Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Ballantine Books, c2005.
Description
Those stories you hear? The ones about things that only come out at night? Things that feed on blood, feed on us? Got news for you: they’re true. Only it’s not like the movies or old man Stoker’s storybook. It’s worse. Especially if you happen to be one of them. Just ask Joe Pitt. There’s a shambler on the loose. Some fool who got himself infected with a flesh-eating bacteria is lurching around, trying to munch on folks’ brains. Joe hates shamblers, but he’s still the one who has to deal with them. That’s just the kind of life he has. Except afterlife might be better word. From the Battery to the Bronx, and from river to river, Manhattan is crawling with Vampyres. Joe is one of them, and he’s not happy about it. Yeah, he gets to be stronger and faster than you, and he’s tough as nails and hard to kill. But spending his nights trying to score a pint of blood to feed the Vyrus that’s eating at him isn’t his idea of a good time. And Joe doesn’t make it any easier on himself. Going his own way, refusing to ally with the Clans that run the undead underside of Manhattan–it ain’t easy. It’s worse once he gets mixed up with the Coalition–the city’s most powerful Clan–and finds himself searching for a poor little rich girl who’s gone missing in Alphabet City. Now the Coalition and the girl’s high-society parents are breathing down his neck, anarchist Vampyres are pushing him around, and a crazy Vampyre cult is stalking him. No time to complain, though. Got to find that girl and kill that shambler before the whip comes down . . . and before the sun comes up.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
Joe Pitt is a reluctant vampire. Since he's been infected with the virus which forces him to feed on human blood and stay out of the sun, he's had to work hard at retaining his independent status in a New York filled with vampires all belonging to different clans. The Coalition is especially
I've never been that keen on vampires and zombies, and more or less gave up on vampire novels after reading a few Anne Rice novels back in the early 90s; little did I know that pop culture was only beginning to flirt with what was to become an unquenchable thirst for tales of the undead, and that the market would be flooded, pandemic-like, with unlimited variations on the shiver-inducting sagas of the bloodlusty twilight creatures. Charlie Huston's take seems original though. There's a decidedly noirish twist on the way Joe Pitt gives his first-person account of what seems like an almost plausible interpretation of how these creatures come into being and go about their business. The copious and astoundingly sickening violence is not for the faint of heart, and while I have a high tolerance for such things in the right kind of context, there were several times when I felt my already generous boundaries being stretched to the outer limits. But Joe Pitt, at the end of the day, is believable to me. I've met his kind in my former life as and out-and-about creature of the night. He's bad, there's no doubt about it, but he's a good kind of bad, and I have sympathy for his cause. I'll be back for more.
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powerful and with unlimited blood supplies, they're able to recruit armies of vampires, but Joe refuses to join them, and they let him remain a free agent as long as he agrees to do freelance jobs for them. His latest mission is to clean up the scene of a recent gruesome zombie killing spree and find a rogue agent who's been infecting victims with the zombie bacteria. As if this mission wasn't difficult enough, he also must find a fourteen year old goth girl who's taken to camping out in the streets. She's the daughter of a powerful, shady business man, and Joe's not at all sure that returning her to her dysfunctional parents will make her any safer from what she's likely to encounter in the urban jungle of New York City. I've never been that keen on vampires and zombies, and more or less gave up on vampire novels after reading a few Anne Rice novels back in the early 90s; little did I know that pop culture was only beginning to flirt with what was to become an unquenchable thirst for tales of the undead, and that the market would be flooded, pandemic-like, with unlimited variations on the shiver-inducting sagas of the bloodlusty twilight creatures. Charlie Huston's take seems original though. There's a decidedly noirish twist on the way Joe Pitt gives his first-person account of what seems like an almost plausible interpretation of how these creatures come into being and go about their business. The copious and astoundingly sickening violence is not for the faint of heart, and while I have a high tolerance for such things in the right kind of context, there were several times when I felt my already generous boundaries being stretched to the outer limits. But Joe Pitt, at the end of the day, is believable to me. I've met his kind in my former life as and out-and-about creature of the night. He's bad, there's no doubt about it, but he's a good kind of bad, and I have sympathy for his cause. I'll be back for more.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
What a ride...really, noir for the new millennium is a fair description of the book, the character, the setting and set-up for the series.
