Letters From the Labyrinth 223 - Brian Keene

Hi. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 223rd issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
Work this past week involved lots of emails. Emails about a movie thing. Emails about both the sale of and the revision of foreign rights (to different publishers, obviously). Emails about some virtual speaking engagements I've got coming up. (Before the pandemic, I'd been enjoying speaking at colleges and high schools, and had begun to see a nice little side income stream from it). But my inbox is still an absolute tire fire. For every five emails I reply to, ten more take their place. Inbox as of the time I'm typing this (which is Saturday morning at 6:03AM is 2,988 unread.
Yes, you read that correctly. 2,988 unread emails.
I have found that the only way to deal with this is to not deal with it. I scan what comes in every day, and I pick out stuff that is a priority and I answer what I can. On average, I answer 10 to 20 emails per day. Then I switch over to writing, because people are not paying me to answer emails -- they're paying me to write. Once a week (usually on Friday) I take a half day and really focus on digging deep into the inbox, and answering more than the daily 10 to 20. And yet, that doesn't even put a dent in it.
So, I don't think about it, because to think about it would increase my already disastrous blood pressure, and I don't need that, and Mary and my kids don't need that.
Text messages and Direct Messages on Twitter are starting to creep up there, too. I'm probably going to have to adapt the same rules for them, here in the near future. Answer what I can every day, and then not worry about it.
It's either that, or be a prick and just stop responding to people completely. And no matter how overwhelmed I get, I'll never do that. I may grouse and grumble that I'm going to do it, but I never could in real life. So...
"Whaddya gonna do?" -- Old Italian saying, usually accompanied by a shrug.
As I was typing the above, my old pal screenwriter and novelist Paul Finch Tweeted to inform me that END OF THE ROAD made the final ballot for th Bram Stoker Awards. Then authors Ross Jeffrey and Hailey Piper Tweeted the same. So unless the three of them are pranking me, I guess it's true.
(Okay, I just looked. It is true.)
Usually, when something like this happens, I type up the statement on my website and then reprint it here in the newsletter the following Sunday. But this morning, I'm going to type it first right here -- into the body of the newsletter, and then reprint it on my website afterward. So...
Anyone who has read END OF THE ROAD knows just how personal of a book it was for me to write. Over the last two decades (plus change) I've been privileged enough to give back to a genre that has given me joy for most of my life, and in doing so, I've been lucky enough to build a sizeable bibliography. However, of all the things I've written, END OF THE ROAD is my favorite. While it is indeed a memoir, it's not a book about me. It's a book about us -- all of us, we fans and creators within the horror genre. It's a book about the people who came before us, a book about us ourselves, and a book about the people who will come long after we are gone. I am deeply honored by this nomination, and I continue to be humbled and moved by all the readers this book has touched.
(Now I'll go repost that on Twitter and my website and get Ron or Kozeniewski to post it to my Facebook page).
Okay, so where were we?
Oh, yes -- I was talking about what I did this past week.
In addition to all those emails, I finished the final draft of WITH TEETH, and sent it to the publisher, Death's Head Press. I'm being told it will be an April release -- paperback and e-book.. I also finished two chapters of MONSTERS OF SAIPAN (a collaboration with Weston ochse that I talked about here recently), and worked on THE DRIVE-IN: MUTIPLEX with fellow editor Christopher Golden.
I hit a snag with PROJECT CASTLE. I know what I want to do for this next segment, and in another medium, it would be easy to pull off, but I'm not sure how to do it in the medium I'm writing in. So I sat it aside for a few days to mull over, and will get back to it this week.
In addition to the Bram Stoker Award finalists being announced this week, the Splatterpunk Award finalists were announced, as well. Here is the press release, which you are welcome to copy and share:
February 17, 2021
Best-selling authors and Splatterpunk Award founders Wrath James White and Brian Keene are proud to announce the nominees for the 2021 Splatterpunk Awards, honoring superior achievement for works published in 2020 in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.
