[Letters From the Labyrinth] Brian Keene Newsletter 12/4/16

Hello. My name is Brian Keene and this is the seventeenth issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly email newsletter. If you're a new subscriber, previous issues are archived here.

The 2016 Maelstrom set goes on sale next Sunday. For new readers, Maelstrom is my very own imprint via publisher Thunderstorm Books. Each year, I publish a three-book set featuring a novel length work by myself, a novella length work by myself, and a novel length work by a writer I think you will enjoy. Previous sets have introduced writers such as Kelli Owen, Livia Llewellyn, John Urbancik, Jonathan Goodrich, Chesya Burke, Geoff Cooper, an many more.

These sets are produced for book collectors. Each set consists of three signed, limited edition hardcovers with high-end production values. They are sold together -- three books for one price.

We had to bump up the price a bit this year to cover the ever increasing rise in paper costs. As a result, the print run is set a bit lower than previous volumes. This year's three-book set is limited to 225 copies and will sell for $150. You'll want to use this link to order, but be aware the order button won't go live until NEXT SUNDAY.

Throne of Bastards by Steven L. Shrewsbury & Brian Keene

Rogan is back in this sequel to Brian Keene and Steven L. Shrewsbury’s award-winning KING OF THE BASTARDS, and this time, he’ll show no mercy. Learning that his family are in danger, Rogan returns to his former kingdom, now under siege from foreign invaders led by his bastard son. Now, the aging barbarian and his trusted companions, Javan and Akibeel, must forge an alliance new friends and old foes, mustering an army to retake the kingdom. Surrounded by savages, soldiers, demons, and dark magic, it will take all their cunning, skill, and courage to survive the war and determine once and for all who shall sit upon the THRONE OF THE BASTARDS.

School's Out by Brian Keene

Eight-year-old Alan doesn’t like going to school, but when a global pandemic leaves him orphaned, cold, starving, and lonely, he has no choice but to set out on a dangerous quest to return to his third-grade classroom. SCHOOL’S OUT, an all-new post-apocalyptic novella by Brian Keene, was suggested to him by his son, marking their first official collaboration, and is suitable for all ages.

Come to Dust by Brandon MacLeod

Ever since her mother abandoned her, five-year-old Sophie has had to depend on her uncle Mitch for everything. But he’s struggling. Restarting a life interrupted by time in prison is hard enough without having to balance work and single parenthood. Mitch is determined to make it work though, striving to keep their family together despite the obstacles in their way, because no matter how difficult things get, they are good for each other. And life for the two of them seems to be looking up. But when Sophie dies tragically, it all comes crashing down. Mitch descends into a crippling grief, coming to understand how little his freedom means without her to share it with. And though released from the sudden responsibility thrust upon him, all he wants is his niece back, safe and alive.

When he gets his wish and scores of children around the world begin to inexplicably rise from the dead—Sophie among them—everything becomes much harder.

Mitch rescues her from the morgue, determined to carve out a normal life for them no matter what, though it soon becomes clear that may not be possible. While the kids who’ve returned behave like living children, they still look very dead. And they can do something else that normal children cannot. Something terrifying. Beliefs differ whether the children’s return is a mercy or a sign of approaching judgment, and a congregation of religious fanatics determined to usher in the apocalypse has their own plan for salvation.

Now Mitch must find a way to save Sophie from an increasingly hostile world that wants to tear them apart and put her back in the ground for good.

So, be ready next Sunday, right? Maelstrom VII.

Of course, every year, somebody complains, "That's really expensive for books!"

Well, yes. If you are buying paperbacks or trade hardcovers at the store or on Amazon, then it is expensive. But these are not paperbacks or trade hardcovers. These are signed, limited edition hardcovers. These are collectibles, with much higher production values, materials, and design than a store-bought paperback or trade hardcover. These are books that are built to withstand the ravages of time. Publishers have been making signed, limited edition hardcovers since the early 1900s. I've got a signed, limited edition hardcover from Arthur Machen in my collection that is older than my grandmother, an you know what? It still looks great.

With that in mind, no, this is not really expensive for books. As far as collectibles of this caliber go, it's a great fucking price.

And if you're not a book collector, you can always wait for the cheaper paperback or digital editions to be published, right? So why complain about the collectors who are excited by these editions? Everybody gets to read the books eventually. Be nice to each other.

By now, you've probably heard about the fire at an electronic music concert inside an Oakland, California artist commune known as the Ghost Ship. If not, here's a news article. Pretty grim stuff. The death toll is expected to rise.

I've got a lot of musician friends. Two of them -- electronica artist Xander Harris (whose concept album Urban Gothic was based on my novel of the same name) and Witch Mountain drummer Nathan Carson (whose debut novel, Starr Creek, was featured in this newsletter a few issues back) both had friends inside the building. My thoughts are with them this morning. This tragedy, and it's impact on people I know is just another reminder of how small this world really is, and how everything is connected, and impacts us all, sooner or later.

If you are financially able, please consider helping relief efforts by clicking here.

If you are in or near Allentown, Pennsylvania, Mary SanGiovanni and I are both guests at New Years Eve Party Con, taking place December 30 through January 1 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Allentown. This will be my last official stop on the nine-month-long Farewell (But Not Really) Tour -- and probably my last official public appearance for a long, long time. Come hang out, get your books signed, and sit in the bar and bullshit with us.

Currently Reading: MAN-THING: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 2 by Steve Gerber
Currently Listening: I AM by Earth, Wind & Fire
Currently Watching: WESTWORLD

Earth, Wind & Fire is the greatest funk, soul, R&B, and disco band of all time. But I would argue that they're also one of the greatest rock bands of that time, as well. And I will knife fight anyone who disagrees.

Dark Regions Press are reprinting some classic Richard Laymon novels in collectible hardcover format, featuring additional material. I was honored to contribute an afterword for the forthcoming edition of FUNLAND. Here's a brief excerpt, in which I propose that the book could be considered another proto-Bizarro novel:

"All of the things Laymon fans (sometimes guiltily and other times gleefully) love about his novels are on display here. The unflinching violence. The primal lust. The grim examination of another dark underbelly of society. A cast of characters, not all of whom are nice, but all of whom could live right next door to you. Bits of wry humor. And the hallmark of all of Laymon’s work—that sometimes breezy, usually fast, but always visceral and emotional style. That style is the lifeblood of any Laymon novel, but it seems almost pumped up on steroids here. Make no mistake about it, Funland is a page-turner—which is no easy feat, given that it is also one of Laymon’s longer novels, and one in which he delves deeper into characterization than the bulk of his work. Despite this, Funhouse never lags. Never slows. Relentless in pacing and plot, Funhouse starts out as your typical Laymon thriller before ultimately evolving into one of his most twisted, brutal, and surreal works. Indeed, some long-time Laymon readers have occasionally expressed befuddlement or displeasure at the novel’s descent into a level of surrealism not often seen outside of the Bizarro genre (a literary movement that would not come about until nearly twenty years after Funland’s publication). As film director and Laymon fan Mike Lombardo put it, “Funland had 100% more lunatics wielding six-shooters riding a giant spider than I was expecting.” But unlike the handful of detractors, Lombardo adored the book, as do the majority of Laymon’s fans. Despite the Bizarro second-half, Funland remains “Classic Laymon”—a term which aficionados immediately understand and identify with."

That's it for this week. Remember, Maelstrom VII on sale one week from today! Be ready, because they're going to go quick!