Brian Keene's Blog, page 191
June 24, 2011
Weekend Update
Another busy week here at Brian Keene dot com. The first issue of The Last Zombie: Inferno hit stores this week, as Ian and the team go from the frying pan into the fire (in more ways than one). Also in comic stores was Conan: Road of Kings #6, which is written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by my friend Mike Hawthorne. As you can see from the images to your left, Mike 
gave Mary and I a cameo appearance on the first page. I think we make fine barbarians.
Meanwhile, Deluge rocketed closer to the exciting conclusion. I also talked about Deluge's print future and whether or not another serial will follow it. The second Maelstrom set went on sale and sold out before week's end.
The 2010 Bram Stoker Award winners were announced. And we took a look at other genre news, including the Shirley Jackson Awards' fundraiser, Eraserhead Press's new fan club, John Skipp's reinvigorated Rose campaign, Lee Thomas and Nick Kaufmann talking about awards, and Nick Mamatas's new books.
I'll be at CONvergence for most of next week, so things will be quite slow here. We may miss Deluge next Friday. Not sure yet. There will, however, be something posted next week that new readers will find especially useful. In the meantime, why not buy something?
DELUGE (Part 77)
Sarah and Henry both slept for most of a day, and when they awoke, both were momentarily confused as to their surroundings. Sarah found herself tearing up when she looked at Henry, overwhelmed with affection and gratitude for everything he'd done. During their time together in the forest ranger station, she'd begun to think of him as a little brother. Since Kevin's death, he'd been the only other voice she heard, with the exception of Sylva's last few increasingly crazed broadcasts.
She kissed him on the forehead. "Thanks."
"What for?" Henry's ears turned scarlet. A moment later, his cheeks followed suit.
"For helping. For not giving up on me. I really lost it back there, Henry. I can only imagine what it was like, dealing with me. I'm not a person who likes to lose control—of anything, but least of all myself. Thanks for being there for me when I couldn't be."
"No problem. You've been there for me, too."
"You miss your family?"
He nodded. "Still. I keep thinking it's been long enough, and so much has happened, that I just ought to be numb by now, but I ain't."
"Neither am I. I think that's why I… got like I was. I miss Kevin and Teddy and Carl, but I miss the people before this. Before the rain started. My Mom and my girlfriend."
"Perhaps you will find them again," said a voice behind them.
Sarah and Henry glanced up to find Simon standing in the hatchway to the berthing area.
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"What do either of you know about string theory? Alternate realities and universes?"
"I used to watch Star Trek," Sarah replied.
"Well, I'm sure you are both hungry. Come up to the galley. Lets get you something to eat. And while you do, I'll explain our plan. You might feel incredulous at first, but I assure you it is the truth."
He beckoned for them to follow. After a moment's hesitation, they did.
"Perhaps you'd like a quick tour of the vessel on our way to the galley?" Simon suggested.
Sarah shrugged. "Why not? I guess this is our home for now."
"Merely temporary," Simon said. "So don't get too comfortable."
He led them topside. The wind and rain pelted them the moment they stepped out onto the deck, and Sarah shivered. For the brief period she'd been asleep below, she'd felt warm and dry, and hadn't realized how much she'd missed both sensations until that moment. She glanced down at the churning water below.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Mr. Novak says we are somewhere over the border between West Virginia and Virginia, on a northeast course."
Sarah frowned. "Well, then where are the mountains? There should be mountain peaks sticking up above the surface."
Simon shook his head. "Not anymore, I'm afraid. Bald Knob was the last, and soon, it will vanish beneath the waves, as well. It is fortuitous we came across the two of you when we did."
"There ain't as much junk floating in the water, either," Henry said. "I mean, I reckon them things in the water have eaten all the dead folks by now, but where's all the trees and cars and other stuff that's been floating around?"
"It's liquefied," Simon said, opening a hatch and stepping back inside the ship. "The debris. The mountains. Everything is liquefying."
Sarah shut the hatch behind them and latched it. She wiped rain from her eyes. "The White Fuzz?"
"Indeed," Simon said. "All matter on this planet is being turned into water. The planet still has a core, and is still rotating on its axis, so gravity still exists. Sooner or later though, even the planet's core will begin to liquefy. As all this occurs, the Earth is being absorbed into another dimension called the Great Deep. I'll explain in detail while we eat."
Sarah wasn't sure what to think as Simon led them into the galley. She glanced at Henry. The boy's expression seemed to mirror her own confusion.
Caterina and Mylon, who were just coming off watch, were also eating in the galley. Gail was present, as well. Sarah, Henry and Simon took seats next to them. Sarah thanked Gail again for rescuing them. The ship rolled slowly back and forth beneath their feet.
"I trust the night passed uneventfully?" Simon asked Mylon.
"Heard some big splashes out there in the dark," Mylon said. "And at one point, Caterina thought she heard singing. But other than that, no."
Sarah had been eating a dry Saltine cracker. When Mylon mentioned the singing, she choked on it, startled and remembering what had happened in Baltimore. It seemed so long ago, now, but the fear was still very real. Henry clapped her on the back and handed her a small juice box. Sarah sipped from the straw and then gasped.
"You okay?" Henry asked.
She nodded, but before she could reply, Caterina spoke up.
"It sounded like a woman. I'm sure I must have imagined it, though."
Simon frowned. "I'll have to ask Mr. Novak to go faster. And we need to start doubling the watches."
"Why's that?" Mylon asked.
"Because we are being followed."
"By who?"
"An entity known as Leviathan."
Sarah choked on her juice.
Simply Amazing
Filmed in 1976, a New Guinea tribe meets outsiders for the first time. They have never seen someone from outside their tribe and have no knowledge of modern technology. Watch their expressions as they go from fear to caution to joy. I teared up watching this. It's absolutely awe-inspiring.
June 23, 2011
Around and About (Updated)
Being a list of various things I've promised people I would mention or plug.
The Shirley Jackson Awards are holding a month-long fundraiser. Eraserhead Press have launched the Bizarro Brigade (sort of like the F.U.K.U. or the KISS Army, except you get free books). John Skipp relaunched his Rose Kickstarter campaign. Mary SanGiovanni's Facebook page is going private, so she's asking everyone to follow her brand-new public page instead. Lee Thomas and Nicholas Kaufmann talk about awards. Nick Mamatas has two new books out: Sensation and Starve Better (both are awesome). And finally, Maelstrom II is now sold out!
Around and About
Being a list of various things I've promised people I would mention or plug.
The Shirley Jackson Awards are holding a month-long fundraiser. Eraserhead Press have launched the Bizarro Brigade (sort of like the F.U.K.U. or the KISS Army, except you get free books). John Skipp has relaunched his Rose Kickstarter campaign. Mary SanGiovanni's Facebook page is going private, so she's asking everyone to follow her brand-new public page instead. Nick Mamatas has two new books out: Sensation and Starve Better (both are awesome). And finally, there are less than 20 copies of Maelstrom set 2 left. Click here to buy one.
June 22, 2011
IN STORES NOW (Updated)
The Last Zombie: Inferno #1 and Conan: Road of Kings #6 – both available now, wherever comic books are sold!
In The Last Zombie: Inferno #1, Doctor Ian Scott and his team of soldiers and scientists make their way across the wastelands of a post-zombie apocalyptic America. Infected with the virus that caused the zombie outbreak, Ian struggles to stay alive long enough to see his wife again. As if that weren't enough, the team now find themselves caught between a raging, state-wide wildfire and the radioactive destruction of a nuclear reactor meltdown. CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Meanwhile, Conan: Road of Kings #6 features a one-panel cameo appearance by Mary SanGiovanni and myself. What are we doing in the Hyborian Age? Well, you'll have to buy it to find out! (Thanks to Mike Hawthorne for making it happen). CLICK HERE TO ORDER
IN STORES NOW
The Last Zombie: Inferno #1 – available now, wherever comic books are sold!
Doctor Ian Scott and his team of soldiers and scientists make their way across the wastelands of a post-zombie apocalyptic America. Infected with the virus that caused the zombie outbreak, Ian struggles to stay alive long enough to see his wife again. As if that weren't enough, the team now find themselves caught between a raging, state-wide wildfire and the radioactive destruction of a nuclear reactor meltdown.
June 21, 2011
Mulling…
Image courtesy of Adam Hughes/Horror World
Props to Adam Hughes, who made the graphic on the left. I'm game if Gary is.
