Brian Keene's Blog, page 7
March 14, 2022
Clickers Never Die
The seminal horror series created by J.F. Gonzalez, Mark Williams, and Brian Keene reemerges from the depths with the weirdest, most brutal installment yet!
Washed-up oceanographer Cameron Custer is hoping a mysterious living fossil discovered in the South Pacific could breathe new life into his career. Instead, Custer’s new specimen points him toward a heavily guarded secret—the truth behind the Guadalcanal Campaign. During World War II the U.S. Marine Corps had more than just the Imperial Japanese Army to contend with. They also had to wage a vicious battle against the amphibious Dark Ones and an onslaught of their deadliest servants.
Now, an ocean heaving with blood and guts, a battlefield teeming with rage and terror, a man’s demented love affair with a fish monster, and a boy’s heartwarming friendship with a prehistoric crab monster will all combine to prove that… CLICKERS NEVER DIE!
Splatterpunk Award nominated author Stephen Kozeniewski (THE HEMATOPHAGES, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS) and Splatterpunk Award winning author Wile E. Young (THE MAGPIE COFFIN, CATFISH IN THE CRADLE) join forces for one of modern horror’s most anticipated reboots!
Paperback — Kindle
Click Click…
March 11, 2022
Things Left Behind
THINGS LEFT BEHIND
by Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni
Signed Paperback Edition - $18.95 + S&H
In their first book-length collaboration, Grandmaster Award winner Brian Keene and Bram Stoker Award nominee Mary SanGiovanni take readers on a road trip across horror fiction’s vast landscape, incorporating the quiet, the cosmic, the supernatural, the surreal, and the splatter. From a basement in Baltimore where a writer uncovers a gruesome secret that threatens to rip his world apart, to the golden shores of San Francisco where a young widow discovers she still has more to lose, stretches a trail of THINGS LEFT BEHIND.
Specifics:
This is a signed limited edition paperback.
This book will only be available for sale until April 15th, 2022.
The number of pre-orders during this time will be the print run for this edition.
This is a pre-order. The expected ship date for this edition is June 2022.
CLICK HERE TO PRE-OREDER YOUR COPY
March 9, 2022
New Interview at Writers On Wax
Bev Vincent and I were guests on the latest episode of Writers On Wax. We talk music and our new book DISSONANT HARMONIES. Listen free via Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
March 7, 2022
AuthorCon Programming Schedule
What follows is the finalized Programming Schedule for Scares That Care AuthorCon, taking place April 1 through 3 in Williamsburg, VA. At this point, no further changes, other than subtractions, can be made. Copies of the schedule with any last minute subtractions will be available to all attendees at the door.
You will note that Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks From Hell stage show (with special guest comedian Will Bozarth) and the workshops being run by Robert Ford and Richard Dansky are marked as ‘Ticketed Event’. This means a General Admission ticket will not suffice for admission to those three events. A separate ticket is required. Those tickets can be purchased here.
We are looking forward to a great show. Whether you’re a fan and a reader, or a beginning author, or an established pro, we’re offering something for everyone! And, as with all Scares That Care events, it’s for a good cause! Full details on the convention can be found here. See you in less than a month!
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AuthorCon Programming Schedule
FRIDAY
Vendor Meeting – 4:00pm (Vendor Room): All vendors and Guests of Honor are encouraged to attend.
Vendor Room Hours – 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Silent Auction (Auditorium) – 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Grady Hendrix’s PAPERBACKS FROM HELL with Special Guest Will Bozarth – 9:30pm (Auditorium) Note: This is a ticketed event.
FRIDAY READINGS (Rooms A & B)
5:15pm to 6:00pm: Todd Keisling and Justin Holley
6:15pm to 7:00pm: Russell James and Clay McLeod Chapman
7:15pm to 8:00pm: Josh Malerman and Jonathan Janz
8:15pm to 9:00pm: Mary SanGiovanni and Hailey Piper
FRIDAY PANELS (Rooms 2 & 3)
6:00pm to 7:00pm: CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES – C.W. Briar, Tara Moeller, R.L. Parker, Ally Malinenko, Nathan McCullough, and Shawn Burgess discuss their childhood fears and whether or not those memories have influenced their fiction.
