The Jim Butcher Files: Dresden . Codex Alera . Cinder Spires & More

[alansplace]

Care for a chuckle?

To be able to see this video full-screen, go here.

[alansplace]

Quoted from Bastard Books and other Crap.

Friday, August 17, 2012
Update on COLD DAYS and Butcher's Next Series (Mihir)

Jim Butcher is a pretty busy man these days after completing COLD DAYS a few days ago; yesterday the publication date was announced to be 27th November 2012 as well as the cover revealed. So while currently he’s mired in the revisions for COLD DAYS, he also announced his next project whilst continuing the Dresden Files.

Its going to be a Steampunk series called The Cinder Spires tentatively. The first book has the working title of "The Aeronaut's Windlass" and will be of a similar length to The Furies of Calderon (first book in the Codex Alera Series). He plans to have it written by the end of this year after which he will start work on the next Dresden Files book, which will be the fifteen title in this wonderful series.

NOTE: Jim Butcher picture courtesy of Paul of "Blood of the Muse and Larry Berger Steampunk Aeronaut picture courtesy of Claire Stokoe and Noupe.

[basschick]

thanks for the update, alansplace. steampunk by jim butcher sounds like a must-read to me

[bizzybody]

Nice dirigible but terribly un-aerodynamic.

[alansplace]

The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy Episode 45.

The above link is to a downloadable (or streamable) mp3 of a podcast (September 2011) where the first 27 minutes is a dialog with Jim Butcher.

Jim Butcher, author of The Dresden Files and The Codex Alera series, joins us to discuss really bad ideas, tabletop gaming, and finding out that your dad is Rambo.

Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is hosted by John Joseph Adams and David Barr Kirtley.

Part 1: Interview with Jim Butcher (27:19)

Topics covered: Ghost Story a spoiler?, fan response to Changes, origins of Dresden Files, talking heads, Side Jobs, anthologies, origins of Codex Alera, Dresden Files RPG, Amber Diceless RPG, other RPGS, Jim's dad is Rambo, Jim's dad is also a Jedi, Dresden Files film & TV rights, upcoming projects.

[alansplace]

To be able to see this video full-screen, go here.

[tea2]

I've bought the first three on audiobook (James Marsters was a motivating factor ) and am in the middle of Grave Peril. I like the characters and the Sam Spade/wizard crossover.

[JSWolf]

I'm currently reading Blood Rites. What I want to know is why is Harry's duster described as leather when it's not leather on the cover?

[alansplace]

To be able to see this video full-screen, go here.

Kudos to the artist, Devin Harrigan, who, it appears has read the books (probably more than one) and who seems to have ignored the cover art and did not put a hat on Harry.

[Bricorn]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm currently reading Blood Rites. What I want to know is why is Harry's duster described as leather when it's not leather on the cover?

Magic coat transformation. Or a cover artist who didn't read the book.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Bricorn

Magic coat transformation. Or a cover artist who didn't read the book.

It's the marketing department at Roc that determined that the covers would all depict Harry in a 'fedora' and a 'trench coat' . The talented and savvy artist, Christian McGrath, modified that to a a black wide brimmed hat and a canvas duster. Harry's original duster (destroyed in a fight) was replaced later by a leather one, a present from Susan Rodriguez. The cover art doesn't seem to change much, though I personally like it despite it's inaccuracies.

[bizzybody]

Very few book cover artists come even that close to the characters or scenes they're depicting. I've read books where they get things as far off as putting blond hair on a character described multiple times as having brown hair.

Michael Whelan was one of the most accurate cover artists. His depiction of the floating city on "The Ringworld Engineers" can be used as a map while you're reading that part. He also did the best covers for Anne McCaffrey's Pern series.

Then there's the majority of the covers for the Man-Kzin wars anthologies. In spite of multiple descriptions of the Kzinti having hairless, ratlike tails, three fingers and a thumb and hairless ears with jointed bones like bat wings which can curl into protective balls - most of the artists just paint up bipedal kitty cats with normal cat ears and five fingered hands, and most often normal cat tails.

Why don't most cover artists make it a point of pride in their work to show how attentive they are to the details of what they're painting? I'd think that should be among the top criteria for publishers when they decide who to hire to do cover art.

At least it's not like so many books back in the 70's and 80's... "Hey! Abstract colored blobs crossed with bold diagonal slashes! That really fits this Martian SciFi thriller, right? Let's go with this instead of that boringly accurate painting. It has too much blah reddish dirt."

[bizzybody]

BTW, there's quite a few differences between a duster and a trench coat.

Dusters are designed for riding horses, to help keep the dust stirred up by the horse off the rider's clothes.

What I imagine may have gone through the artists mind...

"Hmm, this summary the publisher sent for the art says he wears a duster. Isn't that like a trench coat? Doesn't say anything about a hat... but he's a wizard and wizards wear hats but he's a present day wizard so pointy is right out..."

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by alansplace

It's the marketing department at Roc that determined that the covers would all depict Harry in a 'fedora' and a 'trench coat' . The talented and savvy artist, Christian McGrath, modified that to a a black wide brimmed hat and a canvas duster. Harry's original duster (destroyed in a fight) was replaced later by a leather one, a present from Susan Rodriguez. The cover art doesn't seem to change much, though I personally like it despite it's inaccuracies.

I don't like it even if it's the best art in the world. It's wrong. Plain and simple. It should be showing Harry in a leather duster instead of the same one that he no longer owns.

They change Harry's Staff on the cover for Dead Beat, but they cannot see past their a$$ to change his duster? Who needs to be fired?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by alansplace

To be able to see this video full-screen, go here.

Kudos to the artist, Devin Harrigan, who, it appears has read the books (probably more than one) and who seems to have ignored the cover art and did not put a hat on Harry.

Well, in my search through Blood Rites there is not one mention of a Harry wearing a hat. So I think this is more accurate then the cover art yet again. Harry isn't wearing a hat. So why is he on the cover?