ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: Con on August 18, 2020, 06:34:24 PM
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So upcoming AMA, incredible opportunity, but I'd like to see and hear questions that Jim might actually answer rather than get an "I'm not gonna tell you"or "That seems like an inconsistency"
I can't think of a way to phrase the question the way it might actually be answered but would love to learn more about Margaret le Fey.
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This is the problem, we can ask anything, but are we going to get any meaningful answers? No.
Even so I would ask a question “are any of Malcolm’s personal effects, his magic equipment, posters, his hat still knocking around, for example on eBay, where one of Harry’s computer literate friends could find it?” Harry has his mothers Amulet, but nothing really from his father, (except possibly the Mug). If Harry were to have a hat, it should be his fathers magicians top hat. Just clear out the long, long dead rabbit from it first.
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Is Mister, as a wizard's cat, different from a mundane's cat?
Is there more yet to be revealed about Justine's background?
When can we expect the first book of the Maggie Files? (And does the series have a working name better than that one?)
Did Morgan really have a partner hidden under a veil in Summer Knight when he tried to provoke Harry? Did he have a partner hidden under a veil during similar scenes in Storm Front? If so, will we ever learn who the mystery partner is?
Is Warden Yoshimo related to Knight-of-the-Cross Shiro Yoshimo, or are the names a coincidence?
If a genoskwa can take up a Denarius, could Irwin (or River Shoulders) take up a one of the Swords?
When Scions (of different lines) have children, how do the bloodlines work? Does the child inherit one or the other, both, or neither? Is it random, like recessive genes?
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Before asking a question research the point in WOJ, people ask the same questions time and time again.
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Is Warden Yoshimo related to Knight-of-the-Cross Shiro Yoshimo, or are the names a coincidence?
Confirmed as of White Knight. Just before Harry torture the Ghouls he has asked her for a family tree to help with his research on how Knights of the Cross are picked. He confirms they had an ancestor in common.
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Which makes her qualified to be a knight should Sanya fall, if all of the Knights are being upgraded, she carries a katana and an assault rifle.
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Imagine Harry told Lea (whenever he sees her again), "Godmother, did you know that a powerful wizard was acting as one of Bianca's flunkies that night at the vampire's masquerade ball, and he handled all of the gifts including the tainted athame that Bianca gave you? Would you like to know more about him?" Seeing as Lea told Harry (in Ghost Story) that she went gonzo on the Red Court at Chichen Itza because she owed her godson for knocking Bianca off for her; would knowledge that Cowl was acting as Bianca's flunky be something Lea would like to know? I mean would Lea trade something to know that Kemmler's last living student (we think) handled her tainted gift? A favor of commensurate value perhaps?
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Trying to think of questions that won't get an immediate "I'm not gonna tell you".
Can you consciously control where a way you open will end up? Cowl+Peabody seem to be able to get to mildewland from pretty much anywhere (Murphy's front lawn, Edinburgh, the deeps etc) and use the regular ways.
How did Mother Summer manage to say “I’m sure he’s overjoyed to owe loyalty to you"? Does she get to ignore the no-lying rule like how Mother Winter ignores the rule about iron?
How exactly does Harry pay for the copious amounts of hospital visits he has had according to Dead Beat?
Do any of Harry's friends use his techbane effect to take advantage of warranties (are warranties even a thing in the US?)?
Will the fact that huge chunks of Edinburgh are uninhabited and unused come into play at some point or is the detail about the white council squatting in a fortress way too big for them just intended to say something about them as an organisation?
Maybe something about the Darkhallow version of Changes and how it would have worked, need to think of wording.
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Confirmed as of White Knight. Just before Harry torture the Ghouls he has asked her for a family tree to help with his research on how Knights of the Cross are picked. He confirms they had an ancestor in common.
Oh, excellent. I'd missed that.
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Oh here’s Some good ones..... we know we are not going to get plot points.
Does Butters mother know of his domestic arrangements? If so what does she think about it?
What did Maggie give Harry for their first birthday/Christmas together?
If the Swords are powered by an Angel, is the Athame (and other weapons) powered by multiple angels, or by a single Archangel in each?