Hyper-violent, and not for the squeamish. Lots of yech-ptui sexual deviance. Plenty of "Reservoir Dogs"-style torture and cruelty.
In the end, I think it's got
Hyper-violent, and not for the squeamish. Lots of yech-ptui sexual deviance. Plenty of "Reservoir Dogs"-style torture and cruelty.
In the end, I think it's got
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something fresh to say about the evergreen plot device of hardboiled dick with a heart of gold, a strong girlfriend whose very existence causes him joy, and clients he not only can't trust but whose lies and machinations are calculated to cost him his life. I'd recommend it to the noir readers, but it's not for everyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
Vampires and zombies. In the same book? It'll never work. But somehow it does. This is because in Mr. Huston's world both afflictions are diseases. They are transmitted in the classical sense by an infected victim biting someone else. This is what happened to Joe Pitt, he was bitten but not drained
Written in a first-person noirish style, this is a very fast-paced read that offers something slightly different to the supernatural mystery genre. I'd read a couple of books from Charlie Huston's other series so the writing style was quite familiar and anybody who has read any of the Hank Thompson books will recognise the similarities between the two anti-hero protagonists. If you enjoyed one series then you will more than likely enjoy the other. If you are even just a little bit squeamish then you probably won't like the blood that flies around which doesn't always end up down a vampyre's throat. Despite this, this was a very easy book to read and I will look forward to reading more from the Joe Pitt series.
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by someone carrying the vampyre Vyrus and retained enough of the spark of life to survive. Unusually for a vampyre, Joe is not affiliated to any of the clans that operate in New York and manages to survive by carrying out odd jobs for the two main players in the area he lives in. Oh! He doesn't much care for zombies either so when he sees 3 of them in his local pizza joint he gets upset. He'll have to take care of them before they bring too much attention on the undead and things start to turn ugly for his kind. Joe also realises that he'll have to find the carrier that turned this group and deal with that too. When the zombies follow their prospective meal out of the pizza parlour, Joe tags along behind hoping for a quiet spot to take care of the first part of his problem. Unfortunately things turn out a bit of a mess and Joe has to rely on the Coalition (one of the stronger clans) to tidy things up which means he now owes them a favour. This favour promptly falls due when he is asked to look for a 14-year-old girl who has run away from her wealthy prominent parents.Written in a first-person noirish style, this is a very fast-paced read that offers something slightly different to the supernatural mystery genre. I'd read a couple of books from Charlie Huston's other series so the writing style was quite familiar and anybody who has read any of the Hank Thompson books will recognise the similarities between the two anti-hero protagonists. If you enjoyed one series then you will more than likely enjoy the other. If you are even just a little bit squeamish then you probably won't like the blood that flies around which doesn't always end up down a vampyre's throat. Despite this, this was a very easy book to read and I will look forward to reading more from the Joe Pitt series.
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LibraryThing member Joybee
1st book of the Joe Pitt series, introduces Joe a Vampire private detective/odd jobs man. Joe is a smart mouthed, cynical 30 year old vampire trying to live in Manhattan with out belonging to one specific vampire clan. To do this he walks a dangerous line taking jobs from any clan and trying to
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survive. In this book he is trying to find a carrier who is infecting people with the zombie virus, and also trying to find a missing girl. In many ways Joe Pitt reminds me of a modern vampire version of Phillip Marlowe. Show Less
LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
ALREADY DEAD is an unrelentingly brutal book. The protagonist, Joe Pitt, doesn't want to join any of the vampire clans that have carved up Manhattan like a pie. He's a lone wolf, trying not to make too many people angry at once, with nobody to turn to for help when he needs it. What does that mean?