The nominees are recommended by readers, fans and peers. The nominees are as follows.
BEST NOVEL
1. Pandemonium by Ryan Harding and Lucas Mangum (Death’s Head Press)
2. Tome by Ross Jeffery (The Writing Collective)
3. Dust by Chris Miller (Death’s Head Press)
4. Slaughter Box by Carver Pike (Self-Published)
5. Gone To See The River Man by Kristopher Triana (Cemetery Dance Publications)
6. They All Died Screaming by Kristopher Triana (Blood Bound Books)
7. The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young (Death’s Head Press)
BEST NOVELLA
1. The Slob by Aron Beauregard (Self-Published) *
2. Bella’s Boys by Thomas R. Clark (Stitched Smile Publications)
3. Juniper by Ross Jeffery (The Writing Collective)
4. Red Station by Kenzie Jennings (Death’s Head Press)
5. True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik (Grindhouse Press)
6. The Night Silver River Run Red by Christine Morgan (Death’s Head Press)
7. How Much 2 by Matt Shaw (Self-Published)
BEST SHORT STORY
1. “The Incident at Barrow Farm” by M. Ennenbach (from Cerberus Rising, Self-Published)
2. “Full Moon Shindig” by Patrick C. Harrison III (from Visceral: Collected Flesh, Death’s Head Press)
3. “Phylum” by Tom Over (from The Comfort Zone and Other Safe Spaces, NihilismRevised)
4. “Footsteps” by Janine Pipe (from Diabolica Britannica, Keith Anthony Baird)
5. “Next In Line” by Susan Snyder (from Devour the Earth, Madness Heart Press)
6. “My Body” by Wesley Southard (from Midnight In the Pentagram, Silver Shamrock Publishing)
7. “The God In The Hills” by Jon Steffens (from The God In the Hills, Filthy Loot Press)
BEST COLLECTION
1. War of Dictates by John Baltisberger (Death’s Head Press)
2. Cerberus Rising by M. Ennenbach, Chris Miller and Patrick C. Harrison III (Self-Published) **
3. The Essential Sick Stuff by Ronald Kelly (Silver Shamrock Publishing)
4. Rhapsody In Red by Peter Molnar (Stitched Smile Publications)
5. Visceral: Collected Flesh by Christine Morgan and Patrick C. Harrison III (Death’s Head Press) ***
6. The Comfort Zone and Other Safe Spaces by Tom Over (NihilismRevised)
7. Blood Relations by Kristopher Triana (Grindhouse Press)
BEST ANTHOLOGY
1. Chew On This edited by Robert Essig (Blood Bound Books)
2. Brewtality edited by K. Trap Jones (The Evil Cookie Publishing)
3. Welcome To the Splatter Club edited by K. Trap Jones (Blood Bound Books)
4. Worst Laid Plans edited by Samantha Kolesnik (Grindhouse Press)
5. Crash Code edited by Quinn Parker (Blood Bound Books)
6. If I Die Before I Wake Vol. 3: Tales of Deadly Women and Retribution edited by R.E. Sargent and Steven Pajak (Sinister Smile Press)
7. Psi-Wars: Classified Cases of Psychic Phenomena edited by Joshua Viola (Hex Publishers)
* Qualifies due to being significantly revised from its original edition.
** Qualifies as a collection, rather than an anthology.
*** Qualifies as a collection, rather than an anthology.
A panel of judges composed of professionals, critics and scholars in the field will now begin the process of reading each nominated work, and selecting a winner for each category. Winners will be announced at KillerCon, taking place in Austin, Texas this August. If national health concerns prevent a physical convention, then the winners will be announced in an online ceremony instead.
In addition to the winners, author and editor John Skipp will receive the annual J. F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award honoring his significant contributions to the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror. Previous recipients are David J. Schow, David G. Barnett and Edward Lee.
Three notes of interest regarding this year’s awards:
While each category normally has five nominees (six if there is a tie), press will note that each category for this year contains seven. That is due to the overwhelming response in recommendations from the public this year. More new readers were engaged with Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror in 2020, leading to an increase in public response. As such, Wrath and Brian decided to extend the nominees to seven for each category, to better serve the community.
