition)

WHAT FOLLOWS IS AN ARTICLE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET BY DAVID B. SILVA - SAYS IT BETTER THAN ANY REVIEW I COULD WRITE . . .

Because writing can feel like a lonely profession at times, it's often helpful to connect with other writers whenever the opportunity arises. In fact, I'm currently participating in a small challenge with two other writers who also happen to be my good friends. I haven't told them I'd like to post about this experience sometime, so I won't go any further into it for now. But let me say that I've found their support and encouragement throughout the challenge to be incredibly helpful.

It's not the first time I've had another writer help me out, and that's really why I'm writing this post ... to thank a writer and editor publicly for his help on a short story I wrote just over twenty years ago.

The story was titled "The Calling." It was a very personal story that I wrote shortly after my mother's death after her long battle with ovarian cancer. When I finished writing it, I was exhausted. I had poured more of myself into that story than anything else I'd ever written, and it had been difficult at times.

But I was proud of it, too. Because I shared an experience that many people would consider the ultimate experience ... helping a loved one through the finals days of life.

I wasn't sure if it was going to sell. I knew I was too close to the story to be objective about it. But if it didn't sell, I knew that just writing it had been important to me.

I sent the story to Thomas F. Monteleone at Borderland Press, who was putting together the first Borderlands anthology. And a few weeks later I received his response. He liked the story, thought it was powerful, but also thought it fell short at the end. He made a small suggestion on how to correct the problem, and invited me to resubmit the story if I'd like.

When I read Tom's suggestion a chill rattled through me. He had nailed it perfectly. I hadn't seen the missing element until he pointed it out, but there it was, right in front of me, and it was so on the mark, so powerful and right. I made the change immediately - I just had to add a couple of lines - sent back the story, and he bought it.

AN ARTICLE I FOUND FROM DAVID B. SILVA ON THE INTERNET - SAYS MORE THAN I CAN SAY IN A REVIEW:

"The Calling" went on to win a Stoker Award that year, and for that I owe my great gratitude to Tom.

He could have read the story and rejected it out right. He could have sent it back and told me to keep working on it, without any hint at its weakness. He could have accepted it as it was and done both me and the Borderlands readers a great disservice.

But Tom is one of the those writer/editors who has a deep respect and passion for the written word. He cares about the stories he writes and he cares about the stories he publishes. I'm very fortunate that story ended up on his desk. Very fortunate.

Like any profession, writing is much easier when you have people like Tom who help you along the way.

And you know what?

I'm not the only one. Tom's spent his whole career helping other writers.

What a great legacy.