Letters From the Labyrinth 193 - Brian Keene

Like we always do about this time, I'm Brian Keene and this is the 193rd issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.

Work-wise, my past week was dominated by last Thursday's episode of The Horror Show with Brian Keene, which easily ranks alongside Leisure Books/Dorchester Publishing as the most difficult, demoralizing, gut-wrenching thing I've ever personally been through in this industry. You can listen for free on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and all the other places you listen to podcasts, including this link. I'll warn you in advance, however, that the content will undoubtedly be upsetting to many.

That episode involved a full week of interviews, research, fact-checking, due diligence, and recording. As a result, not much else got done. I managed to do some editing on the final draft of SUBURBAN GOTHIC, and looked for a new home for SHADES by myself and Geoff Cooper and DISSONANT HARMONIES by myself and Bev Vincent. (If you're not sure why I'd be looking for new publishers for those books, then you didn't listen to the podcast). And yes, there will indeed be a delay on DISSONANT HARMONIES, but we still should see hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions released this year.

Chris Golden and I managed to wrap-up our coverage of Marvel's Super-Villain Team-Up on last week's episode of Defenders Dialogue (available in all the same places you listen to The Horror Show with Brian Keene, including this link) which reminded me again how grateful I am for that side project. After a week like the one we've had, it's nice to talk about old comic books with a friend for an hour. That time is precious to me, always, but particularly last week. Likewise some long conversations I had with F. Paul Wilson, Bryan Smith and Paul Goblirsch of Thunderstorm Books this past week, as well. Much love to you, gents.

Every morning, before I write or stare in dismay at my email inbox or check Twitter, I go outside to the dock, and I set by the river, and I watch the sun come up. This past week, I didn't get to do much of that either, because the mayflies have spawned. If you don't know what a mayfly is, or what a swarm of them looks like, I made a video for you. Their lifespan is short lived, and they are vitally important to the local ecosystem, but yes, for the two weeks they are swarming, things like fishing or sitting out in the backyard or sipping your coffee in solitude and trying to get your blood pressure down are made much more difficult.

I'm typing this on Saturday morning. We'd hoped to have Somer Canon and her husband and kids, Wesley Southard and his wife, and Stephen Kozeniewski and his partner over for a very small, socially-distant gathering this afternoon, but the mayflies have made that impossible. We can't sit out in the backyard without being dive-bombed, and we can't have everyone inside the house because that wouldn't be socially distant.

Instead, my ex-wife and my 12-year old son and their dog are going to spend the night with Mary and I tonight. We've only been hanging out with each other, so it's safer to have them in the house (unlike Wes for example who unfortunately still has to go to the factory every day). My kid and I will set off fireworks (nothing too loud -- the goal is to not traumatize the dog) and his mom and Mary can commiserate about what a headache I am (I tease, ladies, and yes, I know you're both reading this). The mayflies won't be an issue because he and I can set off fireworks in the driveway, after dark.

And truthfully? After the last few weeks, I vastly prefer this. Make no mistake -- I love and adore Somer, Stephen and Wesley. I truly do. And I miss them. But if they had come over today, our conversation would have inevitably been dominated by all of the myriad terrible events of the past few weeks, and I desperately need a break from that.

That's one good thing to come out of this pandemic and all of the terrible stuff happening in our industry -- it has further deepened my resolve that I wrote about in the conclusion to END OF THE ROAD (which you can get here).

Rally round the family, with a pocket full of shells, indeed.

Or, in the words of the Eagles, quote: "Woo hoo hoo, my my, woo hoo hoo."

(Yes, I just interpolated Rage Against the Machine's 'Bulls On Parade' with The Eagles' 'Already Gone'. That's the type of insightful commentary you've come to expect from me).

I'll be dropping another new non-fiction collection next week. It's called UNSAFE SPACES and it compiles material written from 2014 to 2016. The ebook edition is probably already on sale as you read this. The paperback will be out in a few days (and that's when I'll promote them both. I like to wait to both editions are available). Here's the cover, done by the always excellent Elderlemon Design.

Gorgeous, right?

I consider this book, TRIGGER WARNINGS, and END OF THE ROAD to be a sort of literary triptych. Now, the trilogy is complete, and I've said everything I have to say on the subjects contained in those three books.

I got a big influx of Patreon supporters this past week. If you are one of them, I'd like to draw your attention to the Patreon Index on my website. It makes navigating and finding things much, much easier.

And I guess that's it for this week. A reminder that TWITTER is the only social media outlet I still use regularly.

I'll see you back here next week.

Woo hoo hoo, my my, woo hoo hoo...