Is the Crown of Thorns related to Thorn Manacles
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Did Hendricks finish his thesis?
Does Little Chicago survived the fire?
Did Harry ask Eb things about his grandmother? If he has uncles, aunties, grand aunts, grand uncles...?
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Did Hendricks finish his thesis?
Does Little Chicago survived the fire?
Did Harry ask Eb things about his grandmother? If he has uncles, aunties, grand aunts, grand uncles...?
That one has been answered IIRC, it's in the eternal loop of revising things and expanding things and then revising things even more.
Yep, it's over 1200 pages. (https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/8ntzo3/my_name_is_jim_butcher_and_i_write_stories_ask_me/dzykgrb/?context=3)
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Is Mister, as a wizard's cat, different from a mundane's cat?
Who could ignore the other better, Mister or Rowl?
On a more serious note, based on the clue in Zoo Day about who was behind the theft of Mouse' litter, would Mouse recognize either of them again by scent if he encountered them undisguised, and react with hostility? My particular interest is in whether Elaine is Kumori, but it would also be useful to cross-reference for how he reacts to various Council members.
PS do we have a link to this upcoming AMA?
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Who could ignore the other better, Mister or Rowl?
On a more serious note, based on the clue in Zoo Day about who was behind the theft of Mouse' litter, would Mouse recognize either of them again by scent if he encountered them undisguised, and react with hostility? My particular interest is in whether Elaine is Kumori, but it would also be useful to cross-reference for how he reacts to various Council members.
PS do we have a link to this upcoming AMA?
Oh that reminds me that he got to smell Kumori up close in Dead Beat when she broke in to steal Bob. Lemme just check how Mouse reacted to Elaine.
EDIT: Sat on her when it was time to break into Anna's place but let his guard right down around her once that was over and done with. I guess that's one point against Elaine being Kumori.
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That one has been answered IIRC, it's in the eternal loop of revising things and expanding things and then revising things even more.
Yep, it's over 1200 pages. (https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/8ntzo3/my_name_is_jim_butcher_and_i_write_stories_ask_me/dzykgrb/?context=3)
Oh, I meant if he got his degree
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Can you consciously control where a way you open will end up? Cowl+Peabody seem to be able to get to mildewland from pretty much anywhere (Murphy's front lawn, Edinburgh, the deeps etc).
Maybe something about the Darkhallow version of Changes and how it would have worked, need to think of wording.
1. Confirmed that who you are plays as much into opening a Way as where you are. Plus every wizard has a unique magic signature, Cowl and Peabody's are 'mildew'
2. Answered in a previously. Harry would have gone into the woods, killed a bunch of forest animals for life force, caused a natural disaster to get the power up. Can't find the quote though this is related
How exactly would the version of Changes where Harry does the Darkhallow have gone afterwards? It seems like the kind of thing that would burn his bridges with absolutely everybody.
Answer: Well, with the White Council for sure, and with a lot of human authorities. But if he'd become a friggin' necromancer, he would have found his allies among the dead and dead-adjacent, and things would have generally been a lot gothier. :)
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C'mon guys, we all know it's just gonna be more of the same questions he gets at literally every Panel, Interview, or AMA.
"So, what's the story behind how you came up with The Dresden Files?"
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Not likely he'd answer and would very possibly get offended, but I'd like to hear the details on how the publication of Peace Talks and Battleground was structured. No secret that there was a lot of dissatisfaction with Peace Talks and the $15 price tag for a soft copy of an incomplete book (setting aside any quality issues with the story itself). I don't think Jim Butcher is responsible for that element, but would be interested in his perspective on it.
Getting an honest answer is a pipe dream, though.
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Not likely he'd answer and would very possibly get offended, but I'd like to hear the details on how the publication of Peace Talks and Battleground was structured. No secret that there was a lot of dissatisfaction with Peace Talks and the $15 price tag for a soft copy of an incomplete book (setting aside any quality issues with the story itself). I don't think Jim Butcher is responsible for that element, but would be interested in his perspective on it.
Getting an honest answer is a pipe dream, though.
Yeah, for the sake of all of us it is best not to go there I think.
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WTF is conjuritis, is it a deus ex machina? (Why Conjuritis, Why?)
