Dresden Files Anonymous

[TheJC]

Years ago I read Storm Front, did not care for it much. Reminded me of the 2 Raymond Chandler novels I had to read in school, which I did not care for at all. Detective looks into mystery, follows clues, some clues mislead him, twist, and then solve mystery. So I decided not to continue the series, until a few weeks ago when I needed something new to read on the bus.

Fools moon was barely good enough to convince me to move forward in the series but I am very glad I did. I am now on book 6, and reading about 2 of them a week. Each book now seems to have multiple intersecting plot lines that create momentus events throughout the book and often carry over into the story arch of the series. (which I had not been expecting over after the first 2 books)

Rather than the hard boiled Wizard PI that I expected, the series seems to have morphed into something more like each book being a season of 24 where Jack Bauer is a wizard that fights supernatural terrorists through non stop action.

I am eating these books like candy now.

[End Of Disc One]

Just started these books myself. I am halfway through Grave Peril and like some of the backstory we're getting on Harry. Btw, don't skim through Side Jobs to find out which short-story takes place between which books. I was doing that and ran into a massive spoiler for Changes.

I plan on reading them by publication order, with the help of wikipedia.

[Red Dobbs]

I got the only season of the Dresden files...for Christmas last year. The show was on when that writers strike hit a few years back, and it was cancelled, but my friend ordered the entire season for $11 at Walmart. I loved it. I was mad when it got cancelled.
I have only read to book 3, the others are at a friends house in Pa. I will get 4-9 when she visits this summer. So far, I like them.

[Wayne Batson]

I'm 3/4 of the way thru Grave Peril now, and I'm absolutely, stone-cold hooked. I told a friend it was like reading heroin. rofl

But what really stokes my fires is the rampant creativity. It's outlandish stuff, but it makes sense in the world JB is creating.

Something else that really endears the books to me is that Butcher, unlike SO MANY other authors across all genres, actually treats Christian characters with great respect. Michael, the Fist of God, is a very heroic, admirable character. He doesn't turn around and abuse children or microwave puppies. And he better not in the future, or I will be…nonplussed.

[DailyRich]

I'd say Butcher is a better plotter than a writer. Not that he's a bad writer, but you want to keep reading not because of the deathless prose, but because you have to see what happens next. Which, given the genre he's playing around with, works just fine.

And I agree, the third book is where the series took off for me. Adding in the Knights really expanded the world, and you can kind of tell this was when Butcher realized the series was a hit and could start going a little nuts.

[Sonja Ravenscroft]

I'm 3/4 of the way thru Grave Peril now, and I'm absolutely, stone-cold hooked. I told a friend it was like reading heroin. rofl

But what really stokes my fires is the rampant creativity. It's outlandish stuff, but it makes sense in the world JB is creating.

Something else that really endears the books to me is that Butcher, unlike SO MANY other authors across all genres, actually treats Christian characters with great respect. Michael, the Fist of God, is a very heroic, admirable character. He doesn't turn around and abuse children or microwave puppies. And he better not in the future, or I will be…nonplussed.

Without giving any spoilers Re Michael-no quite the opposite, he stays VERY true to his beliefs-to a fault sometimes as far as Harry is concerned-you'll as you read further on

[End Of Disc One]

Something else that really endears the books to me is that Butcher, unlike SO MANY other authors across all genres, actually treats Christian characters with great respect. Michael, the Fist of God, is a very heroic, admirable character. He doesn't turn around and abuse children or microwave puppies. And he better not in the future, or I will be…nonplussed.

I noticed that it was odd how a Christian character was made out to be so honorable and non-hypocritcal. It made me stop and wonder when writers made such a turn on Christianity. I don't remember it being that way when I was a kid. I guess my influences used to be limited to Narnia and Star Wars. Major props to Jim Butcher, and Michael Carpenter.

[nonbeliever]

Which books have been making Christians look bad? I haven't come across any. Also, i'm really liking the Dresden Files- I somehow got it into my head that 'Turn Coat' was the first one in the series, so i started with it, but i've now backtracked and am about to get 'Grave Peril'. Looking forward to it.

