Dresden Files: Series Timeline

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Kacher:
Question:

During which days of October the story "Changes" occur ?

Is it during Halloween ?

DARTHYAM:
Doubt it. They would have mentioned haloween occuring (since it was mentioned in cold days and dead beat). It was probably in the second half of the month (hence why may 9 in ghost story is said to be 7 months later)

draxius:

--- Quote from: Priscellie on February 10, 2013, 05:56:56 PM ---Fantastic catch, Sharlee!

We should make a list of reasons why Harry's birth should be in certain years.

1974 (SF in 1999)

* Works with mayoral elections
* Dovetails with major post-9/11 historical events: terrorist paranoia, War on Terror, end or Iraq war, and death of bin Laden
* Closest to Knight Rider timeline
* Lydia's prophetic dream about the Challenger disaster in 1986 hits at a more plausible age (while still certainly plausible for Harry being born in 1976). Assuming she's talking about the assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981, this is also the most plausible.
* CON: David Kotkin (age 18) takes the stage name "David Copperfield" in 1974, though his career doesn't take off until 1975. Still, if Malcolm knew him from the SAM and even helped him choose a name, this isn't a deal-breaker.
1976 (SF in 2001)

* WoJ (who can be fallible)
* David Copperfield attains fame in 1975.
* Holy cats, I am seriously coming up blank here.What else am I missing? Seems very likely I need to inform Jim he's wrong. :D

--- End quote ---

I've been lurking on this community for a long time without posting. A while back, I tried to rationalize some of these dates, and wrote myself a little HTML/Javascript to do the math. (If anyone wants to play around with it, you can find it here - http://draxius.com/dresden/timeline.html ... and feel free to correct any inaccuracies I might have).

This brought me to a problem with both of the above timelines. Because Storm Front occurs in March, and Harry is born in October, for him to be 25 during SF sets your years off by 1. If Harry was born on 10/31/74, Storm Front needs to be in March of 2000, not 1999 (he'd still be 24 years old, and in fact closer to his 24th than 25th birthdays).

For me, the math still points to a 1974 birth date (as the millenial chaos that's mentioned early on in the series makes sense). Put the page I put together forces a determination of both Storm Front's year and how old Jim is when it happens, so we can play with the abacus of Harry's life a bit. It is, of course, no where near as complete as Priscellie's timeline, but should help to shake out the last few of the questions.

Elegast:
That's really cool.

Allow me to save the source:

--- Code: ---<html>
<head>
<style>
.harry {
color: #ff0000;
}
.short {
color: #0000ff;
}
.novel {
color: #00aa00;
}
table, td {
border: solid thin black;
}