Why doesn’t Chandler have a proper staff, does he not need one? (Stealth question only the most powerful wizards like Cowl, don’t need a foci)
Will Harry get to play Frogger with King Corb and the Munstermobile, and/or the Roadrunner? (Harry gets to make a video game reference).
Odin clearly has a rivalry with Ferrovax, as both Beowulf and Kringle he was a dragonslayer/tamer, was that also Ferrovax? Have they been every significant Dragonslayer/Dragon in history, and if so is it a genuine enmity or have they been running a long con with Ferrovax terrorising a village and Odin turning up to ‘slay’ the dragon and them splitting the rewards.
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C'mon guys, we all know it's just gonna be more of the same questions he gets at literally every Panel, Interview, or AMA.
"So, what's the story behind how you came up with The Dresden Files?"
"Why Chicago?"
For me, a few questions I've wanted to ask.
At the end of Changes, if Harry had thought to throw a Death Curse, at anyone, how would it have changed Ghost Story? Would there be a ghost to have a story about?
When you refer to a Big Apocalyptic Trilogy as a capstone, are you familiar with the original Greek meaning of Apocalypse?
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At the end of Changes, if Harry had thought to throw a Death Curse, at anyone, how would it have changed Ghost Story? Would there be a ghost to have a story about?
I liked that. I still want a good answer to why Morgan did not use a Death Curse. Death Curses have been hinted as a Serious Thing,but we have seen very little of that so far (but perhaps that will change in BG. Eb's death curse can be devastating, perhaps even hurting a major player like a Titan. Chandler, Ramirez, the other wardens can make some waves too)
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Why did he make Harry so very tall?
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Why didn't Mother Winter give Harry a gift at Christmas? Or did I/we miss it?
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Not likely he'd answer and would very possibly get offended, but I'd like to hear the details on how the publication of Peace Talks and Battleground was structured. No secret that there was a lot of dissatisfaction with Peace Talks and the $15 price tag for a soft copy of an incomplete book (setting aside any quality issues with the story itself). I don't think Jim Butcher is responsible for that element, but would be interested in his perspective on it.
Getting an honest answer is a pipe dream, though.
Six years with no new income source.
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5 (if you count books, but the short stories are not for free). I personally think that the price is fair for a JB book, but the quality of the book itself is not as good as always, apparently because many things the beta spotted where not changed in the final version (source: Priscellie in reddit)
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5 (if you count books, but the short stories are not for free). I personally think that the price is fair for a JB book, but the quality of the book itself is not as good as always, apparently because many things the beta spotted where not changed in the final version (source: Priscellie in reddit)
And some of the short stories were more like sending us some crumbs, not satisfying at all. The question might be why weren't those things changed if it would have made the book better?
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I just meant that he received money for them. And in the post I've read from Priscellie, she said that she did not know what happened about the changes. I don't know if she said something else after that.
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It was not a comment about quality Dina. I will say that I think that a new reader coming on to this is going to feel shorted. Peace Talks doesn't resolve anything. There is no denouement. To this point all the books had a resolution to the central conceit. Even a book as convoluted as Proven Guilty.
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1. Confirmed that who you are plays as much into opening a Way as where you are. Plus every wizard has a unique magic signature, Cowl and Peabody's are 'mildew'
You misunderstand, I'm wondering why Cowl and Peabody seem to get to pick whether they go on the standard way or if they go to mildewland while Harry gets stuck with just wherever the place he's in normally connects to.
2. Answered in a previously. Harry would have gone into the woods, killed a bunch of forest animals for life force, caused a natural disaster to get the power up. Can't find the quote though this is related
How exactly would the version of Changes where Harry does the Darkhallow have gone afterwards? It seems like the kind of thing that would burn his bridges with absolutely everybody.
