[Letters From the Labyrinth] Brian Keene 178

Hello again. I'm Brian Keene and and this is the 178th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
This is the part of the newsletter where I'd normally tell you about my week -- thoughts I had, what I worked on, a mini-essay -- stuff like that. But I've been doing that daily over on my Blog -- Old Man Yells At The Cloud. In case you missed this week's entries, here they are.
It feels good to be Blogging again, even if it's just to document these grim times we all now live in. People have commented that they're finding comfort in the daily entries. I am finding comfort in them, as well. I've been Blogging since the late-90s, when the Internet was first accessible for the common person. There is comfort in knowing that I will most likely end while Blogging.
What I'd like I can talk a bit more about here is what I worked on this week (since I don't go into detail on the Blog), and also tell you about some things that have brought me joy this week -- because joy is a precious commodity now.
On the Blog, I mentioned a short story that was being rushed into production for both prose and audio. The current title is "Bert and Ernie" (but the publisher might request a change on that). It is set very firmly in the world of DEAD SEA and ENTOMBED, meaning it's a zombie story, and the zombies are the traditional ones, rather than the uber-zombies of THE RISING series. I can't speak yet about where it will be appearing, but I know the production is being rushed, and I suspect you'll see it possibly before the end of the month, in both prose and audio. I wrote the story with those two mediums specifically in mind.
I also worked on this Levi and Bloom novella, which started life as a short story, but quickly blossomed into a much longer work. It finally has a title I like -- "The Valley of the Yunwi Tsunsdi".
I suspect any hopes I had for DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN or URBAN GOTHIC getting greenlit have now been utterly dashed, given that Hollywood has completely -- and rightfully -- shut down. And that's a shame, because both of them looked like they were finally on track. But THE CAGE is still in production, although now we have moved back to pre-production rather than production. Hopefully, when this is all over, if we're all still here, we can fast-track it.
Things That Have Brought Me Joy This Week:
JOHN THE REVELATOR by John Urbancik -- a book of poems about life, death, grief, and truth. John didn't write it for the situation we all find ourselves in right now, but boy does it fit.
THE LIVING DEAD by George Romero and Daniel Kraus -- Set in the world of his movies, this doorstop-sized novel was to be George's final word on zombies. Unfortunately, he passed away before finishing it. Daniel does a phenomenal job of landing the plane. Speaking as someone who knew George and who knows Daniel, I am proud of them both.
THAT LITTLE OL' BAND FROM TEXAS -- A documentary about ZZ Top, now streaming on Netflix. As I Tweeted earlier this week, while watching it, I was struck by the thought that ZZ Top are to Texas blues what Joe R. Lansdale is to Texas literature. Both are originals who did it their own way, made the art they wanted to make, and found an audience hungry for that art.
After watching that, I had to listen to my ZZ Top collection on vinyl, which I did. But I also listened to...
OUR RAW HEART by Yob -- This sonic masterpiece has been in heavy rotation for me since its release. I think it's one of the best doom metal/stoner metal albums to ever be released. It is, in fact, playing again as I type this, specifically the song "Beauty In Falling Leaves". I've heard that song what must be two-hundered times now, and it still gives me goosebumps and nearly moves me to tears, so I took a break from typing this newsletter and texted Yob's Mike Scheidt to say hello, and now I'm back to typing this newsletter again. Seriously, even if you don't normally dig that type of music, go listen to "Beauty In Falling Leaves". It soars.
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A note to all Lifetime Subscribers that your latest shipment is on its way to your home. This shipment includes Shades, Love Letters From A Nihilist: The Complete Short Fiction of Brian Keene Vol. 3, White Fire, Midnight Rituals, The Complex, and Clickers Forever.
Please direct all mailing queries to Thunderstorm Books.
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The latest Maelstrom set — which features THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF by Brian Keene, CURSE OF THE BASTARDS by Steven L. Shrewsbury, and WORLD’S FARE by Michael T. Huyck — is now shipping from Thunderstorm Books. If you pre-ordered it last winter, you should have receive a shipping notice via email either yesterday or within the next few days.
Stay tuned for an announcement regarding Maelstrom’s future.
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This Week's Podcasts:
TOR Nightfire - The Horror Show with Brian Keene - Ep 257
Brian talks to Kelly O'Connor Lonesome and Theresa Delucci about their plans for Tor's new Nightfire mass-market horror fiction line, what it's like to follow in the steps of Ellen Datlow and Jeanne Cavalos, and much more. Plus, Dungeonmaster 77.1 offers some tips on how to talk to your kids about the coronavirus.
Listen for free on iTunes – Spotify – Project Entertainment– iHeartRadio – Stitcher - YouTube
Defenders Dialogue - Ep 93
Godzilla! Devil Dinosaur! The Fantastic Four! S.H.I.E.L.D.! Jack Norris! Face it, true believer, this episode has everything, as Christopher Golden and Brian Keene recap Marvel's Godzilla issues 21 and 22.
Listen for free on iTunes – YouTube – Project Entertainment – iHeartRadio – Stitcher
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If you've been reading my daily Blog, then you know that Mary is stuck in New Jersey during this crisis. I miss her terribly. So does her cat.
The cat and I made a video for her, but cell phone service is beginning to buckle in her area, and the video wouldn't download to her phone, so I posted it on Instagram, and now I guess everyone can share in what was supposed to be a private moment.
Go ahead, you voyeur. if you turn your sound on, you'll hear such deep purring that you'll think it's a sub-woofer.
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This newsletter goes out to thousands of people for free, but I have to pay to have it produced and sent. If you fancy buying me a coffee or a beer, click this link. No pressure, and no biggie if you don't want to. I'm happy you're here, regardless.
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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.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each week.
I'll see you back here next week!