The Dresden Files Read-Along discussion
Open Thread
Caryl Huffstetler wrote: "Cliffnotes informs us that the Geat are the tribe of which Beowulf was king, making him "The Geat". Not the only one but at the time of the saga.Grendel is a direct descendent of Cain according to..."
From Heorot: Gard smiled slightly, "My family and the grendelkin's have a long history."
So more a feud Between families -ala Hatfields and McCoys- than within a family.
Julie wrote: "Paulum Mortis, I would love to share a few cocktails with you and get you to spill your secrets! I’m dying to know what line in Grave Peril you think will cause the divergence of Mirror Mirror. And I want to know what you think Elaine’s part is in the upcoming books. And why the weird obsession with Trixie Vixen? I NEED THIS INFORMATION! "Heh, how ‘bout I trade you answers to all three in exchange for honest, detailed, first impression response to THIS:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KBlU...
Cocktails later for sure…
Caryl Huffstetler wrote: "Gotta suspend a little disbelief occasionally in works of fiction. "What? Suspend disbelief in works of fiction? Never!
I wonder exactly when Harry wrote these, and what Ivy thought of the repeated references to her as a creepy kid.
Bwahaha - if the Good-bye microfiction is to be believed, Ivy seems to have forgiven Harry. Can't find anything in canon to say When he wrote them but we know from canon that Harry had case files in his office, journals and notebooks in his lab and that some of his notes were in Butters' possession when Harry was 'unavailable' after Changes. I believe there's an offhand mention -or as offhand as JB gets- about Eb having journals and having encouraged Harry to keep them, though I don't remember which book. One of the later ones because I believes Harry is glancing over them in Eb's Edinburgh office.
Caryl wrote: "Bwahaha - if the Good-bye microfiction is to be believed, Ivy seems to have forgiven Harry. Can't find anything in canon to say When he wrote them but we know from canon that Harry had case files ..."
There's no reason to believe that Harry had written those references to Ivy before the microfiction. It only makes sense that he hadn't yet. After all, he was aware that if he wrote about Ivy, she'd know.
I came across some of JB's foreshadowing in my reread of Ghost Story. When Butters agrees to train with the warriors from Valhalla but only if he got an actual Lightsaber first. I died laughing! It also surprises me at how good Jim is at giving snippets of the future.
Does anyone know off-hand what "something scary" Warden Bill Meyers once saw Harry do that has caused him to always be polite to him since?
I think that was in a side book involving harry helping train young wizards at an encampment in the desert.
Wordwizard wrote: "Does anyone know off-hand what "something scary" Warden Bill Meyers once saw Harry do that has caused him to always be polite to him since?"Not a side book but a flashback that took place at the wizard training camp. Harry tortured some ghouls after seeing what they did to the 2 casualties, a set of 16 year old fraternal twins. You know Harry and kids.
That torture was dark. You can only do with magic what you believe in. He believes in torturing sentient creatures. Calling them disgusting doesn't change what HE does TO them.
Indeed, Harry was definitely under his darker influences at that point and, while ashamed of himself and guilt laden, I think this is one of the incidents that lead people to think he could be the next Blackstaff. He'd have to be able to believe in those kinds of actions in order to do that job. At least it helps with his reconciliation with McCoy. He couldn't continue to hold McCoy at arm's length after having fallen down the same rabbit hole.
He had already used magic to kill his adoptive father. Looks as if fears that he must inevitably become increasingly corrupted might have some basis.
the struggle against his darker nature is a theme throughout for sure. Harry usually triumphs over those temptations but nobody's perfect. It's just that Harry tends to do everything to extremes.
Paulum Mortis wrote: "I’ve come up with three questions; a big one, a little one, and a naughty one. And even if it’s FOOL MOON applicable I’ll save the big one for another day I think.So, White Court vampires have lo..."
So I'm guessing I'm not the only one who hears Robert Palmer's 1988 Simply Irresistible every time Lara shows up in a scene? If you don't, I suggest you head for YouTube and try to figure out why not.
