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Trigger Warnings
This incendiary new non-fiction collection by World Horror Grandmaster Award winning author Brian Keene walks the line between profound and profane, poking and prodding everything from pop culture to politics. Whether it’s the downfall of America’s oldest mass-market publisher, the Second Amendment, advice on writing, marriage equality, crazed Internet trolls, writer’s organizations, the death of the Borders retail chain, misogyny in comic books, the history of the horror genre, or the apathy of a fading political system, Brian Keene shares his thoughts in that blunt, sardonic style readers have come to love. TRIGGER WARNINGS includes acclaimed essays, speeches, and articles such as “Roots”, “Seminal Screams”, “The Dorchester Wars”, “More Than Man’s Best Friend”, “Cold Warriors”, “How to Write 80,000 Words in a Weekend”, “Children Playing with Guns”, “On Rape and Repugnance”, and many more. Brian Keene’s TRIGGER WARNINGS. Don’t say you weren't warned.
- GenresNonfictionEssays
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2014
10 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Brian Keene
385 books2,968 followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 28, 2021
Trigger Warnings is a non-fiction collection of essays, speeches, and journal postings in which Keene discusses diverse topics such as second amendment rights and responsibilities, the demise of the Leisure publishing company and the Borders store chain, the online harassment of Janelle Asselin and the behavior of online fans and trolls in general, the financial conditions and expectations of freelance writing, the history of the horror genre (yes, William Hope Hodgson!), his reaction to receiving the Grand Master Award, and many, many other topics. He assumes the tone of charming arrogance that Harlan Ellison adopted so successfully and is almost always amusing as well as entertaining and informative. (He reports that one of his fellow writers has twice "stripped naked, lathered himself in a noxious mixture of bacon grease and the ashes of burned William W. Johnstone novels, and then run howling through the streets." Now we know why Johnstone's Ben Raines books are hard to find on the secondary market.) The pieces come from 2009 to 2014 and provide a good look back at the country in those pre-pandemic days, not just the horror genre; his thoughts on politics, for example, seem both prophetic and almost a little naive in light of the last couple of years. It would have been helpful to have provided the date on which the pieces were originally written and appeared, and the two speeches mirror each other almost exactly, but those are very minor quibbles. I enjoyed the book very much and found it enlightening as well as entertaining.
(A personal side note: one of the short pieces included is "What I Learned At Context 21," a convention at which Keene appeared as literary horror guest of honor. I was pleased to see that he reports having had a good time, especially his spending time with Kealon Patrick Burke, despite his cell phone having dived into a toilet. He politely refrained from discussing the worst convention committee banquet in the history of convention committee banquets at the restaurant that was perhaps a front for the Russian mafia, nor the motorcycle club riot that occurred in the parking lot. The chairperson responsible for the Context horror track has since retired to a sedentary life of occasionally posting comments on Goodreads.
(A personal side note: one of the short pieces included is "What I Learned At Context 21," a convention at which Keene appeared as literary horror guest of honor. I was pleased to see that he reports having had a good time, especially his spending time with Kealon Patrick Burke, despite his cell phone having dived into a toilet. He politely refrained from discussing the worst convention committee banquet in the history of convention committee banquets at the restaurant that was perhaps a front for the Russian mafia, nor the motorcycle club riot that occurred in the parking lot. The chairperson responsible for the Context horror track has since retired to a sedentary life of occasionally posting comments on Goodreads.
July 1, 2015
Brian Keene is almost fifty, he states in "Trigger Warnings".
He sais a lot of other things also. This book is a collection of articles, speeches, and reminiscences about his life his writing and things he likes and doesn't particularly like.
This book is a small glimpse into what makes Brian Keene Brian Keene.
Don't expect a new novel or even a set of short stories as this is not that book.
This is copy number 14 of 100 signed and numbered copies.
Signed by Brian Keene
and
David Ho.
He sais a lot of other things also. This book is a collection of articles, speeches, and reminiscences about his life his writing and things he likes and doesn't particularly like.
This book is a small glimpse into what makes Brian Keene Brian Keene.
Don't expect a new novel or even a set of short stories as this is not that book.
This is copy number 14 of 100 signed and numbered copies.
Signed by Brian Keene
and
David Ho.
