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Midlisters
Meet Jason Tennant, a writer of violent horror novels whose career is mired firmly in a maddening swamp of frustration somewhere north of nowhere and south of success. He is a midlister, those thankless souls who labor in the shadows of sometimes better, sometimes luckier writers, and it's starting to take its toll.
Meet Kent Gray, wildly popular author of a string of so-called "sex-fi" novels. He's wealthy, handsome, and the object of Jason Tennant's professional jealousy.
Welcome to Baltimore, Maryland, and the Aurora Science Fiction & Horror Convention, where these two men, midlister and bestseller, will meet for the first time, and the midlister motto "Better Read Than Dead" will be put to the ultimate test.
Meet Kent Gray, wildly popular author of a string of so-called "sex-fi" novels. He's wealthy, handsome, and the object of Jason Tennant's professional jealousy.
Welcome to Baltimore, Maryland, and the Aurora Science Fiction & Horror Convention, where these two men, midlister and bestseller, will meet for the first time, and the midlister motto "Better Read Than Dead" will be put to the ultimate test.
88 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Kealan Patrick Burke
194 books2,343 followersHailed by Booklist as “one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror,” Kealan Patrick Burke was born and raised in Ireland and emigrated to the United States a few weeks before 9/11.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
In 2005, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for the original film's producer, Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Valarie Phillips at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
In 2005, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for the original film's producer, Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent release is Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin. The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland, is due for release in October as a signed limited edition from Earthling Publications.
Kealan is represented by Valarie Phillips at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 9, 2019
Wow, people, what am I missing here?
This story was like all the sand and tears a monkey can buy - it meant nothing.
It was not the writing, it was the story...I just don't get it - in a month, I will probably remember nothing about this story.
Great cover - hasn't got a thing to do with the story, but yeah...
This story was like all the sand and tears a monkey can buy - it meant nothing.
It was not the writing, it was the story...I just don't get it - in a month, I will probably remember nothing about this story.
Great cover - hasn't got a thing to do with the story, but yeah...
January 5, 2020
Midlisters is a very nicely written recursive novella about a horror writer who attends a horror convention and encounters real horror. There are other things going on, of course, but I wondered just how closely Burke decided to stick to the write-what-you-know dictum with this story. It's a moody and depressing piece, but an excellent character study with a somewhat unreliable narrator. There's also a nice introduction by the late Jack Ketchum.
July 23, 2013
This short story was absolutely brilliant! One of the best I have ever read!
Why do I like it so much? First, everyone, no matter how seemingly trivial, is connected. Two, there's talk of murder, the reader knows straight off that the lead will be somehow implicated, but the way it all plays out is not the way anyone (I think) might imagine - and the misdirection is crazy good.
But being an aspiring writer myself, I could also stand easily inside Mr. Tennant's shoes. Hell, I even got the box of books in my shitbox car. Does that make Mr. Burke my Kent Gray? I think so, and I hope if he reads this, he takes that as the compliment it's meant to be - and before the FBI kicks down my door, that's minus the desire to kill him.
And as Mr. Burke is literally finishing up a writer's conference in Bristol, RI a few minutes away from me with other greats like Jack Ketchum in attendance, I wonder if this is the same New England conference he is referring to in the story. (totally pissed I couldn't go - couldn't afford it and wanted to crash to get some picks for the horror fans here). My one gripe: he says it's a New England conference, but then goes to Baltimore, the most well known of which is in Maryland. I don't know how to take that in a story in which Burke's character states that he doesn't do research but rather makes the details up where he doesn't know them. It's either ironically sloppy or tongue-in-cheek awesome. (Doing research, I found a Baltimore in Vermont, which has a population of 259 people - yes, 259 people. That town's lucky to have a few outhouses never mind a convention).
Despite that little fun fact, this tale got me thinking straightaway, and I know it will stay with me for a long time to come. The jealousy of an author wannabe, the unreasonable animosity toward a successful proprietor of shlock, the struggle to kick down the door, the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, and even the fear of having someone use your fiction in a real-life setting - all of it hits close to home and is told in the way only a true master could.
