Letters From the Labyrinth 398
Christine
Been doing a LOT of thinking this past week. And pondering. And questioning. And musing. I have had epiphanies and revelations. The vast majority of that time was spent alone. See, my youngest son’s mother was traveling for work, so I stayed at their house to babysit the dog. (At age 16 and a half, and having just gotten his driver’s license, our son doesn’t need babysitting and will tell you that it is his job to babysit his old man).
Last weekend, I was, of course, at AuthorCon IV in St. Louis (which was another success for the charity). Last Sunday, about an hour before I was to head off for the airport, I was approached by Christine and her husband. Christine is a long-time reader, going all the way back to the O.G. edition of THE RISING, and I’ve met them both before — most recently in Chicago a few years back. I felt like a Grade A Jerk because I didn’t recognize Christine at first. Understand, I was operating on 3 or 4 hours of sleep per night and averaging about 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day, and it was Sunday, and also I’d been drinking with Ronald Malfi the night before. The other reason I didn’t recognize Christine at first is because she has cancer. And her time is short. She hadn’t been sure if she would have the strength to make it to the convention or not, but that Sunday morning, she resolved to come.
She told me that she wanted to get a picture with me to put on her casket.
I sat with them for … I don’t know. A good long time. I desperately wish that I’d had a later flight so I could have spent more time with them. Christine wanted to know how THE LABYRINTH series ends, so I told her the full ending I’ve planned, complete with all the spoilers. But mostly, I just listened. I listened while she told me about the personal impact my work has had on her over the years, and the impact it has had on students of hers whom she turned on to my books. She told me that what I do has value and meaning. She told me that she reads this newsletter and knows I’ve been questioning the value and importance of what we as horror writers do, and she knew that I’d been struggling with and debating whether or not anything we do really matters. She attested that it does.
Christine, if you are still with us and still reading this, you don’t know how desperately I needed to hear that. I absolutely believe the universe put us together last weekend. You gave me a wonderful, precious gift, and I promise you that I will never forget it, long as I live. Thank you for your kindness and sincerity and strength. You said that my words mattered to you. Well, I want you to know that your words mattered to me, as well. They mattered a great deal. (And please have your husband reach out to me in regards to the offer I made at the convention. I’d like to help).
So, I got home from the con Sunday night, took my son’s mom to the airport early Monday morning, and basically have been alone with my thoughts for most of the hours of most of the days since. I saw my son at night and for a few minutes each morning before school (and we had our usual movie night — this week’s viewing was Animal House). I had some long text conversations and a phone conversation with a friend who’s been having a tough week. But that was really the only conversation of any length with anyone living. I checked in with Mary every day, of course. And I had a few calls with Chris Golden. And a few quickie texts and even quicker calls with various other friends. But for the most part, I talked to Jesus and Dave’s ashes, in between customers at the store. I talked to them about how much I miss them, but of how I’m in a better place these days. I talked about the new people coming onto the scene and how I wish they were still here to hang out with them. I talked about love and hate, infatuation and inhibition, anxiety and exhilaration, life and death. I like that I can tell them absolutely anything now, even my most closely guarded secrets and fears and hopes and dreams. I’m not the most trusting individual in the world, and the last four or five years have worn down pretty much any trust toward others that I had left (except for a very small number of people), but I figure Jesus and Dave are both in a place where they can now keep a secret. And I trusted them when they were still here, so I reckon it’s safe.
For 50 some years I have enforced my will upon the universe. You can call it chaos magic or synchronicity magic or just plain old fashioned stubbornness. Whatever it is, exerting my will upon the universe has worked for me far more than it hasn’t. But it is also an exhausting way to live, so this week, I decided to let go and let the universe be in charge for a change. And that has been liberating and exhilarating and absolutely terrifying. What will be, will be. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Those are nice, calming platitudes, but to put them into action? That’s a frightening prospect for a guy like me.
But let’s give it a try and see what happens.
Anyway, it was with all this still fresh in my mind on Saturday morning that I came across something else that’s precious. I’ve been going through James A. Moore’s library of books, sticking to a pace of one box per day before the store opens. Saturday morning, I found a copy of Jim’s first novel, and he’d signed it to Bonnie, the woman who would later become his first wife, and whom was his soulmate. Seriously. If you don’t believe that soulmates are a thing, then you never saw Jim and Bonnie together.
