About FETIDUS – The Novel and Music by James Durham
FETIDUS: The Damned Heir by James Durham is the first sci-fi/horror novel and original music score set in the grim and fetid alleyways of a post-apocalyptic Washington, DC, circa 2034. In this first novel, Art Blanchard, a jaded Washington lobbyist who works for The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural (FETIDUS), takes up the blackmail case of a mysterious woman, which leads him on a twisted adventure filled with noir-humor, suspense and horror.
FETIDUS: The Damned Heir, is launching in October 2008 in the form of a free serialized audiobook and podcast! A printed version and music CD will also be available at a later date. Check back soon or subscribe for updates so you can be among the first to get to know Art Blanchard, Esq., and the dark world of FETIDUS!
Click here to read more about James Durham, the author and composer of FETIDUS.
For more information, please contact:
James Durham, (jdurham at fetidus dot org)
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d Like to learm more about Skitters and genelons that are mentioned in the novel.
Hi Oni, I’m thinking of adding a section on the website that will answer those types of questions, and give more back story about the world, events and creatures.
For now, I can say that “skidders” are the unholy combination of both zombie and vampire. As you may know from the story (I don’t know how far along you are yet), inhibitors are often used to delay the inevitable progression of zombieism, most often from a type II stage to a type III stage. People can live for years on inhibitors and survive as a type II zombie. Now, vampirism is a natural zombieism inhibitor, but it carries with it the vampiric curse. So in very rare circumstances where no normal inhibitor is available, some people voluntarily (or not-so-voluntarily) are infected with vampirism to prevent further zombieism progression. It is considered a desperate last measure, and often a fate worse than death… a hugely damning and awful state to be afflicted with both types of infections.
As for “genelons,” I don’t want to give away too much, since they figure prominently in FETIDUS Book 2. But basically, they are trans-humans or post-humans. They are essentially highly modified beings with mostly human DNA that have undergone advanced genetic splicing. The various procedures for splicing are banned in most countries, with rare exceptions granted for “licensed genelons,” who have to disclose their full genetic history and undergo extensive tests. In some cases, the splice work is so good that there is no way you can tell someone is a genelon. For now, I’ll stop there.
Hope that answers your questions!
Ok, so you’ve talked about all the types of zombies but one thing is getting to me. You’ve talked about II’s, III’s, and rarely on IV’s. So what is a Type V?