Letters From the Labyrinth 459
Picture if you will a hotel suite at the top of the Marriott Desert Ridge hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. The year is 2004 and it’s the wee hours between Saturday and Sunday. Sitting around the room are actors Reggie Bannister, Sid Haig, Ken Foree, Gary Klar, Doug Bradley, and Michael Berryman, pre-reader Tod Clark, and authors Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Wrath James White, John Skipp, Gene O’Neill, Carlton Mellick III, and myself.
There were other folks there, too, but as you know, I’ve been experiencing low grade memory issues for the last year (which is why I’ve been doing stuff like SECRET HISTORIES — to get it down while I can still remember the details). I think maybe Drew Williams was there? And I know Bev Vincent, F. Paul Wilson, Michael Arnzen, John Edward Lawson. Ashley Laurence, Dee Wallace Stone, Stuart Gordon, Joe Pilato, Tony Todd, and Courtney Gaines were in the hotel, but don’t remember if they were in the room.
Anyway, that Sunday’s edition of The New York Times had a big feature article on the return and rebirth of Horror Fiction at the bookstore, focusing on the meteoric rise of Leisure Books’ horror line, spearheaded by Don D’auria. The article spotlighted four young writers among Don’s stable: J.F. Gonzalez, Tim Lebbon, Jemiah Jefferson, and myself.
I don’t know whose idea it was to go get a copy of the paper (I always thought it might have been Skipp or Gene, because both of them are thoughtful in that way) but I do remember at one point someone produced a copy of the paper (I don’t know where the they found one at that time of morning in Arizona) and Reggie said, “The kid made the Times!” And then a good cross-section of horror royalty took turns reading from it and congratulating me.
It’s one of my happiest memories from 30 years in this business, and it saddens me that the little details have begun to slip away. (If you want to be shocked at just how malleable the human memory can be, stare down the barrel at sixty, kids). But the one thing that remains crystal clear is Reggie Bannister reading part of the write-up about THE RISING aloud, and grinning as he did so.
Reggie’s filmography extends far beyond the Phantasm series, of course. And I always thought his music should have gotten way more attention than it did. But yes, it is his iconic self-referential character from those five films that captured the hearts of several generations of horror fans, including my own. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you don’t get GHOUL without Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm, and you don’t get Jim Thurmond from THE RISING without an author who watched Reggie Bannister’s performance in those first three films a thousand times.
(Having served in the Vietnam war, Reggie also once sat in a hotel bar on the other side of the country with me — Baltimore — and over drinks, advised me on how to talk to my own father about Vietnam, something for which I’ll always be grateful).
As you may or may not know, Reggie is in home-hospice care due to complications from Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease. A GoFundMe has been launched to help him and his wonderful wife Gigi with things like oxygen services, utilities, and other essentials. I know things are tight for everybody right now, but if you have the means, and can contribute ten bucks, that would help.
Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a long-running weekly newsletter for friends, fans, and family.
The finalized programming schedule for Scares that Care’s AuthorCon VI is live. You can read it here or download a PDF here. There will be a couple small tweaks so if you do download the PDF, make sure you download it again when you get to the convention. (I know that’s a pain in the butt, but we don’t live in a time when people understand what deadlines are, and therefore, tweaks will continue to happen right up to the day of the show).
You can buy tickets for our Women’s Writing Symposium (taking place immediately before AuthorCon VI) here.
You can buy tickets for AuthorCon VI here. Note that on that page, you can also still sign up for pitch sessions, agent, and website design seminars.
If you missed last week’s newsletter, I’m starting a new zine. It will feature articles and fiction by myself and others, and will be 100% free. All you have to do is provide your mailing address. To do that, go here and fill out the form.
Next week should see the paperback and eBook releases of the 20th anniversary edition of TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME.
No, I can’t believe it’s been 20 years either, but here we are. Keep an eye on my website and I’ll announce when it’s on sale.
Turning to my podcast, KEENEVERSATIONS.
For Patreon subscribers, we have:
Listener Mailbag - Keeneversations - Ep 33
Brian and Mary answer listener questions related to their biggest professional challenges, the cosmic horror of Hailey Piper and Todd Keisling, the critiques of Stephen Kozeniewski, the scientific foresight of John Wyndham, and much more. Listen via Spotify or Patreon.
And for non-Patreon subscribers we have:
Parenting For Writers (with Laurel Hightower) - Keeneversations - Ep 8 (Original air date July 2025)
Parenting and motherhood present constant challenges, and that goes doubly so for writers. Brian Keene and Laurel Hightower discuss raising children while also raising an audience, maintaining privacy and protection, and the constant balancing act. Listen free via Spotify, Patreon, or YouTube.
Currently Watching: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1, Brats, In A Violent Nature, and Strange Harvest.
Currently Reading: Marvel Comics In The 1970s: The World Inside Your Head by Eliot Borenstein
Currently Listening: Blankets by Stephen Wilson Jr.
I caught Stephen Wilson Jr’s appearance on The Howard Stern Show last Tuesday, and it was absolute magic. I was so awestruck by his sincerity and talent that I did something I never do — texted Richard Christy while he was there at the studio and raved about what i was hearing. Between the interview and his performance, Stephen Wilson Jr. impressed me enough to seek out his discography, and I’ve been listening to nothing else since then. Was so enamored by what I heard that I had to share it with Joe Hill and John Boden (because I knew both of them would dig him), and made Mary listen to it when I picked her up at the train station on Thursday. Imagine a Bruce Springsteen equally inspired by Willie Nelson and Soundgarden. If that sounds like something that might speak to you, check him out.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues to impress, and I think I might like it better than Game of Thrones (which was okay until that final season) and much, much more than House of the Dragon (which I made it through about 4 episodes before never returning). No knowledge of those shows is needed to enjoy this one.
But what I really want to recommend is Strange Harvest, currently available on Hulu. It’s fashioned as a true crime documentary, but it ends up being one of the most effective cosmic horror movies I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s unflinching and not for the squeamish, but it builds into something marvelous. There were some scenes that really shook me, and I’m about the most jaded viewer you can find. Highly recommended!
Last Friday was the anniversary of Dave Thomas’s passing, and yesterday was the anniversary of Richard Laymon’s passing. A good way to remember or honor them both is to listen to Dave on THE HORROR SHOW WITH BRIAN KEENE or read one of Dick’s books.
And that does it for this week. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my free daily journal, Algorithm Zero.
Good morning.
Just got done reading your newsletter, which I read and look forward too every Sunday.
Thank you for your story about Reggie- it was very touching. I'm a fan as well and it is very sad to see this happen to someone who has brought so much joy- at least too me go thru this.
I actually wrote a letter about 6 months back when Gigi officially announced his diagnosis. I don't write letters but I felt compelled to write him one.
I donated to the cause over the past weekend and shared, hoping others will help out as well.
Also-Thank you for suggesting Stephen Wilson Jr. -Holy smokes!
That man is off the chain. His covers of Tonight tonight, stand by me and Hunger strike are absolutely haunting. His original material is also primo.
Thanks again.
Take care sir.
Stephen Wilson Jr! Man oh man, soooo good! I stumbled upon him in May of 25 and spent a month listening to nothing else. Funny thing is, I've almost suggested him to you a few times but held back, I'm sorry! He's a lyrical poet and his music style is pretty much unmatched. Glad he's gained another fan! I'm thinking Howard just introduced him to a wider audience. He was also born and raised less than two hours from me (a few years younger) making the music feel all that closer to home. I also love his pop culture shout outs especially to Stephen King..