Letters From the Labyrinth 218 - Brian Keene

Hi. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 218th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.

Mary and I finished quarantining from each other on Thursday. She doesn't have Covid. I'm back home now, and writing this segment in my office on Friday morning. It's 7:10am and I'm glancing out the window at the sun rising over Turkey Hill (the actual geographical location, rather than the convenience store chain or the ice cream and tea manufacturer that shares its name). The sky is painted red, and that color and light reflects off the river. They merge, this time of morning, and you can't tell where they sky ends and the water begins.

It is good to be home.

When I was younger, it used to be I could write from anywhere. Indeed, for many years I lived a nomad's life, writing in various apartments and bars and restaurants and parks and lunchrooms -- anywhere I could get a moment to get some work done. Not that I was ever one of those Starbucks writers who needs the public to see them writing. You know the type I'm talking about. Family Guy even has a skit about them. I have no time for people like that. No, I sometimes wrote in public because it was the only place I had available to write in. The bottom line for me was always the writing itself. Where I was doing it didn't matter.

But then I got married and settled down and -- around the time of DARK HOLLOW -- I had myself an actual home office. It was a converted garage (immortalized in THE GIRL ON THE GLIDER and much like the office of the main character in SCRATCH).

When I got divorced, I went back to being a writing nomad again -- writing in whatever space was available to me.

But now, years later, I have an office again, in this home that Mary and I share, and I find that it is difficult for me to write anywhere else. I was very grateful to my ex-wife and my youngest son for putting me up in their home while we waited for the Covid window to close with Mary, and I enjoyed the extra time spent with them, but writing at their dining room table was not the same as writing here in my office, at J.F. Gonzalez's desk, with all of my notes to myself and all of my stuff -- the accumulated debris and souvenirs of twenty plus years in this business -- within easy reach. And it was especially difficult to write without that sunrise.

I do love that sunrise, and that view.

In the time it has taking me to write this, the sun is fully up now, and those lovely red hues are completely gone, replaced by heavy fog and a solid wall of gray clouds. It happened that fast.

My grandma is 95. When I turned 40, she said that the older you get, the faster time goes. I'm 53 now, and I can vouch. Things happen fast. Time speeds up. And things seem to happen especially fast in this dark hellscape that is 2020 and its sequel, 2021.

But that's outside. Here, in this office, time stands still, if only for a little while.

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It is, of course, good to see my girlfriend, as well, after a month and half apart. Mary and I finally got to open our Christmas presents to each other. I got some supplements for chronic pain, a Family Guy mug, a cool Golden Age comics calendar, two books by Matt Wildasin, a new pair of bedroom slippers, a new grill, and a daily pill organizer (yes, I am officially the age where I was very excited to receive a daily pill organizer).

We also finally got to binge season 3 of Cobra Kai. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- with the possible exception of Better Call Saul -- Cobra Kai is the best thing currently on television. It is a masterclass in writing, plotting and particularly characterization. I can't rave about it enough.

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Work this week was a pretty even three-way split between WITH TEETH, SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH Book 2, and PROJECT CASTLE.

I also pre-recorded an appearance on the Dead Headspace Podcast -- an interview that spans 2 hours and covers everything from early days to END OF THE ROAD. That airs on the 18th of this month. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

I also learned that I'm being considered for a gig just as stellar as PROJECT CASTLE. No word yet on whether I'll get the job, but trust me when I tell you, it is very cool to even be considered.

Took some initial preliminary steps to setting up a new merch line. Matt Wildasin will be helping me with it, and the merch will be available on Redbubble, but it is still early days, so more on that in a few weeks.

Also, for those of you have been asking, it became official this past week. CURSE OF THE BASTARDS -- the final book in the award-winning Rogan trilogy by myself and Steven L. Shrewsbury -- will be out at some point this year in paperback, e-book, and audiobook from Apex Publishing. The hardcover came out end of 2019, so it's been a bit of a wait, but we appreciate your patience. If you haven't read the first two books yet, now is a great time to do so!

Signed off on galleys and cover proofs for a new paperback, e-book and audiobook edition of THE DAMNED HIGHWAY by myself and Nick Mamatas this past week, as well. It will be good to have that book back in print.

And finally, production continues on J.F. Gonzalez's books. Last week, I mentioned THE SUMMONING AND OTHER ELDRITCH TALES, which collects much of his Lovecraftian stories. Here's the cover, hot off designer Kealan Patrick Burke's computer.

Pretty sweet, right?

I often think of a convention I went to in Ohio years ago. J.F., myself, and Robert Ford drove there from PA. Kealan, Nick Mamatas, Maurice Broaddus and Mark 'Dezm' Sylva were also in attendance. It was one of the best "boys weekends" I've ever had, despite the fact that Jesus, Bob and I all caught con crud and had to drive home sick as dogs. I mean...feverish, shivering from chills, upset stomachs -- the works. It was a miserable drive, but I'd suffer through it all again to be able to experience that weekend again.

Here's a few photo from that long ago weekend.

Maurice, Jesus, Bob and Dezm

There are also two great photos -- one of me and Kealan in a bar and one of Nick and Bob with a police car -- but I can't find them on my computer, because I have too many photos and really need to take a week and organize them.

One of the things I loved about Jesus, and one of the things I love about Bob (and also author John Boden) is that their musical tastes are as esoteric and scattered as mine are.

A few newsletters ago, I mentioned that I'd moved all of my vinyl up into my office, and intended to listen to it in alphabetical order (I usually have music or a movie or Howard Stern on in the background while I'm working). I figured I'd document this alphabetical project. I am well aware that it will only appeal to Bob and John, but the rest of you are stuck with it, regardless. ;-)

This was an abbreviated week, since I didn't get home until Thursday night and have only been in the office Friday and Saturday, but here's what I listened to this week:

60 YEARS OF COUNTRY MUSIC - Various Artists
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Various Artists
WATERLOO - Abba
THE ALBUM - Abba
THE SINGLES - Abba
GOLD - Abba
HIGHWAY TO HELL - AC/DC
DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP - AC/DC
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, WE SALUTE YOU - AC/DC
WHO MADE WHO - AC/DC

So, that's what I'm currently listening to.

Speaking of vinyl, here is a great read that David J. Schow passed along, about insane vinyl collections and the people who amass them.

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And speaking of David J. Schow, I'll be doing another livestream before this month ends. David will be my guest, and Geoff Cooper will be my guest co-host. Between those two, I probably won't have to talk at all. Nailing down the date this week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I posted two new videos this week -- both birthday wishes to Jeff Strand and Rio Youers. Watch them here.

It's a new year and a new season of DEFENDERS DIALOGUE. We kick it off with a sweeping new fantasy epic, as Man-Thing, Jennifer, Korrek and Dakimh battle across three dimensions for the fate of a world. Plus - Thundarr the Barbarian and 1970's southern rock as Christopher Golden and I discuss Marvel's Giant-Size Man-Thing issue 3. DEFENDERS DIALOGUE is available wherever you listen to podcasts, or via the YouTube link in the paragraph above.

I'd also like to plug the Ghost Writers Podcast, with hosts Mary SanGiovanni, Matt Wildasin, Dave Thomas, and Somer Canon. If you miss The Horror Show with Brian Keene (and I know you do) then you should definitely be listening to this one. It's all of the old gang, except they replaced me with Somer. Which was a smart decision. Seriously, give them a listen.

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That's it for this week! As always, a reminder about PATREON, where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, three serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I'll see you back here next week!