Highly recommended. One of those few stories I will definitely read again.
Why do I like it so much? First, everyone, no matter how seemingly trivial, is connected. Two, there's talk of murder, the reader knows straight off that the lead will be somehow implicated, but the way it all plays out is not the way anyone (I think) might imagine - and the misdirection is crazy good.
But being an aspiring writer myself, I could also stand easily inside Mr. Tennant's shoes. Hell, I even got the box of books in my shitbox car. Does that make Mr. Burke my Kent Gray? I think so, and I hope if he reads this, he takes that as the compliment it's meant to be - and before the FBI kicks down my door, that's minus the desire to kill him.
And as Mr. Burke is literally finishing up a writer's conference in Bristol, RI a few minutes away from me with other greats like Jack Ketchum in attendance, I wonder if this is the same New England conference he is referring to in the story. (totally pissed I couldn't go - couldn't afford it and wanted to crash to get some picks for the horror fans here). My one gripe: he says it's a New England conference, but then goes to Baltimore, the most well known of which is in Maryland. I don't know how to take that in a story in which Burke's character states that he doesn't do research but rather makes the details up where he doesn't know them. It's either ironically sloppy or tongue-in-cheek awesome. (Doing research, I found a Baltimore in Vermont, which has a population of 259 people - yes, 259 people. That town's lucky to have a few outhouses never mind a convention).
Despite that little fun fact, this tale got me thinking straightaway, and I know it will stay with me for a long time to come. The jealousy of an author wannabe, the unreasonable animosity toward a successful proprietor of shlock, the struggle to kick down the door, the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, and even the fear of having someone use your fiction in a real-life setting - all of it hits close to home and is told in the way only a true master could.
Highly recommended. One of those few stories I will definitely read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2020
According to Goodreads' metadata, this is one of KPB's oldest works, currently sitting at 13 years past publication, so I was very curious to see how it would go. I feel like it's always intriguing to pick up early works from authors you love, especially when you're more accustomed to that author's recent titles, but I knew I loved Kealan's writing voice and imagination enough that there was no way this novella would disappoint — and I was right!
Midlisters is narrated by a horror author, which automatically can lead you as the reader to look for autobiographical moments in the story, but Jason presents as a fleshed-out character in such a brief span of pages that I quickly let that go and was able to just enjoy his angry, paranoid, insecure little personality all on its own. I definitely wasn't expecting the catalyst of this story at all, and I loved how it all went down, especially when Jason begins questioning his own narrative. I'm always amazed by how melancholy and twisted Kealan's stories are, and this was no exception!
Midlisters is narrated by a horror author, which automatically can lead you as the reader to look for autobiographical moments in the story, but Jason presents as a fleshed-out character in such a brief span of pages that I quickly let that go and was able to just enjoy his angry, paranoid, insecure little personality all on its own. I definitely wasn't expecting the catalyst of this story at all, and I loved how it all went down, especially when Jason begins questioning his own narrative. I'm always amazed by how melancholy and twisted Kealan's stories are, and this was no exception!
December 5, 2017
Another treat here from Mr Burke!
Whilst not being in the profession, Midlisters tells a strong tale of the anger, jealousy and frustration that comes with the writing game. The whole novella feels genuine and maybe many aspects come from KPB's actual life. The fact that he is one of the best horror writers around, and unfortunately not as well known as some of the garbage that you find on the bestseller lists these days is a crime, and i imagine that at times, that can get you feeling pretty darn low. Then again maybe this is me just looking into it too much. Either way Midlisters is well worth your time.
Whilst not being in the profession, Midlisters tells a strong tale of the anger, jealousy and frustration that comes with the writing game. The whole novella feels genuine and maybe many aspects come from KPB's actual life. The fact that he is one of the best horror writers around, and unfortunately not as well known as some of the garbage that you find on the bestseller lists these days is a crime, and i imagine that at times, that can get you feeling pretty darn low. Then again maybe this is me just looking into it too much. Either way Midlisters is well worth your time.
