I’ve been on a big Jim Butcher kick recently, re-reading most of the Dresden Files books. This is largely because holding a regular book is still uncomfortable with my bad thumb, and I have electronic copies of the Dresden books that I can read on my Palm (well, Kate’s old Palm, which I just use as an ebook reader).
While in the bookstore yesterday looking for Karl Schroeder’s new Virga book (which, alas, was not to be found), I was struck by the huge number of Dresden Files knock-offs on the shelves. Well, OK, they may not really be Dresden Files copies, but it seems like there are dozens of series running now featuring private investigators dealing with supernatural goings-on in the modern world.
I could go for more of this stuff, but Sturgeon’s Law applies, and 90% of these will be crap. There’s no obvious way to distinguish between the various options, though, so I will throw it out to you, my wise and well-read readers:
Recommend some Butcher-esque fantasy novels to me. That is, tell me which of the Dresden Files-ish series out there I should be reading while I wait for the next Dresden Files book.
hi. I’m a bit of a longtime casual reader to science blogs, but as I’m not a scientist nor trained in the sciences do I often get the chance to comment.
however, I am a geek and do get to read a bit of geeky series genre fiction.
my favorite “similar” book series would probably be F Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack Series who is a fixer of situations who gets involved with supernatural elements against his well. There are 10 books in the series, start with The Tomb.
or perhaps the newish to our shores series of books by Mike Carey about a Free-Lance exorcist. The devil you know is out in paperback and his “new” one is out here in Hardcover.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the Butcher books (with the warning that I stopped after one), but T.A. Pratt’s Marla Mason novels are damned fun (“T.A.” is “Tim,” as in the Hugo-winning writer).
Mike Resnick’s Stalking the Unicorn, although more overtly funny than Butcher’s books, has a nice mixture of hard-boiled and fantasy (I haven’t read the sequel yet, but the Minuteman system swears the book’s en route).
I strongly recommend Mike Carey’s Felix Castor books. The first two (The Devil You Know & Vicious Circle) are currently available in the US; a third is out in the UK, and the 4th is due (again in the UK) this fall.
I love the Butcher series; his Codex Alera series is great too. Dog Days by John Levitt was really good, looks to be the start of a new series; also Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco and its sequel Unquiet Dreams were good.
The urban fantasy genre is all a bit of a mishmash to me, but the best of the bunch I’ve run across are probably Patricia Briggs’s books starting with Moon Called. I also like the Ilona Andrews series (two books) starting with Magic Bites.
The urban fantasy genre is all a bit of a mishmash to me, but the best of the bunch I’ve run across are probably Patricia Briggs’s books starting with Moon Called. I also like the Ilona Andrews series (two books) starting with Magic Bites.
Patricia Briggs: Mercedes Thompson series Main character is coyote shapeshifter; others include werewolves, vampires, fae. 3 books so far. Genre is fantasy/mystery/romance melange.
C.E. Murphy: Urban Shaman. Best of the three (so far) books about a police office who discovers other talents. Author has other series I haven’t tried yet, can’t recommend yay or nay.
I’ve enjoyed what I read of the Diana Tregarde Investigations series by Mercedes Lackey. I haven’t read the Butcher novels, so I don’t know if these are “butcher-esque”, but it has a similar theme with respect to the dresden files television series (which I assume are the same). A witch and a detective team up to solve crimes, fight evil, etc.
I think this is pretty different in style than some of the other suggestions, but I’d recommend Jasper Fforde’s two series, the Thursday Next series (policewoman/detective travels into fiction in order to save literary characters, and also saves the world a few times), and the Nursery Crimes.
Simon Green’s Nightside series is pretty awesome. I haven’t gotten into his other books that much though Hawk and Fisher are kind of fun. I’m not too sure about his Secret History series yet but I’m willing to keep reading them.
Echo the Simon Green. Green, alas, appears incapable of writing any book other than the Hawk and Fisher series with ever-changing backdrops, but they are fun.
I’ve read the first Dresden novel and loved it, and I would third Mike Carey’s The Devil You Know. Bummer thing is we only have two of them, but it feels a lot like the Dresden stuff.
