Friday, May 23, 2008

Creative Detour: The Dresden Files

Basically, Jim Butcher's series, The Dresden Files is Harry Potter for grown-ups.

Except that mentioning Harry Potter automatically casts a warm-fuzzy and juvenile glow onto the subject and there's very little warm and fuzzy where the series goes.

And it's DEFINITELY NOT for younger readers.

An urban fantasy/noir/mystery series with a whole lot of grit and gore, Jim Butcher's hero - Harry Dresden (named for Houdini - not Ms. Rowling's creation) - is a down-on-his-luck bona-fide wizard who works for the greater good against all odds and gets very little in the way of respite, peace (or monetary compensation) in return.

Juat like we like it.

The more Harry suffers the more we turn pages because we just can't help it. And Jim Butcher has kept me up WAAAAY past my bedtime with -
Every.
Single.
Book.

So far...

You see I'm catching up on my reading, having strictly disciplined (read 'starved') myself for the past few months as far as fiction is concerned. I pulled out my four 'old' Dresden Files books, intending to read them in order this time and realized I wasn't going to be able to stop there. Reading them in order simply made it worse - no, BETTER!

Time for some EAD maneuvers, methinks Captain!
(EAD = Emergency Amazon.com Deployment)


He has just released the tenth book in the series (see the 'super' cover below) but even catching up via my EAD tactics that's not going to whet this appetite at all!


Here's how good Jim is: I look at the back cover and think -

"Oh crap. It's a zombie book (or vampire etc).
Oh well.
I'll just read the first chapter and turn
in..."

... two hours later I realize my bloodshot eyes are gritty with lack of sleep but it's only that the sun is coming up soon that makes me put the damn book down so I can catch some shut-eye before my not-quite-a-baby-anymore wakes properly to start his day.

I've reconsidered what I want my super-power to be, should I ever get the choice: I want to be able to s-t-r-e-t-c-h t-i-m-e so while the baby is asleep for half and hour I can read a whole book AND get the equivalent of a good night sleep before he wakes up for a little midnight snack again.

Being that I have yet to be bestowed this ability, I am now turning off the light.... after just one more chapter...

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