The Rising Ii: City Of The Dead

[Brian_Keene]

Hey Gang,

Thought you all might like a sneak peek at the cover artwork for the hardcover version of CITY OF THE DEAD. The book will be available for pre-order this coming Tuesday, and will be released in January. ATZ will have an exclusive excerpt just as soon as I get one to Kev.

Meanwhile, here's the cover:

http://www.hailsaten.blogspot.com/

[Ravenheart]

Damn thats a cool cover :D

[Pain]

Looks pretty damn good to me! :clap:

[R.E. Freak]

I can't look at it, the drool is shorting out my computer.

Insane cover, can't wait for it to come out.

[Brian_Keene]

Well, the hardcover is now officially up for pre-order.

Here's the link: http://www.deliriumbooks.com/city.htm

I'll get Kev an exclusive ATZ excerpt soon.

[Monkey Mech X]

The cover is alright, but I wouldn't of used the art. Though I don't imagine being able to tastefully make the same picture any other way.

[Brian_Keene]

Well, maybe you'll dig the cover to the paperback instead. :)

[Monkey Mech X]

It's different then?

[DrDead]

Brian, how long did it take you to write both books? Is this something you do fulltime now, or just as a hobby?

Drdead

[UndeadAnthology]

Keene is a full time writer. He talks about his outrageous daily schedule in his hot seat interview in the Horrorfind forums:
http://www.horrorfind.com/board-bin/YaBB.pl?board=horror_fiction;action=display;num=10 95986965

Jacob
http://www.undeadanthology.com

[zombiekilling101]

damn thats great. cant wait to have it in my grasp.

[Dr Evil]

Monkey Mech X, apparently the paperback cover is different than the hardcover. BTW, The Rising's hardcover version was different than the paperback one, so this just keeps it consistent.

[awfulman]

Looks great Brian! I'm going to have to get myself a copy for sure! Can you tell me where I can get a copy of The Risen? HC? signed?

Who would you say has inspired you into writing in the first place, and who have people said they can see 'influenced your work'?

[Dr Evil]

The Rising, not The Risen. Don't wanna get confused. The Risen is a totally different novel by someone else.

[kmfdm56]

is there going to be just a normal ed. of the book to pre order or do u have to wait.

[Brian_Keene]

DR DEAD: I write for a living--so it becomes just like any other job (except my commute is better). THE RISING took me about three years, from first draft to final draft. CITY OF THE DEAD took a year.

MONKEY: Yeah, the paperback will have a different cover--though I'm sure it will incorporate the city skyline somehow.

AWFULMAN: You can occasionally find hardcovers of THE RISING on eBay, but they go for between $80 and $120, so be prepared to spend some money. As for influences, they are many and varied. Everything from the Marvel and DC comics of the 70's, to Richard Laymon, Skipp & Spector, John Carpenter and Romero movies, and oh yes...some guy named Stephen King.

KMFDM: Yep, the paperback comes out in July. I imagine you'll be able to pre-order it from bookstores by next May.

[DrDead]

Hey Brian:

Any chance Dr. Dead could make a camio in your next book? I'll camio you in mine if you camio me in yours..

Just add the following lines....

She made a terrible face as she set her cup back down on the table. "Damn this coffee really sucks."


..and I'll know you're talking to me.

K?

Drdead

[Brian_Keene]

But where would they get coffee in post-apocalyptic New York? ;)

But we'll see...

If I do, then I want my cameo to read:

He dropped the rabid weasel into the toilet bowl and then snorted the rest of the salami straight up his nose, while the man with the saxophone played an awful rendition of Iron Maiden's '22 Acacia Avenue'.

[Prah]

22 Acacia Avenue on saxophone? Oy... :doh:

I've got my copy of The Rising sat on my bookcase waiting to be read. Damn university reading has taken control :x But I'll get round to reading it in time for the second one, which I've no doubt will not be available here in the UK until some time after the initial release. But I can wait :)

[DrDead]

Heh, no coffee in New York? Now that IS bizarre.

Oh sure, the old 'salami snorting sax player'. I had one in there going already come to mention it. Well, it turns out, maybe not, but I do have a running dialogue between a psychotic and the voices he hears in his head. I guess I could integrate it as a visual hallucination, but that might be a stretch..pardon the pun.