ALREADY DEAD is the kind of book that keeps you compulsively turning the pages, holding your breath, caught between anticipation and dread. Joe is a tough guy, capable and smart, but it's him against the world and those are bad odds. He makes his living picking up odd jobs, usually the kind of work other vampires want nothing to do with - in this case, killing a pack of zombies and saving a runaway child.
The clans take on the characteristics of the neighborhoods they inhabit - the snooty Coalition, in suits and limos on the Upper East Side, the free-thinking queer/anarchist/hippie contingent in the village, the hip gangsters running Chinatown and the ascetic, spiritualized Enclave in Chelsea and the Meatpacking district.
ALREADY DEAD is almost painfully hip. I live in the city and there was a part of me that couldn't help but roll my eyes every time he mentioned the Beauty Bar or the good old days at Limelight, hanging out in Tompkins Park and the Odessa Diner. But you've got to give the guy credit - he may flaunt it, but he's got it. He knows the city, and he knows the hotspots.
There is one bright spot in Joe's life - his girlfriend, Evie. They've got a great relationship going on, and Evie is a doll. What's the catch, you ask? Evie is HIV positive. Joe could turn Evie into a vampire and cure her - but he's not ready yet to tell his girlfriend that he's a blood-sucking creature of the night.
I liked it a lot, can't wait to read the next installment in the series.
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He gets threatened, a lot. And he gets beaten up - a lot. And mercy? Almost never. ALREADY DEAD is the kind of book that keeps you compulsively turning the pages, holding your breath, caught between anticipation and dread. Joe is a tough guy, capable and smart, but it's him against the world and those are bad odds. He makes his living picking up odd jobs, usually the kind of work other vampires want nothing to do with - in this case, killing a pack of zombies and saving a runaway child.
The clans take on the characteristics of the neighborhoods they inhabit - the snooty Coalition, in suits and limos on the Upper East Side, the free-thinking queer/anarchist/hippie contingent in the village, the hip gangsters running Chinatown and the ascetic, spiritualized Enclave in Chelsea and the Meatpacking district.
ALREADY DEAD is almost painfully hip. I live in the city and there was a part of me that couldn't help but roll my eyes every time he mentioned the Beauty Bar or the good old days at Limelight, hanging out in Tompkins Park and the Odessa Diner. But you've got to give the guy credit - he may flaunt it, but he's got it. He knows the city, and he knows the hotspots.
There is one bright spot in Joe's life - his girlfriend, Evie. They've got a great relationship going on, and Evie is a doll. What's the catch, you ask? Evie is HIV positive. Joe could turn Evie into a vampire and cure her - but he's not ready yet to tell his girlfriend that he's a blood-sucking creature of the night.
I liked it a lot, can't wait to read the next installment in the series.
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LibraryThing member ty1997
The literary and movie worlds of late are overwrought with vampires, a genre I've never been keen on, but Amazon was offering Already Dead for free on the Kindle, and the reviews were decent, so I took a chance.
Joe Pitt is a Vampyre (Huston's spelling) in an alternate reality Manhattan where
Joe is a bit of an independent contractor, in a Manhattan where all of the Vampyres have joined clans. Joe is given two jobs: find a runaway 14 year old girl, and find a carrier that is infecting people with a bacteria that turns them into zombies. (And who doesn't love zombies, really?). The two cases are, of course, related.
The book gritty and graphic, which is a little off-putting. The writing is informal, with numerous run-on sentences, but this fits Joe's world and Joe's personality.
It appears that Already Dead is the beginning of a series. I'm not sure I'll read any more in the series, but Huston does a solid job of setting up a world, characters, and ethos, and I am at least passingly curious concerning what becomes of them.
