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[briankeene]

Dead Space

DEAD SPACE is a new feature-length movie written and directed by Mike Lombardo, and produced by Brian Keene, Samantha Kolesnik, and Nathan Ludwig. We are currently crowdfunding so that we can pay our cast and crew professional rates.

Learn more about the film and watch the video introduction from Brian and Mike here. Rewards include signed Blu-Ray copies, a limited edition chapbook exclusive to this fundraiser, and much more.

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Island of the Dead - Paperback Preorders

The paperback of ISLAND OF THE DEAD is up for preorder on Amazon. The book will be out on July 16th.

World Horror Grand Master Brian Keene returns to zombies in this relentless sword and sorcery horror epic!

Einar, an enslaved barbarian, plots his escape from a war galley transporting troops and a mysterious weapon to far enemy shores. But when an apocalyptic storm at sea leaves Einar and his fellow captives shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a ravenous, steadily growing horde of the undead... and even worse dangers.

Not even death is an escape from the... ISLAND OF THE DEAD.

[briankeene]

Backwoods Survival Guide Issue 27

Issue 27 of Backwoods Survival Guide is in stores now. I’m very pleased that my article on Do It Yourself Meteorology is the lead story this time around. This is a print-only newstand magazine. You can find it just about anywhere magazines are sold, including:

Walmart

Sam's Club

Costco

Publix

Walgreens

Rite Aid

CVS

Tractor Supply

Fleet Farm

Barnes & Noble

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Appearance on Horror Makes Us Happy

Brian was a guest on Horror Makes Us Happy and talked about what got him interested in the genre, and what keeps him interested years later. Listen here.

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Brian Keene Knows How To Throw A Party

Rebecca Rowland has a very nice right up of The House Of Last Resort Weekend here.

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Appearance on Dead Headspace

Brian was a guest on episode 230 of Dead Headspace, along with Paul Tremblay, Gabino Iglesias, Mariana Enríquez, and Cynthia Pelayo. Listne for free wherever you get your podcasts or watch here.

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Splintered: The Labyrinth, Book 3 - On Sale Now

Just in time for the holidays, SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH, Book 3 is now available in paperback and for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple. (Audiobook forthcoming).

You can also order autographed paperbacks directly from Manhattan On Mars. Please note: While paperbacks ordered from Amazon will ship immediately, there will be a delay for copies ordered from Manhattan On Mars. We expect them to arrive in out warehouse on December 11th.

And don’t forget — you can get Books 1 and 2 in the series for just 99 cents for a limited time!

All is lost in the aftermath of The Seven's confrontation with Behemoth, Leviathan, and Nodens. Frankie, Bloom, and Lucifer are missing and feared dead. Tony is in ancient Rome. The Exit is imprisoned outside of space and time. Teddy, LeHorn, and Sarah are on a quick mission to Teddy's hometown, where both old friends and enemies await. The remaining Thirteen are on the offensive. Heaven and Hell are mustering for war. The Labyrinth is damaged. The splintering of reality has begun. And the universe's last remaining hope may be... Ob, Lord of the Siqqusim? Brian Keene's SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH Book 3 The End continues, and this is the last dance...

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Splatterpunk’s Basement of Horror

SPLATTERPUNK’S BASEMENT OF HORROR is a new charity anthology benefitting Herriot Hospice Homecare (who assist terminal cancer patients). The book features very rare reprints by both J. F. Gonzalez and myself, and brand-new stories by some of today’s best and brightest stars. Available in paperback and for Kindle.

[briankeene]

99 Cent Sale

You all have been so gracious, kind, and supportive with the GoFundMe, and I am grateful to all of you. So, I’ve put all twenty of my books published via Manhattan On Mars on sale for 99 cents on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo. (The only place they’re not on sale for this price is iBooks, because Apple’s interface was designed by a pack of howler monkeys on Xanax and it is an exercise in frustration and futility to change the prices via their system). I wish I could do this with the rest of my books, as well, but these are the only ones I control the price to at the moment. Regardless, i’m sure there’s some stuff here you haven’t yet read..

The sale will last a full month — November 26th to December 26th. (Please let me know if you see one that is not 99 cents).

Here is a complete list with direct links:

FICTION

The Seven: The Labyrinth, Book 1: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Submerged: The Labyrinth, Book 2: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Alone: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Scratch: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Terminal: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

School’s Out: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Blood On the Page: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

All Dark, All The Time: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Love Letters From A Nihilist: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Things Left Behind: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

META-FICTION

The Girl On The Glider: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Sundancing: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

NONFICTION

The Triangle of Belief: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Unsafe Spaces: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Trigger Warnings: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Other Words: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Sympathy For the Devil: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Running With the Devil: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

The New Fear: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Leader of the Banned: Kindle - Nook - Kobo

Enjoy, and happy holidays!

