Already Dead: A Novel

That Charlie Huston is on the edge was evident in his debut, the unconventional “Caught Stealing” and its equally offbeat sequel, “Six Bad Things”. In both, Huston writes with a hip and irreverent flair that is all his own, brutal tales of the seamy underbelly of life that are at the same time darkly and cynically humorous.

In “Already Dead”, Huston applies his uncommon talents to a very common but wholly unexpected theme: vampires. The result could be described as the abominable offspring of a marriage of JR Tolkien and Quentin Tarrantino, a bizarre but refreshingly unique tale of the undead set in contemporary New York City. This is no Bram Stoker. Huston’s vampires, or “vampyres”, have neither fangs nor Transylvanian accents, and sleep in Manhattan apartments rather than coffins. Huston’s ghouls are victims of the vampyre “vyrus”, an infection that instills an irresistible craving for new blood, while at the same time cleansing the blood of all impurities. Thus explaining the legendary strength and immortally of the Vampire myth.

Joe Pitt is one that is “already dead”, a forty-five year old New Yorker who looks twenty-five. Pitt and his ilk live, work, eat, and play among us, a virtual parallel universe of vampyre cults and clans that mirror New York’s more conventional society. There is the “Coalition”, the largest clan, corporate and business-like, suit-and-tie vampires ruling midtown from north of 14th Street up to Harlem. The “Society” inhabits the East Village. Progressive liberals, they are committed to diversity and the day when vampires are accepted in society – simply another minority like gays or the disabled. The “Enclave”, the smallest but most feared, is a cult of extremists – a band of Zen Buddhist-like ghouls who hang out in a lower west side meat market warehouse starving themselves to an imagined spiritual passage to the another realm of blood lust depravity. And then there are biker-vampyres, homeys, Chinese and Italian vampire mobs, all controlling their own turf with varying degrees of influence and power. Filling out Huston’s nightmare version of a Tolkien “Middle Earth” fantasy world are flesh eating zombies (“shamblers”, or, in the politically correct jargon of the “Society”, “Victims of Zombification”) and a mysterious wraith. Like author Charlie Huston, Joe Pitt is ever the maverick, the rogue vamp refusing to align with any of the clans, living in Society territory while carrying out hits and dirty deeds for the highest bidder. When called upon by the Coalition’s boss to help track down the runaway daughter of a Manhattan socialite, Pitt finds himself caught in the middle of warring clans of the undead while also questioning his own “life” and love choices, at least to the degree a vampyre chooses such things.

With tongue firmly in cheek, Huston spins this cleverly original yarn that is as rich in irony while every bit as raw and brutal as his first two efforts. At first the blood lust may leave the reader a bit squeamish, but you’ll soon be pulling for Joe and forgetting about his rather nasty but uncontrollable habits. As evident in his other novels, the eccentric and sordid Charlie Huston isn’t for everybody. But the brilliance of “Already Dead” will undoubtedly add new converts to his own growing cult of followers.

Rating: 5 / 5

I rushed to buy Already Dead after reading that it is being turned into a film since books are almost always so much better than their celluloid counterparts and all the reviews I read praised it highly. Unfortunately, it just never grabbed me in the way I was hoping. It was well written, was plenty dark — just how I like my vampire stories, and the characters were well developed; but for whatever reason the story was somewhat offputting. It all seemed too contrived and convoluted. I just never felt a bond with the characters, and by the end I hardly cared what happened. I was just ready for it to be over so I could move on to the next thing.
Rating: 2 / 5

So I was scouring the free Kindle offerings for novels to read and I downloaded a few from the top rated without caring too much about what they were. The $0.00 price was the only attraction and I figure I would sort them out later.

I open the first novel and I start reading. It’s about some Gov. agent in Europe, and not 6 pages into it she declares her love for our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Not what I usually look for in a thriller. To be sure, I would have read it if the writer had the decency not to plop this declaration in the middle of the scene where it fit like the proverbial square peg. I realize how hard it is to write Christian mysteries and not alieante your customer base, but that’s what you make the big bucks for. I guess it’s nbetter I get alienated than a fan of the genre. Wasted paper on me.

Next book, another thriller, another declaration of love for the lord and savior. This was getting old. I started thinking that Christian publishing houses may be trying to capture a few readers by slashing prices on their literature. Not a bad marketing ploy, but I am not in for conversion. Not in this life.

Then I open this book: Already Dead. Good beginning. A couple of non gratuitous 4 letters words in the first couple of pages told me that this was not a Christian novel. so far so good. Then I discover the guy is a vampire. Just my luck. I went from christian thrillers to “teeny bop” vampire stories. I really didn’t know what was worse. I used to like vampires, back when they were not all over the frigging place and everyone, from mormon housewives to high school cheerleaders was not obsessed with them.

I was just about to hit the delete button again but I read a few more sentences. Then a few more. Then I aid to myself that I’d keep the book for a time when I could not find anything better. But I kept on reading.

3 hours later I was almost done with the book. It’s excellent. It’s a great book and an absolute keeper.

The protagonist is not your run of the mill, sexy and dangerous brooding vampire. He is the kind of vampire you and I would be if we were carrying the virus.

Vampirism is more of a burden than something to brag about, but the story is only part of what makes this books excellent. The writing is superb. Not in the way Faulkner or mailer are superb. This is not highbrow literature, but in its genre it’s as good as they come.

The writing style is direct. In your face. The writer lets you reside in the head of the protagonist and feel what he is feeling. Which often is pain. Pain is one of the protagonists as well. It’s pain you can touch. I can only surmise that Mr. Huston has experienced some pain himself or really got to know someone who did. I have been in pain (about 20 kidney stones and an organ transplant) and I am an authority on it. The pain you experience in this book is real. And pain is hard to fake.

I won’t go describing this book’s story to you. Others have done too much of a good job already (what’s up with that anyway? I can read the jacket if I want to know what the story is about – I want to read a review, not a Cliff note). But if you are a Mystery and Thiller reader and you are getting tired of the Pattersons, Dan Browns (I was tired of him 3 pages into Angels and Demons and I could not finish the Da Vinci Code) and gang coming out with a trite, unbelievable story after another, all with the same plots, give Mr. Huston a try and pick up his other books. They are all excellent and some are better than this one. Check out the “Caught Stealing” series: probably one of the best thrillers I have read in the past 10 years. You won’t be disappointed.
Rating: 5 / 5