</style>
</head>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
function year_calc(data) {
var year = parseInt(data.year.value);
var age = parseInt(data.age.value);
var yearpre = year + 25 - age;
var result = "<table style\"width:100px;\">\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\">Story/Event</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Estimated Date</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry Dresden is Born</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October 31st, " + (yearpre - 26) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Malcolm Dresden dies (6)</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October 31st, "
+ (yearpre - 20) + ", before October 31st, " + (yearpre-19) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry learns shielding (10)</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October 31st, "
+ (yearpre - 16) + ", before October 31st, " + (yearpre-15) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry learns shielding (12)</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October 31st, "
+ (yearpre - 14) + ", before October 31st, " + (yearpre-13) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry kills Justin (16)</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October 31st, "
+ (yearpre - 10) + ", before October 31st, " + (yearpre-9) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry leaves Ebenezzar (19)</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October 31st, "
+ (yearpre - 7) + ", before October 31st, " + (yearpre-6) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry arrives in Chicago</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">[Sometime in "
+ (yearpre - 6) + " or " + (yearpre - 5)+ "]</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry joins Ragged Angel</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">[Sometime in "
+ (yearpre - 5) + ", possibly " + (yearpre - 6) + "]</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Restoration of Faith</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Sometime in [late] "
+ (year - 3) + " or [early] " + (year - 2) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Harry starts his own detective agency</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">[Sometime in "
+ (year - 2)+ "]</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Welcome to the Jungle</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Sometime in "
+ (year - 1) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Storm Front</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">March " + year + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Fool Moon</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October " + year + " (during Full Moon)</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">B is for Bigfoot</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Sometime in " + (year + 1) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Ghoul Goblin</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">After October "
+ (year) + ", before October " + (year+1) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Grave Peril</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October " + (year+1) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Summer Knight</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">June " + (year+2) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Death Masks</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Late February " + (year+3) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"harry\">Maggie is born</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Tail end of " + (year+3) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Vignette</td><td style=\"width:600px;\"> Sometime in " + (year+3) + " or " + (year+4) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Blood Rites</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Late Autumn " + (year+4) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Dead Beat</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October 31st, " + (year+5) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">I Was a Teenage Bigfoot</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">November(?) " + (year+5) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Somthing Borrowed</td><td style=\"width:600px;\"> Spring/Summer " + (year+6) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Proven Guilty</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">July " + (year+6) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">White Night</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">May " + (year+7) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">It's My Birthday, Too</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">February 14th, " + (year+8) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Heorot</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October " + (year+8) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Small Favor</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Late November " + (year+8) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Backup</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Early March " + (year+9) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Day Off</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">[Spring?] " + (year+9) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">The Warrior</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Summer " + (year+9) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Curses</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Summer [late July or August]" + (year+9) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">AAAA Wizardry</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Between May " + (year+9) + " and Summer " + (year+10) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Last Call</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">March " + (year+10) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Turn Coat</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">Summer " + (year+10) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Bigfoot On Campus</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">mid-October " + (year+10) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Even Hand</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">March " + (year+11) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Love Hurts</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">September " + (year+11) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Changes</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October " + (year+11) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Aftermath</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October " + (year+11) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Ghost Story</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">May 9th, " + (year+12) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"short\">Bombshells</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">between May 10th and October 30th " + (year+12) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "<tr><td style=\"width:400px;\" class=\"novel\">Cold Days</td><td style=\"width:600px;\">October 31st, " + (year+12) + "</td></tr>\n"
+ "</table>";

var change = document.getElementById('output');
output.innerHTML = result;

return result;

}
</script>
<h3>Dresden Timeline Adjuster</h3>
Based on the timeline found <a href="http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,1592.0.html">here</a>, I've tried to place a year to the
novels and short stories (I'll attempt to expand this, eventually). Just insert the year you believe Storm Front takes
place in and hit the button - this page will handle the rest.
Text in <text class="harry">red</text> represents key moments in Harry's life before Storm Front, plus a few extra items.
Text in <text class="novel">green</text> are the spots for full-length novels.
Text in <text class="short">blue</text> represents all of the other short stories and graphic novels published to date or known to be coming out.
Any text in brackets is personal extrapolation.

<form>
Year for Storm Front:<input name="year" type="text" value=2000> Harry's Age:<input name="age" type="text" value=25> 
<input type="submit" value="Calculate" onClick="year_calc(this.form); return false;"> 
</form>


<div id="output" style="width:1000px;">
 
</div>


</body>
</html>

--- End code ---

draxius:
Another note on specifically on Ghoul Goblin, actually. According to issue 2, it takes place between a few weeks and several months after Fool Moon. I will be as non-spoliery as I can with the references here.

Issue 1: (Harry, thinking...) "Because I screwed up, a group of werewolves unleashed a bloodbath that claimed my best friend's partner. That was only weeks ago."
Isse 2: (Harry thinking again) "My mind took an involuntary leap back several months. Murphy had survived the MacFinn case, but many others weren't so lucky.*"
* SEE FULL MOON SERIES -- RICH

The nature of comics are going to cause some inconsistencies (there are a couple in Ghoul Goblin so far that jump off the page at me), but in terms of placement in the timeline, we already knew which novels it was between (http://www.jim-butcher.com/posts/2012/ghoul-goblin-1-preview)

Based on the "several months" comment from issue two (and the lead-in text before each issue, actually), and the fact that Harry is freezing in one of the scenes where he is, I'd place the story roughly in February following Fool Moon, maybe March... much later would start getting warmer where he's at, almost too warm for the scene and his reactions in issue 3 to play out the way that they do.

I haven't read the Bigfoot stories yet, so I don't know if that's before or after "B is for Bigfoot" in the timeline, but I'm very confident we can add this to the timeline as:

1 ASF, February or March: Ghoul Goblin. Several months after Fool Moon, but early enough in the year for freezing temperatures in Missouri.

You know, with Priscellie's review and OK, of course. ;)

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