Good morning from somewhere along the banks of the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From The Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans, friends, and family.
If you’re a new reader, you might not know that in addition to writing and owning a bookstore, and previously podcasting, I also produce movies. I produced three short films: THE TIES THAT BIND (written and directed by Jeff Heimbuch, and based on my short story of the same name), FAST ZOMBIES SUCK (written and directed by Jeff Heimbuch, and based on my short story of the same name) and THE NAUGHTY LIST (written and directed by Paul Campion, and based on my short story of the same name). I also produced the feature length film I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY (written and directed by Mike Lombardo, and based on his short story of the same name). I’m also listed as a Producer on the film adaptation of my novel GHOUL, but that was just a crediting thing.
You can watch THE TIES THAT BIND for free here. You can watch FAST ZOMBIES SUCK for free here. You can watch THE NAUGHTY LIST for free here. And I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY is available to stream, or on DVD or Blu-Ray via these places: Prime - Roku Channel - Plex - Tubi - Apple - Amazon - Walmart - Target - Scream Team.
Why am I bringing all of this up? Because the IndieGoGo campaign for our new movie — DEAD FORMAT — launched last Tuesday. As of this writing (Saturday morning) we are 35% funded.
DEAD FORMAT is a feature length film written and directed by Mike Lombardo, and produced by myself, Samantha Kolesnik, and Nathan Ludwig. It is set during the demise of the video rental stores. If you’ve watched I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY, then you know how dark and soul crushing it is. Well, DEAD FORMAT is gonna be even darker and more soul crushing.
All the details can be found here, including a charming video presentation by Mike and myself, which was filmed inside my bookstore (which we turned into a video rental store overnight to film the presentation). You’ll note that there are all sorts of tiers you can choose from — everything from a signed Blue-Ray to a limited edition chapbook by the four of us (a chapbook that will never be reprinted, mind you). Samantha put a lot of thought and care into crafting tiers that would fit each of your individual budgets and financial situations.
She puts that same care into our budget, and my requests for things we will need on set.
So please, if you have the means, consider hopping on board. At the very least, watch the video because Mike and I put a lot of work into it. And thank you in advance.
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Here is the cover to the forthcoming THE RISING: MORE SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD.
Has a nice Blue Oyster Cult album cover vibe to it, which I adore.
The book contains new and never-before-collected short stories set in the world of THE RISING. It also contains interior illustrations by Charlie Benate of Anthrax and Pantera. The paperback will be available this December and is available for preorder here.
But remember, you don’t have to wait until December for more zombies from me. The paperback edition of ISLAND OF THE DEAD will be in stores July 16 and is up for preorder here.
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I made some major changes to my Patreon this past week. For two decades, I've worked as a full-time writer, meaning I devoted daily hours to writing -- usually 7 or 8am to 2 or 3 pm. The bookstore has fundamentally changed those hours, and thus, changed how I write. It has done so in a way that not even the podcast did.
I've been on Patreon since it's inception (long enough, and with a popular enough Patreon that they made me a brand ambassador). In all that time, I've stuck to pretty much the same format -- a daily mix of serializations, short stories, nonfiction, poetry, behind the scenes content, and more. All of that content was available for five bucks a month. (And I will proudly argue that's the best deal you're going to get on Patreon).
But what I find, three months into operating the store, is that my writing schedule has changed in a way that is not conducive to serializations and such. Except for Mondays and Tuesday, my writing now takes place at the store, in-between customers, and while that certainly allows me to remain productive, it is NOT conducive to beating the daily Patreon deadline. Lately, I often found myself scrambling to crank out something in time to post, and that's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the work itself.
Patreon remains my number one source of monthly income, so I would be a fool to let it go. But I also can't stay in a place where I'm cranking out what I feel is subpar content. Again, that's not fair to either of us.
It struck me the other day, when I was hanging up my latest Bram Stoker Award Finalist certificate and looking at my awards shelves and the wall behind them, that I've gotten more awards and award nominations for nonfiction than I have for my fiction. Long time readers will remember that when Hail Saten was at its height, back when Blogging was all the rage, it was the second-most popular thing I wrote, after THE RISING. I also look at engagement, and while some of you enjoy the serials and the short stories and the Behind the Scenes stuff, the number one most popular thing I post is nonfiction. That's what gets the most engagement, each and every time.
So, after much careful thought, I decided to change up my Patreon. It was probably in need of a makeover anyway. I still post daily content for five bucks a month, but have shifted to 90% nonfiction, in the form of a daily journal — a lengthy essay each day, about a wide-ranging host of topics. Something meaty, like what you get in my newsletter every Sunday. That is the sort of thing that works perfectly with this new schedule, and is something I can write quickly and with ease, which means I won't be stressing about getting a story done in time to post it.
I say 90% nonfiction because I will indeed still post fiction -- short stories, serialization chapters, etc. But instead of rushing and half-assing them to beat a daily deadline, I can now take my time with them and post them when they're actually ready, thus making things easier on me, and providing better reading for you.
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Work this past week was still focused on edits for LOVE AND HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID, and edits on THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND, and several commissioned Lost Level stories.
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Currently Watching: Fallout season 1 (Prime) and Survivor season 46 (Paramount+).
Currently Reading: The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower and Pay The Piper by George Romero and Daniel Kraus.
Currently Listening: Brian Keene Radio
Fallout is ridiculously entertaining. My 16-year old and I binge-watched it this past week (every evening after he was done his homework). You do not need to have any familiarity with the video game franchise to enjoy it. Indeed, it bends over backward to make itself accessible to viewers who know nothing about the games.
But for those who do love the franchise, it is a loyal and faithful addition to the lore, taking place sometime after the events of Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4. The writing, effects, pacing, and casting are all just wonderful. Particularly Walton Goggins, in what might be his best role since The Shield. Nor did they skimp on the gore and violence, which I was concerned about when I heard this show had been greenlit. It’s the bloodiest thing on television since Ash vs Evil Dead.
“War… war never changes” and neither does my adoration for this franchise. Ten out of ten, and two mutated thumbs up.
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And that does it for this Sunday. Thanks, as always, for reading. I’ll see you back here again next Sunday.
— Brian Keene
On winning more awards for nonfiction: That’s because Brian is a great writer of entertaining stories, but almost unparalleled as a storyteller. With fiction one or more characters narrate. That’s the author’s voice filtered through them. With nonfiction Brian Keene is narrating. It’s not the filtered voice of the writer it’s the voice of the person. And Brian is a kind, interesting person with breadth and depth of experience and a knack for sharing it. His nonfiction reminds me of talking with my brother over booze and cigars.
That cover for the new The Rising book is freaking awesome!!