Brian Keene's Blog, page 85
June 23, 2017
OTHER WORDS On Sale Now
OTHER WORDS by Brian Keene
OTHER WORDS collects — for the first time anywhere — Brian Keene’s non-fiction about other writers and books, including Brian Hodge, John Skipp, Richard Laymon, Tom Piccirilli, Mary SanGiovanni, Weston Ochse, David B. Silva, Tim Lebbon, James A. Moore, Gene O’Neill, C. Robert Cargill, the World Horror Convention, a history of occult detectives, and much more, as well as rare, in-depth essays on his own works such as THE RISING series, DARK HOLLOW, the EARTHWORM GODS saga, and others. A must read for any fan of horror fiction, Thunderstorm Books is proud to present Brian Keene’s OTHER WORDS.
EVIL’S INFLUENCE On Sale Now
EVIL’S INFLUENCE by Brian Keene, Brett McBean, Nate Southard, Ronald Kelly, and Bryan Smith
Since its creation, Thunderstorm Books has offered the discerning horror fan collectible pieces of art and provided authors both new and old, unknown and celebrated, a showcase for their unique voices.
An integral part of that creation was the wisdom and guidance of Don Koish, who helped pave the way for quality works of horror with his much beloved Necessary Evil Press. Now, in celebration of a nearly decade of publishing, as well as honoring the influence of Necessary Evil, Thunderstorm Books offers a collection from its first five published writers.
Featuring both Thunderstorm Books and Necessary Evil Press classics by Brian Keene, Brett McBean, Bryan Smith, Nate Southard, and Ronald Kelly. Five authors. Five novellas. Five short stories. Sure to sell out soon.
Table of Contents:
Take the Long Way Home by Brian Keene
House Call by Brian Keene
The Familiar Stranger by Brett McBean
Amanda’s Gift by Brett McBean
Just Like Hell by Nate Southard
Working the Bag by Nate Southard
A Shiny Can of Whoop Ass by Ronald Kelly
Diary by Ronald Kelly
The Halloween Bride by Bryan Smith
Standing in Line for the Death Machine by Bryan Smith
New Official J.F. Gonzalez Website
The estate of J.F. Gonzalez and I are proud to announce a new official website for fans of his work. DARK WORLDS, located at JF Gonzalez dot org, will honor his legacy and keep his readers updated on news, forthcoming releases, reissues, and more. One of the first news items already posted there addresses the reissues of his currently out of print titles. Spoiler: It’s good news.
June 19, 2017
CLICKERS FOREVER: A TRIBUTE TO J.F. GONZALEZ Update
Below is the finalized table of contents for the forthcoming CLICKERS FOREVER: A TRIBUTE TO J.F. GONZALEZ anthology, which is approximately 135,000 words (so yeah, it’s a big book). Pre-orders will begin later this summer. You’ll note that the four chapters of “EL PASO” — a semi-autobiographical novel that we, the estate, believed was unfinished — which was previously supposed to be included, have now been removed. That is because a new draft of that novel, called THE CROSSROADS, has been discovered (in the form of a mislabeled Word document). This new draft is still unfinished, but it contains more material beyond those initial four chapters. More importantly, it contains a step-by-step synopsis of the unwritten segments. Thus, we can now announce with confidence that THE CROSSROADS will be completed and published as J.F. Gonzalez intended (along with MONSTERS — the prequel to SURVIVOR which Wrath James White has finished and which is in production at Sinister Grin Press), FINAL RETREAT (which I am completing), and the forthcoming short story and non-fiction collections (of which there will be at least three).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction – Brian Keene
Captivity – J.F. Gonzalez
That Goddamn Grin – Robert Ford
Vanilla Sunshine – Jonathan Janz
Books with Bite – Jonathan Maberry
Back from the Dead – Mike Lombardo
Bangers and Mash – Matt Hayward
Garage Clicker – John Urbancik
On the Contributions of J.F. Gonzalez to Horror Literature – Mary SanGiovanni
My Own Personal Jesus – Wayne Allen Sallee
Algorithms of the Heart – Mike Oliveri
Moist Air – Adam Cesare
Clickers vs. Mandibles: The Tale of an Unwritten Saga – Jeff Strand
Ten Secrets to Survival Clickers Don’t Want You to Know (They Really Hate Number Six) – Jeff Burk
A Birthday Party for Jenny Too Good – Gord Rollo
Belief – Lesley Conner
WWJD: Collaborating with J.F. Gonzalez – Wrath James White
Only One Way to Write the End of the Individual: J.F. Gonzalez’s The Corporation – Nick Mamatas
Gracias, hermano: a letter to a man I never met – Gabino Iglesias
Deep into That Dark One Peering – Stephen Kozeniewski
At the Corner of Flanders and Phillipsport – Michael T. Huyck Jr.