Answer: Well, with the White Council for sure, and with a lot of human authorities. But if he'd become a friggin' necromancer, he would have found his allies among the dead and dead-adjacent, and things would have generally been a lot gothier. :)
Well if I can get a second copy of that first bit it'd be good since that explains how he'd keep reader sympathy with the darkhallow version. Doesn't quite solve the second part where I was wondering who exactly would be showing up to drag Harry into cases when he's a bit too lazy to deal with anything that doesn't come to him so I think I'll still ask. And of course I know about that quote, I'm the one he was responding to. :P
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1. Confirmed that who you are plays as much into opening a Way as where you are. Plus every wizard has a unique magic signature, Cowl and Peabody's are 'mildew'
Then ... why is Harry's mother's map any use to him?
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It was not a comment about quality Dina. I will say that I think that a new reader coming on to this is going to feel shorted. Peace Talks doesn't resolve anything. There is no denouement. To this point all the books had a resolution to the central conceit. Even a book as convoluted as Proven Guilty.
You said: Six years with no new income source.
I am saying that is not accurate (it's 5 years without books,but he received money for the short stories too) and that I don't think the book is too expensive. ¿quite messy? yes. But it is clear that is "part 1" of a book. It's like when they did the last Harry Potter movie split in two. I did not think the theater ticket should have been cheaper for movie 1 because it was not complete.
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Then ... why is Harry's mother's map any use to him?
Presumably because they come from the same school of magic. Ebenezar to Margaret Margeret to Harry.
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Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?
Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?
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Presumably because they come from the same school of magic. Ebenezar to Margaret Margeret to Harry.
Doesn't work with the council having standardised ways.
Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?
Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?
Oh good one, the closest I've got is that Morgan seemed to have will shenanigans of his own going on with the tree cutting bit.
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I just meant that he received money for them. And in the post I've read from Priscellie, she said that she did not know what happened about the changes. I don't know if she said something else after that.
That's.... actually a little concerning. If the betas found issues with the text and reported them, why would they not be corrected? What's the point of having betas otherwise? Was it simply a question of time - there wasn't time to update the text and still make the publication deadline? Did Jim straight up disagree with the betas? That's certainly his prerogative as the author, but hard to imagine that the notes they sent were that off after years of doing this.
I feel like there's a story with how these books got written and it would be interesting to hear, but we never will.
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You said:
I am saying that is not accurate (it's 5 years without books,but he received money for the short stories too) and that I don't think the book is too expensive. ¿quite messy? yes. But it is clear that is "part 1" of a book. It's like when they did the last Harry Potter movie split in two. I did not think the theater ticket should have been cheaper for movie 1 because it was not complete.
Okay, five years.
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That's.... actually a little concerning. If the betas found issues with the text and reported them, why would they not be corrected? What's the point of having betas otherwise? Was it simply a question of time - there wasn't time to update the text and still make the publication deadline? Did Jim straight up disagree with the betas? That's certainly his prerogative as the author, but hard to imagine that the notes they sent were that off after years of doing this.
I feel like there's a story with how these books got written and it would be interesting to hear, but we never will.
I fear it is a matter of "Dresden burnout." Simply spreading a series for so many books for so many years is very difficult. Clearly Jim seems to want to move on to other subjects, for a while now, and I mean since Changes, he seems to be merely going through the motions to appease us, but not satisfy. He had five or six years to write Peace Talks/Battleground, but cannot make the corrections the Betas suggested because it cannot be gotten to the publisher in time? He has began a whole new series in those five or six years, writing a pretty long novel, Dresden was clearly on the back burner. If it is due to burnout, I wish he'd edit and finish up the series in a satisfactory way then move on to new projects.
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I fear it is a matter of "Dresden burnout." Simply spreading a series for so many books for so many years is very difficult. Clearly Jim seems to want to move on to other subjects, for a while now, and I mean since Changes, he seems to be merely going through the motions to appease us, but not satisfy. He had five or six years to write Peace Talks/Battleground, but cannot make the corrections the Betas suggested because it cannot be gotten to the publisher in time? He has began a whole new series in those five or six years, writing a pretty long novel, Dresden was clearly on the back burner. If it is due to burnout, I wish he'd edit and finish up the series in a satisfactory way then move on to new projects.
I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.
In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think. It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.
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I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.
In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think. It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.
Perhaps you are right, but I am nearing the edge..
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Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?
Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?
1. Answered in the Paranet Papers RPG Booklet. At least partially, they managed to capture Gods from another tribe feed on them to boost their own power. Repeat across South America.
