Last week’s Dresden Drop looked to the future, revealing the long-awaited trailer for Peace Talks and the bombshell announcement that there will be TWO Dresden novels this year. This week, we’ll look to the past, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the publication of Storm Front on April 1st, 2000.
Paranoid? Probably. But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face.
But before we dive into that, let’s do a quick recap of the week. First off: if you haven’t seen the trailer yet, what are you waiting for?
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Media Recap
Last week’s announcements saw a rush of media attention. io9 kicked off the party with the big reveal, as well as the first chapter of Peace Talks. This was immediately followed by a Live Q&A with Jim and Priscilla.
Tor.com featured us twice in one day, first to echo the reveals and add the official synopsis, then second to write up the highlights of the Q&A later that morning.
Fantasy vlogger Daniel Greene interviewed Jim, and and it was a delight, as was Greene’s hilarious review of Changes that followed.
The Dresden Files Podcast hosted Priscilla, covering her work on trailer, her history with the fandom, and more.
We also got some attention from Newsweek, as well as geek news sites and blogs in France, Austria, and the UK! More shout-outs: Den of Geek, GeekDad, Comic Years, Epicstream, and Krypton Radio. Thanks for the love, everyone!
Our Celebration of Storm Front Begins!
A man’s magic demonstrates what sort of person he is, what is held most deeply inside of him. There is no truer gauge of a man’s character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power. I was not a murderer. I was not like Victor Sells. I was Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I was a wizard. Wizards control their power. They don’t let it control them. And wizards don’t use magic to kill people. They use it to discover, to protect, to mend, to help. Not to destroy.
In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of magical Chicago. It also pulled readers into a a captivating, addictive saga overflowing with action, humor, engaging characters, and insights into our own world, guided by a protagonist whose persistent struggle to do the right thing has served as a source of comfort and inspiration through readers’ own challenges.
It’s difficult to know how to celebrate a novel that had such a powerful influence on the publishing world, joining the works of Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, and Laurell K Hamilton (and followed quickly by Charlaine Harris and Kelley Armstrong) in helping define the urban fantasy genre.
So rather than trying to capture the weight of that legacy, we’re choosing to highlight a few key places where fans, publishers, and creators in other media have interacted with the work, and we’re going to do so in several installments, spaced throughout the year. (This is mostly because a lot of the files and documents Priscilla needs to do this properly are in her apartment in Los Angeles, whereas she is holed up with her family in Dallas for the duration of the Curve-Flattening Period.)
You don’t go walking into the proverbial lion’s den lightly. You start with a good breakfast.
Today, we’ll start by revisiting Storm Front through series rereads hosted by Goodreads (2020), The Unspoiled Podcast (2018), The Dresden Files Podcast (2018), and Tor (2012). Do you have a favorite review/discussion of the book? Reply to the newsletter/@jimbutchernews twitter/social media post where this blog is linked and tell us about it!
Found in Translation
The traditional 20th Anniversary gift is china, but we can do better than that! Not only do we have China, but we also have Japan, Thailand, India, Russia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and so many more. Check out our cover gallery of Storm Front‘s many translations into different languages. No matter where you are in the world, if you need the kind of help only Harry can provide, rest assured: he’s in the book.
I don’t want to live in a world where the strong rule and the weak cower. I’d rather make a place where things are a little quieter. Where trolls stay the hell under their bridges and where elves don’t come swooping out to snatch children from their cradles. Where vampires respect the limits, and where the faeries mind their p’s and q’s. My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. I’m in the book.
We look forward to digging into more of Storm Front‘s legacy–including adaptions by the Sci-Fi Channel, the Dabel Brothers & Dynamite Entertainment, and Subterranean Press–throughout the year!
Book Discounts
The Summer Knight ebook is on sale for $1.99 through April 5th! Order from the following vendors: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, or Kobo (here’s how to support your favorite local shop!). The sale runs through March 1st.
Also, for a limited time, Penguin has put the first three books back on sale. If you have friends who are stuck at home because of social distancing and on the lookout for a new series, now is the perfect time to catch up! Four books for under $14? Heck yes!
Storm Front at $2.99: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, Kobo.
Fool Moon at $3.99: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, Kobo.
Grave Peril at $5.99: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, Kobo.
Proven Guilty Read-Along
Our series read-along continues with Proven Guilty! Join the Spoiler-Free or Spoiler-Friendly discussions on Goodreads.
And that’s it for today! Though not it for this week. If you’ve been a Dresden fan for any length of time, you’ll know to expect April Fool’s hijinks tomorrow. Be sure to come back then!
Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops.
Preorder from the bookseller of your choice while supporting this website by shopping at https://www.jim-butcher.com/store/!