This newsletter usually has an open rate percentage of around 70% to 80% per week. People whose jobs it is to know about things like open rates and such tell me that’s a good percentage. Like… that’s a job you can have, with pay and everything. I can’t imagine earning a college degree in things like ‘Newsletter Open Rate Percentages’ but then again, many things in this world are strange to me now.
Anyway, I bring this up because last week’s newsletter only had an open percentage of 44%. I don’t know what accounts for that, other than it had a lot of pictures. But I’ll use the opportunity to remind you that the best way to never miss one of these is to subscribe.
Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth — a weekly newsletter for fans, friends, and family, and my primary means of public communication these days. Miss a week — you miss a lot.
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We are now in the final days of the campaign for DEAD FORMAT — a brand-new feature film written and directed by Mike Lombardo and produced by myself, Samantha Kolesnik, and Nathan Ludwig. As of this writing (Saturday morning) we stand at 87% funded with 7 days left on the campaign.
On Thursday, Mike and I met with actor Damian Maffei, whom you’ll know from our previous film — I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY — and whom the rest of the world will know from movies such as Wrong Turn, The Strangers: Prey at Night, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game. I’m happy to announce that Damian has joined our cast. Samantha and Nathan are in the process of setting up casting calls for Philadelphia and New York City, so if you’re an actor, keep an eye out for those.
Of course, all of this comes to a screeching halt if we don’t get from 87% to 100% in the next 7 days, and the only way we do that is with your help. If you haven’t yet contributed, click here to do so. You’ll note that there are a lot of cool perks. One of them is a limited edition chapbook that will have nonfiction by each of the four of us. My essay in that will not be reprinted elsewhere. And of course, you don’t need to get a perk if you don’t want to. You can contribute without a perk and simply donate $10 or $15 if that is more your speed.
Again, full details can be found here. This is your last chance to help us out. We appreciate it.
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And now for some bad news…
My new novel, ISLAND OF THE DEAD, was supposed to be out in paperback and eBook next month.
It has been pushed back due to distributor issues, and now has a release date of October 15. If you already preordered it, you don’t have to do anything. And if you haven’t preordered it yet, now you have extra time to do so.
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Work Updates:
As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, Stephen King has been reading THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT and Tweeting about it as he does. Chris and I are still very limited in what we can say, but you can take anything Steve Tweeted as gospel. The book will be available Summer 2025.
I’m still deep into edits on BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL. This coming week, Mary will be in New Jersey and my youngest son will be in Europe, and my oldest son will be working a week of double shifts, so I intend to use that alone time to double down on writing and editing. I expect this draft will be done next week, as a result.
Vortex Books & Comics has kept me hopping so far this month. We had Kristopher Triana and Aron Beauregard signing last weekend. John R. Little signed this weekend. And Ronald Malfi, Rebecca Rowland, L. Marie Wood, Jessica McHugh, Vaughn A. Jackson, Stephanie Pearre, Jessica L. Sparrow, and Ichabod Cassius Kilroy are all signing later this month. Again… that’s just signing for June.
I send out a store newsletter every Wednesday. If you like this newsletter, you might like that one, too. You can subscribe here.
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Things To Come:
The following list comprises any forthcoming projects that I am allowed to talk about, excluding short stories (because I have been writing a lot of short stories lately, for various anthologies and also for folks who purchased personalized Lost Level stories).
Books In Post-Production
ISLAND OF THE DEAD -- Paperback, eBook, and audiobook come out in October.
JACK'S MAGIC BEANS -- New edition with new Introduction and new cover. Just waiting on the cover. Should be back in print in early Fall. (Paperback and eBook only)
LOVE AND HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID -- Signature sheets have been signed and are at the bindery. The hardcover should be available by August. Paperback and eBook this Fall.
THE RISING: MORE SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD -- Paperback and eBook come out in December. Audiobook in early 2025.
CLICKERS FOREVER -- New edition with several new contributions. Just waiting on those contributions. I anticipate it will be available in November or December of this year. (Paperback and eBook only).
FALLEN -- The graphic novel is finished on our end. I think the only thing left is the bindery and printing? Should be out at some point this year.
THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES FROM STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND -- Trade editions should be available Summer 2025.
Books In Active Progress and Production
OTHER WORLDS: THE COMPLETE SHORT FICTION OF BRIAN KEENE, Vol. 4 -- I need to finish writing one novelette for it, which will be original to the collection. Everything else is done and ready to go, including an Introduction by Christopher Golden. I hope to release it before the end of the year.
BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL -- As I said above, working on revisions now. After they are done, it is off to pre-readers Tod, Mark, and Jamie. Signed limited hardcover possibly late this year but more likely early next year, followed by paperback, eBook, and audiobook late next year.
THE LOST LEVEL: EXCURSIONS -- A short story collection set in The Lost Level, comprised of the stories that you folks commissioned last year. (There were a LOT of those, and I’m about halfway through them now).
INVISIBLE MONSTERS -- Revisions on the 7th draft will commence after revisions on BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL are finished. After that, it's off to pre-readers.
MONSTERS OF SAIPAN -- Currently at work on draft 1.2. (Weston and I were writing the first draft together. He passed away when we were about halfway through. I'm now referring to this draft as first draft 1.2)
FALLEN ANGELS: THE LABYRINTH Book 4 -- The first three volumes in the 6 book series all saw release at Christmastime. That will not happen this year, as I have other books coming out around that time. I'm thinking next summer instead?
AFTER WORD -- A follow-up to END OF THE ROAD. I have been secretly working on it heavily and am much farther along than anyone -- including my wife, my children, or my Patreon subscribers -- know or realize. Release date undetermined.
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Currently Watching: Stopmotion (Prime), The Boys season 4 (Prime), The Outlaws season 3 (Prime), and Mayor of Kingstown season 3 (Paramount+)
Currently Reading: City Fishing by Steve Rasnic Tem (re-read) and Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson (re-read)
Currently Listening: Phantoma by Unleash the Archers
Loving this new season of The Boys. Digging the new season of Mayor of Kingstown. Feeling so-so on this new season of The Outlaws. Did not care for Stopmotion. Like, at all.
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And that does it for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading. I’ll see you back here again next Sunday. And please, please, please consider donating to DEAD FORMAT if you haven’t. Every dollar helps.
— Brian Keene
Omg I had to shut off Stopmotion 1/2 way through! It was so freaking weird and a little too gross for me!
I LOVE The Outlaws, what a great ensemble cast; if you love that show Brian then check out SLOW HORSES on AppleTV led by Gary Oldman as a bunch of ex MI5 ne'eer do wells who are put together in Slough House who no one thinks they can get the job done anymore but surprise surprise, great cast including Kristin Scott Thomas (Lead blonde love interest from The English Patient movie), they are wonderful, funny, great action, great lines like the Outlaws, highly recommend it and eagerly awaiting the next season; also on prime loving the new season MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN and so happy that Jeremy Renner made such a comeback, he's great in that show and seems to be a great human being too from what I've read about him; looking forward to reading LOVE AND HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID. Thanks for another great newsletter! (PS I have to admit I miss the cat stories :) PPS Don't Miss DARK MATTER on appletv either, Jennifer Connolly, great multiverse storyline (SPOILER ALERT what would you do if another you came from another parallel universe and took over your life? Storyline(, fantastic characters, really enjoying it, check out reviews online, the show lives up to the reviews, excellent cast,