[Spotlight Post] Jim Butcher – and The Dresden Files
This week’s spotlight post is in honor of a book release this week. Jim Butcher has released the newest Harry Dresden novel, and I don’t get to read it until Jimmy’s finished with it, so don’t worry – no spoilers here. And I’ve got my virtual fingers in my ears for everyone else who’s already read it. LALALALALALA.
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Anyway…for those of you who might not know about the awesomeness that is Jim Butcher… dude! Jim Butcher is simply…cool. He was “one of us†before we knew him as an author. He’s a gamer, a reader, a costumer, and…yeah. FenCon was lucky to have him as a Toastmaster in 2006, which was about the time I started doing stuff on staff. I was able to hang out with him and his lovely (and equally talented writer) wife, Shannon Butcher, during that convention.
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The Dresden Files are books Jimmy and I no longer wait to come out in paperback. We have most of the collection in hardback now – including the short story collections. We just love the series so much. Jimmy tends to get to read the series first since he’s the one who orders them and has them delivered to his office – so he has physical possession first. So I generally know the quality of the book by the vehemence of the reaction. Like with the end of Changes.
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We were all shocked when Jim cut off his long, flowing (and until about 2010) signature locks. Shannon posted pictures of his newly shorn look just as Changes came out. None of us recognized him – and then realized why when we all read what he’d done to poor Harry in that book. Jim was hiding from us.
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But we keep reading and buying the books because we have to know how things turn out for Chicago’s only professional wizard. Jim pulls no punches with Harry Dresden (and SYFY should’ve given it more of a chance – and I’m sure I’m not the only one watching Arrow on the CW and waiting for Paul Blackthorne to start throwing some magic around) and we all want him to a) survive and b) (probably) GET THE GIRL. And it’s not just Harry, we care about the whole cadre of characters – like Mouse the Dog, and Mister the Cat, and Butters the Coroner. Murphy, Michael, and Molly are a given. But Jim really does make you care about ALL the characters. Even the mobsters.
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I know there are some out there who’re going to be perturbed that I only focus on Harry. That I haven’t given equal time to his other books. But I love Harry. And I’ve found if I like a more adventure/action series, that I’m not as fond of other genres by the same author… not just Butcher. I couldn’t get into the Codex Alera books, but I hear they’re really good. I have friends to just LOVE those books – but I’m a Harry Dresden girl, and this is my blog. Seriously, not matter which one you like – go read Jim Butcher. You won’t regret it.
2 Comments
I hear you on the Codex Alera books. The first one did not hook me at all, but after consistent pestering, I finally took a look at the second one, and it was a LOT better, particularly in the areas of pacing and exposition. I had been warned that the series had a slow start, but it wasn’t until I read the second one that I believed it wasn’t slow the whole way through.
So, sometime after I finish ripping through Cold Days, I’ll circle back and try book 3 of the Codex Alera.
Rhonda, I’m a huge Jim Butcher fan. Started with the Dresden files, which I like but don’t love. Then, discovered the Codex Alera, which I DO love. He’d really grown up as a writer by the time he got that series going, and to me, it showed in the more mature writing style, more complex plots, more adult dialogue and deeper characterizations. Hope this guy keeps writing for a long, long time. So jealous that you got to meet him. 🙂