July 9, 2012
Midlisters by Kealan Patrick Burke, Biting Dog Publications, hardcover, 88 pgs, $35.00, 2007
There’s nothing so boring as shop talk unless it’s your shop your talking about and you happen to be talking to yourself. Writers writing about writers: sounds like a death sentence to me.
Period.
Only Kealan Patrick Burke’s new novella Midlisters certainly proves me wrong. The whole story seems so damn personal and yet so universal that it touched me in ways I did not think possible.
The story begins with horror novelist Jason Tennant trying to make some kind of a go out of a stubborn shanty bitch of a muse who only puts out in a half-assed fashion. Jason is a midlister, one of those dying breeds of writers who ride the borderland between bestseller and failure. It’s a grim gray road that Jason Tennant must walk. He isn’t particularly happy about this limbo of literary obscurity that he finds himself trapped within.
The problem is Jason Tennant is trapped midway between the deadly sins of pride and envy. He has too much pride in his work to accept that someone like Kent Gray, a best selling author of second rate sci-fi smut who nonetheless finds happy success while Tennant must toil away in authorial anonymity. When Tennant is invited to attend a horror and science fiction convention as a B-list backbencher he is surprised and displeased to discover that Kent Gray has been invited as the guest of honour. What happens when they meet and what happens behind the scenes and between the lines is startling, to say the least.
Burke fearlessly turns over every stone and boulder of a writer’s psyche and displays the grubs and nasty things that crawl beneath the creator’s heart. It is a sharp and entertaining story that will speak to writers and readers alike. You may find that the ending is frustratingly ambiguous but Midlisters is one of those stories that demands to be read twice and on the second time around I am certain you will be more than pleased with the story Burke tells.
Kealan Patrick Burke has been moving steadily through his own limbo of midlisted ventures but I am certain that we should expect big things from this quiet Irish writer. It’s a subtle work that will leave you thinking and I recommend it to anyone who loves to read and/or write. This is a limited edition so copies will disappear faster than you might think. Snap it up while you can before Midlisters is listed as out-of-print.
- Steve Vernon
(review originally appeared in the pages of Cemetery Dance magazine)
There’s nothing so boring as shop talk unless it’s your shop your talking about and you happen to be talking to yourself. Writers writing about writers: sounds like a death sentence to me.
Period.
Only Kealan Patrick Burke’s new novella Midlisters certainly proves me wrong. The whole story seems so damn personal and yet so universal that it touched me in ways I did not think possible.
The story begins with horror novelist Jason Tennant trying to make some kind of a go out of a stubborn shanty bitch of a muse who only puts out in a half-assed fashion. Jason is a midlister, one of those dying breeds of writers who ride the borderland between bestseller and failure. It’s a grim gray road that Jason Tennant must walk. He isn’t particularly happy about this limbo of literary obscurity that he finds himself trapped within.
The problem is Jason Tennant is trapped midway between the deadly sins of pride and envy. He has too much pride in his work to accept that someone like Kent Gray, a best selling author of second rate sci-fi smut who nonetheless finds happy success while Tennant must toil away in authorial anonymity. When Tennant is invited to attend a horror and science fiction convention as a B-list backbencher he is surprised and displeased to discover that Kent Gray has been invited as the guest of honour. What happens when they meet and what happens behind the scenes and between the lines is startling, to say the least.
Burke fearlessly turns over every stone and boulder of a writer’s psyche and displays the grubs and nasty things that crawl beneath the creator’s heart. It is a sharp and entertaining story that will speak to writers and readers alike. You may find that the ending is frustratingly ambiguous but Midlisters is one of those stories that demands to be read twice and on the second time around I am certain you will be more than pleased with the story Burke tells.
Kealan Patrick Burke has been moving steadily through his own limbo of midlisted ventures but I am certain that we should expect big things from this quiet Irish writer. It’s a subtle work that will leave you thinking and I recommend it to anyone who loves to read and/or write. This is a limited edition so copies will disappear faster than you might think. Snap it up while you can before Midlisters is listed as out-of-print.