Joe Pitt is a Vampyre (Huston's spelling) in an alternate reality Manhattan where
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vampires live quietly, and mostly secretly, among us. In Huston's world, they aren't evil, murderous demons (for the most part) but rather people that have been infected with a virus. One of the interesting facets of the books is that Pitt, and the rest of the vampyres, don't know much about the virus or how it works. It's a disease that hasn't been researched, so both the reader and the vampyres are not fully aware of the possible effects.Joe is a bit of an independent contractor, in a Manhattan where all of the Vampyres have joined clans. Joe is given two jobs: find a runaway 14 year old girl, and find a carrier that is infecting people with a bacteria that turns them into zombies. (And who doesn't love zombies, really?). The two cases are, of course, related.
The book gritty and graphic, which is a little off-putting. The writing is informal, with numerous run-on sentences, but this fits Joe's world and Joe's personality.
It appears that Already Dead is the beginning of a series. I'm not sure I'll read any more in the series, but Huston does a solid job of setting up a world, characters, and ethos, and I am at least passingly curious concerning what becomes of them.
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LibraryThing member crazybatcow
It's surprisingly good. A completely non-romantic whodunnit novel with vampires. Perhaps a few too many scenes with excessive gore, but hey, it's a vampire novel.
It's a fast, fun fiction and now I'm all set to read the next in the series (No Dominion).
It's a fast, fun fiction and now I'm all set to read the next in the series (No Dominion).
LibraryThing member TadAD
I really enjoyed my first foray into Huston's books. It's a quite quick and enjoyable read. Definitely PG-13.
I think we'll find that reviews of this book will tend to use the words 'noir' and 'gritty' a lot. The tone of the book is very much like a Dashiell Hammett novel; the
While I think this book will definitely appeal to fans of other supernatural series, it has a very different feel. The Kim Harrison books or the Kelley Armstrong books almost seem a bit whitewashed in comparison—this book puts all the violence and unpleasantness right up in your face, and fairly non-stop. If you imagine a Sam Spade book updated for the times so that all the mayhem and sex wasn't off-camera, that would give you and idea.
This one's worth a try.
I think we'll find that reviews of this book will tend to use the words 'noir' and 'gritty' a lot. The tone of the book is very much like a Dashiell Hammett novel; the
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lone-private-eye-against-the-world just happens to be chock full of the vampire virus. The setting is the dark underbelly of New York, complete with the gang warfare.While I think this book will definitely appeal to fans of other supernatural series, it has a very different feel. The Kim Harrison books or the Kelley Armstrong books almost seem a bit whitewashed in comparison—this book puts all the violence and unpleasantness right up in your face, and fairly non-stop. If you imagine a Sam Spade book updated for the times so that all the mayhem and sex wasn't off-camera, that would give you and idea.
This one's worth a try.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
Wonderful book with an interesting style. Very immediate and in the spoken style, not the usually written style. Makes good use of the noir/pulp style.
Gritty setting and characters, fast paced, gripping story telling. Uses the vampire as virus theme, but works it as an active disease.
Good
Gritty setting and characters, fast paced, gripping story telling. Uses the vampire as virus theme, but works it as an active disease.
Good
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supporting characters and an interesting story. Can't wait for the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheBoltChick
This book is a take on vampirism from the point of view of a reluctant vampire. Written in Huston's traditional noir style, it certainly isn't a book for people who are easily offended. The story revolves around Joe Pitt, a vampire who really isn't happy about it. He has few friends and many
I like Charlie Huston and read his Hank Thompson novels quickly. I think if I have a criticism of this book it would have to be I felt that Joe Pitt and Hank Thompson were essentially the same character. If I read more of Huston and find that his characters are all the same, I may not read many more... but that being said, it is a great hard-boiled, blood and guts, no holds-barred vampire novel.
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enemies. There aren't just vampires, either.. zombies (or "victims of zombification") are also found in the book, with lots of gory details. I like Charlie Huston and read his Hank Thompson novels quickly. I think if I have a criticism of this book it would have to be I felt that Joe Pitt and Hank Thompson were essentially the same character. If I read more of Huston and find that his characters are all the same, I may not read many more... but that being said, it is a great hard-boiled, blood and guts, no holds-barred vampire novel.
