Letters From the Labyrinth 326

Places of Worship

Spring is here along the banks of the Susquehanna River, and the miles and miles of sprawling forest behind our home is beginning to come alive. On Monday, I got back to my daily hike routine. Over the winter months, I walked those miles on an exercise bike, but it's just not the same as being out amongst the greenery, where there's no people, or noise, or pollution. (I mean, I guess there's pollution -- there's pollution everywhere, after all. But deep in the forest, you're inclined not to notice it. The pollution there is muted).

Last year, my daily hike always went from noon to 1pm, but this year, I've changed it from 11am to noon. That is my thinking time. On Monday, it was spent mulling over a plot point in SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH Book 3. On Tuesday, it was supposed to be spent coming up with titles for my next nonfiction collection (which will compile newer stuff that's never been collected). But Mary wanted to tag along with me, so I didn't get much thinking done. And that's okay. You'll never hear me complaining about a beautiful woman going on a hike through the woods with me. Particularly when that beautiful woman's belief system involves the fey folk and nature, and she's not opposed to roleplaying as the Titania to my Oberon.

I tease Mary sometimes about her belief structure, but the truth is, I'm envious of it. I'm envious of anyone who can put their whole faith in religion or magical thinking. If you've read THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF or the end of END OF THE ROAD, then you know that I do indeed have a belief system. I believe UFOs and Bigfoot exist, and I believe there is evidence for things like ESP and consciousness existing after death. But those things are puzzles I want to figure out -- unknown knowledge that I want to learn. They never become a religion for me. They aren't a comfort in times of trouble. When I have a problem, I deal with it myself. Always have. Always will. I'm envious of anyone who can "give it up to God" (with God being a catchall term for whatever deity an individual believes in). I'd love to be able to do that, but life has taught me that anyone I put my faith in will invariably disappoint me, and that if I want things done the right way, I have to do them myself. Why should God or Krishna or Titania be any different?

I've never been comfortable in church, because I always feel like a fraud sitting there. And I think that, too, probably comes down to envy. I don't find church peaceful, because I take no solace from it the way true believers do. Faith is never something I've had much of in life, going all the way back to childhood. Instead of faith, I put my stock in stubbornness and sheer force of will. I have friends who insist that my force of will is magical thinking in and of itself, since all magic boils down to exerting your will upon your surroundings. But I lack the faith to see it that way, I guess.

But I do feel at home in the woods. I do find peace and solace there. And I'm so glad that winter is over and I can get out amongst them again for the rest of the year.

Mary and I hiked about a mile back to the creek. She gathered materials for the wedding decorations she's making -- moss and twigs and flowers and such. I looked for trout, and found a deep hole brimming with them. We also discovered that my son, and author Somer Canon's son, and their other friend had built a camp along the banks of the creek last weekend. They constructed it from materials salvaged from the water, washed up by the last flood. A fifty-five gallon drum. An old grille. A tackle box filled with rocks. A child's toy. A shovel. And various other debris. There's a boat further back in the woods -- twenty feet from bow to stern. Nobody knows how it got there, because the flood waters have never reached that high. It's been smashed up by various falling tree limbs, but is mostly still intact. The boys often play there, as well. And when I think about that, I smile, because I did the same thing as a kid. From the age of six until I graduated high school, the forests of Pennsylvania and West Virginia were where I spent a lot of my time -- reading, playing, exploring, hunting. I spent a summer discovering all three books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy on a mossy log spanning a similar creek. The woods are where I've always felt most comfortable.

I don't know. Maybe I have a religion after all. I don't pray to the forest to smite my enemies or deliver me from evil, but when the winds of loneliness or oppression batter my soul, I know that I can always take refuge from them amongst the trees. 

I have faith in that, at least.

Of course, there are all kinds of dangers in the forest, and things that can kill you, so I guess my God is a vengeful God, just like all the others.

Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is the 326th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a newsletter for friends, family and fans of my work. All are welcome here.

* * *

“I wish Brian Keene would write about zombies again…”

World Horror Grandmaster Brian Keene returns to zombies in this relentless sword and sorcery horror epic!

Einar, an enslaved barbarian, plots his escape from a war galley transporting troops and a mysterious weapon to far enemy shores. But when an apocalyptic storm at sea leaves Einar and his fellow captives shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a ravenous, steadily growing horde of the undead... and even worse dangers. 

Not even death is an escape from the... ISLAND OF THE DEAD!

This is a signed (autographed) hardcover. The final print run will be determined by the amount of copies pre-ordered between now and April 9th.

Click here to pre-order your copy.

In anticipation of some frequently asked questions:

This will be the first printed physical edition of the book that has appeared electronically on Patreon and Kindle Vella. It will be leaving Kindle Vella permanently in 60 days.

Yes, there will eventually be a paperback release, along with audiobook and eBook, but not until 2024.

* * *

Speaking of swords and horror, the SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS Kickstarter has 18 days remaining. This anthology, edited by Cullen Bunn, features a brand new story by me, as well as stories by Joe R. Lansdale, Mary SanGiovanni, Stephen Graham Jones, Hailey Piper, Steven L. Shrewsbury, Jonathan Janz, Wile E. Young and many more. Click here to back this project.

* * *

The first issue of JOBS IN HELL — a newsletter for professional and aspiring writers, artists and other creators — shipped last week. You can subscribe to it here.

* * *

CLICKERS NEVER DIE by Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young (based on characters created by J. F. Gonzalez, mark Williams, and myself) has been nominated for a 2023 Imadjinn Award for Best Horror Novel. Congrats to them both. They achieved something with those prehistoric mutant crab-scorpion-lobster monsters that Jesus, Mark and I were never able to do — get someone to take them seriously enough to nominate it for an award.

If you’ve yet to read their reboot of the franchise, now you have a good reason.

Paperback: Amazon - B&N - Waterstones

eBook: Kindle - Nook - Kobo - Apple

And speaking of Stephen Kozeniewski, I spent a few evenings last week playing a super secret Beta version of a video game based on one of his intellectual properties. But I can’t say any more than that.

* * *

AuthorCon II (a Scares That Care charity event) is next weekend, March 31st through April 2 in Williamsburg, VA. There will be over 150 of your favorite authors in attendance, as well as artists, publishers, editors, agents and more. Come meet your favorite writer. Get your books signed. Make friends with fellow fans. Learn the tips to the trade. And most importantly, all of the money goes to the three families we are helping this year.

Weekend tickets are just $30 and are available here.

I’m looking forward to it. Will be good to see old friends like Michael T. Huyck, Tim Lebbon, and Mason Winfield. Will be good to honor Jay Wilburn and Dave Thomas with the first of a new yearly award we’ve named after them. Will be good to raise money for kids with cancer, and women with breast cancer, and burn victims. I hope to see you there.

* * *

Currently Listening: Weaponized with Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp

Currently Watching: Tenet (various streaming platforms), South Park season 26 (HBO), Snowfall season 6 (Hulu), Survivor season 44 (Paramount+), and Joe Pera Talks With You (HBO).

Currently Reading: Double Vision by Hamelin Bird and Cemetery Dance issue 78.

The big news, of course, is a new issue of Cemetery Dance. The even bigger news is the new issue features the debut of Gabino Iglesias’s new regular column (replacing Tom Monteleone’s M.A.F.I.A. column). It’s a great introductory read, particularly for those who might as-yet be unfamiliar with Gabino’s work or voice. And he does a commendable job of addressing the elephant in the room, in regards to the column he’s replacing. A great start. I’ll be looking forward to more.

* * *

Saturday morning as I write this. My stepdaughter, Ada, is visiting. And can I just say how much I love saying “my stepdaughter”? I really do. Of course, I’ve known Ada since she was four-years old (because while her mom and I have only been a couple for ten years, we’ve known each other for about twenty). I used to say “Mary’s daughter, Ada” and now I can say “my stepdaughter, Ada” and that makes me ridiculously happy.

(I know, I know. Technically she’s not my stepdaughter until May 27th, when Mary and I actually tie the knot, but I’m slowly convincing Mary we should just elope before the wedding date, and if people don’t send back their RSVP cards soon, that may be enough to sway her to my thinking. Because it’s impossible to plan stuff like catering and such until you have an accurate count of how many people are coming. And no, emailing or texting us to say, “Yeah, I might make it” does not count as mailing back your RSVP card).

But I digress.

My 15-year old is also here for the weekend. Last night, the four of us watched Nope, but I only got to see the first fifteen minutes of it, and then I was called away to take care of some Scares That Care Authorcon II stuff.

Later this afternoon my 15-year old is going on his first date. He and the young lady in question are meeting up at the mall. I will make myself scarce and go to the casino next door to the mall and play some blackjack until the date is over. Then he and I are going to church to support his mother, Cassandra, who is being confirmed. It’s a very important moment for her, and we are both very proud of her. This will be the first time I’ve stepped foot inside a church in at least a decade? I can’t remember for sure, but I think the last time might have been when I spoke at Maurice Broaddus’s church back in the day. Well… I should clarify. I’ve been inside a church since then. Everytime I’m in West Virginia, I go inside the Woodland Church near Renick and Auto, because my great-grandfather built it, and my family has deep ties to it, and much of my family is buried in the cemetery behind it. So maybe I should say I haven’t been inside a church for any kind of worship service in at least a decade.

He and I had a long talk last night about change. There’s a lot of it in his life right now. His father is getting married. He’s gaining a stepmother and a stepsister, in addition to his mother and half-brother. He’s going on his first date. His mother is exploring new horizons and self-enrichment. Next year, he’ll be traveling abroad with some classmates to Germany, France, the Czech Republic, and Universal Studios Florida. Not only will those first three be his first trips abroad, but they will be his first trips without his parents. So yeah, there’s a lot of change right now. But he’s handling it well. He’s handling it far better than I did at his age.

I am so immensely proud of him. He got his mother’s patience and kindness and intelligence, and he got my determination and empathy and sense of humor. He got all the best parts of us both, and he has grown into a remarkable young man who will one day soon have a family of his own.

For many years, people in our business used to say “Don’t mess with Brian Keene’s family, Brian Keene’s money, or Brian Keene’s genre.” These days, I don’t give a crap about the genre. It can collapse into rubble tomorrow and that would be okay with me. That was how I found it when I arrived on the scene, and I did my part to rebuild it into something better, but the older I get, the more I’m convinced it needs to be reduced to ashes and rebuilt from time to time. And it’s been a long time since anyone was stupid enough to mess with my money. These days, I mostly just watch out for my family: Mary, my sons, my stepdaughter, our cats, Cassandra, and me and Mary’s extended families. Not contracts, or bestseller lists, or book covers, or awards. Yes, those things are important, but at the end of the day, when you’re done writing, you can’t curl up with a Bram Stoker Award, or laugh with your contract, or tell the bestseller list that you’re scared you’ll be the next of your friends to die, or hug that book cover goodnight.

The public knows that The Sopranos is my all-time favorite show. (Californication is a very close second). Most days these days, I think about one of my favorite quotes from the series.

I may not have faith in any dogma or catechism or magical thinking, but I’ve got faith in my family. That’s my religion.

Along with the forests. ;-)

Thanks for joining me here once again. I’ll see you back here next Sunday (for what will probably be an abbreviated newsletter, as we’ll be in the midst of Authorcon II). Whatever faith you have, and whatever it is that you believe in, I hope you get to spend some time in worship and reflection today. Love to you all.

— Brian Keene