- Steve Vernon
(review originally appeared in the pages of Cemetery Dance magazine)
November 6, 2017
What a brilliant little story! It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the life and troubles of a 'midlister' writer. While I have no connection whatsoever to this profession - other than being a great fan of their produce - it was interesting to read about the insecurity, self-doubt and envy most of us encounter at one point or another in their (business) life. My favorite scene was Jason Tennant's meeting with his self-proclaimed nemesis, and how his perception of the glorious Kent Gray did a complete turn-around from envy to pity.
The murder/thriller part towards the end felt like an added bonus to an otherwise already totally perfect story.
The murder/thriller part towards the end felt like an added bonus to an otherwise already totally perfect story.
August 28, 2010
Midlisters is an ambitious novella that examines the dangers of celebrity, the destructive nature of preconception, the tenuous connections between writers and their fans and writers and other writers, and the frightening concept that our own emotional well-being might just rely on others in one way or another after all. That Burke can accomplish this in a concise 88 pages is proof that his own time toiling as a midlister will be mercifully brief.
Read the rest of the review here.
Read the rest of the review here.
June 6, 2018
This is a very well written novella. I feel like that must be the first thing I say because it comes across very strongly right at the outset. Burke has a way with words that makes you want to keep reading. I recently found out about Burke and thought a novella would be a good way to experiment. I did enjoy this book at the beginning itself.
As the story progressed, it started to get even better. There were some instances where I had to go back and re-read some parts, which in this case was a good thing. It is quite an absorbing story.
I didn't like how it ended, but then again, horror isn't really my genre. I liked how he conveyed despair, in varying degrees and due to various reasons, throughout the book. Be it in Tennant's position as a midlister, just short of the acclaim he craves; the gaps in his relationship with his wife; his envy and probably misdirected fury at Kent Gray - it all comes back to despair, in my opinion.
It is a wonderfully written book but the ending was kind of abrupt for my taste. It is a great insight into the life of a midlister (I'm an aspiring author myself) but the horror aspect of the story was not my thing.
As the story progressed, it started to get even better. There were some instances where I had to go back and re-read some parts, which in this case was a good thing. It is quite an absorbing story.
I didn't like how it ended, but then again, horror isn't really my genre. I liked how he conveyed despair, in varying degrees and due to various reasons, throughout the book. Be it in Tennant's position as a midlister, just short of the acclaim he craves; the gaps in his relationship with his wife; his envy and probably misdirected fury at Kent Gray - it all comes back to despair, in my opinion.
It is a wonderfully written book but the ending was kind of abrupt for my taste. It is a great insight into the life of a midlister (I'm an aspiring author myself) but the horror aspect of the story was not my thing.
June 1, 2019
I suppose I expected more horror than fiction, because I waited for most of the read to see something actually happen. The writing was pleasant and it was interesting to have an author's point of view about inspiration and conventions. Nonetheless, the read felt very flat for me, from the story to the atmosphere.
November 11, 2017
I read this story as part of his collection The Novellas, but I'm going to try to review them individually. This was clearly a very personal story for Burke, and it hits on the insecurities and frustrations that go with the territory of being a writer, no matter where you are in your career. He never forgets to entertain, though, and the narration is so good that I raced through this novella in just a few hours. A grand read from Burke, who is becoming one of my favorite writers
April 30, 2015
This is a novella that masterfully details the life of a struggling author, not quite making enough to live from. The struggles and insecurities of the author make this a must read.
November 23, 2022
Highly entertaining! Feels semi-autobiographical at times, and it work so well for that.
December 8, 2019
Man I really sometimes thought myself if I should read KPB again, but every time I think of it I reconsider and couldn't help myself but read his work of horror fiction again...
