BB003 - Are You Ready For Some Dresden?

[iago]

The Butcher Block - Episode Three - "Are You Ready For Some Dresden?"

Download the podcast here (16MB MP3, 28 minutes)

We're less than a week from the broadcast of the Dresden Files TV series.  Are you ready?  Fred talks about Jim's recent visit to the set, viewing parties, a good reading order for the books of the series, the first five episodes, and some early reviews.  Plus, he dishes a little on White Night.

The Music:

• The PodSafe Music Network: http://music.podshow.com
• 2006 Pl@stic Soul: http://tinyurl.com/y6k69q
• .22: http://tinyurl.com/tel5v

Promos & Bumpers:

• The Dresden Files TV Show: http://www.thedresdenfiles.com/
• The Sturgeon's Law Podcast: http://www.sturgeonslaw.com/
• The Master Plan: http://masterplan.libsyn.com/
• Chris McGrath: http://www.christianmcgrath.com/

Jim's reports from the set:

• Report #1: http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/topic,1483.0.html
• Report #2: http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/topic,1517.0.html
• Carol of the Harry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re72s0RH2yI

The Books:

• Storm Front: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/1/
• Fool Moon: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/2/
• Grave Peril: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/3/
• Grave Peril, the Audio Book: http://tinyurl.com/36gd46
• Summer Knight: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/4/
• Death Masks: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/5/
• Blood Rites: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/6/
• Dead Beat: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/7/
• Proven Guilty: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/8/
• White Night: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/9/

First Five Episodes Synopses:

• http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/topic,1515.0.html

Entertainment Weekly review:

• http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007984,00.html

Quick Plugs:

• Jake 2.0: http://www.tv.com/jake-2-0/show/16751/summary.html

[Priscellie]

Strange, iTunes hasn't downloaded it for me yet.  Oh well!  I'm downloading from the direct link you provided.  And the intro... this is why we love you, Fred.  How many times did you record that before you stopped feeling self-conscious? 

*skips off to listen to the rest*

Edit:  I have to say, you've really improved at the solo-podcasting thing!  The music goes a long way in keeping your speechifying dynamic and interesting.  There are some weird, unsettling choppy bits where one can hear where you cut stuff out, but on the whole, your performance is miles better than where you were two episodes ago.  Bravo!

Edit 2:  TEASE!!!

Edit 3:  *dies*  You're calling me and my source "industrial little gnomes"?  That better be an endearing nickname.  *cackles and goes to change her personal text*

[Amber]

*shudder* I'm trying to get over the idea that one might read the books *out of order*

[iago]

*shudder* I'm trying to get over the idea that one might read the books *out of order*

That's me trying to stir up some controversy.

Actually, it's based in my real world experience of trying to get "hmmm, maybe, it doesn't quite sound like my thing" people hooked on the series.  The early books end up being less strong of a sell -- in the sense of leaving the skeptic willing to read more -- whereas if I hand them Summer Knight or Death Masks, there's serious traction.

[iago]

Strange, iTunes hasn't downloaded it for me yet.  Oh well!  I'm downloading from the direct link you provided.  And the intro... this is why we love you, Fred.  How many times did you record that before you stopped feeling self-conscious? 

Only twice, actually.  I'm a natural goof, so my stiff-and-weird urges tend to go out the window once I know I'm doing something ridiculous no matter how you look at it.

*skips off to listen to the rest*

Edit:  I have to say, you've really improved at the solo-podcasting thing!  The music goes a long way in keeping your speechifying dynamic and interesting.  There are some weird, unsettling choppy bits where one can hear where you cut stuff out, but on the whole, your performance is miles better than where you were two episodes ago.  Bravo!

Yeah, the choppy bits are a natural consequence of me trying to loosen up.  I ad-libbed 90% of this episode (instead of my usual 10%) and that lead to a lot of screw-ups and a metric ton of 'uh... (six second pause)'.

Edit 2:  TEASE!!!

Yes, well.  I am.

Edit 3:  *dies*  You're calling me and my source "industrial little gnomes"?  That better be an endearing nickname.  *cackles and goes to change her personal text*

I meant to say *industrious* instead of industrial, but hey, it's a term of admiration.  Y'know, like the finest jewelery in the twelve kingdoms being made under a hill somewhere by industrious faeriekin who can spin silver fine as silk.

[Amber]

*shudder* I'm trying to get over the idea that one might read the books *out of order*

That's me trying to stir up some controversy.

Actually, it's based in my real world experience of trying to get "hmmm, maybe, it doesn't quite sound like my thing" people hooked on the series.  The early books end up being less strong of a sell -- in the sense of leaving the skeptic willing to read more -- whereas if I hand them Summer Knight or Death Masks, there's serious traction.

I'm just so... I mean, I read the first one when it came out, so I can't imagine trying to take it in a different order.  But I do understand your point about the first two books not being nearly as strong as the others, so I can see where you'd maybe want to start somewhere not at the beginning.  I'd say you have to read GP before DM, or you're not going to get the Susan thing.  So GP might be a good place to start, though the innate structure of that book makes it my least favorite.  Everytime I reread it, I still spend the first few chapters trying to remember if there's a book between FM and GP.  So, SK, then GP, then DM, might be the best way to hook people.

[ToddM326]

Another well done podcast.  We are getting spoiled with all the components of this great Jim Butcher media empire!

[iago]

I'm just so... I mean, I read the first one when it came out, so I can't imagine trying to take it in a different order.  But I do understand your point about the first two books not being nearly as strong as the others, so I can see where you'd maybe want to start somewhere not at the beginning.  I'd say you have to read GP before DM, or you're not going to get the Susan thing.  So GP might be a good place to start, though the innate structure of that book makes it my least favorite.  Everytime I reread it, I still spend the first few chapters trying to remember if there's a book between FM and GP.  So, SK, then GP, then DM, might be the best way to hook people.

Yeah, that's a good point, on the GP-DM dependency.

[trboturtle]

For some reason, I can't DL the podcast, from either the link above, or from the podcast website. Am I doing something wrong? 

Craig

[BigMama]

Another interesting, informative and well done podcast. Fred, you are just doing it right! The length of the podcast is just about perfect to me. Not too long, but enough time to be full of interesting info. Thanks. 

[iago]

For some reason, I can't DL the podcast, from either the link above, or from the podcast website. Am I doing something wrong? 

Link was messed.  Reload this page and try clicking on it again.

[iago]

Another interesting, informative and well done podcast. Fred, you are just doing it right! The length of the podcast is just about perfect to me. Not too long, but enough time to be full of interesting info. Thanks. 

That's the goal!  20-40 minutes, to make it likely people will actually listen to the thing.

[CGinCA]

I think they are a good length.    I turn them on turn up my speakers and do some cleaning while listenng

[iago]

I think they are a good length.    I turn them on turn up my speakers and do some cleaning while listenng

Perfecto!

[otacon 01]

I'm listening to the podcast, and I'm getting to the book part.

My 2 cents:

I read Dead Beat first.  And I enjoyed the hell out of it.  Of course, I didn't know what everything was, but it was still a fun read.  This summer, I went back to read the series, starting with Storm Front and then going through the rest, in order (unless, I guess, you count the short stories, which were sort of in order for me, sort of not I guess, err... I don't know, whatever, they were fun.)

Anyway, I finished PG and the Something Borrowed recently.  I also re-read DB, and that was still pretty fun.

But I see what you're doing in the podcast.  And it's a good idea.  Especially with the series coming out in a few days.