There was a tribe conquered by the Inca who worshipped gods that were very real—these gods walked among the people of this tribe and ruled them directly. They granted boons to the faithful and they protected their people, but they were cruel gods who demanded regular sacrifice. Their people were little more than tools and chattel to them, to use and discard at their whim. When the Inca conquered this tribe—whose name has been lost to time—their gods allowed it to happen. It’s likely they did this because they knew that they would become a part of a larger pantheon and thus gain more worshippers and power. As their influence grew, so did their potency, but it was not to last. The Red Court soon infiltrated the Inca, posed as their gods, and usurped the entire pantheon just as they had the Maya. Already very powerful and much more numerous than these old gods—who numbered thirteen—they
were able to capture them and bind them. The vampires drank of the blood of these gods and kept them alive so that they might continue to do so. The Red Court averted what could have been a catastrophic event but, in so doing, engineered their rise to power. This event, it turned out, was not much better for the people of South America. The spy told Lisa that this was how the Lords of Outer Night gained a large portion of their power, leeching it from the blood of gods
2. I think the 'will' thing required all of the Lords of the Outer Night together in one place and yeah probably drawing off a ley line centre of power.
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I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.
In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think. It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.
I was thinking that, too. Kinda throwing Jim under the bus in a way.
"Well, hey, we caught a bunch of stuff that was inconsistent and told him about it, but he decided not to correct, so.... what can ya do?"
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1. Answered in the Paranet Papers RPG Booklet. At least partially, they managed to capture Gods from another tribe feed on them to boost their own power. Repeat across South America.
2. I think the 'will' thing required all of the Lords of the Outer Night together in one place and yeah probably drawing off a ley line centre of power.
Yeah, that's part of the answer. I'd be interested in knowing where vampires (of any Court) came from originally. How did the first Hunger demon attach itself to a human? Were Red Court vamps creatures that evolved naturally(ish) and learned to make flesh masks to pass as human like another animal would find ways to lure its preferred prey? How did the Black Court obtain its power - straight from Drakul/Dracula, or was something else involved?
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I was thinking that, too. Kinda throwing Jim under the bus in a way.
"Well, hey, we caught a bunch of stuff that was inconsistent and told him about it, but he decided not to correct, so.... what can ya do?"
No, she did not say anything against him.
Here you can see an example (I know there are others, but I could not find it) about an specific discontinuity
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/)
Particularly, she said:
"The betas caught it. I was one of them. I have no explanation of how the scads of errors made it into the book".
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No, she did not say anything against him.
Here you can see an example (I know there are others, but I could not find it) about an specific discontinuity
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/)
Particularly, she said:
"The betas caught it. I was one of them. I have no explanation of how the scads of errors made it into the book".
Sorry, I wasn't clear. The "quote" I gave was made up and intended to be tongue-in-cheek.
That said, in the quote you provided, she clearly said that the betas caught a particular error and that there were "scads" of errors, for which she had no explanation. Given that Jim has control over the manuscript as the author, logically that would seem to suggest that he ignored feedback from the betas. What's surprising is that she offered up that information at all as it does point a negative finger at the author.
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I understand your quote was an invention but it was suppose be a "commentary" about what Priscellie actually said, so I provided one actual quote to compare. She does not mention anyone. I have the feeling she is not shading Jim but Penguin, but the quote is open to interpretation...which was actually my point. Don't assume she is criticizing Jim.
I found another quote were she says "Oy, leave the betas out of the criticism of the rampant continuity errors. We pointed all that nonsense out. XD"
Edited: And here, this is worse
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hxfg46/that_copper_circle/fzbya7l/?context=3 (https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hxfg46/that_copper_circle/fzbya7l/?context=3)
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1. Answered in the Paranet Papers RPG Booklet. At least partially, they managed to capture Gods from another tribe feed on them to boost their own power. Repeat across South America.
That's really the answer to a different question, though. That could be how they became a major power, but they had to exist before they could capture and feed on anything. So what were they before that?
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Perhaps Harry in book is deliberately dropping misinformation, not unlike the verbal games with Grey in SG, otherwise we have to assume that Jim is being lazy and petulant, not checking his wiki or accepting his beta readers points when they do. I don’t want to believe that.