Drdead

P.S. BTW - Where did the name Ob come from? You're not an OBGYN are you? :lol:

[Brian_Keene]

Nope, Ob was actually a real life Sumerian demon. You'll find him (and the Siqquism) mentioned in several ancient texts, including the Old Testament.

As far as I know, he never worked as an OBGYN--though that does have possibilities...

[zombiekilling101]

Nope, Ob was actually a real life Sumerian demon. You'll find him (and the Siqquism) mentioned in several ancient texts, including the Old Testament.

As far as I know, he never worked as an OBGYN--though that does have possibilities...

did you study some of the demon stuff or just write down what you already knew and expanded on it?

[Monkey Mech X]

Marduk, Ishtar and Tiamat, all that hoohah.

No mention of Ob, though, just as a race of people living in Siberia.

www.hunmagyar.org/khaman/khaman.html (http://www.hunmagyar.org/khaman/khaman.html)

Ob Ugrian (Vogul, Ostjak) Meang = forest and clan god;

Did Ob go by any other names or avatars?

[DrDead]

Three years? How long did it take you to finish the first draft?

DrDead

BTW, I tried to search for "Ob" in the old testament and struck out. Went back through yahoo and struck out. Face it, he's a gynacologist.. :lol:

[Brian_Keene]

Ob--also known as Obot (Num. 21: 10-11; 33: 43-44)

Obot is translated (according to my sources) as "spirits of the dead" and Ob as "spirit of the dead".

Ob is attested to 17 times in the Old Testament (one reference, in Job, is dubious however). Though all scholars agree that the term relates to necromancy and the conjuration of spirits of the dead, its precise etymology is disputed. Some believe him a demon, others something else.

Actually, you guys have inspired me to do a Blog entry about this at length. I'm guessing others might be interested as well. So thanks for that! :)

Soon as I get a chance this weekend, I'll put it up, along with references, etc.

[DrDead]

*mutters something to Brian about coffee sucking...*

Drdead

[Brian_Keene]

Sorry I didn't get the Blog up, guys. It's sitting here on the laptop, half-finished.

[Brian_Keene]

Well, the hardcover is sold out. There's ONE place that still has about a dozen copies and then that will be it until the paperback. If you want one of those last twelve, go here: http://www.clarkesworldbooks.com/book_1929653662.html

[zombiekilling101]

Whoohoo i ordered me a copy. so when will i be getting it?

[Quinn]

Hello Mr.Keane
I was wondering what your viewpoint is one writer David Ambrose. Diffrent type of horror/fiction writer but still I think alot of it is pretty inovative work. My favorite has to be either The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk, or A memmory of Demons. Oh and finally I thought I would ask your advise on writing. Not fiction per se but rather just the motivation to write itself. See, Im a grad student and I have got three term papers each weighing in at about 30 pgs. Yet I find myself totally unmotivated to write them, So my question is how do you motivate yourself to make deadlines and to write? What your process or methods by which you write each day?
Thanks for your time, and have a good day
Quinn

[zombiekilling101]

Quinn, could you go over to the horror fan reviews and do a quick or in depth or whatever on a memory of demons. i went over to amazon but they didnt have what they said. or just do a quick little explanation here. I dont care.

[Quinn]

No worries, I will give you the quick offical synop, anything more in an Ambrose book and you give away everything.
And I quote "Tom Freeman thinks his demons are behind him. He has been sober for ten years, after a period of alcohol and drug abuse that almost killed him. His career is back on track, and he is happily married to Clare. They have a baby daughter, Julia. But when she begins to speak, why does Julia insist that her name is Melanie? And that Tom and Clare are not her real parents? Child psychiatrist Dr Brendan is baffled by her case, but accepts that children are sometimes born with memories of a previous life that cannot be explained away. Tom makes his own inquiries, leading to the chilling discovery that his daughter is possessed by the spirit of a girl who went missing ten years ago, at the exact spot where Tom suffered his last alcohol and drugfuelled blackout... ". The book is wonderfully written. I liked Superstition, but i kinda thought the ending while being very philosophically cool was just kinda forced and trying to tie in the begining too much. However, Demons is really great and is the ghost story that got me to get back into reading that type of horror. I highly recomend it.
If you want to read a extract from the book follow this link http://www.davidambrose.com/ for his offical site with the rest of his work.Hope this helped
Have a good day
Quinn

[Brian_Keene]

ZOMBIE: Thanks for ordering one. They ship in January.

