# Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files" - I just love this series
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 24, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675 "2005-10-24T16:33:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/1 "2005-10-24T16:33:51Z")
I’m almost embarrassed to admit how I learned of this series. I was _cough_ _mumble_ [sub]on James Marsters’s website[/sub] _cough_ when I saw that he did the readings for the audio versions of the books. Curious, I followed the links that led to a description of the books and felt the most amazing sense of _deja vu_.
I would almost swear that I knew Jim Butcher (online only) just before he got his first contract. If he’s the same person, we belonged to an online critique group, and I think we even communicated once or twice by email.
Anyway, intrigued, I decided to order the first book. My goodness, but that man knows how to make interesting characters. His magic has a sense of realism to it. His plots are exciting. He takes his protagonist to the edge and you can feel the sense of desperation as he struggles to come out ahead.
I’m frustrated by only two things: When is Harry going to hook up with Karrin Murphy? (I’m only just starting on book six, so no spoilers if this does happen). And I would like to see more of Johnny Marcone. He’s such an intriguing bad guy.
---
### Author:  [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/2 "2005-10-24T16:52:58Z")
There have been many attempts to combine the hard-boiled mystery genre with dark fantasy/horror. The Anita Blake books. P.J. Elrod’s vampire detective. I like the Garrettt P.I. books by Gen Cook but I think Butcher’s series is by far the best of these. They combine great characters with good dialogue and well explicated and resolved mystery plots. I think this series is worth checking out for fans of either genre.
As for Dresden hooking up with Murphy, I think this is inevitable. I always felt the only wrong note in the series was the quick romance with Ms. Rodriguez. That seems to be a dead issue, so there should be nothing to stand in the way of a realtionship with Ms. Murphy, who was always the more interesting and better realized character. Tying up your series character romantically can cause different problems. Look at _Moonlighting_. It’ll be interesting to see how Butcher handles it.
---
### Author:  [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/3 "2005-10-24T17:04:33Z")
> [@marque elf](#):
>
> I always felt the only wrong note in the series was the quick romance with Ms. Rodriguez. That seems to be a dead issue
Snort! Pun intentional? 😃
Anyway, I love the Dresden books. I even broke down and bought the latest one in hardcover, which I rarely do.
---
### Author:  [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/4 "2005-10-24T17:26:33Z")
> [@RikWriter](#):
>
> Snort! Pun intentional?
>
> Anyway, I love the Dresden books. I even broke down and bought the latest one in hardcover, which I rarely do.
Very intentional. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/5 "2005-10-24T17:30:24Z")
One of my friends turned me on to these books about 2 years ago and I was hooked from then on. I’ve heard there’s an RPG coming out based on the books, and maybe a movie or TV movie. (I have no cites at this time, still researching.)
But I like them much better than the Anita Blake books (of the AB books I’ve read) and I haven’t read the other authors mentioned upthread.
But yes, these rock!
---
### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/6 "2005-10-24T17:37:37Z")
Yes, I agree, I really enjoy his stuff. I also recommend Glen Cook’s Garrett books and Simon Greene’s nightside series. For me Cook’s early stuff is as good as Butcher’s. Greene’s stuff isn’t quite as good, but a nice quick read.
---
### Author:  [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/7 "2005-10-24T18:03:35Z")
I’m also a huge fan of this series. The SciFi Channel is filming a pilot for a proposed Dresden TV series next month. Nicolas Cage is one of the producers, along with some of the folks who produced \*Star Trek: Deep Space Nine \* (or so I was told. I’m not a big Trek fan and have never seen DS9). [There’s a review of the pilot script up at Aint It Cool News right now](http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=21629), and it sounds promising. It’s based on the plot of Storm Front, and hopefully they’ll do it justice.
Oh and DeadlyAccurate, it’s entirely possible that was Jim Butcher you were emailing with. I know he was involved in a number of online writing communities. There’s an email list devoted to his stuff that he’s active on, though the list volume has increased a lot recently. The link to it is on [www.jim-butcher.com](http://www.jim-butcher.com/list/).
---
### Author:  [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-butchers-the-dresden-files-i-just-love-this-series/327675/8 "2005-10-24T18:16:14Z")
Ooh, a Dresden TV series could be really great if it’s done right. There would need to be enough budget for a decent amount of special effects.
I ordered the most recent one in hardcover, to be delivered when I get _A Feast For Crows_. I’ll have to check out **Khadaji’s** authors, too.