January 3, 2015
Trigger Warnings is a no holds bared walk through of the last six years of Brian Keene's life. The novel collects the various speeches, blog entries, and even a few magazine articles from Shroud that Brian wrote. Finding this information elsewhere is very difficult, especially since those blog entries are now gone. Inside you will find tips to becoming a better writer, how writing for a living can impact your life and those around you, and the dangers of signing up with big publishing companies. Along the way Brian shares some really personal heart wrenching moments, such as the loss of two beloved family members, a painful divorce, and a awful depression. This collection is also balanced out out by some well documented good times, like winning the Grand Master Award at the World Horror Convention and the happiness and joy of being a father to a healthy and happy boy. Overall Brian Keene keeps it real and doesn't try to sugar coat the facts in order to "win you over". This is real life after all and the happy times can be few and far between.
Some of this book is indeed very dark, It sometimes hit me hard knowing that a author I care about went through some seriously gut wrenching times. Then I thought to myself and realized that I went through a lot of hard times these past six years myself. I won't pollute this review with my own personal experiences, but I think a lot of readers will relate to Brian in some way in this book. Whether it is the loss of a pet who was a cherished family member or suffering the pains of having to go bankrupt. I know I found myself holding back the tears more then once, because I know how lonely it can be when you are sad or when you lose someone you really care about. I will also say this about Brian Keene, he definitely keeps his shit together a lot better then most of the other famous online people I know. Even through the darkest of times, Brian keeps his cool and handles himself rationally. I admire this man a great deal, I hope and pray more good times come his way in 2015. I learned more about what it means to be a writer from Brian Keene, then I ever have from any of the other authors I use to follow.
There is also some wonderful sections in Trigger Warnings that encourage readers to value their genre's roots. I learned a lot about the authors who were the first to pave the way for the later writers to come. Thanks to Brian Keene I now have a list of authors I want to check out. I also found myself laughing more then once at Brian going after a ugly misogynistic, racist, homophobic, deranged howler monkey of a troll. (The troll in question is Nickolaus Pacione who is one of the most vile disgusting authors I have ever had known.)
In some ways Trigger Warnings is a companion books to The Girl on the Glider and Sundancing. Those two books run parallel to Trigger Warnings in the sense that those events are referenced in this collection. The underlining theme all three of these books share is that "being a writer isn't glamorous or financially rewarding. Ultimately to be successful you write because you couldn't live life not being a writer."
If you ever wanted to the chance to get to know Brian Keene more personally, this is probably the best way to do it. While Brian does indeed chat with his fans via social media, he is also a very private man who values his privacy. (For good reason too, as documented in the book.) Trigger Warnings offers him a chance to let the fans know he is always listening and he indeed values our support. If you want to know the man behind the writing, then I suggest giving Trigger Warnings a chance! I enjoyed it and I think the most dedicated Brian Keene fan will enjoy it too. I love this collection enough to give it five out of five stars and I hope it does the same for you.
I would say that this collection has enriched my soul as a novice writer. I came away from this with a new perspective on life. Thank you Brian Keene for sharing this with us!
Some of this book is indeed very dark, It sometimes hit me hard knowing that a author I care about went through some seriously gut wrenching times. Then I thought to myself and realized that I went through a lot of hard times these past six years myself. I won't pollute this review with my own personal experiences, but I think a lot of readers will relate to Brian in some way in this book. Whether it is the loss of a pet who was a cherished family member or suffering the pains of having to go bankrupt. I know I found myself holding back the tears more then once, because I know how lonely it can be when you are sad or when you lose someone you really care about. I will also say this about Brian Keene, he definitely keeps his shit together a lot better then most of the other famous online people I know. Even through the darkest of times, Brian keeps his cool and handles himself rationally. I admire this man a great deal, I hope and pray more good times come his way in 2015. I learned more about what it means to be a writer from Brian Keene, then I ever have from any of the other authors I use to follow.
There is also some wonderful sections in Trigger Warnings that encourage readers to value their genre's roots. I learned a lot about the authors who were the first to pave the way for the later writers to come. Thanks to Brian Keene I now have a list of authors I want to check out. I also found myself laughing more then once at Brian going after a ugly misogynistic, racist, homophobic, deranged howler monkey of a troll. (The troll in question is Nickolaus Pacione who is one of the most vile disgusting authors I have ever had known.)
