Letters From the Labyrinth 350

A 350 Degree Circle

Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is the 350th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth — a weekly newsletter for fans, friends, and family. Three hundred and fifty issues of this thing. Three hundred and fifty weekends. Three hundred and fifty missives about books, writing, cats, jackasses, and all sorts of other assorted nonsense.

I started my first newsletter back in 1999. At the time, I was the associate editor of the HWA Newsletter, which was a physical magazine sized publication back then. Vince Harper was the editor. I was very, very, very new in this business, with a dozen nonfiction articles and essays and a half dozen short stories in publication, all of which were in zines that paid either in copies or a penny per word.

I did not care for DragonCon founder and anthology editor Edward Kramer, who was then Vice President of the organization. This was long before he became a convicted child molester, but even back then, there were rumors. Richard Laymon and other mentors believed there was fire to go along with that smoke, so that was enough reason for me. During our brief tenure with the newsletter, Vince and I worked on several stories we thought were important to the membership — actual journalism involving things that the membership had a right and need to know about. Unfortunately, Kramer sabotaged us at every step, and eventually, I quit in frustration.

I then launched JOBS IN HELL, a weekly newsletter in the vein of Afraid and Scavenger’s Newsletter, except that it was sent via email, which was then a new thing and all the rage. Yes, at 56, I am old enough to remember when email was a new thing. The only thing similar to it at the time was Paula Guran’s Dark Echo. But that publication catered to the already established professionals, and played it safe in what they talked about and reported on. JIH catered to the up-and-comers and beginners — “the kids” as Jack Ketchum used to call us — and it was staffed by the same, with articles and reporting by myself, J. F. Gonzalez, Tom Piccirilli, Regina Garza-Mitchell, Jack Haringa, John Urbancik, Rain Graves, Michael T. Huyck Jr., John Platt, Mike Oliveri, Geoff Cooper, and many, many more. We played it the opposite of safe.

One of the first big stories we reported on was the allegations surrounding Edward Kramer. We took a lot of heat and received a lot of threats for doing so. And that wasn’t the only news story we took heat for. Even back then, there were unscrupulous publishers and all sorts of malfeasance and all kinds of nitwits trying to screw over writers. I’m proud of the reportage we did back then, in addition to all of the market listings, interviews, features, columns, and other reportage. We even won a Bram Stoker Award for it all.

Eventually, I ran into the same problem with JIH that I would run into years later with THE HORROR SHOW WITH BRIAN KEENE. It became a full-time job and began to impact my writing. So, eventually, Kelly Laymon took over the newsletter and I stepped down to focus on my writing. And soon enough, I started a weekly email newsletter for my writing, as well.

And I’ve had various newsletters in that regard for the entirety of my career. This latest incarnation, LETTERS FROM THE LABYRINTH, started 350 weeks ago.

LETTERS FROM THE LABYRINTH has been my favorite of them all. Indeed, it has become my favorite way to communicate. With the exception of Bluesky, I’ve grown to loathe social media. I don’t like what its doing to us as a society, a community, or as individuals. I’ve been using it less and less, weaning both myself and my followers, and trying to get people used to catching up with me here every Sunday, instead. (My end goal is to reach a point by the end of the year where this and Patreon are my only outlets, with the various social media sites being used simply for marketing, updates, and announcements).

So… when I say that I’m glad you’re here every week at the end of this thing? Know that I really do mean it. Thank you for spending this time with me every Sunday. I see you, and I appreciate you.

It is not lost on me, as I type up this milestone issue, that everything old is new again. Time is a flat circle, as Alan Moore has written. Life is but a wheel that no man can stand upon for long, wrote Stephen King. And in the end, it always comes back around to the same place again. I brought JOBS IN HELL back earlier this year, in the form of a paid monthly, the next issue of which just went out yesterday. And in the autumn of my career, I now find myself serving the HWA again, in the role of Trustee. I am very honored the membership gave me their vote of confidence in this regard. I intend to listen, learn, and serve all members, regardless of whether you're just starting out or whether you're an old goat like me, and regardless of whether you're publishing via mainstream, indie, self-published, or unpublished.

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Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, Survivor by J. F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation. This definitive edition includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the J. F., an essay by J. F. on the creation of the novel, a second nearly 10,000-word essay by J. F. on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, and an Introduction by me.

It was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway for Lisa and Brad. Instead, it becomes a nightmare when Lisa is kidnapped. But her abductors aren't asking for ransom. They want Lisa to star in a snuff film. What they have in mind for her is horrifying. But even more horrifying is what Lisa will do to survive... and protect her unborn child.

SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez... What Would You Do To Survive?

