Brian Keene

Infobox Writer
name = Brian Keene


imagesize = 150px
caption = Brian Keene
pseudonym =
birthdate = 1967 (age 40)
birthplace = Pennsylvania
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Novelist, Public speaker
nationality = American
period = 2003- present
genre = Horror
movement =
notableworks = "The Rising", "The Conqueror Worms"
influences = Stephen King, Graham Masterton, Richard Laymon, H.P. Lovecraft
influenced =
website = http://www.briankeene.com/

Brian Keene is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winning horror author, first in 2001 for his non-fiction work "Jobs In Hell" and then again in 2003 for his debut novel, the post-apocalyptic zombie tale "The Rising". In 2004, he won the Shocker Award for his non-fiction work "Sympathy For the Devil". His other novels include "Dead Sea", "Ghoul", "City of the Dead", "Terminal", "The Conqueror Worms", "Fear Of Gravity", and more. Several of his books and stories have been optioned for film, video game and comic book adaptations.

Keene has often been credited (by the "New York Times", "Fangoria", the History Channel, and others) with ushering in the new era of zombie popularity in pop culture (along with filmmaker Danny Boyle).

Biography

(Much of this biographical information is taken from Keene's "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Running With The Devil", as well as various interviews).

Brian Keene was born in 1967. He grew up in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and many of his books take place in these locales. After graduating high school, he served as a radioman in the U.S. Navy onboard an LPD. After his obligated enlistment ended, Keene worked a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer. Among them were stints as a foundry worker, truck driver, data entry clerk, dockworker, telemarketer, customer service representative, repo man, bouncer, disc jockey, salesman, store manager, daycare instructor, custodian, and more. In interviews, he credits this diverse background as the key to the three-dimensional characters that populate his books.

Keene has won two Bram Stoker Awards. One in 2001 for non-fiction "Jobs In Hell" and one in 2003 for first novel "The Rising". He is also the recipient of the 2004 Shocker Award for non-fiction "Sympathy for the Devil" as well as many small and regional awards. He has been featured in the "New York Times", "The Village Voice", "Publishers Weekly", "Rue Morgue" magazine, "Fangoria" magazine, and participated in a documentary for the History Channel. David Letterman once based a skit on a party at Keene's home.

In addition to being a prolific writer, Keene is also a popular public speaker, and has been invited to speak at a number of libraries, high schools, bookstores, and conventions. He was also invited to speak at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in 2006 and 2007.

In 2004, "The Rising" was optioned for film and videogame adaptations. In 2005, "City of the Dead" was optioned for the same. In 2006, "Terminal" was optioned for film. Also in 2006, three stories from Keene's "Fear of Gravity" were adapted in the graphic novel "Brian Keene's FEAR". The stories were "Castaways", "Red Wood", and the award-winning "The King, in: Yellow". In 2007, "Ghoul" was optioned for film. In 2008, the short story "The Ties That Bind" was optioned for film.

In 2004 and 2005, Keene spearheaded a successful Books For Troops program, in which various horror authors supplied free, signed books to American troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere around the world. Keene was honored for this in 2005 by the 509th Logistics Fuels Flight Squadron based at Whiteman A.F.B. in Missouri.

In 2008, Marvel Comics announced that Keene would be writing for them. His first project for the company is the four-issue Dead of Night: Devil Slayer. Keene currently lives in Pennsylvania.

Bibliography

Novels

*"The Rising" (April 2003): Delirium Books. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover, and a 300-copy limited hardcover.
*"Terminal" (2005): Bloodletting Books.
*"City of the Dead" (January 2005): Delirium Books. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover.
*"The Conqueror Worms"(September 2005):
** (first released in hardcover as "Earthworm Gods"): Delirium Books. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover.
*"Ghoul" (February 2007) Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback.
**(March 2007): Delirium Books. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover.
*"" (April 2007) Delirium Books. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 500-copy limited hardcover.
*"Dead Sea" (August 2007) Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback.
**(September 2007): Delirium Books. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover(October 2007) and a 250-copy limited hardcover.
*"Shades", co-written with Geoff Cooper (November 2007): (Out of Print) Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 326-copy limited hardcover.
* "Kill Whitey "(April 2008): Cemetery Dance Publications. Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 350-copy limited hardcover.
* "Dark Hollow" (February 2008): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback.
**(first released in hardcover as "The Rutting Season" Bloodletting Books
* "Ghost Walk" (August 2008): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback.
**(September 2008): Delirium Books. Published as a 300-copy limited hardcover.
* "Darkness On the Edge of Town" (October 2008): Infernal Press.
* "Castaways" (February 2009): Leisure Books. Published as a Mass Market Paperback.

Collections

*"No Rest For The Wicked" (2001) (Out of Print)
*"No Rest For The Wicked Redux" (2001) (Out of Print)
*"4x4", co-written with Geoff Cooper, Michael Oliveri, and Michael T. Huyck Jr. (2001) (Out of Print) Delirium Books
*"No Rest At All" (August 2003) (Out of Print) Delirium Books Published as a 15-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 150-copy limited hardcover.
*"Fear Of Gravity" (March 2004) Delirium Books Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover.
*"" (October 2004) (Out of Print) Delirium Books Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover.
*"" (January 2006) Delirium Books Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover.
*"" (March 2006) Delirium Books Published as a 32-copy leather-bound hardcover with two addition copies produced (one for the publisher and one for the author).
**Also published as a 500-copy limited hardcover (October 2007). A reprint trade paperback published in (July 2008).
* ""(July 2007) Delirium Books Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover.
* "The Little Silver Book of Streetwise Stories" (January 2008) Borderlands Press
* "" (July 2008) Delirium Books Published as a 32-copy leather-bound hardcover with two addition copies produced (one for the publisher and one for the author).
**Also the same month published as a 500-copy limited hardcover. A trade paperback was cancelled due to sales of the limited hardcover.

Novellas & Novelettes

*"Take The Long Way Home" (2006): (Out of Print)
*"The Resurrection and The Life" (2007): (Out of Print) Biting Dog Press.
*"Tequila's Sunrise" (2007): Bloodletting Books.

Comic Books & Graphic Novels

*"Brian Keene's Fear" (2007): (written by Nate Southard but based on stories from Fear of Gravity)
*"" (February 2007): (Out of Print) Delirium Books. Published as a 500-copy limited hardcover.
*"" (2008) Marvel Comics. Published in magazine format in 4 monthly issues.

Audio books

* 2002 "Talking Smack" CD (Medium Rare Books) (Out of Print)

Anthologies edited

* 2001 "Best Of Horrorfind" Trade Paperback (Horrorfind.com L.L.C.)(Out of Print)
* 2002 "Best Of Horrorfind II" Trade Paperback (Horrorfind.com L.L.C.)(Out of Print)
* 2006 "In Delirium" (Delirium Books)(January 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound and a hardcover 274-copy limited hardcover.
* 2009 "New Dark Voices II" Leather-Bound Hardcover (Delirium Books)

External links

* [http://www.briankeene.com/ Brian Keene's Official Website]

References

* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/fashion/sundaystyles/26ZOMBIES.html?scp=2&sq=brian+keene&st=nyt "NY Times" review of "The Rising"]
* [http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/horror/horrorreview/2004/therising.html"The Horror Review" Horror Bob's Review of "The Rising"]