[briankeene]

Monsters of Saipan Update

As my readers and Weston Ochse’s readers know, MONSTERS OF SAIPAN was a collaborative novel the two of us were writing together. We serialized it jointly on our Patreon pages, with the intention of publishing it once the serial was finished.

With Weston’s passing yesterday, I want to give his fans an update on the status of the novel.

The plot of MONSTERS OF SAIPAN was all Weston’s, and the main characters were based on guys he had served with in various capacities over the years, both in the military and as a private defense contractor. This was a story that he wanted to tell, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Last year, when his health was such that he couldn’t work on the book, we put it on hold (but did not tell the public why). Because the characters were so near and dear to him, I didn’t want to forge ahead, and figured I’d wait until he got better.

This year, when it slowly became clear that the fight he was engaged in was even more serious than we’d thought, we talked about MONSTERS OF SAIPAN some more. He gave me clear instructions on the remainder of the plot, etc. and I gave him my word that I’d finish the book, should the worst happen. But I also insisted that we wait and see. Weston, like Keith Richards, just seemed like an impossible fore of nature, and even in these last few weeks, I secretly expected that he might actually beat this thing.

With his passing, I will keep my word and finish the novel. I do not, however, have access to his Patreon page. And I don’t think it’s right to ask his fans to pay for access to my Patreon just so they can read the serial’s continuation. So, what I’ve decided is that I will finish the novel off Patreon, and then — with Von’s oversight and permission — we’ll sell it to a publisher, so that all of his readers have access to it.

I will need time to read back over his notes, and email and text message exchanges with me regarding the book. Once I’m in the right headspace, I’ll go back to work on it. The book was roughly halfway complete, so I am confident it will be completed by summer of 2024. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

— Brian Keene

[briankeene]

New Brick and Mortar Bookstore

At the respective ages of fifty-six and forty (mumbles incoherently), Mary and I are planning for our golden years. We have seen too many of our peers struggling to write in their later years, and dependent upon those advances and royalties from book sales. It's a sobering and frightening prospect, and we'd like a different future, with a second revenue stream so that we can continue to write in our old age. We also want to do something to give back to our peers and our community, both on a national and local level. Inspired by Dark Delicacies, Butcher Cabin Books, The Poisoned Pen, Bucket O' Blood, Mysterious Galaxy, and other indie bookshops, we are opening an independent bookstore specializing in Horror, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Bizarro, and other speculative fiction genres.

Vortex Books & Comics will open Spring of 2024 in the historic district of beautiful Columbia, Pennsylvania -- easily and quickly accessible from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, New York City, Washington D.C. and more. We'll carry a full complement of books from the Big Five, as well as hundreds of books from many cool indie publishers and small presses, and titles in Espanol and other languages. We'll host weekly signings, readings, workshops, and other events. We know this business, and are intimately familiar with its ups and downs, ebbs and flows. Our goal is to make the store a destination. As our record for the last 30 years shows, we believe that Horror fiction is for everyone, and Vortex will echo that. All are welcome, and all will have a place on our shelves.

We have already invested a significant sum of our savings into this endeavor. It was suggested to us by several knowledgable mentors that we should give the community an opportunity to chip in and help. If you would like to show your solidarity and support with a donation via GoFundMe, it will be put toward further set-up costs such as fixtures, security, inventory, marketing and advertising, signage, etc. thus giving us a bit of breathing room and time to make the store profitable. However, you are under no obligation to donate. We appreciate your support regardless of whether you wish to donate or not. Thanks for reading us these last thirty years, and allowing us both a place at the table. We are very excited for this next chapter of our story, and giving back to our peers and fans in an all-new way.

— Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni (Keene)

[briankeene]

“This One Is Full Of Lunatics”

The Hard Word has a new interview with Brian Keene and Christopher Golden, talking about THE DRIVE-IN: MULTIPLEX. You can read the interview here. The book is available in paperback here.

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Exploring The Labyrinth : Clickers III

Kit Power continues his book-by-book journey through Brian Keene’s Labyrinth: "Because pulp does not – has never meant – dumb,  shallow, or one dimensional, despite the endless sneering of some critics" Read more here.