7:30pm to 9:00pm: SPLATTERPUNK STRONG – Splatterpunk Award co-founder Wrath James White, and Splatterpunk Award nominees C.V. Hunt, Kristopher Triana, Jeff Strand, Kristopher Rufty, Candace Nola, Wesley Southard, Stephen Kozeniewski, Wile E. Young, Carver Pike, Aron Beauregard, Daniel Volpe, Jay Wilburn, and Thomas R. Clark discuss the current state of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.
FRIDAY WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
7:00pm to 8:00pm: WRITING THE BADGE – Former Police Officer and Detective Joe Ripple leads this free seminar/Q&A on the correct way to write police procedure, tactics, and operations.
SATURDAY
Vendor Room Hours – 10:00am to 6:00pm
Silent Auction (Auditorium) – 10:00am to 4:45pm
Silent Auction Winners Announced by Joe Ripple (Auditorium) – 5:00pm
SATURDAY READINGS (Rooms A & B)
10:15am to 11:00am: Holly Rae Garcia and Kim Alexander
11:15am to Noon: John Urbancik and Gemma Amor
12:15pm to 1:00pm: Chet Williamson and David Niall Wilson
1:15pm to 2:00pm: F. Paul Wilson and Thomas F. Monteleone
2:15pm to 3:00pm: Maurice Broaddus and S.A. Cosby
3:15pm to 4:00pm: C.V. Hunt and Wrath James White
4:15pm to 5:00pm: Aron Beauregard and Daniel J. Volpe
5:15pm to 6:00pm: Andersen Prunty and Christoph Paul
6:15pm to 7:00pm: Sonora Taylor and Red Lagoe
7:15pm to 8:00pm: Glenn Rolfe and Donnie Goodman
8:15pm to 9:00pm: RJ Roles and Tim McWhorter
9:15pm to 10:00pm: Michael Tyree and Michael Seidlinger
10:15pm to 11:45pm: CARNIVAL OF CHAOS – Jeff Strand, John Wayne Comunale, Kristopher Triana, Wesley Southard, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Wile E. Young present nearly two hours of mayhem and madness.
SATURDAY PANEL DISCUSSIONS (Rooms 2 and 3)
10:30am to 11:30am: WRITING RITUALS – Bryan Nowak, Daniel Braum, Dea Schofield, Kelly Martin, Dan Franklin, and Joseph Pesavento discuss their individual writing processes and practices, finding balance with day jobs and family obligations, and their tips for productivity and focus.
11:45am to 1:00pm: PUBLISHERPALOOZA – Join representatives from Apex Books, Apokrupha, Bleeding Edge Books, Castaigne Publishing, Clash Books, Crone Girls Press, Death’s Head Press, Grindhouse Press, Stygian Sky Media, Tenebrous Press, and Weirdpunk Books discuss the trials and tribulations of publishing, and what they’re looking for from authors and artists.
1:15pm to 2:15pm: THIS DYSTOPIAN OBSESSION – Mary SanGiovanni, Jonathan Janz, Adam J. Smith, Anthony M. Strong, and Matt Wildasin discuss why dystopian and post-apocalyptic horror fiction are more popular now than ever.
2:30pm to 3:30pm: DEATH OF THE DEAD? – Night of the Living Dead and White Zombie. Day of the Dead and Wet Work. The Rising and 28 Days Later. The Walking Dead and World War Z. The popularity of zombies runs in cycles. Matt Blazi, Jay Wilburn, Kristopher Rufty, Jeremy Wagner, Thomas R. Clark, and Anton Cancre predict what’s next for the undead. Are we approaching a downturn, and if so, will they rise once more?
3:45pm to 4:45pm: WRITING SHORT STORIES – Katherine Silva, James Noll, Tony Evans, and Joseph Sullivan discuss the tips, tricks, and challenges of crafting the perfect short horror story.
5:00pm to 6:00pm: SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE – Josh Malerman, Maurice Broaddus, F. Paul Wilson, S.A. Cosby, Wrath James White, and Clay McLeod Chapman discuss the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of what happens when Hollywood comes knocking at your door.
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
Noon to 4:00pm: UPPING YOUR GAME: HOW TO DELIVER A MEMORABLE LIVE READING – Author Robert Ford, one of the best live readers in the business, leads this interactive workshop on ways to improve your own live reading. Attendees will participate with live readings of their own work (so please come prepared) and receive practical developmental feedback. Note: This is a ticketed event.
4:30pm to 8:30pm: WRITING FOR VIDEO GAMES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – Video game veteran Richard Dansky (Red Storm, Ubisoft) leads this highly interactive seminar on how to write for video game. Note: This is a ticketed event.
SUNDAY
Vendor Room Hours – 11:00am to 4:00pm
SUNDAY READINGS (Rooms A & B)
11:15pm to Noon: Rebecca Rowland and Douglas Ford
12:15pm to 1:00pm: Jacob Haddon and D. Alexander Ward
1:15pm to 2:00pm: Robert Ford and Richard Dansky
2:15pm to 3:00pm: Bridgett Nelson and Lindsay Lerman
SUNDAY PANEL DISCUSSIONS (Rooms 2 and 3)
11:30 to 12:30pm: BABY’S FIRST MONSTER – R.L. Stine. Stephen King. Leisure Books. Weird Tales. Different generations of horror fiction fans discover the genre in different ways. Hailey Piper, John Kelly, Jeremy Megargee, Matthew Mitchell, Mike Duke, and Kim Alexander discuss their introduction to horror.
12:45pm to 1:45pm: MY FAVORITE HORROR NOVEL – Andersen Prunty, Rowland Bercy Jr., Chase Will and Pamela K. Kinney discuss their all-time favorite horror novel, and the impact it’s had on them.
SUNDAY WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
3:00pm to 4:00pm: YELL AT BRIAN KEENE – What did you think of the first Scares That Care AuthorCon? The Board of Directors wants your honest feedback, so that we can improve the experience going forward. (Please don’t actually yell, though).
New Interview at Unprintable
Both myself and This Is Horror co-host Michael David Wilson were guests on the latest episode of Litreactor’s Unprintable podcast with Robb Olson. We discuss the art of interviewing, and I also talk a bit more about my new forthcoming podcast. Available wherever you listen to podcasts, and also this handy link.
March 5, 2022
Clickers III Now In Audiobook
For the first time ever, CLICKERS III: DAGON RISING by J.F. Gonzalez and Brian Keene is available in audiobook, narrated by Chet Williamson. Click here to start listening.
They thought it was over, but the second wave was only the beginning.
In the aftermath of the Clickers and Dark Ones' siege, and a coup against an insane President, America rebuilds. Change has come, and a better future is promised to all. But promises can be broken, and there may be no future at all. Because deep beneath the ocean, a new terror awaits. Dagon, god of the Dark Ones, is waking up....And if humanity doesn't stop him, then mankind will face extinction.
Trapped on a South Pacific Island, the cast of Clickers and Clickers 2: The Next Wave join forces with a mysterious group of occult agents, to face off against the Clickers, the Dark Ones, Dagon, and an all-new threat: The deadly obsidian Clickers. The stakes have never been higher.
Dagon is rising....And humanity will fall.
Clickers III: Dagon Rising. It's more giant monster carnage, and B-movie fun, as only J. F. Gonzalez and Brian Keene can bring you.
February 26, 2022
AuthorCon Preliminary Programming
What follows is the PRELIMINARY Programming Schedule for Scares That Care AuthorCon. That means it is NOT final. Changes will be made to it, based upon the feedback from participants.
If you are an author attending AuthorCon, either as a Vendor or as a Guest of Honor, look over the Preliminary schedule, find your name, and let me know if you are NOT okay with where I have included you.
When putting together something like this, experience has proven that it is much more efficient to get input after a preliminary schedule has been assembled, rather than emailing each individual person and soliciting input beforehand.
If you are on a panel discussion, I have placed you there because I feel you’re qualified to discuss that topic and will have interesting insight and thoughts.
If you have been assigned a reading, and are new to Scares That Care, know that we pair two authors together for 45-minute time slots. If ten people show up to hear you and ten people show up to hear your partner, then you’ve both just doubled your audience (and potential readers). We recommend that each of you read something ten to twenty minutes in length, so that both of you have enough time to finish, and so that both of you can take questions from the audience at the end.
As I said, we are now ready for your input. Find your name on the schedule. Guests of Honor have more than one activity. All other participants have a minimum of one activity (sometimes more, if there was availability).
If you’re happy with your placement, you don’t need to do anything else.
If you are concerned with your placement — for example, if I have put you down for a reading and you suffer from social anxiety, or if I have you down for a panel and you’d rather do a reading, or if I have you scheduled for Sunday when you are already heading to the airport — please email me directly at briankeene@live.com.
Don’t do it as a Twitter reply. Don’t leave it in the Facebook comments. EMAIL ME at briankeene@live.com so that it is not overlooked.
Put ‘AuthorCon’ in the subject so that it goes to the top of my inbox. I will do my best to accommodate each and every question or concern.
If you do NOT see your name anywhere on the list, then my sincere apologies in advance. Email me and I will rectify that immediately, as well.
The deadline for feedback is Saturday, March 5th. If I have not heard from you by then, I will assume you are happy with your slated activity.
Thank you for you patience and participation. We’re looking forward to a great show, and doing great things for people who need help.
Again, read over the schedule. If you’re content, no further action is required. If you would like to request a change or have a concern, please email me at briankeene@live.com by Saturday, March 5th.
— Brian Keene
AuthorCon PRELIMINARY Programming
FRIDAY
Vendor Meeting – 4:00pm (Vendor Room): All vendors and Guests of Honor are encouraged to attend.
Vendor Room Hours – 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Silent Auction – 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Grady Hendrix’s PAPERBACKS FROM HELL (with Special Guest Will Bozarth) – 9:30pm (Auditorium) Note: This is a ticketed event.
READINGS (Rooms A & B)
5:15pm to 6:00pm: Todd Keisling and Justin Holley
6:15pm to 7:00pm: Russell James and Clay McLeod Chapman
7:15pm to 8:00pm: Josh Malerman and Jonathan Janz
8:15pm to 9:00pm: Mary SanGiovanni and Hailey Piper
PANELS (Rooms 2 & 3)
6:00pm to 7:00pm: CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES – C.W. Briar, Tara Moeller, R.L. Parker, Ally Malinenko, Nicole Willson, Nathan McCullough, and Shawn Burgess discuss their childhood fears and whether or not those memories have influenced their fiction.
7:30pm to 9:00pm: SPLATTERPUNK STRONG – Splatterpunk Award co-founder Wrath James White, and Splatterpunk Award nominees C.V. Hunt, Kristopher Triana, Jeff Strand, Kristopher Rufty, Candace Nola, Wesley Southard, Stephen Kozeniewski, Wile E. Young, Carver Pike, Aron Beauregard, Daniel Volpe, Jay Wilburn, and Thomas R. Clark discuss the current state of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.
WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
7:00pm to 8:00pm: WRITING THE BADGE – Former Police Officer and Detective Joe Ripple leads this free seminar/Q&A on the correct way to write police procedure, tactics, and operations.