Surfing Is My Life: Fear and Loathing on the Northern California Coast – Gene O’Neill
TBA- Geoff Cooper
The Survival of Horror: A Tribute to J.F. Gonzalez’s Survivor – Matt Serafini
For You, Anything – Wesley Southard
WonderClaws™ – Monica J. O’Rourke
Throwing Books – Dave Thomas
A Bad Influence – Robert Swartwood
Clickbusters – Amber Fallon
Night Run – Kristopher Rufty
Ku Klux Clickers – Wile E. Young
My Own Private L.A. Gangsta – Weston Ochse
Jesus and the Splatterpunks – David J. Schow, John Skipp, and Brian Keene
Grab – Jay Wilburn
Bleeding Through – Charles R. Rutledge
To the Bitter End – Kyle Lybeck
Complications Of… – Kelli Owen
A J.F. Gonzalez Bibliography – Brian Keene
June 11, 2017
The Splatter Punk Awards (Press Release)
Wrath James White and Brian Keene announce the formation of the Splatterpunk Awards, which will honor superior achievement in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk / Extreme Horror fiction, in the following categories:
BEST NOVEL (for works of more than 50,000 words)
BEST NOVELLA (for works from 15,000 to 50,000 words)
BEST SHORT STORY (for works from 500 to 14,000 words)
BEST COLLECTION (for single-author works over 50,000 words)
BEST ANTHOLOGY (for multiple-author collections over 50,000 words)
In addition, there will also be an annual Lifetime Achievement Award (the J.F. GONZALEZ AWARD), honoring an individual’s contributions to the Splatterpunk or Extreme horror sub-genres.
Attendees of KillerCon 2018 can recommend works in each of these categories for the 2018 Splatterpunk Awards, which will take place at KillerCon, and will honor works published in 2017. Recommendations will be accepted from August 1, 2017 until midnight (Eastern Standard Time) January 31, 2018. You must be a registered attendee before the January 31, 2018 deadline. Details on how to recommend works will be posted at the Killercon website in the coming weeks.
The three works that have the most reader recommendations in each category will proceed to the ballot. The 2018 Splatterpunk Awards jury will have the ability to add two additional works, that may have been overlooked by the general public, to each category.
When this process is completed, the official nominees will be announced publicly. The jury will then vote on the winner in each category.
The 2018 Splatterpunk Awards jurors are David J. Schow, Gerard Houarner, Monica J. O’Rourke, Mike Lombardo, and Tod Clark.
The Founders of the Splatterpunk Awards, Wrath James White and Brian Keene, will select the Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Please note: Works by members of the jury, as well as the award founders, will not be eligible for inclusion on the ballot, in any category (with the exception of the Lifetime Achievement award).
June 6, 2017
Ghost Town Writers Retreat Discount
I’m a Guest at The Ghost Town Writers Retreat August 3rd through 6th in Georgetown, Colorado. (Other guests include Keith DeCandido, Don D’Auria, Stephen Graham Jones, Mario Acevedo, Mary Sangiovanni, Guy Anthony De Marco, and more). The organizers have offered a limited time 10% discount code for listeners to my podcast, The Horror Show with Brian Keene. This discount can be used for membership, program ads, and vendor tables. It is NOT retroactive. To use it, simply enter horrorshow10 at checkout.
FUNLAND Definitive Edition
Presenting the Special Definitive Edition of Richard Laymon’s FUNLAND, featuring additional content by Jack Ketchum and myself, on sale now.
The resort of Boleta Bay is not the carefree place it used to be. A series of unexplained disappearances, and holiday-makers threatened by an army of leering bums, casts a shadow over summer pleasures. But now Boleta Bay is fighting back and their campaign leads them to the abandoned Funhouse.
The Funland Amusement Park provides more fear than fun these days. A vicious pack known as the Trolls are preying on anyone foolish enough to be alone at night. Folks in the area blame them for the recent mysterious disappearances, and a gang of local teenagers has decided to fight back. But nothing is ever what it seems in an amusement park. Behind the garish paint and bright lights waits a horror far worse than anything found in the freak show. Step right up. The terror is about to begin!