I didn't until you mentioned it but... yeah. It fits.I wonder if that's anything JB would ever listen to. His taste seems to lean to a more metal vein.
Caryl wrote: "I didn't until you mentioned it but... yeah. It fits.I wonder if that's anything JB would ever listen to. His taste seems to lean to a more metal vein."
Not sure what JB listens to (he does give t-shirt hints, though, doesn't he?) but ever since Lara walked into Arturo's office in BR that's been her soundtrack.
Steven wrote: "Caryl wrote: "I didn't until you mentioned it but... yeah. It fits.I wonder if that's anything JB would ever listen to. His taste seems to lean to a more metal vein."
Not sure what JB listens to ..."
I've heard JB mention turning down 9 Inch Nails while driving through a thunderstorm that inspired the drawing power from storms aspect of Storm Front and that his theme song for Harry is Gone Away by The Offspring. But the music mentioned in canon is pretty eclectic everything from Froggy Went A Courtin' to Queen to Wagner.
Random thought. Just reread the short story I Was A Teenage Bigfoot and was reminded that Irwin's school was St. Micheal's Academy for the Gifted and Talented, which is the school Maggie Dresden is going to be attending in the YA series JB has spoken of in recent interviews. So I decided to see if it was a real school. JB has used many real buildings and locations in canon so, ...There are a few St. Michael's schools in the Chicago Metro area but inside Chicago proper is a private school called Midwest Academy for GiftedEducation. They use the acronym MAGE. I think this would be a pretty good place for Maggie if SMAGT doesn't work out. ;-)
Caryl wrote: "Midwest Academy for Gifted Education. They use the acronym MAGE."Oh my everloving god! That is the most perfect thing ever. Of all time!
Caryl wrote: "I think this would be a pretty good place for Maggie if SMAGT doesn't work out. ;-).."Indeed. He should able to afford it, too, unless he's already given away the other half of the diamonds.
Steven wrote: "Caryl wrote: "I think this would be a pretty good place for Maggie if SMAGT doesn't work out. ;-).."Indeed. He should able to afford it, too, unless he's already given away the other half of the ..."
I figure most of his half of the diamonds went directly to a trust fund for Maggie.
Caryl wrote: "St. Micheal's Academy for the Gifted and Talented, which is the school Maggie Dresden is going to be attending in the YA series JB has spoken of in recent interviews.."WHAT YA series? Details, please, quotes from said recent interviews.
PensaCon 2020: A YA series with Maggie as the main character, taking place in a boarding school for the children of the magical folks of Chicago. Mouse will be with her. There was mention made of the culture of childhood and evils adults can no longer perceive because they Are adults. More info in interview.
Caryl wrote: "PensaCon 2020: More info in interview."Do you have a link? When will we see this series? Will this be slowing the frequency of future Dresden Files books, or of Cinder Spires books, or of both? What reading level will these YA books be at? Are they going to be appealing to adults?
just search for PensaCon 2020 on Youtube. That's where I found it. JB has a collaborator for this series, so probably no to slowing his other series. I don't know the rest of the answers but I'm personally expecting them to be J.K. Rowling-ish in their appeal. I could be wrong but I hope not, 'cause I want to read them to my grandchildren. A little girl/child who can keep calm when everyone around her is losing their mind is a great role model. WoJ: "After all, she Is Harry Dresden's daughter."
Caryl wrote: "PensaCon 2020: A YA series with Maggie as the main character, taking place in a boarding school for the children of the magical folks of Chicago. Mouse will be with her. There was mention made of t..."I hope he was joking - a boarding school for magical kids?! the whole series is about how magical kids get thrown to the wolves - either they are lucky to be born to a practitioner that teaches them, or they end up teaching themselves magic. Less practitioners due to the war causes a surge of self-taught warlocks.
If there was a school designed to prevent this - it wouldn't be an issue like it is.
Of course - Harry could decide that the whole warlock situation could best be avoided by starting such a school - but the other council members are too stuck in their way of thinking to be a part of this.
Little Maggie's adventures with magic is not a bad concept, but she will have to do this at a regular school, maybe with a magical guardian like the babysitters described in B is for Bigfoot.
