Letters From the Labyrinth Brian Keene 197
Hi. I'm Brian Keene and and this is the 197th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
I skipped sending a newsletter last week, since it was the day after the 2020 Scares That Care Virtual Convention -- an event that raised $18,357 for our three 2020 recipient families. They are:
*Ashley Adams and her daughter Natalya, who has Marfan Syndrome.
*Laura, our breast cancer warrior for this year.
*Patricia, who suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to her entire right side.
As you saw during the 13-hour stream, we were able to present Ashley with a check. Because of your generosity, we will soon be able to present two more checks as well.
If you missed the stream, the entire livestream can be viewed here.
Or, if you are looking for a specific segment, this playlist has the highlights. (Please note, that playlist is not complete yet. I've got Dave Thomas processing and editing 4 videos per day. But it is almost complete. Check back often).
Scares That Care founder Joe Ripple and I will be hosting a virtual Halloween event on October 24, from 5pm to midnight, so stay tuned for that.
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In addition to being available in hardcover, my horror fiction memoir, END OF THE ROAD, is now also available in eBook for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and Apple readers. It went to number one on Amazon, in the Horror and Supernatural Literary Criticism section -- my 3rd number one bestseller in that category this year. Thanks to everyone who purchased a copy and made that happen.
I mentioned two weeks ago that my youngest son and his mother are temporarily living with Mary and I. That's working out very well. And it's led to some interesting viewing choices.
My 12-year old and I picked The Mist for the group to watch. I was skittish about that at first. The Mist is my favorite Stephen King novella, and the movie is one of my favorite King adaptations -- but that ending. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love that ending, but I was wary of my 12-year old seeing it. But on the other hand, he is currently reading IT, and he's watched everything from Jaws to Carpenter's The Thing. So, I was torn. But then he told me he already knew the ending to The Mist because he'd seen it on YouTube. Turns out there are like a bazillion channels on YouTube that summarize various horror films. He not only knew the ending to The Mist -- he also knew the plots for Halloween, Child's Play, and the Friday the 13th franchise.
Of course, subversively finding ways to access forbidden entertainment is not new behavior for kids. When I was young, and my parents wouldn't let me see Alien, I stood in the bookstore and read the graphic novel. Years later, when VCRs were invented and I finally gt to watch the film, that experience didn't hamper my enjoyment of it. And the YouTube clip shows didn't seem to hamper his enjoyment of The Mist. But I do find it fascinating how Generation Z consumes horror. Same ways, but different delivery methods. That's why I think platforms like Serial Box are so important. That's the future.
Last night, it was Mary and my ex-wife's turn to pick, so they watched Relic. I turned n after the first 10 minutes, because I was exhausted. They say it was a great slow burn film right up until the end.
Tonight's film is Host, which Josh Malerman and Tim Lebbon both swear by. We'll find out...
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On this past week's episode of The Horror Show with Brian Keene, New York Times bestselling writer Daniel Kraus sat down with me for an intimate conversation about his posthumous collaboration with George Romero. Plus Mary, Dave, Matt, Phoebe and I we remembered Discipline Theory's Jose Castillo and Wilford Brimley, and discussed the Scares That Care Virtual charity event.
Meanwhile, over on Defenders Dialogue, Chris Golden and I continued our deep dive into the Man-Thing and recapped Marvel's Adventure Into Fear issues 16 and 17 and the first issue of Marvel Two-In-One.
Both podcasts are available wherever you listen to podcasts -- Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, etc. You can also listen to them on Brian Keene Radio, which broadcasts for free 24/7. For more information about all of these, click here.
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Work this past week was all about this new Levi and Bloom novellette and final edits on SUBURBAN GOTHIC. And of curse, making sure daily content gets posted to Patreon.
Speaking of which, if you are a Patreon subscriber, please do remember this Patreon Index on my website. it makes navigation so much easier. And if you're not a subscriber, but have been considering it, use that index to convince you, because it shows you exactly what you're paying five bucks a month for.
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Steven L. Shrewsbury, my co-writer on KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS, and CURSE OF THE BASTARDS, has a new novel out. It's called ALONG COME EVENING.
In 1933, a survivor of the massacre at Lawrence, Kansas in the Civil War seeks revenge on the last member of the Missouri Raiders. Matthew Bishop, 72, gathers a motley crew of killers to aide him in destroying Joel Stuart, 93, outside Joplin, Missouri. When the one armed Stuart is acknowledged as the oldest living Confederate in the Midwest, Bishop learns the whereabouts of his nemesis. Dying and maddened the advancement of leprosy, Bishop will stop at nothing to taste revenge before he breathes his last.
Bishop drafts an eccentric WW1 killer; a bootlegger/qualified man for the Chicago outfit; a Voodoo priestess; a dim muscle bound pugilist; and his own granddaughter among others.
As Bishop & his crew get closer to Stuart, a tavern owner warns them away from the aging Rebel, that he isn’t the octogenarian sweetheart he pretends to be in the press or the dime novels.
Unafraid, the group oozes confidence as they approach the home of Stuart’s grandchildren, situated on the edge of a great wilderness. When they stage their attack, they find the family gone, but Joel Stuart alone with his twelve-year-old great grandson Jack, visiting from Illinois, slip in to the wilds, and the hunt is on. As Joel and his grandson use the land and various tricks of rural folk to survive, Bishop starts to wonder if the earth itself hasn’t rose up to aid the old killer.
Ultimately, Jack examines the nature of revenge, sees what it takes to be a killer, and that he cannot escape his own destiny.
Along Come Evening…an action packed tale rife with horror, twisted villains, dark heroes and uncomfortable realities about the human condition.
Click Here To Order in Paperback or for Kindle
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Okay, that's it for this week. I hope you are all doing as well as can be expected in this tire fire that is August 2020. Be kind to others, but also be kind to yourself. Take a break. Get some you time. Read a book or watch a movie or play a video game or just nap.
Universe willing, I'll see you back here next week.