The three biggies are:-
1. Forgetting Harry had physically been in the BFS before
2. Tunguska and the death of a Dragon
3. The fire in Notre Dame
I think alteration/removal of memory won’t affect 3, it an event that hasn’t happened in Harry time-line yet, as it suggests the fire took place before 2013/14, the other possibility is alteration of the time-line, but Michael and Charity still are married suggesting the last Dragon killed was by Michael and not Eb, ruling out 2. A temporal attack making sure Siriovax was killed at Tunguska meaning no meeting of Charity and Michael to ensure the current Winter Lady was never born would make sense. Conflicting time lines? Harry’s foresight getting confused because there will be an attempt to alter the time -line in the future and he is remembering more than one time-line?
Jim did say he might squeeze another book in the series and mentioned dragons as well to tie up his plot-lines, is it this he is dropping breadcrumbs for? A temporal attack on Harry’s best friend and his family?
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Ok, this is my opinion about those three.
1- Real mistake or real time alteration
2-Harry was confused. It can happen, specially because I think he is writing all the books several years after the events took place, as a journal.
3-Same reason, he is writing now or several years from now, so Notre Dame is in his past but in the future of PT Harry.
I think 1 is the sort of things that JB has hinted as happening, probably because of Mirror Mirror or time travel shenanigans. The copper circle, inconsistencies in Morty descriptions (between GS and previous appearance, even the Brighter/Better future can be those. Problem is we don't know if they are honest mistakes or intentional ones. That is the problem with Beta's warnings not been heard, we don't know what happened.
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The two questions I would like answered will be given RAFO or ignored.
1)Demonreach, Chita Ibza, and WC headquarters are all on leylines. It is generally accepted that they are upwellings of power. Are the leylines created by bleed off of practitioners or are some a natural source.
2) When do we get the Lea/ Cat Sith short story where they are aggressively musing Lewis Carol competing for a mantle to become the 2nd strongest in winter?
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Perhaps Harry in book is deliberately dropping misinformation, not unlike the verbal games with Grey in SG, otherwise we have to assume that Jim is being lazy and petulant, not checking his wiki or accepting his beta readers points when they do. I don’t want to believe that.
The three biggies are:-
1. Forgetting Harry had physically been in the BFS before
2. Tunguska and the death of a Dragon
3. The fire in Notre Dame
It's his book not the beta readers. The timeline as published isn't fixed. Notre Dame could be a case of trying to slip the time stream of the books lest his pop culture references get stale. His multiyear vacation didn't help him either since his characters are aging.
Generally though, quality is off. The audiobook is atrocious. It's like he hit a deadline and had to shove it out the door ready or not.
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“Hells Balls!”
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It's his book not the beta readers. The timeline as published isn't fixed. Notre Dame could be a case of trying to slip the time stream of the books lest his pop culture references get stale. His multiyear vacation didn't help him either since his characters are aging.
Generally though, quality is off. The audiobook is atrocious. It's like he hit a deadline and had to shove it out the door ready or not.
Like I said, burnout. It can happen to any of us, but sorry, especially the short stories more like going through the motions.
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about.
That's really the answer to a different question, though. That could be how they became a major power, but they had to exist before they could capture and feed on anything. So what were they before that?
I mean you could ponder how any supernatural creature began if you're wondering how Vampires came about how did any other creature?
I think it's clear the Lords of Outer Night were just regular Red Court Vampires who fed on Gods.
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I understand your quote was an invention but it was suppose be a "commentary" about what Priscellie actually said, so I provided one actual quote to compare. She does not mention anyone. I have the feeling she is not shading Jim but Penguin, but the quote is open to interpretation...which was actually my point. Don't assume she is criticizing Jim.
I found another quote were she says "Oy, leave the betas out of the criticism of the rampant continuity errors. We pointed all that nonsense out. XD"
Edited: And here, this is worse
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hxfg46/that_copper_circle/fzbya7l/?context=3 (https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hxfg46/that_copper_circle/fzbya7l/?context=3)
oh wow. Why wouldn't it have been fixed if it was caught? ???
