The Dresden Files
A few different friends have suggested the Dresden Files books to me over the last couple years, so I went and picked up the first few to try them out. Then I picked up a few more. Then I picked up every one that's out right now. And now I'm trying desperately to be patient while I wait for the next book.*
The best description I've been able to come up with is to imagine Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake books, with drastically reduced sex, a male protagonist, and a definite pulp detective feel thrown into the mix. They're fun, they're silly, they've got that great faux-gritty feeling that manages to skip over almost all the actual grit that's depressing, and the characters are all genuinely likeable (even if they're a little bland).
What they aren't, however, is brilliantly written. These are popcorn books. If you're looking for depth and insight, move on. Sure, the series has its moments, but that's not what they're for, and that's definitely not what they're good at.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to check out the series is that they do get better over time. Obviously I liked the first few books, but their plots rely pretty heavily on deus ex machina, and sudden unexpected bursts of strength, and so on. As the series goes on, that sort of silliness stops happening, and Harry Dresden starts playing by the same rules as everyone else in the world. Which isn't to say that he doesn't still get to do some crazy stuff, mind you -- it just stays consistent with the rules already laid out for everyone else to follow, with plenty of setup steps ahead of time. Even more important, at least to me, is that the characters' motivations and actions become more consistent and believable over time, with many of the more charicatured aspects of people's characters smoothing out into something that actually make sense.
Another point to consider is that this isn't a book with a ton of sequels. Like many detective series these days, these books are episodes, just little chunks out of Harry Dresden's life. Admittedly the most dramatic chunks, but they aren't the whole story. For example, between books, his car's interior is eaten by a mold demon -- and he never gives any further explanation for how or why or what was going on to cause a mold demon to eat the interior of his car. If you've never seen an episodic novel series, think of it as episodes of a TV show -- just because you've told a complete story doesn't mean you've told the complete story. There's always more to come. And like a good TV show (say, Babylon 5) there's always an overarching storyline tying everything together. And also like a good TV show, what happens in one episode stays happened in the next, so the world the characters inhabit is always a little different, and the characters themselves grow over time as well.
Overall, I'd recommend the series. It's got some pretty painful quirks right up to the third book, but the books are still a lot of fun despite that, and things just keep getting better.
* I told you I'd have something non-political to write about today!
The best description I've been able to come up with is to imagine Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake books, with drastically reduced sex, a male protagonist, and a definite pulp detective feel thrown into the mix. They're fun, they're silly, they've got that great faux-gritty feeling that manages to skip over almost all the actual grit that's depressing, and the characters are all genuinely likeable (even if they're a little bland).
What they aren't, however, is brilliantly written. These are popcorn books. If you're looking for depth and insight, move on. Sure, the series has its moments, but that's not what they're for, and that's definitely not what they're good at.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to check out the series is that they do get better over time. Obviously I liked the first few books, but their plots rely pretty heavily on deus ex machina, and sudden unexpected bursts of strength, and so on. As the series goes on, that sort of silliness stops happening, and Harry Dresden starts playing by the same rules as everyone else in the world. Which isn't to say that he doesn't still get to do some crazy stuff, mind you -- it just stays consistent with the rules already laid out for everyone else to follow, with plenty of setup steps ahead of time. Even more important, at least to me, is that the characters' motivations and actions become more consistent and believable over time, with many of the more charicatured aspects of people's characters smoothing out into something that actually make sense.
Another point to consider is that this isn't a book with a ton of sequels. Like many detective series these days, these books are episodes, just little chunks out of Harry Dresden's life. Admittedly the most dramatic chunks, but they aren't the whole story. For example, between books, his car's interior is eaten by a mold demon -- and he never gives any further explanation for how or why or what was going on to cause a mold demon to eat the interior of his car. If you've never seen an episodic novel series, think of it as episodes of a TV show -- just because you've told a complete story doesn't mean you've told the complete story. There's always more to come. And like a good TV show (say, Babylon 5) there's always an overarching storyline tying everything together. And also like a good TV show, what happens in one episode stays happened in the next, so the world the characters inhabit is always a little different, and the characters themselves grow over time as well.
Overall, I'd recommend the series. It's got some pretty painful quirks right up to the third book, but the books are still a lot of fun despite that, and things just keep getting better.
* I told you I'd have something non-political to write about today!