Already Dead
Encyclopedia
Already Dead is a 2005 pulp-noir / horror novel by Charlie Huston
and published in 2005. This is the first of the Joe Pitt Casebooks
.
which makes him a valuable item for clans. Joe is then asked to find the gothic daughter of a rich man, and is pressured to do the work. Meanwhile, a disease is spreading zombie like symptoms around the town, causing whoever is bitten (or infected) by this disease into "Shamblers", and it's up to Joe to find the mysterious carrier of this sickness.
Aside from his line of work, Joe has a girlfriend named Evie, a human that is HIV positive
, is currently terrified of any sexual contact since she's afraid of infecting him with the sickness. Joe knows how to cure her HIV, but fears the side effects; so he tries his best to keep his vampyrism a secret from her.
who works as a freelance detective doing odd jobs for other clans around New York for some blood; namely The Society and The Enclave, but occasionally, The Coalition. He has a human girlfriend named Evie, who is HIV positive. However, he keeps his vampyrism secret from her.
Evie: Joe's girlfriend, who's a redheaded waitress down at a bar he regulars at. She's also HIV positive, and refuses to get intimate with Joe out of fear of infecting him. Even though Joe knows the ultimate way to cure her, he's afraid of infecting her with the Vyrus and transforming her into a vampyre.
Philip Sax: Joe's pompadoured "sidekick" of sorts, but he is used mainly for syphoning information for Joe's various cases. Unfortunately, he's rather dimwitted and flaky, which angers Joe most of the time and ends up getting beaten if he doesn't do as Joe asks. He wants to become a vampyre (or as Joe refers to him, a "Renfield"), but Joe believes he's far too dumb.
Dexter Predo: A very powerful vampyre in charge of running The Coalition; the most prestigious clan in New York. Sometimes Joe takes odd jobs for him if he's in need of blood.
Terry Bird: Head of The Society; a vampyre with something of a hippie complex. He harbors a fondness for Joe, and, unlike Predo, can see that Joe has a sharp wit, and acts as a bit of a father-figure to vampyres in need. His main three cohorts are Lydia, a gay-and-lesbian rights activist, Tom, an anarchist who has an extreme hatred for Joe, and his burly Irish bodyguard, Hurley.
Daniel: Leader (and Elder) of the Enclave; a very old vampyre, but possibly one of the single most dangerous ones in Manhattan. He and his followers have made an art out of "starving" the Vyrus, so it could be stretched to its full potential in combat and survival. Tends to refer to Joe as by real name, "Simon", which usually aggravates him, but he believes Joe will be the one that eventually takes his place as leader.
bought an option on the book in February 2007, for possible release in 2009.
Charlie Huston
Charlie Huston is an American author of crime novels and superhero comic books. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, the actress Virginia Louise Smith...
and published in 2005. This is the first of the Joe Pitt Casebooks
Joe Pitt Casebooks
The Joe Pitt Casebooks are an ongoing series of supernatural noir thrillers written by American author Charlie Huston. Each casebook chronicles Joe Pitt's life as well as his struggles in the underground of vampyre clans of New York. At first Pitt is an unaffiliated vampyre, living in between the...
.
Plot summary
Already Dead follows the adventures of a vampyre named Joe Pitt as he tries to figure out a mysterious zombie epidemic stemming around New York. He has connections in Manhattan UnderworldManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
which makes him a valuable item for clans. Joe is then asked to find the gothic daughter of a rich man, and is pressured to do the work. Meanwhile, a disease is spreading zombie like symptoms around the town, causing whoever is bitten (or infected) by this disease into "Shamblers", and it's up to Joe to find the mysterious carrier of this sickness.
Aside from his line of work, Joe has a girlfriend named Evie, a human that is HIV positive
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, is currently terrified of any sexual contact since she's afraid of infecting him with the sickness. Joe knows how to cure her HIV, but fears the side effects; so he tries his best to keep his vampyrism a secret from her.
Characters
Joe Pitt: The main protagonist; a vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
who works as a freelance detective doing odd jobs for other clans around New York for some blood; namely The Society and The Enclave, but occasionally, The Coalition. He has a human girlfriend named Evie, who is HIV positive. However, he keeps his vampyrism secret from her.
Evie: Joe's girlfriend, who's a redheaded waitress down at a bar he regulars at. She's also HIV positive, and refuses to get intimate with Joe out of fear of infecting him. Even though Joe knows the ultimate way to cure her, he's afraid of infecting her with the Vyrus and transforming her into a vampyre.
Philip Sax: Joe's pompadoured "sidekick" of sorts, but he is used mainly for syphoning information for Joe's various cases. Unfortunately, he's rather dimwitted and flaky, which angers Joe most of the time and ends up getting beaten if he doesn't do as Joe asks. He wants to become a vampyre (or as Joe refers to him, a "Renfield"), but Joe believes he's far too dumb.
Dexter Predo: A very powerful vampyre in charge of running The Coalition; the most prestigious clan in New York. Sometimes Joe takes odd jobs for him if he's in need of blood.
Terry Bird: Head of The Society; a vampyre with something of a hippie complex. He harbors a fondness for Joe, and, unlike Predo, can see that Joe has a sharp wit, and acts as a bit of a father-figure to vampyres in need. His main three cohorts are Lydia, a gay-and-lesbian rights activist, Tom, an anarchist who has an extreme hatred for Joe, and his burly Irish bodyguard, Hurley.
Daniel: Leader (and Elder) of the Enclave; a very old vampyre, but possibly one of the single most dangerous ones in Manhattan. He and his followers have made an art out of "starving" the Vyrus, so it could be stretched to its full potential in combat and survival. Tends to refer to Joe as by real name, "Simon", which usually aggravates him, but he believes Joe will be the one that eventually takes his place as leader.
Film
American screenwriter and actor Scott RosenbergScott Rosenberg
Scott Rosenberg is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer.- Biography :Born in Needham, Massachusetts in 1963, Rosenberg received a Bachelor's Degree from Boston University. He earned his MFA from UCLA...
bought an option on the book in February 2007, for possible release in 2009.