[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter 10/16/16

Hello. My name is Brian Keene and this is the eleventh issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly email newsletter in which I tell you about things that may interest you or may, at the very least, make it easier to induce your Sunday afternoon nap.

Been hunkered down writing all week. Working on final draft of RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL, first draft of SCHOOL'S OUT, final draft of HOLE IN THE WORLD, a story for PAINFREAK, an Introduction for a Scott Edelman book, an Afterword for a Richard Laymon novel, and probably some other things that I've forgotten.

As reported last week, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS is finished, and was turned in to the publishers. Thunderstorm Books finished the publisher's edits on it this morning, I'm told.

Despite all this touring and traveling, I've been making a serious dent in finishing up many of these missed deadlines. My current plan of attack goes like this:

RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL - Turn in to publisher by October 31.
SCHOOL'S OUT - Turn in to publisher by October 31
Story for PAINFREAK - Turn in to publisher by October 31
Into for Scott Edelman - Turn in to publisher by November 5
Afterword for Richard Laymon - Turn in to publisher by November 5
HOLE IN THE WORLD - Turn in to publisher by November 29
THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD - Turn in to publisher by December 1

Which leaves DEAD AIR, SUBURBAN GOTHIC, INVISIBLE MONSTERS, and THE RISING V for next year.

That's the plan...

I've also been very busy with the podcast. We are approaching our 100th episode, which will air in mid-January. I intend for it to be a live, twenty-four hour event, fashioned after the old Jerry Lewis telethons, raising money for Scares That Care.

If you've never listened to the podcast, then you've missed some intimate and excellent interviews with folks like Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, F. Paul Wilson, Mary SanGiovanni, John Skipp, Tom Monteleone, Nick Mamatas, Gene O'Neill, Sephera Giron, Linda Addison, and dozens and dozens and dozens more. You can find all of them archived here, and they are free to listen to from any phone, computer, or Roku.

On last week's show, Mary SanGiovanni was our returning guest. She talked a lot about one of her mentors, the legendary Charles L. Grant. After the show aired, John Platt sent along this wonderful photo of Charlie from the mid-90s.

Charles L. Grant was one of the most important authors and editors this genre has ever had, and I love the fact that his work is beginning to be discovered by new readers thanks to the efforts of writers like Mary and Kevin Lucia and others.

As I was writing this newsletter, I learned about the passing of author Ed Gorman. Ed was another cornerstone of not only the horror genre, but of crime, mystery, westerns and so many others. An important, influential writer and editor, and was so gracious and helpful to not only me, but so many others. I only got to meet him in person twice, but we've corresponded via email for the last twenty years.

I mentioned above about Charles L. Grant mentoring Mary SanGiovanni early in her career. Ed Gorman did the same for a young author named Tom Piccirilli, who was one of my best friends. Charlie is gone and Tom is gone and now Ed is gone.

As I said, I've only just learned about his passing, so I don't have any prepared words. I'm sure I will by the time next week's podcast rolls around. But it did make me pause and consider a paragraph I just wrote in last week's END OF THE ROAD column, which can be read in its entirety here.

"I thought about Charles L. Grant, dying broke in a hospice. I remembered when I was younger, and I’d attended a party at author Matthew Warner’s house. Myself, Mary SanGiovanni, Matt, Brian Freeman, and a few others of our generation had been standing in the kitchen, talking about how unjust Charlie’s method of passing seemed to us. And I remember the absolute gravity and fear in Douglas E. Winter’s voice when he stared at me and said, “Now you know what keeps us up at night, kid.” I thought about J.N. Williamson, dying in an old folk’s home with only his sister, Gary Braunbeck, and Maurice Broaddus at his funeral service, which was presided over by a preacher who informed them that J.N.’s life’s work had served the devil. I thought about Richard Matheson, still trying to write even as dementia ate away at his ability to do so (or so I’ve been told). I thought about Richard Laymon spending the morning writing and then collapsing in his kitchen. I thought about Pic and Jesus, and I thought about how it never ends well for us writer types. Nobody gets out alive, of course, but is it too much to ask that just one of us goes in our sleep with the knowledge that what we did actually mattered, and that we touched people’s lives with our stories about zombies and ghosts and vampires?"

That's really all I can say, for now. My head has not been in a good place these last few weeks, what with the anniversary of J.F. Gonzalez's death coming up and other stuff.

Hey, about some good fucking news? Two more appearances to look forward to this month as the Farewell (But Not Really) Tour heads toward the finish line:

October 22
Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival
Haverhill Public Library
99 Main Street
Haverhill, MA

October 26
KGB Bar
85th East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
Reading 7pm to 9pm with Christoph Paul, Mary SanGiovanni, Adam Cesare, and Nick Cato

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Someone reminded me the other day that my short story, "A Revolution of One", is available to read for free online at Apex. Click here to read it.

Okay, that does it for this week. Thanks for not unsubscribing. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you again next week, universe willing.