In some ways Trigger Warnings is a companion books to The Girl on the Glider and Sundancing. Those two books run parallel to Trigger Warnings in the sense that those events are referenced in this collection. The underlining theme all three of these books share is that "being a writer isn't glamorous or financially rewarding. Ultimately to be successful you write because you couldn't live life not being a writer."
If you ever wanted to the chance to get to know Brian Keene more personally, this is probably the best way to do it. While Brian does indeed chat with his fans via social media, he is also a very private man who values his privacy. (For good reason too, as documented in the book.) Trigger Warnings offers him a chance to let the fans know he is always listening and he indeed values our support. If you want to know the man behind the writing, then I suggest giving Trigger Warnings a chance! I enjoyed it and I think the most dedicated Brian Keene fan will enjoy it too. I love this collection enough to give it five out of five stars and I hope it does the same for you.
I would say that this collection has enriched my soul as a novice writer. I came away from this with a new perspective on life. Thank you Brian Keene for sharing this with us!
December 31, 2014
The Horror of Truth
I love Brian Keene's non-fiction as much as I do his Horror. This book is no exception,don't let the four stars fool you. This in an intense look into a writer's life, the up and the downs. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is probably a little unfair. Usually when I finish a non-fiction from Keene I am happy with this one as I write this I am still in a funk because of all the stuff one of my favorite writer's has went though the past couple of years. Which is what the book is supposed to do right?
I love Brian Keene's non-fiction as much as I do his Horror. This book is no exception,don't let the four stars fool you. This in an intense look into a writer's life, the up and the downs. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is probably a little unfair. Usually when I finish a non-fiction from Keene I am happy with this one as I write this I am still in a funk because of all the stuff one of my favorite writer's has went though the past couple of years. Which is what the book is supposed to do right?
October 14, 2021
This book, along with “End of the road” (also by Keene) are not only my favorite non-fiction books, but also 2 of my favorite books I’ve ever read. If you are at all interested in horror, horror history, publishing, reading, writing, cigars or Brian Keene, I cannot recommend these 2 books enough.
July 4, 2020
Review to come!
March 15, 2023
Nice to have these collected into one volume.
January 12, 2015
I didn't think there was any reason to buy and read trigger warnings. Other than supporting an author i enjoy of course. I regularly check in with the blog and in the end, there is nothing here i didn't read upon initial publication, in real time, as emotion ran hot and/or cold.
I was wrong.
Instead of a thorough review, here are a few thoughts on trigger warnings i feel make for better encouragement to read this collection:
1) first off, the too short lived seminal screams column i missed out on the first time around is worth the price tag alone. There is more knowledge and appreciation for the horror genre in brian keene's pinky than in my whole body and i really hope there is more to come some day.
2) read individually in real time, these blog posts, articles and speeches are entertaining and informative, and a great look into the mind of an author who, although his life is filtered through the mind of a writer, is defined by far more than his work. Brian keene's been through some shit. You often hear that artists need to live a life worth commenting on and here we have an artist who more than most, embodies this rule of thumb. Read in one place, the effect is pretty close to reading a new form of memoir.
3) brian keene might be brian keene's most nuanced and interesting character (you know, after levi).
This collection is definitely recommended to old fans and new.
I was wrong.
Instead of a thorough review, here are a few thoughts on trigger warnings i feel make for better encouragement to read this collection:
1) first off, the too short lived seminal screams column i missed out on the first time around is worth the price tag alone. There is more knowledge and appreciation for the horror genre in brian keene's pinky than in my whole body and i really hope there is more to come some day.
2) read individually in real time, these blog posts, articles and speeches are entertaining and informative, and a great look into the mind of an author who, although his life is filtered through the mind of a writer, is defined by far more than his work. Brian keene's been through some shit. You often hear that artists need to live a life worth commenting on and here we have an artist who more than most, embodies this rule of thumb. Read in one place, the effect is pretty close to reading a new form of memoir.
3) brian keene might be brian keene's most nuanced and interesting character (you know, after levi).
This collection is definitely recommended to old fans and new.
August 13, 2015
I really feel that Brian Keene handles nonfiction far better than fiction and this book makes me believe that even more. Made up of nearly all the blog entries posted on briankeene.com in the last few years, this book brims with emotion good and bad as well as invaluable information on what it is like to be an author at the success level of Keene. I loved every bit of it even though the articles were obviously copied and pasted in chronological order and the repeated stuff is not edited out.
July 10, 2020
An interestng read. Quite enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews