[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter 9/3/16

Hi. I'm Brian Keene. This is the fifth issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly email newsletter which has replaced Blogging for me and is slowly replacing my social media interactions, as well. I dig that, and hope you do, too.

Usually, I send this thing out on Sunday, but you're getting it a day early this week. That's because tomorrow I'll be taking my eight-year-old son (known to listeners of my podcast by his on-air name of "Dungeonmaster 77.1") and my godson (author Geoff Cooper's child, whose name will remain a mystery to you) to the Baltimore Comic Convention. My old pal Keith Giffen was kind enough to get us some passes, and we intend to put them to good use.

I like BCC because, unlike a lot of other comic book conventions, you can still buy comic books there. Oh, there's all the other things one finds at comic cons these days, as well -- prints by rip-off artists, shirts, prints by rip-off artists, Funko figures, prints by rip-off artists, Legos, prints by rip-off artists, Pokemon cards, prints by rip-off artists, cosplay supplies, and more prints by rip-off artists -- but there are also dozens and dozens of dealers with long boxes full of old comic books.

Both of the boys are big into comic books. However, I suspect that's because I got them into comic books to start. Dungeonmaster 77.1's favorites are Spongebob, The Simpsons, Captain Action Cat, Aw Yeah, and BOOM's various Cartoon Network tie-ins. He loves going through my comic book collection, and he has a subscription box at our local store, Comix Connection. My godson, who is a little older, likes Green Lantern and some of the other DC offerings. I grab him the latest trade paperbacks anytime he and I go to Comix Connection to play Magic the Gathering.

It's very telling to me that, although their friends all dig the characters, too -- those same friends only know the characters via other media. They aren't reading the comic books, because no one in their households are making a special trip weekly to a comic book store to buy the comics for them. And even though that generation lives on their iPads and tablets, they aren't reading them digitally, either, simply because they don't know comic books exist.

The archaic distribution models of the comic book direct market are unintentionally losing an entire upcoming generation of readers -- a generation who know these characters, who watch all the movies and wear all the branded clothing and play all the video games -- but who don't buy the comic books because they don't know how or where to get them.

My friend Jude Terror (of The Outhousers) wrote a great essay this week about the comics industry and the direct market. If you have any interest in this at all, you should take the time to click here and read it. There's also an equally important and fascinating follow up which you can read here.

Anyway, me and the boys will be at Baltimore Comic Con tomorrow. They'll be buying comic books. I'll be seeing old friends like Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Justin Jordan. I don't have a table, and I'm not signing anything, but if you pass by us in the crowd, do stop me and say "Hi."

"Coming very soon from Necro Publications. Featuring all new stories from from some of the top authors in modern horror. Includes an all new novelette from Edward Lee. This is a book that takes us deep, deep into the bowels of Painfreak, the traveling club that arises out of the dark and calls to those seeking the ultimate in pleasure and pain. If you wear the invisible mark of the bone on your hand then enter through the door. Many come to experience the ultimate in decadence and debauchery. And many get lost in a labyrinth filled with depraved sex, beautiful death, and wonderfully horrible sights. You've been given the mark, now step into the heart of…PAINFREAK."

***

Apparently, everyone else has turned their stories in. The publisher is just waiting on mine, which I hope to finish this weekend. I first discovered Gerard Houarner's work way back in 1997, via the INSIDE THE WORKS anthology, which was also published by Necro. I met him at Tom Piccirilli's house a few years after that. I've been both a fan and a friend for a very long time, and it is an honor to contribute to his mythos.

It seems like most of my short fiction this year has been for other people's mythos or media properties -- Aliens, George Romero, the story mentioned above, and a few others I can't talk about yet.

Anyway, INTO THE HEART OF PAINFREAK will be available for pre-order soon, I imagine. Don't holler at the publisher about when it will be ready. Holler at me about when my story will be done.

UPCOMING APPEARANCES:

September 23
RiverRead Books
5 Court St
Binghamton, NY 13901

October 7 – 9
Imaginarium
Crowne Plaza Hotel
830 Phillips Ln.
Louisville, KY 40209

Also, Fright Club - Ireland's only horror book club - are celebrating their second year anniversary with a Skype Q&A featuring Paul Tremblay and myself on September 24th. Details at their Facebook Page.

Currently Reading: MY APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION by Steven Adler
Currently Listening: LEAVE HER WILD by Kasey Lansdale
Currently Watching: MR. ROBOT Season 2

During its first season, I proclaimed that MR. ROBOT was the best thing currently airing on television, (along with BETTER CALL SAUL and GAME OF THRONES). I stand by that assertion as Season Two heads toward its conclusion. (Yes, I've enjoyed the hell out of STRANGER THINGS and HAP & LEONARD, and I gave both lengthy discussions on my podcast, and yes shows like NARCOS and THE WALKING DEAD are a lot of fun, but Mr. ROBOT, BETTER CALL SAUL, and GAME OF THRONES are in a league of their own. In fact, I'd argue that GAME OF THRONES is a much better zombie show than THE WALKING DEAD).

But I digress.

Yes, this second season of MR. ROBOT was a slow build, and some viewers (including my podcast co-host Dave "Meteornotes" Thomas) have complained about the pace. But we see now, halfway through the season, that the pace was slow for a reason, and all of those mundane things that we didn't think were advancing the story -- they were just part of this season's double mind-fuck (a double mind-fuck which, in my opinion, is even better than the first season's big reveal).

Plus, it turned ALF -- that much maligned 80s sitcom puppet -- into a sinister thing of terror. Props for that.

If you haven't watched MR. ROBOT, don't Google it. You want to avoid spoilers as much as possible. It's a show that will appeal to fans of V FOR VENDETTA, JERICHO, and the conspiracy elements of THE X-FILES. It is challenging viewing at times, but it is also more intellectually rewarding than anything else currently airing.

If you follow my old pal John Urbancik on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, then you've seen the pictures of the damage Hurricane Hermine has caused. He and the cats are safe, and his long-time partner was in New York, so she's safe, too. John tells me, quote: "I have no computer and no power right now, and am looking at abandoning Tallahassee until they can get power restored -- a week or two." But his phone works, and he's been able to keep it recharged.

Yesterday, a reader named Sean Isgett Tweeted: "@BrianKeene So I finished John Urbancik's STALE REALITY a few days ago and I just wanted to thank you for taking him on tour with you. While he was definitely in my short list of authors to check out, the interaction I had with him made me want to read it much sooner."

John's one of the many folks in Florida going through hell right now. If you've been considering checking out his work, why not pick up a copy of STALE REALITY. It's currently available in paperback. If you dig the works of Neil Gaiman or China Mieville, you'll dig this. Think those two authors, but with a darker edge.

Here's John and I when we were younger (drunk off our asses and laughing in an elevator at a Bram Stoker Awards dinner).

And here we are now, from earlier this year. Older, heavier, no longer drunk off our asses, but still laughing.

Here's a little something about me that you probably don't know. Or maybe you do, if you've read my novel GHOUL. If you have, lets call this, "What Timmy Graco Grew Up To Be". Ready?

I've been told that I'm a borderline sociopath. I don't know about that, but I do know this: children and animals tend to like me, but I have difficulties with other people. While I have empathy and sympathy, and can get along with just about anybody (until they hurt me) I also keep most people at arm's length. I let them see part of me, rather than the whole. I have more acquaintances than I do friends, and that is by design. It's very hard for me to make genuine connections and real friendships with people, and even harder for me to trust them. I have all three of those things with John. I tend to not let people in. A lot of folks think they're in, but they're not. I let John in a long time ago, and I'm glad I did. Buy his book.

If you're still here, thanks for not unsubscribing. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you again next week, universe willing. Also, please note, the best way to reach me is still Twitter, rather than replying to this email. My inbox currently has 879 unread messages.