Third the Simon R. Green Nightside series as hitting the same brain areas as Dresden. Green’s other series are fun too, and he has occasional fun linking them together, but it’s not overdone.
I started rereading Dresden too at the weekend, when I saw that the second book in Green’s Drood series was out in e-book, so I diverted to that, and will continue right back with Dresden.
Both are like really good popcorn. Not many calories or other nutrients, and you immediately want another, but boy are they fun to eat!
Afterthought: Finder by Emma Bull. Excellent book, somewhat less popcorn-y, but with a similar feel. Unfortunately (for this purpose, at least) not part of a series.
Also, I mentally skipped over – because I presumed everybody already knew about – Steven Brust’s Vlad series, which is The Daddy.
I wish you’d posted this a few months ago. I’d been seeing the same Dresden-esque expansion so I purchased the first book or two in many of these series to test them out. Here’s my thoughts.
Briggs’ Mercy Thompson is both the best written, and most Dresden like in setting, a normal world where supernatural creatures are secretly embedded in daily life, and in character, where the protagonist is imperfect, stubborn and routinely takes on more than she can chew due to loyalty.
Andrews’ Magic Bites books (two so far) are good, with a much more chaotic magic saturated world, but I’m worried that the author is raising the protagonist’s power levels too rapidly. I’ll read the third, but may stop there.
Green’s Nightside books (read the first three) really left me cold. I’ve liked his other books, and I liked the main character, but I didn’t like the setting at all, nor the humor (which I kept feeling like I was missing), nor the horror elements which neither scared or intrigued me. Big dissapointment.
Williams’ Detective Chen books (read the first). Loved the main detectives, liked the Asian setting, didn’t like the Deus Ex Machina ending, and didn’t like what I saw as very sloppy worldbuilding. Bought the second but haven’t felt a burning need to read it yet.
Caine’s Weather Warden series (read all six). Boy there are things in these books that have really bugged me, but I love the leads, the magic system and mythology are well developed, and they move really fast. Books 5 and 6 were weaker, but I’m still on board for #7. First books are very Dresden like in setting, but they’ve moved away from that recently.
All in all Dresden is clearly number one, although that’s in part because it got stronger and stronger as it went and some of these haven’t had that chance yet. Briggs’ is now my second favorite (I finished book three late last night because I just couldn’t put it down). After that it’s either the Caine or Andrews of the series I’ve read.
For a twist, try the “Lord Darcy” series by Randall Garrett. Set in the 1960s and 70s in a world in which magic works, the Plantagenets still rule England (and France) and where technology is in early industrial revolution stage. There are a couple of novels and short story collections. Many characters are modeled after famous literary characters, or have names that are outrageous puns. Some of the stories are twists on famous mysteries (i.e. “Murder on the Napoli Express”).
Butcher happens to be a friend-of-a-friend, so I was strong-armed into reading his stuff. 🙂 I found it reminiscent, in style if not subject, to Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos novels (Jhereg, Yendi, etc), which in turn show some influence of Roger Zelazny.
Also in the “magical hardboiled” area are Glen Cook’s “Garrett, P.I.” novels.
I was going to mention the Garrett books myself. I’d also recommend that you read them in order and not expect too much. Garrett is a hard-boiled PI in a medievalish world where werewolves and vampires and all manner of beasties are real.
MKK
Best of the three (so far) books about a police office who discovers other talents. Author has other series I haven’t tried yet, can’t recommend yay or nay.
Williams’ Detective Chen books (read the first). Loved the main detectives, liked the Asian setting, didn’t like the Deus Ex Machina ending, and didn’t like what I saw as very sloppy worldbuilding. Bought the second but haven’t felt a burning need to read it yet.
Warden series (read all six). Boy there are things in these books that have really bugged me, but I love the leads, the magic system and mythology are well
I’ve liked his other books, and I liked the main character, but I didn’t like the setting at all, nor the humor (which I kept feeling like I was missing), nor the horror elements which neither scared or intrigued me. Big dissapointment.
I would like to second the Fforde “Nursery Crimes” series. They have the same taste of the absurd that the Dresden books do.
Tanya Huff’s “Blood” series about a P.I. in Canada who has to…deal..with vampires and monsters and etc is also good.