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LibraryThing member deandroid
a rogue (not fitting in with any vampire clan) vampire trying to live" a "human" life while doing work for the different clans that control his corner of manhatten.
LibraryThing member miyurose
Huston’s novels have a rhythm and a flow that makes them nearly impossible to put down, and this was no exception. Surprisingly, there’s not too many twists on vampire folklore here — they still need a fairly regular supply of blood, and sunlight is a problem. In
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rogue-vampyre-cum-problem-solver Joe Pitt’s world, Vampyrism is caused by a virus (the Vyrus). Pitt’s struggle in this novel is as much with his Vyrus as it is with the people who are trying to control him — or maybe even kill him. Pitt’s supporting Vampyre cast is varied, from the ex-hippie Terry to the businessman Predo to guru Marshall, each approaching Vampyrism in their own unique way. As always, Huston pulls no punches. His writing is gritty and tough and sometimes gory, and you can’t always expect a happy ending. He’s created a complex, complicated, and dangerous Manhattan for his main character to navigate, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he has in store next for Joe Pitt. Show Less
LibraryThing member irunsjh
I loved this book. It was just what I needed, a fun, fast paced book. Lots of great action, excellent characters. I am definitely going to go forward and read the rest of the books in this series, as well as other books by the author.
On a side note, this is the first book I have read on my iPod
On a side note, this is the first book I have read on my iPod
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Touch. I used the KOBO application, and was surprised at how soon I forgot I was reading on such a small screen. I will definitely look for other books that I can read this way. Show Less
LibraryThing member woodshopcowboy
In the opening scene of Already Dead, Joe Pitt ain't happy about much. Not the fact that he's a vampire. Not the fact the pizza boy didn't get tthe order right and put garlic in the sauce. And he doesn't like the three zombies in the corner. He doesn't like zombies, he doesn't like people who makes
This book has several things which should give it a mark or two in my scorecard. The first, a hard, hyper-violent, hyper-sexualized world of a noir P.I. I've read every Chandler, most Hammet, Cain, Spillane, Stark - I love the look and feel of that kid of story. Fantasy worlds with rival factions, crime novels with rival gangs, swords, sorcery and the works? Add into this a biological twist on the vampire/zombie dynamic? I'm in.
Huston misses the mark. He had a mark about the size of a bull, and missed it. It begins with Joe Pitt's narration - over-blown and whiny. Joe Pitt, make no mistake, is not a private investigator. Joe Pitt is semi-talented tough guy, more on the semi-talented than tough. When a author has to constantly reassure both the reader of his character's toughness, I cease to believe he's tough. Add in the half-baked plot twists, denegrating remarks to his own literary genre, violence that relies on his flat out shock value rather than true horror - I didn't buy into it.
I may have the curiosity to stick around one or two more novels - Hurston has a big enough fan base to write three or four more books. Or I may travel to greener pastures
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zombies. And to protect his corner of the undead underground of NYC, he has to kill the zombies and the zombie maker.This book has several things which should give it a mark or two in my scorecard. The first, a hard, hyper-violent, hyper-sexualized world of a noir P.I. I've read every Chandler, most Hammet, Cain, Spillane, Stark - I love the look and feel of that kid of story. Fantasy worlds with rival factions, crime novels with rival gangs, swords, sorcery and the works? Add into this a biological twist on the vampire/zombie dynamic? I'm in.
Huston misses the mark. He had a mark about the size of a bull, and missed it. It begins with Joe Pitt's narration - over-blown and whiny. Joe Pitt, make no mistake, is not a private investigator. Joe Pitt is semi-talented tough guy, more on the semi-talented than tough. When a author has to constantly reassure both the reader of his character's toughness, I cease to believe he's tough. Add in the half-baked plot twists, denegrating remarks to his own literary genre, violence that relies on his flat out shock value rather than true horror - I didn't buy into it.
I may have the curiosity to stick around one or two more novels - Hurston has a big enough fan base to write three or four more books. Or I may travel to greener pastures
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LibraryThing member TLHines
Few people have nailed the first-person noir thriller as well as Charlie Huston; he's the modern-day incarnation of Dashiell Hammett or James Thompson.