I'm rereading the Earthsea series - I know the ideas of Names having power is an old one, but there are other similarity points with the whole Shadow business between Ged and Harry.I like finding paralels between different authors - I also see a lot of the Amber series by Zelazny in things like the Nevernever travel sequences, and a fairy-ring made of toadstools is also a portal here...
Yasmin wrote: "Caryl wrote: "PensaCon 2020: A YA series with Maggie as the main character, taking place in a boarding school for the children of the magical folks of Chicago. Mouse will be with her. There was men..."You could be right about the 'regular' kids in the school which is described in "I Was a Teenage Bigfoot" as, ". an upper-end place ... filled with the offspring of the city's luminaries. They had their own small, private security force....' However, the head master in the short story is a former Venatori and is aware of scions.
Caryl wrote: "... However, the head master in the short story is a former Venatori and is aware of scions.."Based on the impression Harry made, I'm sure that Dr. Fabio would lose the rest of his hair on the spot, if he has any left, if Harry showed up to enroll Maggie and Mouse.
If he didn't drop dead on the spot he'd never be able to say no to Dresden. ;-)Harry might need a little leverage to get past the board of governors or whoever else runs the school. 'Cause Dresden doesn't look too impressive to vanilla mortals. He's certainly not a 'luminary'.
I wonder how JB and friend Are going to get her admitted? Scholarship because she's So bright? A favor from some past client? The possibilities are intriguing.
Caryl wrote: "Random thought. Just reread the short story I Was A Teenage Bigfoot and was reminded that Irwin's school was St. Micheal's Academy for the Gifted and Talented, which is the school Maggie Dresden is..."I must self correct -surprised no one else caught me out- It's St. Mark's Academy not St. Michael's.
Caryl wrote: "I must self correct -surprised no one else caught me out- It's St. Mark's Academy not St. Michael's."Why not edit your original remark?
Caryl wrote: "If he didn't drop dead on the spot he'd never be able to say no to Dresden. ;-)Harry might need a little leverage to get past the board of governors or whoever else runs the school. 'Cause Dresde..."
who's paying Harry's bills as winter knight? Mab is rich, and Harry doesn't have any scrupulouses when it comes to his daughter. Also - he doesn't pay rent anymore...
JB says Mab paid Dresden in power. He could live in Arctis Tor for free but he doesn't get a salary from her. He still gets his Warden's salary and he has the diamonds from the heist as a kind of bonus. There may be other bonuses in the future. He could still earn money as a PI I guess, especially if the Paranet is handing his calls now. ;-)
Paying in power doesn't pay the bills. A one-time payment for a lifetime gig?
Yasmin wrote: "Caryl wrote: "If he didn't drop dead on the spot he'd never be able to say no to Dresden. ;-)Harry might need a little leverage to get past the board of governors or whoever else runs the school...."
During "Cold Days," Molly has some sort of a deal with a group of svartalves that got her a really fancy apartment and there's a room set aside there for Harry. Does Molly still have that apartment? If he does, that cuts out the cost of rent and utilities. At this point, Harry's would only really have to pay for food, gas for whatever car he gets next and school for Maggie.
There's also the possibility that there was a trust set up for her by Susan.
Joe wrote: "...Molly has some sort of a deal with a group of svartalves ..."Joe, go find a copy of Brief Cases. The explanation of how Molly got her apartment is titled Bombshells.
Steven wrote: "Joe wrote: "...Molly has some sort of a deal with a group of svartalves ..."Joe, go find a copy of Brief Cases. The explanation of how Molly got her apartment is titled Bombshells."
I haven't read "Brief Cases" since it came out so I just forget the exact details behind the deal that got her the apartment.
Does anyone know how long individual stories are in BRIEF CASES in the audio version? I prefer reading, but the NYPL doesn't have e-copies that can be downloaded onto Kindle. I might be able to find time to listen to genuinely brief cases.
Caryl!!! Did you read today's micro-fiction? St. Marks is getting some new staff!
