Category: Books

Forthcoming new Dream Cafe

Corwin and his friend Felix are putting together a new home page for me.  Something I want to ask about it:

What we want to do is, for each book, link it to a discussion here on the blog.  Or, rather, two discussions: spoilers and non-spoilers.  The question is, how much further than that should we go?  I mean, two more discussions: All Vlad Spoilers, All Vlad Non-Spoilers?  Okay, that last would be silly; can’t really talk about the whole series without spoilers, I think.  How about one for all Dragaera books?  For the Khaavren Romances, should there be a discussion of all of them?

 

Fourth Street Fantasy Convention

This is a reminder to everyone who might be interested that Fourth Street Fantasy Convention is approaching.  For those who don’t know, this is a small convention (100+ people) heavily oriented toward writing and writers–I sort of made it up back in, I think, the late 80’s so I could hear smart people argue about problems I was having.  The theory is that anything that is about writing is also about reading; “How to Read Better” has always been an unstated discussion topic.

What distinguishes Fourth Street from most conventions are two things: 1. A very high percentage of professionals (writers, editors); and B. Strict single-track programming with lunch breaks, so everyone can be at every panel (and, of course, continue the arguments from one to the other).  It used to be that did the programming; lately it’s mostly Alec Austin with help from Tom Whitmore and me, and I’ve been delighted by how things have gone.  I have learned stuff.  I think it has helped me write better; I know it has helped me get more out of my reading.

Check out who will be there (John Scalzi, Elizabeth Bear, Will Shetterly, Emma Bull, &c &c)

It’ll be in Minneapolis, June 22-24, and for actual, useful details, go here.

I’d love to see all of you there.

 

 

On Jim Butcher's Dresden Files

I’ve been reading the Dresden Files, and I want to get my thoughts down, because it’s always worthwhile to me try to turn vague moods about writing into precise expressions that I can generalize and learn from.

I was told by several people that the books “hit their stride” with number 4, Summer Knight.  I respectfully disagree.  The problems in the early books remain, in my opinion, all the way until #9, White Night.  The problems?  Dresden’s sexism is not cute, not endearing, not charming.  It’s annoying, and at various points I simply disbelieved in Murphy’s character because of how she reacted to it.  By #9, he’s toned this down enough to be tolerable.  More significantly, in the early books I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching the author push the pieces around.  I could hear him saying, “No, I have to find a way to ramp up the tension, even if it makes no sense.”  Two people hear a phone call, but in order to increase the tension, they both conveniently forget about it.  Pfui.

So, why did I keep reading?  There is a moment toward the end of #2, Fool Moon, where, right at the high point of the action, Butcher is required to bring everything to a dead stop and spend a paragraph describing another character’s interior landscape.  While the battle hangs in the balance.  He not only gets away with it, but he makes me like it.  That is some serious chops.  That’s the shit.  Someone who can do that is worth reading.

The other thing he has going all the way is that he does exactly what I’ve tried to do (and not always succeeded at): Each book is a fully self-contained story, and each one significantly advances the overall arc.  There’s no filler.  There’s no treading water.  He leaves it all out on the field every time.  That’s how you do that.

By the time we get to #9, things are smooth.  I’m not thinking about what the author is doing any more, I’m just reading and enjoying and really, really pulling for Harry Dresden.  And moreover, we’re starting to get serious: we’re in territory where there are no easy answers, where there are no good choices, so you have to pick the least bad and live with it.  This means the books are gripping on more than just one level, and that when the book is over, you have something to chew on.  I like that.

I’m currently reading #11.

Another Tiassa Update

After several conversations with Reesa, what I think is the last chunk of Tiassa has fallen into place well enough that I can see where I’m going.  I think.  Maybe.  For the moment.  So I believe I’m on track to finish it.   I have noticed that, with each of the last several books, I have pissed off some percentage of Vlad fans, and this makes me sad.  So, with this book, I’m hoping to piss off all of them.  I hate half measures.