Jim's Favorite Writers
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Brian Keene
The Official Brian Keene Homepage
Brain Keene is an interesting man. I mean that. On the one hand, he can be amazingly gracious with his time, and has gone out of his way to accommodate the requests for assistance from any number of fledgling writers. On the other hand, once you’ve managed to tick him off, he can be as relentless as a rabid Doberman pincer when you’re trying to take away its favorite chew toy. He has, in only a few years, managed to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the genre, and has gone so far as build a cult of personality that can either adore him or loathe his very existence. The mind boggles.
All of this, mind you, in less than a decade.
Brian Keene is a writer to pay attention to: He stays busy and he has talent to spare. In addition to writing some damned fine horror novels - The Rising, City Of The Dead, Terminal and Earthworm Gods. along with more short stories than you can shake a stick at, he also spends a great deal of time handling three separate websites all dedicated to either making sure people know what he’s doing, stating his opinions on damned near anything or just giving out some very solid advice on the fine art of writing. .
So what can I say about Brian?
Well, for starters, he’s talented. I wouldn’t be recommending that you read his stuff if he wasn’t. I’ve read several of his works, like all of the ones mentioned above, and enjoyed them thoroughly. I’ve also read several of his short stories, and enjoyed them as well. I think he has a fresh voice, a solid ability to tell a story and enough talent that he should be getting twice the critical acclaim he’s already receiving. I think he’s also going to surprise a lot of people who haven’t given him the time of day yet. Terminal alone should be required reading, as far as I’m concerned, for every writer out there in the genre.
I can also say that he’s a MUST SEE when he does a public reading. Seriously, it’s embarrassing how much better he is at that stuff than I am.
I can also say that he’s a damned fine person to know. I’ve enjoyed every conversation we’ve ever had, be it a debate or an argument or just reminiscing about the good old days when it comes to reading comic books. There aren’t a lot of people I immediately decide I like and there are less I immediately decide I trust. Brian is both.
He’s opinionated, controversial, often egotistical and sometimes belligerent, but he’s also one of the sharpest minds I have ever run across and a very talented writer who is only getting better with every book I’ve seen. And in his quieter moments, he's also remarkably humble, but don't tell him I let that little secret out of the bag. He also never, ever forgets anything that has been said to him. He's pulled things out of his hat that I had forgotten about completely, and been accurate with every word spoken. Most of the time when you think he's not listening, he is. Believe it.
He’s a man who dotes on his wife, writes and handles business for a minimum of twelve hours a day,
and does what he can (which is a lot) to make sure that everyone around him at a convention is having a good time. He has a very nearly physical presence about him, and it’s always amusing to watch him interact with his fans and with fellow writers.
Brian has made a point of being noticed, something he's told me a few times that he regrets. We all have regrets in this business, believe me, but he is more honest about them than most. When he started off, he was loud and often crass and always doing everything he could to get noticed, because, after all, we as writers NEED to get noticed if we want to sell books. He has also made clear on several occasions that if he could go back in time and stop himself from doing several things to get him to where he is now, he would gleefully take the trip and slap some sense into himself.
Because getting noticed is not the same thing as getting read. Brian has made a few enemies along the way, and some of them keep coming back like a bad Mexican dinner.
Love him or hate him, however, I truly hope that Brian is around for a long, long time, because his stories always delight me. Check out his sites, check out his writings and if you have a chance introduce yourself to him at a convention. He’s one of the good guys and a damned fine storyteller to boot.
Oh and for all of the potential writers, make good and damned sure you check out WorldDomination101. The man speaks with great wisdom, believe me.
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