Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Is there any more appropriate book to discuss on Halloween than Jim Butcher's Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files?  Harry Dresden, the only wizard listed in Chicago's yellow pages, bumps into more things that go bump in the night than any other character I've read about.  If it's weird and nasty in Chicago, Harry's dealt with it.

Butcher's latest book is a collection of stories about Dresden.  Most of the stories were written for one anthology or another, and Butcher explains why he wrote each story, and where they fall in the course of the actual novels.  For instance, "Something Borrowed" was written for an anthology called My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, edited by P.N. Elrod.  It "Takes place between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty," focusing on the Alphas, Harry's werewolf friends.

As a fan of Harry Dresden, I love finding new stories about him.  But, it's also a pleasure to read the stories here because they feature so many of the friends we've grown to love in the course of the series.  "A Restoration of Faith" may seem a little weak since it was Butcher's first attempt at a Harry Dresden story, but it also shows the first meeting of Harry and Murphy.  Bob, Mouse, Michael and Molly all have major roles in one story or another.  Thomas even gets to tell his own story in "Backup."  And, for those of us who were shocked at the end of Changes, Murphy narrates an original story, "Aftermath," that takes place an hour or two after that novel ended. 

I never thought the TV show ever did justice to Harry Dresden.  But, no matter what happens after Changes, Jim Butcher brings my favorite wizard back to life in these stories from the Dresden Files, Side Jobs. 

Jim Butcher's website is http://www.jim-butcher.com/

Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.  Penguin Group (USA), ©2010. ISBN 9780451463654 (hardcover), 432p.

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher, ill. by Ardian Syaf

I'm a fan of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files series.  But, I don't often pick up graphic novels so I missed The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle until I was shelving in the teen department.  If you're a Harry Dresden fan, you'll want to pick up this book.  It provides a background for Harry Dresden.  And, Jim Butcher himself was pleased with the illustrations, saying "The representation of the characters found here is very, very close to the images of them that exist in my head.  Harry is bang-on, in particular."  If you want to see a better Harry Dresden than the TV series provided, check out this book.

When a security guard is killed at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, Moe, the gorilla is the primary suspect.  But, Lt. Karrin Murphy of Special Investigations thinks there's something supernatural about the death, so she calls in Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago Yellow Pages.  But, Harry faces a confrontational zoo staff, and, then attacks by the animals themselves.  While Harry knew those animals were possessed, one of those zoo employees provoked his suspicions. 

Fans of the Dresden series will discover all of the favorites here, Harry, Murphy, Mister, and, of course, Bob, the Skull.  If you haven't yet met the characters, now is the perfect chance to see the characters as the author does.  Naturally, the story isn't as complex as one of the novels, but the graphic novel tells the story of Harry's background, introduces some of the basic elements of the story, and provides a dangerous, fast-paced adventure.

I've already passed on my love of Harry Dresden to one of my nephews.  Now, I'm going to find out if he's read the graphic novel, Welcome to the Jungle.  It's great to see one of my favorite characters brought visually to life in Jim Butcher's story, and Ardian Syaf's wonderful illustrations.

Jim Butcher's website is http://www.jim-butcher.com/

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher.  Illustrations by Ardian Syaf.  Del Rey, ©2010. ISBN 9780345507464 (hardcover), 168p.

*****

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