[briankeene]

The End of the World as We Know It: Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand

I am pleased to finally be able to announce THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: TALES OF STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND, edited by myself and Christopher Golden -- an original short story anthology based on the highly influential and seminal work of apocalyptic fiction and good versus evil; featuring an introduction from Stephen King himself and new fiction from a world ravaged by the virus "Captain Trips" and the minds of Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Joe R. Lansdale, Maurice Broaddus and Wayne Brady, Bryan Smith, Somer Canon, Hailey Piper, Jonathan Janz, V. Castro, Bev Vincent, David J. Schow, Gabino Iglesias, Meg Gardiner, Usman T. Malik, Cynthia Pelayo, Catriona Ward and many, many, many others. (Chris and I had the idea to make the anthology as big as the novel — I’m not going to list everyone because I want you guys to have more surprises between now and the release).

Thanks to Stephen King for entrusting Chris and I with this task. Honestly, we didn’t think you’d say “Do it!” nor did we think you’d say it so enthusiastically. You rock.

Now, since this announcement there have been many questions. With the understanding that for most of this past year, Chris and I have been working behind the scenes to make this happen, there is still a lot that we can’t say. But I will try to answer some of the more common questions here — from one Constant Reader to the other Constant Readers — and at more length than I have on social media.

Q: Who is the publisher? A: Gallery Books - a division of Simon & Schuster

Q: When will the book be available? A: Too early to give a firm date. My best guess is that it will be up for preorder around this time next year, with an early 2025 release date? But that is only my guess and should not be taken as gospel. Could be earlier. Could be later.

Q: If it won’t be out until then, why announce it now, you jerks? A: Because it’s been a crap year for many, and we thought perhaps horror fans and Stephen King fans could use a little bit of good news to brighten their days. Our apologies for trying to make things better.

Q: Will there be foreign language editions? A: Almost certainly.

Q: Will there be a signed, limited edition? A: It is too early to say. Keep in mind, we have not released the full list of contributors, but this is going to be a BIG book. Signature sheets would be a massive undertaking, as would production and printing costs. There are several small presses who could handle that. But that’s not something that is currently in the works. It has taken us most of the year just to get the line-up and the initial contracts sorted out.

Q: Are you open to submissions? A: We are not. And sadly, for those of you who sent us stuff yesterday when you saw this announcement, those were all deleted unread, for legal reasons. Our sincere apologies.

Q: Will you and Chris have stories in the book? A: No. Like we did with THE DRIVE-IN: MULTIPLEX, Chris and I don’t want to take up slots and space that could go to one of our peers. As we did on that anthology, we will simply serve as editors, and will guide and shape the overall project. Sure, we’d kill to write a story set in the world of THE STAND, but that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

Q: Wayne Brady the comedian? A: Yes, Wayne Brady the comedian.

I think that takes care of most of the common questions. And now you all know why I’ve been singing “Among the Living” by Anthrax for most of 2023…

[briankeene]

Levi Stoltzfus Returns

LEVI STOLTZFUS IS BACK!

Deathrealm: Spirits -- on sale today in paperback and for Kindle, features a brand new Levi Stoltzfus story called "Bloody Roots", which Kirkus calls "a fun, inventive twist on classic haunted-house stories".

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The Map of Lost Places

The Map of Lost Places is a forthcoming anthology edited by Sheree Renee Thomas and Lesley Conner and published by Apex. I’ll be contributing a brand-new story set in LeHorn’s Hollow, which will examine the deeper roots and history of that accursed place. You can back it on Kickstarter here.

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SURVIVOR: The Definitive Edition

Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation. This definitive edition includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the author, an essay by Gonzalez on the creation of the novel, a second nearly 10,000-word essay by Gonzalez on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, and an Introduction by Brian Keene.

It was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway for Lisa and Brad. Instead, it becomes a nightmare when Lisa is kidnapped. But her abductors aren't asking for ransom. They want Lisa to star in a snuff film. What they have in mind for her is horrifying. But even more horrifying is what Lisa will do to survive... and protect her unborn child.

SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez... What Would You Do To Survive?

Available now in the following formats: Paperback - Kindle - Nook - Kobo - Apple

"This novel's moral compass holds steady even during the worst moments... It is easy to feel repulsed by this novel. yet it's hard to resist; it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back, forcing the kind of visceral relationship between writer and reader that the best horror fiction can produce." -- The New York Times "...filled with the most disgusting and vile things you can imagine two humans doing to one another." -- Dread Central "A work of nihilistic brilliance..." -- Hellnotes