SATURDAY
Vendor Room Hours – 10:00am to 6:00pm
Silent Auction – 10:00am to 4:45pm
Silent Auction Winners – 5:00pm
READINGS (Rooms A & B)
10:15am to 11:00am: Candace Nola and Holly Rae Garcia
11:15am to Noon: John Hornor Jacobs and John Urbancik
12:15pm to 1:00pm: Chet Williamson and David Niall Wilson
1:15pm to 2:00pm: F. Paul Wilson and Thomas F. Monteleone
2:15pm to 3:00pm: Maurice Broaddus and S.A. Cosby
3:15pm to 4:00pm: C.V. Hunt and Wrath James White
4:15pm to 5:00pm: Aron Beauregard and Daniel J. Volpe
5:15pm to 6:00pm: Andersen Prunty and Christoph Paul
6:15pm to 7:00pm: Sonora Taylor and Red Lagoe
7:15pm to 8:00pm: Glenn Rolfe and Donnie Goodman
8:15pm to 9:00pm: RJ Roles and Tim McWhorter
9:15pm to 11:00pm: CARNIVAL OF CHAOS – Jeff Strand, John Wayne Comunale, Kristopher Triana, Wesley Southard, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Wile E. Young present nearly two hours of mayhem and madness.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS (Rooms 2 and 3)
10:30am to 11:30am: WRITING RITUALS – Bryan Nowak, Daniel Braum, Dea Schofield, Kelly Martin, Dan Franklin, and Joseph Pesavento discuss their individual writing processes and practices, finding balance with day jobs and family obligations, and their tips for productivity and focus.
11:45am to 1:00pm: PUBLISHERPALOOZA – Join representatives from Apex Books, Apokrupha, Bleeding Edge Books, Castaigne Publishing, Clash Books, Crone Girls Press, Death’s Head Press, Grindhouse Press, Stygian Sky Media and Weirdpunk Books discuss the trials and tribulations of publishing, and what they’re looking for from authors and artists.
1:15pm to 2:15pm: THIS DYSTOPIAN OBSESSION – Mary SanGiovanni, Jonathan Janz, Adam J. Smith, Michael G. Williams, Anthony M. Strong, and Matt Wildasin discuss why dystopian and post-apocalyptic horror fiction are more popular now than ever.
2:30pm to 3:30pm: DEATH OF THE DEAD? – Night of the Living Dead and White Zombie. Day of the Dead and Wet Work. The Rising and 28 Days Later. The Walking Dead and World War Z. The popularity of zombies runs in cycles. Matt Blazi, Jay Wilburn, Kristopher Rufty, Jeremy Wagner, Thomas R. Clark, and Anton Cancre predict what’s next for the undead. Are we approaching a downturn, and if so, will they rise once more?
3:45pm to 4:45pm: WRITING SHORT STORIES – Desiree Byars, Katherine Silva, James Noll, Tony Evans, Michael Tyree, and Joseph Sullivan discuss the tips, tricks, and challenges of crafting the perfect short horror story.
5:00pm to 6:00pm: SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE – Josh Malerman, Maurice Broaddus, F. Paul Wilson, S.A. Cosby, Wrath James White, and Clay McLeod Chapman discuss the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of what happens when Hollywood comes knocking at your door.
6:30pm to 7:00pm: Placeholder
WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
Noon to 4:00pm: UPPING YOUR GAME: HOW TO DELIVER A MEMORABLE LIVE READING – Author Robert Ford, one of the best live readers in the business, leads this interactive workshop on ways to improve your own live reading. Attendees will participate with live readings of their own work (so please come prepared) and receive practical developmental feedback. Note: This is a ticketed event.
4:30pm to 8:30pm: WRITING FOR VIDEO GAMES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – Video game veteran Richard Dansky (Red Storm, Ubisoft) leads this highly interactive seminar on how to write for video game designers. Note: This is a ticketed event.
SUNDAY
Vendor Room Hours – 11:00am to 4:00pm
READINGS (Rooms A & B)
11:15pm to Noon: Rebecca Rowland and Douglas Ford
12:15pm to 1:00pm: Jacob Haddon and D. Alexander Ward
1:15pm to 2:00pm: Robert Ford and Richard Dansky
2:15pm to 3:00pm: Placeholder
PANEL DISCUSSIONS (Rooms 2 and 3)
11:30 to 12:30pm: BABY’S FIRST MONSTER – R.L. Stine. Stephen King. Leisure Books. Weird Tales. Different generations of horror fiction fans discover the genre in different ways. Hailey Piper, John Kelly, Jeremy Megargee, Matthew Mitchell, Mike Duke, and Kim Alexander discuss their introduction to horror.