Building on a trend we pointed out in 2019, this year saw a continued significant increase in the number of women and authors who identify as female writing Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror. The recommendation process evidenced readers and fans mentioning a number of new female voices.
Splatter Westerns (which combine elements of Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror with the traditional Western genre) were clearly a favorite among readers in 2020, as evidenced both in the nominees and in the recommendations.
Press inquiries can be sent to Wrath James White or Brian Keene


Longtime pre-reader Mark 'Dezm' Sylva sent me these pics along with his edits for WITH TEETH. He writes:
"there's this pallet jack that appeared out of nowhere on the docks a month back. It says Ob on it. It must have came off a trailer or something. Anyways it's the biggest piece of shit jack. It takes forever to pump up. And it goes down realllll fucking slow. And when you try to pull it outta the pallet it always gets stuck. Anyways us dudes that unload the trucks are always, "shit I grabbed fucking Ob! this fucker sucks.' 'Don't grab that one, Ob hates us all.' lol. it's pretty funny. I of course tried to explain Ob. ANyways it's funny that Ob can even inhabit a pallet jack. har har."
As you know, I am writing a fifth and final book in THE RISING series. It is called THE FALL. When Ob shows up and possesses a pallet jack in that book, you'll know why.

THE DAMNED HIGHWAY: FEAR AND LOATHING IN ARKHAM, is back in print with a new paperback and Kindle edition!
A hilarious, shocking, terrifying thrill-ride across the American landscape, The Damned Highway combines two great flavors of weird: the gonzo journalism of Hunter S. Thompson and the uncanny terrors of H.P. Lovecraft. Horror legend Brian Keene and cult storytelling master Nick Matamas dredge up a tale of drug-fueled eldritch madness from the blackest depths of the American Nightmare. On a freaked-out bus journey to Arkham, Massachusetts, and the 1972 Presidential primary, evidence mounts that sinister forces are on the rise, led by the Cult of Cthulhu and its most prominent member - Richard M. Nixon.
THE DAMNED HIGHWAY: FEAR AND LOATHING IN ARKHAM
Click here to order the paperback.
Click here to order the e-book.
And yes, an audiobook is on the way, as well.
On last week's episode of DEFENDERS DIALOGUE, Steve Gerber and Marvel Comics got political -- and so did Christopher Golden and myself as we reviewed The Man-Thing issues 17 and 18. Listen for free via Libsyn or wherever else you listen to podcasts.
I want to take some space here to plug some things by some friends of mine:
Rio Youers has a new novel out. It's called Lola On Fire. I think it's the best thing he's ever done. Available in Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover and Paperback. Check it out here.
David J. Schow also has a new book out. It's called Weird Doom and if, like myself, you're into Weird Tales or David's work, then you'll need this in your life. Available in Paperback here.
Tim Lebbon is one of my oldest friends in this business, and I don't get to see him in person nearly often enough. I've been proud as hell of what he's done over the last decade, as far as getting into shape and transforming himself goes. (I mean, I've been proud of what he's accomplished as a writer, too, but look, the guy is my age and competing in marathons and stuff). Anyway, Tim has written a book about that journey to physical fitness. It's called Run Walk Crawl: Getting Fit In My Forties. You can pre-order it on Kindle right now. The Paperback comes out in March.
Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes is currently streaming on Netflix! Curl up with someone you love and give it a watch.
And finally, Worst Laid Plans is a movie that is adapting several stories from the anthology of the same name. I've got a lot of friends and people whose work I like involved with this, including Samantha Kolesnik, Hailey Piper, Patrick Lacey, C.V. Hunt, and John Hale. The project is over 90% funded. Click here for more details.
(I may have a surprise for all of you, regarding this movie, but first, you've got to get them fully funded...)
And that's it for this week! Stay warm and hang in there, gang. Better days are coming.