QUINN: Heh. Guess what--there's a character named Quinn in the sequel. :)

I'm ashamed to admit, I haven't read Ambrose. He's one of those authors who I always intend to read but never quite get around to it. What do you recommend?

As for deadlines and beating writer's block--heh, if I don't finish the book, I don't get paid. There's my initiative. But in all seriousness, you have to approach it just like any other job. Let's say you're working at a factory. There are days when you don't want to go to work, but you do it because you have to. Same thing with writing. I force myself to do it, when I'd much rather be reading or watching a movie or playing Civilization III.

But here's the magic--once I start, I am happy, and wonder why in the world I didn't want to do it in the first place...

[Quinn]

Thank you for the advice Mr.Keane I appreciate it a great deal. I think thats what I will have to start getting into my mindset. Right now I am just kind of treating it like "oh well, if I cant get it done then at least I have my degrees in History and International Political Science." Which if we were living in the 19th century I would be set. But since the 20-21st century has tended to stress practicallity over the arts and philosophy in the job market I am kinda screwed without a master degree.But Jeez its just so boring, a person can only right about Islamic Political Economy for so long before they decide to stop and play about 4 hours of Metal Gear Solid 3. But for you I guess that equation goes from 30 pgs to about 300+ so I should stop complaining and start empathizing. I know that writing is what makes you happy, but I am sure that after a while even something like writing drags on you.

As far as Ambrose is concerned I would suggest starting with the The Man who Turned into Himself because it kinda gets you into his form of writing, then go to Memory of Demons or Superstition which are great kinda gothic ghost stories, very Edgar Allan Poe meets HP Lovecraft when he was not writing about those things that dwell in the abyss kinda ho ha. Finish with The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk not a horror novel, but a very nice philosophical kinda book. Also I have to agree with a reviewer of one of his books, he is not good at starting books, there a little to ho hum and dont really grab you attention but keep with it and the rewards are plentiful.

Also I suggest Jeff Long, who wrote a couple of pretty good action/horrors= The Decent, Year Zero, and The Reckoning. The Reckoning by the way is not worth the price of admission for a hard back book, its like 250 pages, more of novella if anything so best bet is to get it in paperback. Also for more fantasy realmed books I think Fitzpatricks War by Theodore Judson. And for a great spooky gothic Jane Austin meets Kiss meets the phantom of the park check out Mr. Norrel and Jonthan Strange by Susanna Clarke. Its kinda a shame that Strange became percieved as a Harry Potter like book in popular culture, because its way better than that.
Finally, thats cool that there is a Quinn character, I read the first book and thought the mulitple viewpoints made for a powerfull and effecient way of encompassing the horror of a sitution like that and it was a great book to boot. I will have to wait for the paperback, read it and then hopefully if the Quinn character turns out to be a good guy and not like a zombie kid pedaphile I can tell my girlfriend that

Quinn:"(deeply boisterous voice) Yeah I know Briane Keene. Saved his life in the nam, you know he put me in his book." and then she can say
Nicole:"Really?" and then in turn my response will be
Quinn: "No.......I was just lying to impress you :scare: " and then to end the conversation she can say
Nicole: "Yeah I kinda figured"
She is also in Grad school for a creative writing masters and having a dozy of a time getting a story of the ground.

Once again thanks for the advice, good luck in your future books.I will try to pick up as much of them as I can on a grad students earnings gained from working at American Eagle because the latest one "Terminal" sounds great.And finally have a good day
Quinn
ps: The realization of having typed this massive response when I could have been typing the very paper I need to get accomplished just dawned on me like a fat guys heart exploding.

[Quinn]

Also if I had to suggest music to member of the zombie community I would go with
The Velvet Teen: Radiohead meets Creeper Lagoon
Billy Talent: Great rock band
Flashlight Brown: Great rock/punk
Ash: Great rock band from Ireland. If you can find it the "Punk Boy" single is a wonderfull tribute to bands like the clash.
Lawrence Arms: Great smart punk.
Have a good day
Quinn

[Head Trauma]

Thanks Brian, this looks great...I just picked up The Rising today infact, read the first few pages and i'm already hooked! Keep up the excellent work I am looking forward to picking this one up when it hits the stores!

[awfulman]

I ordered a new copy of The Rising from Amazon! I can't wait - I can't wait - I can't wait - I can't wait - I can't wait!

