Letters From the Labyrinth 270
Greetings from Baltimore, where I am one of the instructors for this weekend’s Borderlands Boot Camp — a writing workshop hosted by Thomas F. Monteleone and F. Paul Wilson, now in its twentieth year (and one of the best writing workshops, in my long-standing opinion).
I’ve lived an hour from Baltimore for most of my life, and know my way around the city with my eyes closed. I haven’t been here since the pandemic started, though, and I’ve been shocked by just how… deserted … the streets are. I’m a block from the Inner Harbor. It should be bustling with pedestrians and cars, but instead the streets are as empty as a scene from 28 Days Later. Harborplace usually has a dozen or so soapbox shouters, but there was only one one Friday, armed with a fading electric bullhorn. I stopped briefly, hoping he might have something interesting to say, but he just yelled to me and a few pigeons about Jesus saving us.
The vast majority of the people I have seen on the street are masked. Indeed, even the homeless I’ve encountered are wearing masks. That might not sound surprising to you, but an hour north, in rural Pennsylvania, the vast majority of people in my small town are going about deliberately unmasked, so it was an eye-opener for me.
But the bigger eye-opener was, as I said, the empty streets. The rain could have accounted for the pedestrians, but where were the cars? usually the streets are choked downtown — an endless array of honking horns and idling engines. Instead, it seemed utterly apocalyptic.
Strange times.
Anyway, hi there. My name is Brian Keene and this is the 270th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth — a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues can be found here.
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DER KOMPLEX — the German language edition of THE COMPLEX — is on sale now in paperback and for Kindle.
Paperback
(Amazon Germany)
Kindle Ebook
(Amazon Germany)
Kindle Ebook
(Amazon US)
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And speaking of foreign editions, Steven L. Shrewsbury and I signed a deal this week for Italian-language editions of KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS, and CURSE OF THE BASTARDS.
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On this week’s DEFENDERS DIALOGUE, Marvel Spotlight takes the spotlight as Christopher Golden and I discuss the origins and history of Ghost Rider, as well as 1970s motorcycle culture and Evel Knievel. Plus, Chris reveals the story behind his never published Daredevil novel! Available for free wherever you listen to podcasts, and also via this link.
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Jay Wilburn’s #BrianKeeneRevisisted project continues with this essay on re-reading CITY OF THE DEAD.
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We are now two months away from Scares That Care’s first (hopefully) annual AuthorCon. I say hopefully because it needs to be a big success in order to become an annual thing. And that’s where you come in. If you’re a horror fiction fan, or an aspiring horror fiction writer or publisher, and you can only afford to do one convention this year, this is the one. Remember, tickets are available at the door. All you really need to do right now is reserve your hotel room. Full details can be found here. I’d love to see all of you there.
As I do every year, here is a list of what books I’ll have coming out this year. This was first posted on Patreon, because Patreon supporters get early access.
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Things To Come: 2022
BACKLIST AUDIOBOOKS: In addition to the audiobooks of new works (listed below) Crossroads Press will continue to release much of my backlist in audio. Slated for this year are: CLICKERS III, CLICKERS VS. ZOMBIES, TERMINAL, DEAD SEA, URBAN GOTHIC, THE CAGE, THE DAMNED HIGHWAY, EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE, and possibly several more.
TERMINAL: AUTHOR'S PREFERRED EDITION: Released a few weeks ago in paperback and ebook. Audiobook forthcoming.
THE RISING CHAPBOOKS 1 THROUGH 8: A series of 8 different softcover chapbooks, each featuring a brand new short story set in the world of THE RISING. Each will feature a different cover by Charlie Benante of Anthrax and S.O.D. Forthcoming from Death's Head Press/Stygian Sky, and slated for this Spring.
CURSE OF THE BASTARDS (with Steven L. Shrewsbury): The final book in the Rogan trilogy. Forthcoming from Apex Publications in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH, BOOK 2: The second book in a seven-book series. Hardcover from Thunderstorm Books this summer, followed by paperback, ebook, and audiobook releases in time for the holiday shopping season.
SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH, BOOK 3: Serialization of the third book in this seven-book series will begin on Patreon very soon, and will see completion by the end of the year. Published editions to follow in 2023.
OTHER WORLDS: THE COMPLETE SHORT FICTION OF BRIAN KEENE, VOL. 4: The fourth volume will collect all of my media tie-in stories. I may also release Volume 5 this year, as well. Not sure yet.
THE NEW FEAR: THE BEST OF HAIL SATEN, VOL. 3: Reprinting the long out of print third volume.
LEADER OF THE BANNED: THE BEST OF HAIL SATEN, VOL. 4: Reprinting the final long out of print volume.
PROJECT CASTLE: Some intrepid readers (and my Patreon supporters) already know what the title of this really is, and that it takes place in Stephen King's Castle Rock and that it is both an adaptation of something and an expansion of other things. I'm sworn to secrecy on any other details, including publisher, but you'll see it later this year.
INVISIBLE MONSTERS: The long-awaited new Levi Stoltzfus novel. The final few chapters are about to be serialized on Patreon. After that, I will do the second draft and send it off to prereaders. I suspect you will see a limited edition hardcover this year, followed by paperback, ebook, and audiobook in early 2023.
MONSTERS OF SAIPAN (with Weston Ochse): Currently being serialized on Patreon. Barring further health problems for either of us, Weston and I should wrap it up by late-Spring. We don't have a publisher lined up yet, but it should be available in various different book formats in either late-2022 or early-2023.
THE FALLEN: I'm tentatively listing this here. The graphic novel has been finished for several years now. We're just waiting on the publisher to announce a release date, send it to the printer, and make it available for sale. But surely 2022 will be the year for it. Fingers crossed...
Also, this year, I'll be working on the following things, none of which will see a 2022 release:
BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL: I began an earlier draft on Patreon, but I was dissatisfied with where the story was going, so I scrapped that version, thought about it for a few months, and now intend to start over from scratch.
THE LAST STAND: A western novel that I've slowly been working on in-between other projects.
THE FAT LADY SINGS: A crime novel that I've slowly been working on in-between other projects. It sprang from an earlier, aborted crime novel called DEAD MAN LIVING. It may ultimately take that title again, upon completion. Not sure yet.
And then there are all the other things that will undoubtedly creep in between these.
So, that's what you have to look forward to this year. As always, thanks for reading! I appreciate your support.
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And that’s it for this week! Hope that you are doing well. I’ll see you back here next Sunday.
— Brian