[Pvt]

I read the first 3 books; they were OK. I really don't understand why they're so popular.

[owlcroft]

I tried a couple of these because The Other Half reads them. Oy.

All speculative fiction faces the burden of plausibility for the reader who lives in what we laughingly call The Real World. Especially fraught are tales told in the contemporary "real world" only with unreal differences. When such tales take on the added burden of complying--more or less--with the standards of a genre entirely other, such as crime noir, they are really being stretched.

To my experience (and personal taste), the only examples of such stretches that work are those that take it on tongue in cheek. That doesn't mean that they have to be "silly", bad spoofs of the genre: but it does mean that they have to give a nod to the reality that we are deliberately taking a trip. I find Butcher's work not up to those standards. As an opposing example, one might adduce Simon Green's "Nightside" tales, in which we have characters who, at the crux, are doing emotionally meaningful things, but are performing within a clearly delimited arena such that we are never forgetful of the fact that we are watching a performance, not soaking in a supposed reality.

Sidebar: a curious example of walking on both sides of the street is Glen Cook's "Garrett" series: mostly it is as described, a calculated performance; but occcasionally, as in Old Tin Sorrows, it is a real performance unto itself.

[End Of Disc One]

I tried a couple of these because The Other Half reads them. Oy.

All speculative fiction faces the burden of plausibility for the reader who lives in what we laughingly call The Real World. Especially fraught are tales told in the contemporary "real world" only with unreal differences. When such tales take on the added burden of complying--more or less--with the standards of a genre entirely other, such as crime noir, they are really being stretched.

To my experience (and personal taste), the only examples of such stretches that work are those that take it on tongue in cheek. That doesn't mean that they have to be "silly", bad spoofs of the genre: but it does mean that they have to give a nod to the reality that we are deliberately taking a trip. I find Butcher's work not up to those standards. As an opposing example, one might adduce Simon Green's "Nightside" tales, in which we have caharacters who, at the crux, are doing emotionally meaningful things, but are performing within a clearly delimited arena such that we are never forgetful of the fact that we are watching a performance, not soaking in a supposed reality.

Sidebar: a curious example of walking on both sides of the street is Glen Cook's "Garrett" series: mostly it is as described, a calculated performace; but occcasionally, as in Old Tin Sorrows, it is a real performance unto itself.

Damn, you sound so qualified.

[Wayne Batson]

I am almost finished Summer Knight. Not as captivating as Grave Peril, IMHO. The scope seems to be getting away from the story a bit. Still good, still read-too-late at night good, but not knock my socks off extraordinary. Still, I wish my books would suffer so small a letdown. ;-)

On a sidenote: I did buy the Dresden Files series DvD (dirt cheap on Amazon). First episode was very entertaining. I very much like how they portrayed Bob. Murphy was indeed terribly miscast, though. And I'm wondering why oh why they didn't give Dresden the famed leather Duster and Staff?? Hockey stick? For real? What genius came up with that?

[End Of Disc One]

I am almost finished Summer Knight. Not as captivating as Grave Peril, IMHO. The scope seems to be getting away from the story a bit. Still good, still read-too-late at night good, but not knock my socks off extraordinary. Still, I wish my books would suffer so small a letdown. ;-)

On a sidenote: I did buy the Dresden Files series DvD (dirt cheap on Amazon). First episode was very entertaining. I very much like how they portrayed Bob. Murphy was indeed terribly miscast, though. And I'm wondering why oh why they didn't give Dresden the famed leather Duster and Staff?? Hockey stick? For real? What genius came up with that?

I'm 51% through Summer Knight, and I think it's better than GP at this point but with the drawback of there being no Michael. I'm a big fan of the widening scope.

[DailyRich]

Well Dead Beat sure just made a lot things more interesting.

[Wayne Batson]

I'm 51% through Summer Knight, and I think it's better than GP at this point but with the drawback of there being no Michael. I'm a big fan of the widening scope.

Y'know, I like the widening scope as well, but at this point, it almost feels too unwieldy, almost like Butcher got in over his head a bit. There seems to be too much going on. Still cool and fun though.