CultureGeek: Everyone's wild about Harry

Harry Dresden.

Bestselling book series. Promising TV show destroyed by Stupid Network Tricks. Rocketing comic book. Movie star?

Jim Butcher seems determined to make it difficult for me to tag the Dresden Files.

Butcher's bestselling fantasy/mystery series began with STORM FRONT, following a private detective in Chicago who's actually a wizard. Okay, he's in the phone book as a wizard, but the formula of the stories is essentially that of the private eye with plenty of Hogwarts action.

I'll admit, I haven't read the books. My friends have practically shoved them into my hands, however, and I swear when I'm done with the latest Ellen Datlow anthology I'm onto Dresden.

I did watch the series, and was mildly disappointed - but not surprised - when it got the ax from the Sci-Fi Channel. Dresden never had a chance, my friends. He was Fireflied. (Yes, it's now a verb.)

Here's the episodes in order of airing:

Episode 3: "Birds of a Feather"
Episode 4: "The Boone Identity"
Episode 5: "Hair of the Dog"
Episode 2: "Rules of Engagement"
Episode 7: "Bad Blood"
Episode 8: "Soul Beneficiary"
Episode 6: "Walls"
Episode 1: "Storm Front"
Episode 10: "The Other Dick"
Episode 9: "What About Bob?"
Episode 11: "Things That Go Bump"
Episode 12: "Second City"

Seriously, what are network executives thinking when they do this? The two-hour pilot caused them all to panic and make last-minute changes in the series casting and plot points, which always means a vastly improved product, right? *crickets chirp* We expect this from Fox, not from the network of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. (Imagine watching THAT one out of order.)

Note to all people in TV Land: You cannot air a speculative fiction show out of order.

When creating a whole new world out of thin air, the reader needs a certain amount of exposition and character development. It would be like watching RETURN OF THE JEDI without seeing STAR WARS or EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Exactly why does Luke have only one hand? What is this whole thing about a sister? Darth Vader is WHAT?

Then, when you finally get around to the early expositional episodes, it's like a hammer to the brain. "Yes, we KNOW."

When Fox did this to FIREFLY, skipping the pilot episode entirely, poor Joss Whedon spent the next few episodes shoving chunks of exposition into clunky dialogue so the poor viewers could maybe catch up and understand what's going on.

"Well, remember that Simon left a promising medical career and busted his sister out of the secret government encampment, and that's why we're all on the run and can't trust the Alliance!" So when you watch it on DVD, you spend the first four episodes facepalming, "Yes, we KNOW."

The inevitable cancellation of THE DRESDEN FILES by the network that Fireflied it has not killed the series, not by a long shot. There's speculation that there may be a series of TV movies, or even theatrical releases.

In the meantime, Dabel Brothers is putting out "Welcome to the Jungle," a comic series prequel to the Dresden books. The first issue came out last month and sold out by May 2.

As fellow comic geek Rachel Quon Kluesner wrote, "Good reviews (for the Dresden comic book), but it is unknown yet if they are going to introduce the comic with issue #1, or if they will be starting with issue #4, then #7, then #2 until fan outcry forces the publisher to issue #1."

In the meantime, there's a role-playing game under development and the books sure aren't suffering. Number 10, SMALL FAVOR, came out a month ago and immediately hit No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list, held onto the New York Times bestseller list for at least three weeks... Everyone's wild about Harry.

I swear. Right after the anthology...

Comments

[Scott]

Haven't read Dresden yet? Bad Geek! No cookie for you.

[Scott]

Haven't read Dresden yet? Bad Geek! No cookie for you.

[Timewalker]

The first couple are really formulaic (Butcher admits this himself), but the characters are engaging. And the writing gets better as the series grows.