Agony! The new microfiction takes place after SKIN GAME, so it would be cheating to read it while I'm still on TURN COAT.
Wordwizard wrote: "Agony! The new microfiction takes place after SKIN GAME, so it would be cheating to read it while I'm still on TURN COAT."This is a tough one. I'd like to tell you that it doesn't give away anything in your future reading, but if you haven't read Brief Cases then it does.
You might want to avoid my posts until you do. Sorry, but this is the Open Thread.
SPOILER ALERT If you haven't read micro-fiction #4, Job Placement, you really want to skip this comment.You were warned.
(view spoiler)
Wordwizard Does anyone know how long individual stories are in BRIEF CASES in the audio version? I prefer reading, but the NYPL doesn't have e-copies that can be downloaded onto Kindle. I might be able to find time to listen to genuinely brief cases15 hrs and 30 mins total. Remember though, even though it sounds like a long time, these are short stories. So they would be easy to stop and start again 🙂
Lillicat wrote: "Yasmin wrote: "Considering Bob's personality is affected by whoever owns him - what does it say about Harry that he has a sex-maniac for a lab assisstant...yeah - Harry's a perfect gentleman, but..."
Just finished reading Ghost Story for just the 2nd time. Bob explains that his personality hasn't changed drastically under Butters because Butters knew him when he was Harry's assistant and knew that personality. However, Butters uses Bob differently and therefore he has changed somewhat and gets to exercise a lot more freedom and power.
Wordwizard wrote: "Caryl Huffstetler wrote: "Gotta suspend a little disbelief occasionally in works of fiction. "What? Suspend disbelief in works of fiction? Never!
I wonder exactly when Harry wrote these, and wh..."
I, like you, wonder if Harry is writing these as these things are happening, say at the end of each adventure which seems a likely scenario or are they some sort of "letter" to Maggie about who he was and is in case he dies again. I kind of lean toward the former because there's not a lot of "if I'd only known then what I know now" kind of stuff which would likely creep in to a memoir. On the other hand the frequent breaking of the fourth wall kind of stuff he does could be used as an argument that he is writing with Some kind of audience, other than himself, in mind.
Thoughts?
Caryl wrote: "... On the other hand the frequent breaking of the fourth wall kind of stuff he does could be used as an argument that he is writing with Some kind of audience, other than himself, in mind."Didn't Ebenezar sort of hint (in Turn Coat?) that he expected Harry to create his own journals to record his activities? "Posterity," or "wizards yet to come" would be an audience other than himself. And I agree that writing long after the fact, it would be hard to keep from sticking in lessons learned. Although ... that would explain the excellent track record of foreshadowing; he could be trying to keep the text in chronological order, sort of an as-it-happened documentary, but unconsciously sticking in details that he knew would be important later.
Steven wrote: And I agree that writing long after the fact, it would be hard to keep from sticking in lessons learned. Although ... that would explain the excellent track record of foreshadowing; he could be trying to keep the text in chronological order, sort of an as-it-happened documentary, but unconsciously sticking in details that he knew would be important later.It feels to me like there's a bit of both. Like the journals are cobbled together from case notes that Harry has made over the course of the years his years as a PI and, later on, being further fleshed out based on the advice Ebeneezer gave him to keep journals on the stuff he's encountered.
And given that he's got access to Bob The Skull, a spirit of pure intellect, it's safe to say that Bob can fill in whatever blanks Harry is missing from the early days before he took this advice.
Steven wrote: "Caryl wrote: "... On the other hand the frequent breaking of the fourth wall kind of stuff he does could be used as an argument that he is writing with Some kind of audience, other than himself, in..."Yes, When Harry visited Eb's 'office', read the excerpt from the journal and saw the other journal's Eb did encourage Harry to create a few of his own. He also hinted that Harry would be his heir by saying that someday Harry would have a chance to read those very same journals.
But don't forget that in WHITE NIGHT, Harry promises himself he's going to get himself s..."
Just ran across a reference to the hat again in Small Favor and 2 in the short story Heorot. How did I miss this running gag in the first read through?