I've checked online for copies of the Rising II - City Of The Dead, but only found websites that already sold out Hard Cover Editions. Can we pre-order Soft Cover Editions?

Where's the beef?

[Brian_Keene]

Hey guys,

You probably won't see the paperbacks popping up until this coming May. Also, this place (www.camelotbooks.com) still has a few of the hardcover).

I promised you all an All Things Zombie exclusive. Well, Kev just sent me the link: http://www.allthingszombie.com/interviews/city_otd_exclusive.php

[zombiekilling101]

damn brian that teaser is ****ing cool. im glad i ordered one of the hardcover books.

[Quinn]

No kidding, that was a killer of an excerpt (har,har). It has that kinda writing where once you start it puts you into a frame of mind that was cared over from the first, a kind of sense of despair and edge of the seat entertainment. Plus its rare that a book gives a short scene with characters (the brothers) and you can immediatly kind of create a back story mentally that supplements the one in the book. The last book that did this extremly well was American Gods, which was a juggernaught of a book and got me back into reading fiction. Which look where it has lead me.

[Quinn]

carried over, sorry I have to correct my spelling errors, I would correct the grammar but I fear that it far too gone to salvage.

[nirvroxx]

damn brian that teaser is ****ing cool. im glad i ordered one of the hardcover books.

i whole-heartedly agree! Im already hooked and cant wait to get my copy...good job keeny!

[Brian_Keene]

Thanks gang!

[zombiekilling101]

hey brian i remember you telling me that they were shipping in january. When should i expect mine?

[SGT. DEATH]

Im in the middle of reading The Rising and Im well impressed.I love this book and find it hard to set down.I also look foreward to reading others you have written including City of the dead.Thank you Brian and also Spiral who gave me the book. :clap: :clap:

[Divided Soul]

Man you won't be let down the book is awesome....

[SGT. DEATH]

Man you won't be let down the book is awesome....
This is true I had to fight with my self on weather to watch land or read this book so I watched land then stayed up til 5am reading this book and will finish it soon.

[HOO-HAA]

Im in the middle of reading The Rising and Im well impressed.I love this book and find it hard to set down.I also look foreward to reading others you have written including City of the dead.Thank you Brian and also Spiral who gave me the book. :clap: :clap:

Glad you're enjoying it, Sarge! :) What makes it especially good is that Brian seems like a decent chap.. Plus he contributes to the forums here regularly.. :clap:

[SGT. DEATH]

Glad you're enjoying it, Sarge! :) What makes it especially good is that Brian seems like a decent chap.. Plus he contributes to the forums here regularly.. :clap:
Ordered the rising 2 from Ebay my stepson loved the rising as well and now I have passed it onto my mate Paul who going to read it now and I know he will be well impressed. :drinking:

[Ark]

I finally got my grimey paws on my own copy of The Rising!

[SGT. DEATH]

Lent my mate Paul the rising and he loved it,he cant wait for The Rising 2 now.Im in the same boat my self with this one. :drinking:

[Pain]

Lent my mate Paul the rising and he loved it,he cant wait for The Rising 2 now.Im in the same boat my self with this one. :drinking:

I got my copy of City of the Dead from Amazon Sgt.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0843954159/qid=1126455842/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-3272436-0028602

Also rediculously cheap on Ebay, from the States though unfortunately.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRIAN-KEENE-CITY-OF-THE-DEAD-PB-AS-NEW_W0QQitemZ8332251024QQcategoryZ377QQssPageNameZ WD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[SGT. DEATH]

I got my copy of City of the Dead from Amazon Sgt.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0843954159/qid=1126455842/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-3272436-0028602

Also rediculously cheap on Ebay, from the States though unfortunately.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRIAN-KEENE-CITY-OF-THE-DEAD-PB-AS-NEW_W0QQitemZ8332251024QQcategoryZ377QQssPageNameZ WD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have ordered it from Ebay and hope to have it this week.Really looking foreward to this although the summary given of the survivors holding up in a sky scraper run by a millionaire sounds familiar(if I spelt that right.).But Im still looking foreward to this and think these books would make great movies. :drinking:

[GlofuS]

Nice. Noice.

[SGT. DEATH]

Got my copy today and really enjoyed the first few pages and going to get stuck into this one later. :)

[Dead Remains]

i know this is kind of off topic but did anyone read "the terminal", keene's newest book? It's not a zombie book so I am not sure if I should get it. The rising and city of the dead have become my two most favorite books but I am not sure if I would interested in him writing about a non-zombie related subject.

