[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter 9/25/16

Hello. My name is Brian Keene and this is the eighth issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly email newsletter about what I'm doing.Short one this week.

Had a wonderful time at last Friday's appearance in Binghamton, New York. First, I had the opportunity to address the students at Seton Catholic High School, which was awesome. The kids asked great questions and were genuinely interested in writing, the horror genre, the life of a public figure, and more. Then, with some time to kill, I went to see Rod Serling's childhood home (but since it is a private residence, I refrained from taking pictures). Then myself and eight or nine other authors did readings and signed at the local bookstore. I read a short excerpt from PRESSURE (when the monsters are attacking the mercenaries). Was great to see my old friend, author Kevin Lucia, and finally meet author Dan Padanova in person. Thanks to all for a wonderful day.

Yesterday, Paul Tremblay and I did a live Q&A with Dublin's Fright Club -- a horror book club in Ireland, hosted by model Melissa Hayward and her brother, musician Matt Hayward. That got me thinking about technology, and how cool it is to live in a time when, via technology, Paul and I can appear on a giant screen in a pub and talk live with fans and readers.

I still feel cheated, though. As a kid, I was enamored with Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I devoured the novel and the accompanying Marvel Comics' series (I didn't see the movie until years later, with the advent of VCRs and home video). Eventually, a quadrilogy spun out of that novel. I've read all four books countless times, and they remain my favorite works of science fiction. But reading them as a kid, I was promised the opportunity to fly to the moon by the year 2001, and I feel cheated that this hasn't happened yet. Of course, the upside to the ideas presented by Clarke in the 2001 series not manifesting in real life is that Jupiter won't turn into a second sun during our grandchildren's lifetimes, and giant, obsidian, alien Tetris blocks won't decide they prefer the lifeforms on Europa over the lifeforms here on Earth.

A few news items from that Skype Q&A:

1. Matt Hayward is the first official acceptance for the forthcoming CLICKERS FOREVER anthology. He wrote a fantastic story that J.F. Gonzalez would have loved. (I should also note, the CLICKERS FOREVER antho isn't *just* about Clickers. It will delve into all of Gonzalez's work. For example, I've assigned Nick Mamatas to revisit THE CORPORATION, etc.)

2. I've been working over two years now on a non-fiction book about the paranormal. It is nowhere near completion. It's a personal passion project of mine.

3. There are only two more Levi Stoltzfus novels to come -- INVISIBLE MONSTERS and BAD GROUND (although BAD GROUND might get split into two novels called BAD GROUND and HOMECOMING).

Also during the Q&A with Dublin's Fright Club, I was asked if I'll ever write something else like THE GIRL ON THE GLIDER. I am, right now. I write a weekly column for Cemetery Dance Online called END OF THE ROAD. It details my nine-month promotional tour for PRESSURE and THE COMPLEX, examining how book-selling, publishing, touring, the horror genre, and myself have all changed over the last twenty years. If you read it regularly, then you also know that it has begun to take a paranormal/supernatural turn. Much like THE GIRL ON THE GLIDER, it is a true story. Indeed, while the former was "99% true", END OF THE ROAD is 100% true. Click here to read them all.

A reminder that October 7th through the 9th, I'm one of the guests of honor at Imaginarium Crowne Plaza Hotel 830 Phillips Ln., Louisville, KY 40209. I'll be doing panels, a Q&A, and more. Mary and I will have a table to sign books at all weekend long, as well. I'll have copies of PRESSURE, THE COMPLEX, THE LOST LEVEL and KING OF THE BASTARDS on hand. You can bring books from home to get signed, as well.

Currently Reading: CRAWLSPACE by Dan Padanova
Currently Listening: Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis
Currently Watching: WKRP IN CINCINNATI: THE COMPLETE SERIES

When it comes to television, I am much more of a drama fan. The Wire, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Narcos, Hill Street Blues, The X-Files, Mr. Robot, Boardwalk Empire -- these are the types of shows I usually enjoy. There are only a handful of sitcoms that I truly consider "classics" -- Seinfeld, Grounded For Life, MASH, Soap, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the short-lived Hello Ladies.

And then there is WKRP In Cincinnati, which is my favorite sitcom of all-time, and one of my favorite shows ever, and indeed, one of the true joys in my life. We waited years for a DVD release, and when we got one, it was only the first season, had been edited down, and had much of the music replaced with "clone" songs. Now, finally, the entire series has been released in their original formats, with 90% of the music returned, including The Rolling Stones, Blondie, KISS, Bob Segar, etc. My eight-year old and his mother got it for me for my birthday, and I have spent a wonderful few days revisiting what feels like beloved friends. If you're young, and you've never seen an episode, I recommend the pilot (parts 1 and 2), or "Fish Story" or "Turkeys Away" or "Les On A Ledge" (all from the first season).

Mary's new book is in stores next Tuesday. This marks her return to bookstore shelves (like many of us, she was left without bookstore distribution after Dorchester's collapse). It would mean a lot to me if you support it. And yeah, I know, she's my girlfriend and that's nepotism, but you know what? For the last twenty years I've been using my privilege and position to promote people whose work I enjoy. I've been reading Mary for fifteen years. I've only been dating her for six. So take those accusations of nepotism and stuff them. And after you've stuffed them, click here to order a copy of CHILLS.

If you're still here from last week, thanks for not unsubscribing. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you again next week, universe willing. Also, please note, the best way to reach me is still Twitter, rather than replying to this email. My inbox currently has 2,376 unread messages.