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Calendar Event Discussion / Q&A at NYC Barnes & Noble Tribeca, 8/3/11 (part 4)
« on: August 06, 2011, 02:39:20 AM »
Audience member: Are we going to hear about the conditions that Harry’s father had to show up inside his … when he was in his subconscious?
Jim: Oh, are we going to hear about the conditions that had to be met for Harry’s father to show up and visit him in his subconscious? Harry could have been imagining that. I’m sure, I mean, probably most of this is in his imagination. (pause) Probably, you know. I mean, sure, he’s a wizard and all but come on. His dad showing up to talk to him? Yeah, ‘cause that’s how lucky he is. (points) Very back in the plaid shirt.
Audience member: How soon are we going to see more direct contact with Cowl and the Black Court? [Ed. note: Meaning the Black Council.]
Jim: How soon are we going to see more direct contact with Cowl and the Black Court? Next book. Yeah, next book we’ll see them again Actually, this will be really the first time I get to have them be more active than behind the scenes in terms of what role they’re playing.
Audience member: Your fallen angel characters…I was just wondering if you have ever really given any thought to developing the whole idea of angels …
Jim: I have a lot of fallen angel characters and have I ever given thought to developing the whole angel notion a bit more. Yeah, but they’re kinda limited in terms of what they can do. You know, they can respond to…they can respond if the bad guys cheat but mostly they just kinda stand there and look menacing and the Fallen just don’t mess with them unless someone’s got an actual plan going on. You know, angels slugging it out with one another could potentially, you know, blow up planets. That’s the kind of level of power that angels are; they’re just off the scale of like anything that Dresden can do. But they’re sort of more observers than anything and occasionally, you know, they’ll be the one who says, “Hey, could you stand outside the door until my child grows up and is safe?” “Yeah, I can do that.” Yeah, it’s not a big deal for one of them.
Audience member: Are there any fallen angels who are not Nickelheads?
Jim: Are there any fallen angels who are not Nickelheads? Plenty. Including Lucifer.
Audience member: How did you come up with having the Leanansidhe as Harry’s fairy godmother?
Jim: How did I come up with having the Leanansidhe as his fairy godmother? I looked her up, I thought she was cool, I thought it was a great idea to have a character who had sort of made her bones in the fairy business by working to inspire these poor artists and singers and playwrights in exchange for draining their blood. I thought that was a great place, you know, for a fairy godmother to start. You know, if you’re planning on throwing your wizard into the grinder over and over, you gotta give him a fairy godmother with TEETH. So I wasn’t going to go with some wimpy sunlight fairy. No way. We can do better than that. Okay, last one. (points) Hat with buttons.
Audience member: What, if anything, could threaten the Carpenter household right now?
Jim: What, if anything, could threaten the Carpenter household right now? Nuthin’ much. Yeah, Michael’s got a dozen angels on constant security detail. He’s fine. There’s one that goes with each kid when they go to school. It’s ridiculous around there. And they’ve also got, you know, Mouse, there to keep track of things. Plus they’ve got like the biggest threshold in the entire WORLD for that kind of thing.
Shecky: Mister could do it.
Jim: (laughs) Yeah, well, Mister could threaten the house. You’re right. Mister would walk right up, walk through all the defenses, you know, pop Mouse on the nose, Mouse would walk away. “I give, I give, come on, it’s not worth it, Mister. That’s right, give him the food.” Okay, guys, if there are any other questions and you can ask them in fairly short order, feel free to ask ‘em when you come up to the signing. And thank you for putting up with me, and we’ll get some books signed.
Jim: Oh, are we going to hear about the conditions that had to be met for Harry’s father to show up and visit him in his subconscious? Harry could have been imagining that. I’m sure, I mean, probably most of this is in his imagination. (pause) Probably, you know. I mean, sure, he’s a wizard and all but come on. His dad showing up to talk to him? Yeah, ‘cause that’s how lucky he is. (points) Very back in the plaid shirt.
Audience member: How soon are we going to see more direct contact with Cowl and the Black Court? [Ed. note: Meaning the Black Council.]
Jim: How soon are we going to see more direct contact with Cowl and the Black Court? Next book. Yeah, next book we’ll see them again Actually, this will be really the first time I get to have them be more active than behind the scenes in terms of what role they’re playing.
Audience member: Your fallen angel characters…I was just wondering if you have ever really given any thought to developing the whole idea of angels …
Jim: I have a lot of fallen angel characters and have I ever given thought to developing the whole angel notion a bit more. Yeah, but they’re kinda limited in terms of what they can do. You know, they can respond to…they can respond if the bad guys cheat but mostly they just kinda stand there and look menacing and the Fallen just don’t mess with them unless someone’s got an actual plan going on. You know, angels slugging it out with one another could potentially, you know, blow up planets. That’s the kind of level of power that angels are; they’re just off the scale of like anything that Dresden can do. But they’re sort of more observers than anything and occasionally, you know, they’ll be the one who says, “Hey, could you stand outside the door until my child grows up and is safe?” “Yeah, I can do that.” Yeah, it’s not a big deal for one of them.
Audience member: Are there any fallen angels who are not Nickelheads?
Jim: Are there any fallen angels who are not Nickelheads? Plenty. Including Lucifer.
Audience member: How did you come up with having the Leanansidhe as Harry’s fairy godmother?
Jim: How did I come up with having the Leanansidhe as his fairy godmother? I looked her up, I thought she was cool, I thought it was a great idea to have a character who had sort of made her bones in the fairy business by working to inspire these poor artists and singers and playwrights in exchange for draining their blood. I thought that was a great place, you know, for a fairy godmother to start. You know, if you’re planning on throwing your wizard into the grinder over and over, you gotta give him a fairy godmother with TEETH. So I wasn’t going to go with some wimpy sunlight fairy. No way. We can do better than that. Okay, last one. (points) Hat with buttons.
Audience member: What, if anything, could threaten the Carpenter household right now?
Jim: What, if anything, could threaten the Carpenter household right now? Nuthin’ much. Yeah, Michael’s got a dozen angels on constant security detail. He’s fine. There’s one that goes with each kid when they go to school. It’s ridiculous around there. And they’ve also got, you know, Mouse, there to keep track of things. Plus they’ve got like the biggest threshold in the entire WORLD for that kind of thing.
Shecky: Mister could do it.
Jim: (laughs) Yeah, well, Mister could threaten the house. You’re right. Mister would walk right up, walk through all the defenses, you know, pop Mouse on the nose, Mouse would walk away. “I give, I give, come on, it’s not worth it, Mister. That’s right, give him the food.” Okay, guys, if there are any other questions and you can ask them in fairly short order, feel free to ask ‘em when you come up to the signing. And thank you for putting up with me, and we’ll get some books signed.