The Dresden Files Short Story placement

[Bob The Skutter]

Well, the US covers by Christian McGrath look nice and all, but they aren't a very good representation of Harry (what's with the hat?).

The UK ones just look like file folders of various colours, usually with something like Harry's pendent on or something like that. I don't mind too much if they don't match up so I have UK paperbacks up to White Night then a mixture of UK and US hardbacks.

 

[Technobuilder]

The Hat...

Cover art and The Books themselves rarely sync up from a marketing standpoint.

Butcher said that his Publisher thought that Black Fedora, screamed P.I. louder than anything else they could have done.

And based on the few panels I saw at DragonCon this year, the Companies could care less if the images on the covers match up to what's in the books, as long as those images continue to sell the books to walk-ins and new readers. They say that once you're hooked and like the stories, they don't care about marketing to you anymore since you're likely to buy regardless of a cover in most instances. LOL.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

The Hat...

Cover art and The Books themselves rarely sync up from a marketing standpoint.

Butcher said that his Publisher thought that Black Fedora, screamed P.I. louder than anything else they could have done.

And based on the few panels I saw at DragonCon this year, the Companies could care less if the images on the covers match up to what's in the books, as long as those images continue to sell the books to walk-ins and new readers. They say that once you're hooked and like the stories, they don't care about marketing to you anymore since you're likely to buy regardless of a cover in most instances. LOL.

I like how he has started to make a bit of a joke out of it in the books though. I think he's pointed out at least once in each book recently that he doesn't wear a hat.

 

[Christopher]

What bugs me about the book covers is the way Harry's staff is covered in "runes" that are actually backward Japanese katakana that don't seem to spell anything. To anyone familiar with katakana, it's very unconvincing.

 

[Technobuilder]

Apparently it's supposed to be some sort of katakana form of saying "MATRIX" or The Matrix (as in the Title of the Film in Japanese) Link: http://japanese.about.com/od/kataka2/a/052103.htm

The story behind it is quoted in the second post here, since the original post by McGrath has since been pruned for some reason.

http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,597.0.html

To answer a question about the staff: It is Japanese! I didn't think anyone would notice it , but you guys are sharp!
It was sort of a personal joke between my girlfriend (who is japanese ) and me, at the time of doing the cover. We were arguing about the matrix movies for some reason and I decided to put 'Matrix' in Japanese on the staff.
No real meaning behind it.

And again, it's just another thing Chris McGrath drew that isn't in the books.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^There's tons of cover art that has nothing to do with what's in the books though, often it makes them look fairly generic. It's a shame.
I think Jim Butcher said of the Codex Alera art he had to come up with something on the spot months in advance when they commissioned it, and then he was stuck having to try to find a way to fit that image in to the story. Must be a nightmare.

 

[Technobuilder]

Yeah, that was the cover for Cursor's Fury

He described a scene depicted above that didn't happen uptil the last 2/3rds of the book while he was still working on chapter 3.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I broke and imported Side Jobs from Amazon.com. I'd read all of them apart from Aftermath and Love Hurts. Reading them in quick succession like that, I noticed there's quite a few things that keep popping up, I'm thinking there's some hints about the future in there.

 

[Technobuilder]

With TDF:#13 Ghost Story almost upon us (late March/early April), what hints from the short stories do you think point to future events?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

With TDF:#13 Ghost Story almost upon us (late March/early April), what hints from the short stories do you think point to future events?

I noticed reading the short stories there is a lot of ancient gods and old monsters reappearing and along with

Spoiler: changes

the Norse god element of changes

I think that points to something big in the future. Also I'd say from

Spoiler: Aftermath

Murphy's story it seems like she's going to decide to take up the sword sooner rather than later to protect Chicago with Dresden out of the picture.

 

[Technobuilder]

Interesting thoughts. My personal theories are syncing up with yours.

 

[Skywalker]

Mine, too. The last rumor I heard was that the series would eventually lead up to an apocalyptic trilogy, so Bob's first theory would make sense if that's the way things really are going.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Mine, too. The last rumor I heard was that the series would eventually lead up to an apocalyptic trilogy, so Bob's first theory would make sense if that's the way things really are going.

Apparently the thought is the apocalyptic trilogy will be called Stars & Stones, Hells Bells and Empty Night.

 

[Skywalker]

Nice.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Nice.

Stars & Stones doesn't quite meet the naming convention though, so I guess it'll be a special dispensation like Changes.

 

[Christopher]

Those three titles, IIRC, are all oaths/exclamations that Harry habitually uses. So the trilogy has its own naming convention.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Those three titles, IIRC, are all oaths/exclamations that Harry habitually uses. So the trilogy has its own naming convention.

Yeah, I knew that. I suppose the Trilogy may have an overriding title anyway and those are just the names of each book. And Changes has already shown Jim's willing to change the naming convention in certain circumstanced.

 

[Corran Horn]

Mine, too. The last rumor I heard was that the series would eventually lead up to an apocalyptic trilogy, so Bob's first theory would make sense if that's the way things really are going.

I wouldn't say that's a rumor as Butcher has said it multiple times. I've heard him say it at signings for "Turn Coat" and "Small Favor".

 

[Technobuilder]

Well, the naming convention was never a firm hard line mandate. (just something of a nod to classic P.I. fiction)

The original title for Storm Front was Semiautomagic.
The original title for Grave Peril was Knightmare.
The original title for Ghost Story was Dead.

All shot down by the publisher.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Well, the naming convention was never a firm hard line mandate. (just something of a nod to classic P.I. fiction)

The original title for Storm Front was Semiautomagic.
The original title for Grave Peril was Knightmare.
The original title for Ghost Story was Dead.

All shot down by the publisher.

Plus you know Small Favour (in the UK). I like the alternate titles too.