A constant favorite among Laymon fans, FUNLAND is one of his most representative and enduring works. This new edition featuring an introduction by Jack Ketchum, a lengthy afterword by myself, and over 50 pages of unpublished author notes and scanned pages from the Laymon archives. Artist Malcolm McClinton has supplied a fantastic wraparound dust jacket artwork and five full page interior illustrations based on the novel.
Published in the following formats:
* 500 signed and numbered hardcovers signed by Brian Keene and Jack Ketchum.
* 26 deluxe lettered traycased hardcovers signed by Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, artist Malcolm McClinton, and editor James Beach.
Both editions are printed offset on premium acid-free paper with Smyth sewn case binding for maximum durability and longevity.
May 30, 2017
THE LABYRINTH MYTHOS
The number one question I get from new readers is “Where can I learn more about the Labyrinth Mythos?” They are, of course, referring to the overall story-arc that ties every novel, story, or comic book I’ve ever written — except for the media tie-in properties such as Doctor Who or The X-Files — into one giant, connected, shared universe. I have always been adamant about keeping the Labyrinth Mythos relegated to the background in my works. The idea is that a new reader could start anywhere and not be confused. There’s no suggested reading order.
However, for those who want to delve deeper, there is an ongoing serialized novel on Patreon called THE SEVEN: THE LABYRINTH, Book 1. It features characters from THE RISING, EARTHWORM GODS, CLICKERS, THE COMPLEX, DARK HOLLOW and all my other other novels and stories teaming up in one giant, final battle against the Thirteen. (For example, this week’s chapter, which is live, features Nelson LeHorn from DARK HOLLOW getting a proposition from Ob of THE RISING series). And so, for new readers wanting to learn more about the mythos, I’d point you to that. All of the Labyrinth’s history is revealed there.
If you’re not sure how Patreon works, allow me to explain. You pay a monthly fee, and then you get access to content. In the case of my particular Patreon, it breaks down like this:
For $1 a month, you get a new chapter each month of THE SEVEN: THE LABYRINTH, Book 1. Also, some chapters have their own monthly appendix (posted separately) which will link readers back to previous books or stories for reference. The entire novel is archived on the website, so you can start reading it at any time.
For $5 a month, you get access to the serial as well as behind-the-scenes looks at other works in progress — excerpts, outlines, and the like. At least one of these is posted per month, and all of them are archived on the website.
For $10 a month, you get all of the above, PLUS A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL SHORT STORY each and every month! All of the previous short stories are archived on the website.
Click here and you can start reading them today!
May 22, 2017
NOTHING O’CLOCK
Borderlands Press, in collaboration with Gauntlet Press, offer you the collectible book of the year! Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Brian Keene, and Doctor Who!
NOTHING O’CLOCK by Neil Gaiman : A Doctor Who Novella
When the BBC enlisted a variety of bestselling British authors to a collection celebrating “the twelve doctors” of their Doctor Who series, they included Neil Gaiman in the mix. Gaiman contributed a novella entitled “Nothing O’Clock” which depicts Doctor Who with the task of saving all of time and space from slipping off into abject nothingness. Fans of both the Doctor Who series and the whimsical genius of Neil Gaiman will be charmed by his unique contribution to the canon.
Joe Hill has written an Afterword for the Deluxe and Lettered Editions.
Brian Keene has written an Appreciation to the Lettered Edition
There will be three states of the book:
A Limited Numbered Edition signed by Neil Gaiman — $50
A Deluxe Limited Edition signed by Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill — $200
A Lettered Edition signed by Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, & Brian Keene — $350
May 16, 2017
KING OF THE BASTARDS Audiobook On Sale
Continuing the release of my entire backlist onto audiobook, KING OF THE BASTARDS by myself and Steven L. Shrewsbury is now available via Audible and iTunes.
Part sword and sorcery, part extreme horror, KING OF THE BASTARDS is a wild adventure across seas, beaches, and mountains full of horrifying monstrosities, dark magic, and demonic entities.
Rogan has been many things in his life as an adventurer – a barbarian, a thief, a buccaneer, a rogue, a lover, a reaver, and most recently, a king. Now, this prehistoric bane of wizards and tyrants finds himself without a kingdom, lost in a terrifying new world, and fighting for his life against pirates, zombies, and the demonic entity known as Meeble. And even if he defeats his foes, Rogan must still find a way to return home, regain his throne, save his loved ones, and remind everyone why he’s the king of the bastards.