[SGT. DEATH]

Im lovin this one,these books are so graphic I cant wait nto finish it.Havent seen Brian about ATZ recently. :drinking:

[Ark]

i know this is kind of off topic but did anyone read "the terminal", keene's newest book? It's not a zombie book so I am not sure if I should get it. The rising and city of the dead have become my two most favorite books but I am not sure if I would interested in him writing about a non-zombie related subject.

It's "Terminal" not "The Terminal". Not the Tom Hanks movie. I read and enjoyed it, but you have to keep an open mind.

[UndeadAnthology]

It's "Terminal" not "The Terminal". Not the Tom Hanks movie. I read and enjoyed it, but you have to keep an open mind.

I also read it and really liked it. But Ark_gamer is right, it is TOTALLY differnt from The Rising.

Jacob

[Brian_Keene]

Hey Guys,

Sorry for being away so long. Been finishing up two novels and working on the Afterword to the Undead Antho.

Thanks for the comments. And I'm especially pleased that you enjoyed Terminal. My biggest fear has been that zombie fans might not embrace my other books. Nice to know that's not happening.

Once again, I appreciate the support from everyone here at ATZ!

[SGT. DEATH]

Hey Guys,

Sorry for being away so long. Been finishing up two novels and working on the Afterword to the Undead Antho.

Thanks for the comments. And I'm especially pleased that you enjoyed Terminal. My biggest fear has been that zombie fans might not embrace my other books. Nice to know that's not happening.

Once again, I appreciate the support from everyone here at ATZ!
Any chance to making the Rising a trilogy or even just a movie? :drinking:

[Ark]

Trilogy? Not with COTD's ending. In my opinion, anyway.

[Pain]

Any chance to making the Rising a trilogy or even just a movie? :drinking:

The Rising is being released from Indie Gods Publishing in comic form some time in the near future I do believe Sgt.

[Brian_Keene]

Yep, The Rising is slated for a six-issue comic from Indie Gods. It is also in pre-production in Hollywood as a major feature film.

As for a trilogy, no. However, that being said, I think there are more stories set in this world. And I'd still love to take a stab at a traditional zombie novel, i.e., Romero-esque zombies.

It will be a while, however. My next two novels are horror, but not zombies. One of them is a post-apocalyptic Tremors meets Waterworld sort of thing, and the other is about a satyr. I'm contracted for two more (one about ghouls, and one about ghosts).

But after that...well, maybe. If the story is there, you could see more zombies. Just not another sequel.

[Lefty44709]

Mr. Keane,

First, it's classy of you to post on these boards, I know it serves as marketing as well, but it's still rare to see something like this...

Congratulation on your success, it must feel great! Keep up the great work.

I currently have the Rising on hold for me at my local library.. .waiting for the chance to read it... Can't Wait! :)

[Ark]

Heh heh heh, another future convert to Brian Keene's Zombie Army.

[zombiekilling101]

I am going out to find myself. If I should get here before I return, please hold me until I get back.

great stuff Brian.

Cant wait fo Labrinth (spelling?)

[Brian_Keene]

Thanks, gang!

And Zombiekilling--you might even see a familiar face or two inside The Labyrinth...

[zombiekilling101]

Thanks, gang!

And Zombiekilling--you might even see a familiar face or two inside The Labyrinth...

Yeah I heard over at your foruum. Too bad its gona be an 07 release. Has that changed? and are you ever gona get to do a signing in Burbank?

[SGT. DEATH]

Yep, The Rising is slated for a six-issue comic from Indie Gods. It is also in pre-production in Hollywood as a major feature film.

As for a trilogy, no. However, that being said, I think there are more stories set in this world. And I'd still love to take a stab at a traditional zombie novel, i.e., Romero-esque zombies.

It will be a while, however. My next two novels are horror, but not zombies. One of them is a post-apocalyptic Tremors meets Waterworld sort of thing, and the other is about a satyr. I'm contracted for two more (one about ghouls, and one about ghosts).

But after that...well, maybe. If the story is there, you could see more zombies. Just not another sequel.
Its going to be a movie,thats fantastic Im truley looking foreward to this and I hope they dont change thigs as they tend to do.Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Brian. :clap: