Hard to believe there have been 275 issues of this newsletter. Thanks for reading it every week. I enjoy doing them. As Mary says, “It allows him to talk about his feelings without really talking to anyone about his feelings.”

This week, I’m feeling like this.

My name is Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for friends, family and fans of my work. And that is the current face of Bell’s Palsy. You will have to excuse the booger dangling from my left nostril and the dirt on my bottom lip. I’d just come from the gun range, and since that side of my face is still paralyzed, I am never sure what it’s doing or what it has gotten up to while I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t notice the dirt or the booger until I was putting this issue together, and it’s too late to change the pic now.

Many of my friends have great newsletters — Jay Wilburn, Joe Hill, Paul Tremblay, John Urbancik, Jeff Strand, Jim Cobb, and Tim Lebbon — all of whom I read regularly. But none of them are posting booger pictures. That’s the sort of highbrow content you’ve got to come to me for.

And I’m glad you’re here.

I am feeling much better as far as the pain goes. It is mostly nonexistent at this point, so that’s a definite win. And I no longer have to wear the eyepatch, as I’ve found that my prescription sunglasses protect the exposed eyeball better than the patch did, and are more comfortable, and less likely to scratch my cornea. Eyedrops keep it lubricated. And I go through a bottle per day.

The paralysis remains, however, and now that I’m off the steroids, my face has swollen up. (That happened after the above picture was taken). Bright lights and loud noises are the devil right now, and typing comes in short bursts, followed by long sessions of spellchecking, because my typos are currently through the roof. Speech is clear in the morning, but worsens as the day goes on, dependent on how much talking I have to do and how tired I am. By evening, I am usually unintelligible. Eating is still a challenge, as well. Mary and I are having lunch with Tom Monteleone tomorrow, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have to order soup and eat it in furtive little slurps. I have lost nine pounds since this happened. I am not complaining.

I have experienced some tingling sensations on the left side of my face, and I’m told that’s a good sign. It means the nerves are rewiring themselves. The doctor’s most recent guess is it will take me six months, give or take, to fully recover, if I do. (I know the Internet likes to tell you that everyone recovers in three weeks, but the Internet tells you all kinds of stupid things, and that’s one of them. I’ve spoken to folks who are still recovering after a year, and I’ve spoken to folks who never recovered). I see a neurologist when I get home from Scares that Care AuthorCon in a few weeks. I should be able to get some more specific details then. thanks to everyone who reached out the past week. I tried to get back to as many as I could. Will get back to more of you hopefully soon.

Anyway… I’m not dead yet. Not even close. I am fighting and focused. And right now, what I am fully focused on is Scares That Care AuthorCon, which — when you read this — will be 13 days away.

I need this convention to be a success.

See, here’s how we approach fundraisers for the Scares That Care charity. We constantly look for ways to grow the charity’s works, so we try different fundraisers. We’ve had great success with the Charity Weekend Conventions, so we keep doing those annually. The one in July will be our eighth such endeavor. And we have great success with the 4K run, so we keep doing those things annually, as well. We’ve tried other fundraising events, as well. The Crab Feast. The Holiday Dances. The Telethons. Some have been successful. Some have not.

AuthorCon was my latest proposal — a necessary alternative to hosting telethons that, with each passing year, take a greater physical toll on me. I presented it to the rest of the Board of Directors because I believe that the horror fiction community will show up, and thus, we will raise money for the three families the charity is helping this year. I’ve worked hard on curating a diverse, well-rounded line-up of Guests of Honor that represent horror fiction in all of its many different facets and forms and subgenres. I’ve worked hard on putting together a programming schedule that should be fun and informative for everyone, be they a fan or a professional or a beginner. But that’s all I can do.

The rest if up to you — the fans. And so — if you live in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, or any other nearby state — I’m asking you to get in your car in 13 days and drive to Williamsburg, Virginia and join us. And if you live out of driving distance, and you have the means, then I encourage you to get on a plane or a train and do the same.

Everybody always talks about how they miss the old World Horror Conventions. Well, I miss them, too. And I’m telling you right now — this convention has the potential to be that very thing. It has the potential because that’s exactly what the hell I’m going for with it. But it will only work if you come. If you’re a fan, come meet your favorite author, and ask them questions and get them to sign your books. if you’re a beginning author, come for a weekend of free advice and knowledge from the pros. And if you’re a professional author or a peer, come just to hang out and support the cause and see your friends.

It’s been far too long since we all hung out together. Let’s party. And in doing so, let’s help three families who need our assistance.

People are already asking me about next year. But listen… there won’t be a next year if you don’t come this year. That’s how these things work. I can’t be any more blunt than that. If you’d like to come to AuthorCon next year, then you need to come this year.

So, that’s it. That’s my plea. Details on the hotel, tickets, and everything else can be found here.

It’s up to you.

* * *

Meanwhile, guess what came out this week?

The seminal horror series created by J.F. Gonzalez, Mark Williams, and myself reemerges from the depths with two new authors and the weirdest, most brutal installment yet!

Washed-up oceanographer Cameron Custer is hoping a mysterious living fossil discovered in the South Pacific could breathe new life into his career. Instead, Custer’s new specimen points him toward a heavily guarded secret—the truth behind the Guadalcanal Campaign. During World War II the U.S. Marine Corps had more than just the Imperial Japanese Army to contend with. They also had to wage a vicious battle against the amphibious Dark Ones and an onslaught of their deadliest servants.

Now, an ocean heaving with blood and guts, a battlefield teeming with rage and terror, a man’s demented love affair with a fish monster, and a boy’s heartwarming friendship with a prehistoric crab monster will all combine to prove that… CLICKERS NEVER DIE!

Splatterpunk Award nominated author Stephen Kozeniewski (THE HEMATOPHAGES, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS) and Splatterpunk Award winning author Wile E. Young (THE MAGPIE COFFIN, CATFISH IN THE CRADLE) join forces for one of modern horror’s most anticipated reboots!

Paperback — Kindle

Click Click…

Not only are the paperback and Kindle edition on sale now, but the signed limited edition hardcovers are shipping, as well.

For those wondering what my involvement was — I oversaw the project, had final edit, etc. But for the most part, I simply stood back and let Stephen and Wile go to town. This is their book, and I’m damn proud of what they’ve done. I know that both Jesus and Mark would be, too. And I’m glad that the franchise will now outlive all three of us, with more new books to come.

To celebrate this new release, I posted something ultra-rare to my Patreon yesterday. It’s an essay by Mark, with an Introduction by Jesus, all about Guy N. Smith’s influence on the first CLICKERS book.

* * *

Speaking of Jesus, I turned in some surplus material for SHADOWS IN THE ATTIC, his first posthumous non-fiction collection. Indeed, it will be his first non-fiction collection, period. Which surprises me, because Jesus wrote a ton of non-fiction over the years. He had a regular column for Afraid, and he was a very active Blogger when that was the big thing, and he did guest articles and essays and editorials for a host of others.

SHADOWS IN THE ATTIC will collect all of his columns for Lamplight Magazine, which focused on the history of horror fiction. The surplus material I turned in this week expands upon that subject — other essays he’d written that also detail the genre’s history.

Look for it from Apokrupha later this year, and thanks to Jacob Haddon for publishing it.

* * *

Paul at Thunderstorm Books reports a strong first week of sales for THINGS LEFT BEHIND. Remember, it is only available to pre-order until April 15th. The print run will be determined by how many copies are sold during that time. Each and every copy of the $18 paperback WILL be signed by both Mary and myself. Reserve your signed copy here.

That’s the gorgeous cover by Lynne Hansen, in full.

* * *

Christopher Golden and I discussed DEFENDERS DIALOGUE this week, and what we should do about it given my current condition and prognosis. Keep in mind that episode 152 is the finale, which means there are only three episodes left to record.

What we decided on was this — he and Tom Sniegowski will record an episode. Then we’ll see if I can speak any clearer. If I can’t, he’ll record one more with another guest. For the finale, we’d planned on having a round table discussion with Tom, Scott Edelman, J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Cullen Bunn. We can still do that, and I can participate in it, because I won’t have to talk as much.

In the meantime, if you are a fan of Frankenstein’s Monster, we recorded episode 149 before I came down with Bell’s Palsy, and that episode is available now wherever you listen to podcasts and also via this link. Frankenstein's Monster is in the spotlight as we discuss the horror icon's place in the Marvel universe and issue 11 of his original series.

* * *

Speaking of roundtables and podcasts and talking, David J. Schow, Geoff Cooper and I were trading emails this week, and our interview from a little over a year ago came up. It’s one of the few post-The Horror Show with Brian Keene interviews that I’ve done. If you’ve never seen it, the whole thing is available on YouTube.

* * *

For the scholars among you:

Kit Power continues his re-read of all of my books. This month, he focuses on EARTHWORM GODS: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD. You can read his retrospective review here.

And Jay Wilburn continues his re-read of all of my books. In the most recent, he focuses on GHOUL. You can read his retrospective review here.

Jay’s reread before this was RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL. Subscribers to my Patreon know that there is currently a production company trying to turn RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, THE NEW FEAR, LEADER OF THE BANNED, UNSAFE SPACES, TRIGGER WARNINGS and END OF THE ROAD into a television series — sort of a Californication meets Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, featuring a fictionalized version of myself. I’m dubious as to whether any network anywhere in the world will actually go for such a thing, but I think it’s funny that it is my non-fiction that’s coming this close to the greenlight, rather than any of the fiction I’ve written over the years.

* * *

Currently Reading: Sadly, nothing right now, because of my eye.

Currently Watching: Snowfall, season 5 (Hulu)

Currently Listening: Various albums by Black Flag, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Hank Williams Jr., Witch Mountain, Earth Wind & Fire, Pet Shop Boys, and Duran Duran.

* * *

My youngest son turned 14 yesterday. It wasn’t strange, so much. Over the last year, I’ve grown accustomed to the idea that he is now a teenager. That happened around the time he started discovering music on his own, and had questions about America’s political climate at the time Public Enemy recorded Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black (my favorite album by them, and his favorite, too). And over the last year, I’ve been very proud of the thoughts and views he’s developing on his own.

So, no. it wasn’t strange. It’s a little unsettling to realize that he’ll be legally driving in two more years. (I say legally. I’ve been letting him drive my cars in the hay field, way out where he can’t hurt anyone or himself, since he was a kid. My grandfather and father used to do the same for me — I’d put him on my lap like they did me, and work the pedals while he steered).

He asked if Somer Canon’s son — his best friend — could spend the night, so the two of them hung out and had fun. And I’m glad for that. All I ever want for any of my children are for them to be happy and healthy. Particularly on their birthday.

* * *

Speaking of Somer, not enough of you know that she and Splatterpunk Award winner Wesley Southard wrote a novel together. It’s called Slaves To Gravity and you can get it in paperback and for Kindle right here.

Check it out!

* * *

And that does it for this week.

Sincerely, I really do hope to see you in 13 days at AuthorCon. But I’ll see you back here next week, as well. Take care of yourselves, and those who are important to you. The world keeps turning, so all we can do is hold on tight and get the most out of the ride.

— Brian

Letters From the Labyrinth

Letters From the Labyrinth 275