Letters From the Labyrinth 170
Hello again. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 170th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
I'm typing this on Saturday. Mary and I will be heading down to Baltimore later today to celebrate her birthday (which is next Tuesday, but we are celebrating early since I won't be in town for her actual birthday). Monday I hop on a train and head for Massachusetts, then New Hampshire. It's a business trip, but it's also time spent with friends, so it's a fun business trip.
Of course, all that time spent in the city and on the train will mean time spent with people. And as the Wuhan Coronavirus continues its march across the world, the prepper in me is incensed that I am going out amongst people, and shouting at me to stay home. But staying home isn't a possibility, because you can't get your girlfriend the best sushi in all of Baltimore for her birthday if you're staying home in rural Pennsylvania.
That's the one thing we horror and science fiction writers always get wrong in our post-apocalyptic pandemic novels, comic books, TV shows and movies -- the birthday conundrum.
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For those not keeping track at home, as of Saturday morning:
Total number of confirmed cases now 1,300+, 41 dead. That's an alarmingly high death rate.
China quarantines 48+ million people, restricting travel across 16 cities.
Hospitals in Wuhan make urgent pleas for help and supplies.
Some Chinese residents displaying symptoms are being turned away from hospitals.
The virus has jumped to Europe, with three confirmed cases now in France.
There are 63 suspected cases in US, 3 confirmed (Washington, Illinois and California), and two suspected in Minnesota
Good morning. Happy Sunday to you.
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UP JUMPED THE DEVIL came out last week.
A collection of four novellas, UP JUMPED THE DEVIL is the final book compiled by J. F. Gonzalez before his death. Featuring "Secrets" "Do Unto Others", "Sins of the Father", and "Family", as well as an an Afterword and Story Notes written by the author, and an Introduction by me, this is a must have for any fan of J. F. Gonzalez or horror fiction.
On sale now in paperback, and for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo! Click here to purchase.
People often wonder why I seem to have fallen behind these last few years. You need to remember I'm not only working on my own books, I'm also working on J.F.'s. Next up from him will be a re-release of SHAPESHIFTER and a non-fiction collection.
Quick update for Lifetime Subscribers — your next shipment will include SHADES, LOVE LETTERS FROM A NIHILIST, MIDNIGHT RITUALS, WHITE FIRE, CLICKERS FOREVER, and THE COMPLEX. All are in house and signed except for SHADES and LOVE LETTERS FROM A NIHILIST. The latter is currently en route and expected to arrive February 3rd.
Once both of those shipments have arrived and are signed, the books will be shipped to Thunderstorm for processing and shipment to you. I suspect that will be mid-February. If you have moved since last Fall’s shipment, please advise Paul at Thunderstorm.
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Time is running out to nominate works for the annual Splatterpunk Awards, which honor superior achievement in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror fiction.
The categories are:
BEST NOVEL (for works of more than 50,000 words)
BEST NOVELLA (for works from 15,000 to 50,000 words)
BEST SHORT STORY (for works from 500 to 14,000 words)
BEST COLLECTION (for single-author works over 50,000 words)
BEST ANTHOLOGY (for multiple-author collections over 50,000 words)
To cast your recommendation, email it to SPLATTERPUNKAWARDS@GMAIL.COM. Please include the category, title of work, and the author or editor of the work.
Please Note: THE WORK MUST HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN 2019 TO BE ELIGIBLE. Reprints and works published in other years will be disqualified.
The deadline for recommendations is midnight (Eastern Standard Time) January 31, 2020.
After all recommendations are tallied, a final ballot will be announced, along with this year’s judges.
The awards will be presented during a ceremony at the 2020 Killercon Convention, taking place August 7-9, 2020 in Austin, Texas.
In addition to the Splatterpunk Awards, author Edward Lee will receive this year’s J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field, following previous honorees David J. Schow and David G. Barnett.
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Chapter 8 of my HISTORY OF HORROR FICTION is now available to read for free exclusively from Cemetery Dance. This month, we examine Matthew Gregory Lewis’s THE MONK, a novel that is a precursor to everything from cancel culture to extreme horror to lurid, garish paperback covers.
Click here to read it.
Click here for previous chapters.
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Speaking of Cemetery Dance, they report that the hardcover edition of END OF THE ROAD is at the printer now, and should be shipping in the next few weeks. Below is a photo of the proof copies.
END OF THE ROAD is a memoir, travelogue, and post-Danse Macabre examination of modern horror fiction, the people who write it, and the world they live—and die—in. Exhilarating, emotional, heartfelt, and at times hilarious, End of the Road is a must-read for fans of the horror genre. Introduction by Gabino Iglesias. Comes with a bonus chapbook by John Urbancik.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
When people ask me what my favorite book I've written is, I usually tell them THE GIRL ON THE GLIDER, DARK HOLLOW, or THE COMPLEX. But I think END OF THE ROAD might edge all of those out...
On this week's episode of THE HORROR SHOW WITH BRIAN KEENE, author Kelli Owen and Scares That Care CEO Joe Ripple join me and Dave to talk about the forthcoming Wisconsin charity event, Sid Haig, and more. Plus, an update on ChiZine and the surprising reveal of Dave's temporary replacement.
Listen for free on iTunes – Spotify – Project Entertainment– iHeartRadio – Stitcher - YouTube
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Currently Reading: Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Currently Watching: Feedback
Currently Listening: A bootleg of various soundchecks by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band during the Seventies.
FEEDBACK is the first really good horror/thriller movie I've seen for 2020. Ostensibly, it's about a talk show host and Brexit and Russian spies, but it quickly flips that script and becomes brutal revenge-noir fever dream that could have easily been written by some fevered hybrid of Jack Ketchum and Dwayne Swierczynski. It's an unflinching, evocative, mind-bender of a film. Streaming now on multiple platforms (Prime, Fandango, maybe Netflix, etc.) and highly, highly recommended.
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That's it for this week. As always, a few reminders:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, two serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff. I'll be posting a bunch of stuff there today and tomorrow, in fact.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each and every day.
I'll see you back here next week!