12:45pm to 1:45pm: MY FAVORITE HORROR NOVEL – Andersen Prunty, Matt Blairstone, Rowland Bercy Jr., Elizabeth Blue, Chase Will and Pamela K. Kinney discuss their all-time favorite horror novel, and the impact it’s had on them.
2:00pm to 3:00pm: Placeholder
WORKSHOPS (Center Lounge)
2:00pm to 3:00pm: YELL AT BRIAN KEENE – What did you think of the first Scares That Care AuthorCon? The Board of Directors wants your honest feedback, so that we can improve the experience going forward. (Please don’t actually yell, though).
February 15, 2022
Terminal Now In Audiobook
The Author’s Preferred Edition of TERMINAL is now available in audiobook, narrated by Chet Williamson.
For over two decades, fans of Brian Keene’s cult-classic novel Terminal have heard rumors of an uncut version that was never published. Now, for the first time anywhere, here is that version, as the author originally intended.
Tommy O’Brien once hoped to leave his run-down industrial hometown. But marriage and fatherhood have kept him running in place, working a job that doesn’t even pay the bills. And now he seems fated to stay for the rest of his life. Tommy has just learned he’s going to die young — and soon. But he refuses to leave his family with less than nothing–especially now that he has nothing to lose. Over a couple of beers with his best friends, John and Sherm, Tommy launches a bold scheme to provide for his family’s future. And though his plan will spin shockingly out of control, it will throw him together with a child whose touch can heal — and whose ultimate lesson is that there are far worse things than dying. Now, one man’s war with God may impact us all.
“A powerful, unique novel with a fascinating plot and characters, and echoes of Stephen King’s working-class voice.” — Ed Gorman
““If Brian Keene’s books were music, they would occupy a working class, hard-earned space between Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, and Johnny Cash.” — John Skipp
February 10, 2022
Borderlands Press Writers Boot Camp - TNG
I am deeply honored to announce that beginning next year (2023), Mary SanGiovanni and I will be taking over the reins of the Borderlands Press Writers Boot Camp.
For over eighteen years, Borderlands Press Writers Boot Camp has been the premiere workshop for aspiring genre fiction writers. Founded by Tom and Elizabeth Monteleone, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas E. Winter and Ginjer Buchanan, it has become an institution like no other, with unparalleled success stories. Alumni from the last two decades include authors, editors and publishers such as Michael Bailey, Norman Prentiss, John Urbancik, Michael M. Hughes, Mike McBride, Meghan Arcuri, Lisa Mannetti, David Agranoff, Cameron Pierce, Brian J. Hatcher, Michael Knost, Yvette Tan, J.G. Faherty, Kevin Lucia, Nicole Wilson, and dozens more.
As someone who has been on the periphery of the workshop since its inception — be it as a guest speaker or simply warming up the crowd on Friday night — I have consistently been amazed and impressed by the level of teaching on hand, and the talent that comes out of such sessions.
When Tom and Paul asked, both Mary and myself were humbled and honored. In the days since, as the reality — and enormity — has set in, we are excited and eager to start.
We will be keeping the name firmly in place, as a way of honoring the legacy of the workshop’s founders, and intend to keep the majority of the structure and the lesson plan in place, as well. (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). But we also intend to add some new additions to the program, to better prepare tomorrow’s aspiring writers for the fast-changing marketplace that publishing has become.
We will announce 2023’s dates, instructors and details later this year.
Defenders Dialogue 148
Thomas Sniegowski returns to the show to join Christopher Golden and Brian Keene in a discussion of THE ETERNALS and other 1970s Marvel Comics series by Jack Kirby. Available for free wherever you listen to podcasts, and also via this link.