The various vampire gangs and territories add a nice touch to dark heart of the novel--shades of Puzo's "The Godfather" and Yurick's "The Warriors."
The various vampire gangs and territories add a nice touch to dark heart of the novel--shades of Puzo's "The Godfather" and Yurick's "The Warriors."
LibraryThing member kayceel
- Joe Pitt is a vampire caught between many factions is present-day NY City. Because he doesn’t fit in anywhere, he walks a fine line in doing work for the ‘bad guys’ and the good ones. Oh, and they’re all vampires. Things get a lot more difficult when Joe is asked to take care of a
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possible outbreak of zombies and a missing girl, two different cases that might just be related after all. Gritty, and I’d call it noir if I knew a bit more about the genre… Joe’s a tough guy whose world is slightly bleaker than Harry Dresden. I *like* this guy... Show Less
LibraryThing member GirlMisanthrope
I am a vampire book afficionado. Sure, I was initially sucked in by Buffy and the LKH series, as well as Charlaine Harris. But I have long been on the look out for stand-alone vampire novels that don't romanticize vampirism as much as the aforementioned books do. "Already Dead" is told in first
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person noir style and well done. I loved the idea of there being multiple factions of vampires throughout New York City. For my personal taste, I found it too graphic (horror). If you typically like King and Straub you'll be fine. And, although I don't know why exactly, it bothers me when authors spell it "vampyre". The "y" feels like some unnecessary affectation. Show Less
LibraryThing member amf0001
Surprisingly good. Gritty, dark, dry, funny. Joe Pitt is a vampyre, has the Virys. New approach to vampires and their internal politics. He has to chase down some shamblers (zombies) and gets caught up in other people's webs. Well written, except he didn't use "" for some reason and occassionally
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it was hard to tell who was talking or if they were just thinking to themselves, but still enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member Wolfhound_2000
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Joe Pitt is a great character and I like the way the Vampire and hard-nosed Private Dick personas have been amalgamated. The hyphens to indicate speech took some getting used to as it wasn't always clear in conversations which character was saying what but in the end
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it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this novel. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member bryanspellman
Nice intro to Joe Pitt. An interesting world I am looking forward to visiting again.
LibraryThing member malcontentdiary
Quite excellent urban vampire novel; captures the feel of New York City and a very captivating lead character.
LibraryThing member mynebulae
I enjoyed this book for its take on the ever popular "vampire, P.I." character. It was fresh, funny in moments, but certainly not comic. There are some quite dark moments, but they were tastefully done and provoked thought. The main character, while a bit of an anti-hero, is still someone readers
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can sympathize with. Show Less
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
I didn't like it & found myself skimming to the end. The main character was too 'tough guy', yet he never impressed me as one. The language & tone of the book just irritated me. The logic behind the vampire virus had holes in it, too. The explanation was clunky. I kept hoping it would get better,
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but it never did. Just not very well written nor to my taste, just like the other Huston novel I tried. I won't bother with another of his. Show Less
LibraryThing member jlparent
Rather gritty noir tone to this one; Joe Pitt is a vampire PI (sort of, he's kinda like a get things done guy) and he has to balance between the different factions, while killing shamblers (zombies), finding a lost girl, and staying ali...undead. It's fast paced, lots of action, decent intrigue,
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and a entertaining escape. Show Less
LibraryThing member JOSE.
An entertaining classic noir novel with a non-intrusive and quirky vampire spin on it. Those that might be put off reading it because of the vampire theme should not be deterred: this is not Twilight or Pure Blood. Still I would not rate it 5 stars as it I think it still lacks some maturity and by
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the end of it you are left thinking whether there is any kind of point to it. Quality pop corn pulp. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2005-12-27
Physical description
324 p.; 21 inches
ISBN
034547824X / 9780345478245
Other editions
Already dead : a novel by Charlie Huston (Paper Book)