Available now in the following formats: Paperback - Kindle - Nook - Kobo - Apple

Cover by Kealan Patrick Burke / Elderlemon Design

"This novel's moral compass holds steady even during the worst moments... It is easy to feel repulsed by this novel. yet it's hard to resist; it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back, forcing the kind of visceral relationship between writer and reader that the best horror fiction can produce." -- The New York Times

"...filled with the most disgusting and vile things you can imagine two humans doing to one another." -- Dread Central

"A work of nihilistic brilliance..." -- Hellnotes

And in it’s first 24 hours of being in print, the book went to Number 1 in Amazon’s American Horror category!

Thank all of you for that.

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Kitten Update: I was informed that two of the babies were adopted together to one good home. Two more will be adopted next Tuesday. That leaves three from the litter who still need loving homes. If you live in or near Central PA and would like to give adopt a baby raised by your favorite author, then please visit Creature Connections on Facebook. She also rescued some puppies these last week who are also in need of homes.

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One of my favorite places to sign, Protean Books and Records in Baltimore, is closing its doors by the end of the year. They are having a farewell Halloween party on October 8th. It's going to be quite the affair... world famous magicians, tarot card readers, presentations about Weird Maryland, lots of people in costumes, etc. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend as we’ll be in New Jersey that weekend, but if you are in or near Baltimore. show up and help give the store as grand a send off as possible!

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Next Thursday, October 5th, join me, Mary, Wesley Southard, Somer Canon, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Paul Melniczik from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Ephrata Public Library, 550 S Reading Rd, Ephrata, PA.

Then, October 13 and 14, Mary and I will be guests at VoidCon taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington, 1001 3rd Ave, Huntington, WV.

And then on Saturday, October 21, we’ll be signing from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Brownsville Screams, Snowdon Square, Brownsville PA.

Hope you can join us at one of these events!

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Currently Reading: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus and Whispers of the Dead Saint by John Baltisberger

Currently Listening: Brian Keene Radio

Currently Watching: Hunters (Amazon Prime), Howard’s Mill (Amazon Prime), and Survivor season 45 (Paramount Plus)

Howard’s Mill is a pretty good cosmic horror film, convincingly played as a documentary. Well-written, believable performances, and effective use of the elements that often makes quiet horror so impactive. The ending will not be for everyone (though I like it) and there is a post-credits sequence that adds another twist. Recommended.

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Work this past week was a whirlwind. Continued the first draft of BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL, did edits on the final draft of SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH Book 3, and wrote a brand-new short story for a chapbook that Robert Swartwood is putting together.

The big news, however, was that Christopher Golden and I signed the contract for OPERATION: WALKABOUT. For new subscribers and readers, sometimes there are things I’m working on that I’m not supposed to talk about until they are officially announced. When this happens, I give those things a codename here. For example, before it was announced that I was writing the graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King and Richard Chizmar’s GWENDY’S BUTTON BOX, I referred to it here as PROJECT CASTLE. Before I announced the LABYRINTH series, it was referred to as OPERATION: ENDGAME (and that was several years before Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame was announced, thank you very much). Thus, while we’re not supposed to talk about this new project until it is officially announced, I can call this one OPERATION: WALKABOUT and then talk about it in a roundabout way.

Some folks thought that OPERATION: WALKABOUT was Christopher Golden’s House of Last Resort Weekend, the free horror convention that Chris and I are throwing next year. But it is not. It is something else entirely. We are hopeful that an official announcement will be forthcoming soon. Suffice to say, we are both ecstatic. It’s a love letter to two of the most important elements of modern horror fiction, and we’re damned proud to be tasked with it. Truly one of the highest points in either of our careers, and proof (to us, at least) that nearly 30 years of hard work can and does pay off in the end. We’re excited for all of you to learn more about it, soon as we are able.

Given the avalanche of work, Patreon this week was all about Behind The Scenes stuff. Something that seemed to prove very popular was some glimpses inside my various Moleskine notebooks, which included early notes and snippets of longhand drafts for DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, END OF THE ROAD, “The Last Supper”, “The Siqqusim Who Stole Christmas”, some Marvel Comics pitches, and more. I might post some more of those, given their popularity.

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I mentioned that my youngest son made his first professional story sale to an anthology. Last weekend I got to watch his expression when the anthology arrived, and he saw his work in print for the first time. Definitely one of my favorite moments in these last 56 years.

He made me promise that I wouldn’t reveal his pseudonym here, so I won’t do that. But he reads this newsletter every week, so I just want you to know how proud I am of you, buddy. I love you, and I’m looking forward to writing this novel together after marching band and football season are over.

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And that does it for this week. it is Saturday as I type this, and I have to get JOBS IN HELL finished up and delivered, and then go to a marching band competition. Tomorrow, Sunday, when you are reading this, I will be preparing to beat Mary, John Urbancik, and my oldest son in some high stakes Magic the Gathering.

Thanks again for reading this. I dearly hope we have at least another 350 weeks together. More than that, if the universe is kind.

— Brian Keene