Jim and Bonnie are together again now, in whatever comes after this. There is a beauty and comfort in that which I cannot put into words.
I shared it with Chris and John and Mary, and it made them as emotional as it made me.
These words we write? They matter. And they can echo and still have meaning and impact and move people even after we are gone.
Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans, friends, and family.
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In last week’s newsletter, I gave you the final and complete line-up for THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND. I’m told that the cover reveal will happen next Tuesday in Fangoria. I’m not sure that’s the venue I would have picked. In truth, I didn’t even realize that Fango was still around. I would have liked to see this in The New York Times or The Washington Post or Rolling Stone. I think the book warrants mainstream coverage, rather than just “horror genre” coverage. But, I am just a small cog in a much larger wheel, and have no degree in marketing or promotion. Indeed, I have no degree of any kind, other than a Doctorate in Hard Knocks. Like my favorite fictional character, I had a semester and a half of community college, so I understand marketing and promotion as a concept. (This is a Sopranos reference, for the uninitiated).
Anyway, next Tuesday for the cover reveal!
Probably…
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We’re one week away from the release of ISLAND OF THE DEAD. The paperback hits stores on October 22nd. It was originally supposed to come out this week, on October 15th, but it got pushed back a week because again, I am but a small cog in a much bigger wheel.
The Paperback and Kindle editions are available to purchase here.
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If you’re in or near Washington D.C.. I’m signing books this coming Tuesday, October 5th, from 7pm to 9pm at:
One More Page
2200 N Westmoreland St,
Arlington, VA 22213
I’ll be joined by Sonora Taylor and L. Marie Wood, both of whom also have new books out. My new book will be out a week after this event, but there will be plenty of my old books on hand. And if my shipment of my new book arrives early, then I’ll bring them to the store (since that was the whole point of setting up the damned signing in the first place).
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Currently Listening: A playlist called “White Gurl Bangers”.
Currently Reading: The Better To Eat You With by Wesley Southard and When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Currently Watching: Only thing I watched this week was Animal House and the Adam Sandler remake of The Longest Yard (via Prime and HBO Max). Now that I’m back home, intend to catch up on Lilyhammer season 2 (Netflix), Survivor season 47 (Paramount Plus), and Tulsa King season 2 (Paramount Plus) this coming week.
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On the latest episode of HOW TO SURVIVE 2025, the team gives our listeners some easy to follow guidelines on what to stash in grab-and-go bag for easy and quick egress. In addition to what you should pack, learn how long you should pack for, what to use for a bag, and much much more. Jim Cobb takes the team to school.
Listen free via: Web Browser ~ Spotify ~ iHeartRadio ~ Apple ~ Amazon/Audible ~ YouTube ~ Podbean ~ Player FM
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And that does it for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading. Be kind to each other and tell the people you love that you love them. I’ll see you back here again next Sunday.
And much love to you, Christine. You are in my thoughts…
— Brian Keene
Good morning. Whew. I'm still wiping tears away. Very touched by what you wrote. So much so I almost don't know what the hell to say. So I'll just say thank you.
Fango is in fact still around. I just signed up for a subscription a few weeks back. It's not cheap and there are only 4 issues. It's ok, it's more of a coffee table book now. I have a ton of old issues from back in the day and I wasn't super impressed. They do have a Facebook page though. But I agree with a Big fat book like that a bigger announcement needs to be made.
Any way thanks again for another great newsletter. I appreciate it. Take care sir
You probably don't remember me, but I've been reading your books since the OG The Rising and first got in touch with you on MySpace, which should give you an idea of how long I've been around. Your words matter to me too. They have for quite awhile now. You are one of the people who convinced me that maybe I could write too. Working on a book now. Surrealist horror type of thing. Anyway, I always find the characters who survive in your work inspiring. One of my favorites is The Conquerer Worm, ie Earthworm Gods. I adore Teddy and Carl. They're both so grounded in a world that, like mine right now, seems to be falling apart. In fact, maybe I'm due to read that again. I think so. I always appreciated the author's notes you used to leave at the beginning of your books. Especially that one. "If you live there, don't look for your house. The forecast calls for rain." As a resident of North Carolina, I can appreciate that one.