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oh wow. Why wouldn't it have been fixed if it was caught? ???
If the manuscript hadn't been submitted to the publisher, one would think that it should have been fixed. There are deadlines of course, now it it was too near one, he might night have been able to. However having said that, one would think the Betas would also have a deadline upon which to submit their corrections to Jim so he could fix the errors. Now a lot may depend on the creative process, for example what may seem like a simple factual error to us or even the Betas, might mean that Jim would have to rewrite a whole chapter, because fixing the error might mess up the whole. But then again, none of that makes sense.. I go back to burn out with the series.
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If the manuscript hadn't been submitted to the publisher, one would think that it should have been fixed. There are deadlines of course, now it it was too near one, he might night have been able to. However having said that, one would think the Betas would also have a deadline upon which to submit their corrections to Jim so he could fix the errors. Now a lot may depend on the creative process, for example what may seem like a simple factual error to us or even the Betas, might mean that Jim would have to rewrite a whole chapter, because fixing the error might mess up the whole. But then again, none of that makes sense.. I go back to burn out with the series.
20 years is a long time.
I'm envisioning a fan-fiction novel about the life of Jim Butcher where he goes on a quest to get his mojo back a la Austin Powers, which was stolen by Mister.
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20 years is a long time.
I'm envisioning a fan-fiction novel about the life of Jim Butcher where he goes on a quest to get his mojo back a la Austin Powers, which was stolen by Mister.
Indeed it is, and some of these mistakes etc hints of going through the motions, instead of pleasing himself and by extension, us. I think if stretching it out ultimately hurts the over all quality, time to edit.
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I doubt it's burnout. It's probably a timing issue. If the decision to split the book was probably made fairly late in the process, that could have messed up the editing in a lot of ways.
The book doesn't feel like "burnout" to me, but that's totally IMO. It just feels less-professionally/less-well edited.
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I feel the same, Vultur
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When the intended last book of the Wheel of Time series got split into 3, there were some pacing issues resulting from that.
Admittedly, in that case a different author had also taken over, but I believe the pacing stuff was specifically because of the split.
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I doubt it's burnout. It's probably a timing issue. If the decision to split the book was probably made fairly late in the process, that could have messed up the editing in a lot of ways.
The book doesn't feel like "burnout" to me, but that's totally IMO. It just feels less-professionally/less-well edited.
I agree with this as well
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When the intended last book of the Wheel of Time series got split into 3, there were some pacing issues resulting from that.
Admittedly, in that case a different author had also taken over, but I believe the pacing stuff was specifically because of the split.
Yeah, but he had six years to write the book, even if he took a couple of years off as a break from Dresden.. Where is the planning?
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AMA seems to be up.
EDIT: Never mind, penguin made the thread an hour in advance by the looks of it.
EDIT2: NOW it's going.
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As I can't watch it, I expect a full report later (said in Police Captain tone :P)
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Yeah, but he had six years to write the book, even if he took a couple of years off as a break from Dresden.. Where is the planning?
I don't think the editing side had more time than usual... possibly less time in some ways depending on when the decision to split the book was made.
That's why I made the Wheel of Time comparison. Lots of time, tons of editing and continuity effort since those books were ultra-high-profile... and we still got weird pacing things like two characters' perspective on the same event being in two different books 500 pages apart, which kind of messed up the impact of the second one.
The thing is that the issues in PT look to me like editing issues not writing ones. Repetition, continuity issues, Harry not thinking of things he really should have... these are likely things that ought to be caught in editing passes.
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I don't think the editing side had more time than usual... possibly less time in some ways depending on when the decision to split the book was made.
This is a good point. Especially with all the Covid craziness -- I'd assume editors can easily work from home, but I don't know what that does to productivity.
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I agree, Vultur. I am wondering what to expect for BG.
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I agree, Vultur. I am wondering what to expect for BG.
I would expect it to be more "complete" because PT started a lot of threads/asked a lot of questions left for BG to finish, but the editing may still be less good than usual. It might be better than in PT though depending on how the timelines worked out (when was the decision to split made? If it was late in the game, a lot of PT editing might have been done in a huge rush).