There are only two-dozen Maelstrom II sets left. Next year's set will include the first print edition of Deluge. Speaking of which, we are about a dozen chapters away from the big finale. Not sure yet if I'll do another online serial or not. One of the many life and career decisions I'm currently mulling over…
June 19, 2011
MAELSTROM II: ON SALE NOW (Updated)
The second Maelstrom set is on sale now! As of 9am, it is 90% sold out. This set includes:
A Conspiracy of One by Brian Keene Everyone has a darkest hour. For the employees of Big Bill's Home Electronics, it comes when a crazed gunman barges into their store and opens fire. For Evan Fisher, it manifests as he tries to protect his family in the aftermath of a natural disaster. For Ward and Valerie, it is the imaginary friend who creeps through their daughter's window at night. For Gina, a woman devoted to her husband, it rises with the dead. For the residents of a small Atlantic coastal town, it arrives from the sea with an amphibian croak. And for a burned-out horror novelist, it is 
echoed in the whispers of a ghost. This newest collection features over 80,000 words of short fiction and novellas, including "Halves", "The House of Ushers", "Scratch", "I Sing A New Psalm", "The Girl on the Glider" and many more, as well as extensive story notes. And in keeping with Maelstrom's exclusivity promise, this will be the only edition of this book ever printed, thus making it a true collectible.
Alone by Brian Keene When Daniel Miller wakes up one morning, something has gone terribly wrong. The power is out. The phones are dead. The house is silent. The street is shrouded in fog. Both his partner and their adopted daughter are missing. So are their neighbors. And so is 
everyone else in the world. Daniel Miller is the last person left on Earth… or is he? An all-new, original novella of quiet, supernatural horror.
Once Upon a Time in Midnight by John Urbancik Welcome to Midnight, City of Night. This is the city tucked between two mountains in such a way the sun never shines here. This is the home to men like Mr. Zero and Uncle Knuckles. This is a place where more roads lead in than out. When Thomas Midnight makes a wrong turn and ends up trapped in the City of Night, he'll do whatever it takes to get out. But the city's grip around him tightens, and word has already spread that he's arrived.
This set is limited to 300 signed and numbered hardcovers. CLICK HERE TO ORDER.
New to Brian Keene? Click here for complete details on Maelstrom's history and mission statement.
MAELSTROM II: ON SALE NOW
The second Maelstrom set is on sale now! This set includes:
A Conspiracy of One by Brian Keene Everyone has a darkest hour. For the employees of Big Bill's Home Electronics, it comes when a crazed gunman barges into their store and opens fire. For Evan Fisher, it manifests as he tries to protect his family in the aftermath of a natural disaster. For Ward and Valerie, it is the imaginary friend who creeps through their daughter's window at night. For Gina, a woman devoted to her husband, it rises with the dead. For the residents of a small Atlantic coastal town, it arrives from the sea with an amphibian croak. And for a burned-out horror novelist, it is echoed in the whispers of a ghost. This newest collection features over 80,000 words of short fiction and novellas, including "Halves", "The House of Ushers", "Scratch", "I Sing A New Psalm", "The Girl on the Glider" and many more, as well as extensive story notes. And in keeping with Maelstrom's exclusivity promise, this will be the only edition of this book ever printed, thus making it a true collectible.
Alone by Brian Keene When Daniel Miller wakes up one morning, something has gone terribly wrong. The power is out. The phones are dead. The house is silent. The street is shrouded in fog. Both his partner and their adopted daughter are missing. So are their neighbors. And so is everyone else in the world. Daniel Miller is the last person left on Earth… or is he? An all-new, original novella of quiet, supernatural horror.
Once Upon a Time in Midnight by John Urbancik Welcome to Midnight, City of Night. This is the city tucked between two mountains in such a way the sun never shines here. This is the home to men like Mr. Zero and Uncle Knuckles. This is a place where more roads lead in than out. When Thomas Midnight makes a wrong turn and ends up trapped in the City of Night, he'll do whatever it takes to get out. But the city's grip around him tightens, and word has already spread that he's arrived.
This set is limited to 300 signed and numbered hardcovers. CLICK HERE TO ORDER.
New to Brian Keene? Click here for complete details on Maelstrom's history and mission statement.