Reading from the book "The Novellas" this one really got me to the core, Jason Tennant who a writer of Horror Fiction but he is a midlister. But that was not all the problem but seeing a author named Kent Gray, popular author of so called "sex-fi" novels made him jealous, insecure. What made the situation very complicated when one day he found out his wife Kelly cheating on him. The life after then gone more complex but he held on not long before everything get out his hand. The last part where the murder happened was really something to read. Most importantly this short tale can be symbolized as the struggle and frustration mind of a midlister writer, and I think it's more than a short tale but a personal experience of Kealan Patrick Burke. The story was strongly written and I can say if you get the idea of it you will surely gonna love it, as I did...
Another full 5 rating from me...
Reading from the book "The Novellas" this one really got me to the core, Jason Tennant who a writer of Horror Fiction but he is a midlister. But that was not all the problem but seeing a author named Kent Gray, popular author of so called "sex-fi" novels made him jealous, insecure. What made the situation very complicated when one day he found out his wife Kelly cheating on him. The life after then gone more complex but he held on not long before everything get out his hand. The last part where the murder happened was really something to read. Most importantly this short tale can be symbolized as the struggle and frustration mind of a midlister writer, and I think it's more than a short tale but a personal experience of Kealan Patrick Burke. The story was strongly written and I can say if you get the idea of it you will surely gonna love it, as I did...
Another full 5 rating from me...
January 20, 2019
Very, very enjoyable. The charm of the writing is undeniable, the flow is velvet-smooth. A small, intimate character study that doesn't give an earth-shattering climax or even any form of redemption, rather more a close to the knuckle insight into a writers life with no apologies or glossing over the pitfalls of the profession and the type of people it attracts. As a writer myself, I ate it up in that respect, anyone after a typical polished and commercial slasher may be disappointed, as may anyone wanting a trashy slice and dice; try and imagine something somewhere between Stephen King's Misery and Wes Craven's A New Nightmare stripped down to its bare bones with a charm lacking in today's horror scene. Recommended for the die-hards of the genre and anyone who can appreciate slick writing.
March 17, 2023
Jason Tennant is a midlister. He writes, and his books make him a living, but he's not topping any charts. He hates Kent Gray with a passion. Kent is a fellow author but he's.. better. Maybe it's because Jason writes horror. Do people even want mayhem and murder? But murder is just a word... Until it happens for real.
I LOVED this novella! A horror author writing about a horror author plagued by insecurity and self-loathing.. give me some more of that! The pacing is perfect and despite Jason's bleak perspective, he's actually a likeable character. KPB gives us the highs and lows, along with the humour, and does it with ease. Possibly my favourite piece of his that I've read so far. Fantastic stuff.
I LOVED this novella! A horror author writing about a horror author plagued by insecurity and self-loathing.. give me some more of that! The pacing is perfect and despite Jason's bleak perspective, he's actually a likeable character. KPB gives us the highs and lows, along with the humour, and does it with ease. Possibly my favourite piece of his that I've read so far. Fantastic stuff.
March 21, 2024
2, of what have become some of my favorite horror authors Kealan Patrick Burke with an entry by Jack ketchum. One of burkes earliest works..while this wasn't my fave the writing, as always, is beautiful
April 6, 2021
Gobbled this down in one sitting. My first experience of Burke's writing and I'm already looking forward to the next. Hardly action packed but the atmosphere really gripped me.
September 19, 2013
I really enjoyed this story. Having been a fan at many horror conventions myself, it was interesting to see one through the eyes of an actual invited guest. Also, as an aspiring author, I too-well know Jason's fears and feelings of inadequacy where it concerns his fellow authors (in this case, Kent Gray).
That being said, I loved the idea that death, for someone who writes about it for a living, can literally be hovering just in the next stall, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
Truly, a story I will remember for many years to come.
That being said, I loved the idea that death, for someone who writes about it for a living, can literally be hovering just in the next stall, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
Truly, a story I will remember for many years to come.
November 11, 2014
I never get sick of reading kealan Patrick Burke. No matter what he writes it grabs you from page one and doesn't stop shaking you to the very last word.
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
February 13, 2011
This is very different writing compared to the Timmy Quinn series i prefer his supernatural writing.
June 12, 2013
Loved this novella. A great introduction to Kealan Patrick Burke. A one sit read with a neat twist. I'm a fan!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews