The SPOILERIFIC Ask Robert Wolfe Thread-The Series, in General

[Mickey Finn]

Robert...Harry's apparent lack of a gremlin-field around electronics keeps coming up.

Here's my theory from another thread:
On the show, magic is less blatant. I'm assuming (the issue hasn't come up yet to explain it) that Harry's gremlin-field in the show only manifests when he's near something AND using magic, rather than an ambient field like the books. The candles are mostly in his lab, and I bet when Jim's blackberry goes bad in the show, Harry's working magic in the morgue.

This hasn't become an issue in the show as yet, so if I'm right, there hasn't been an opportunity to write dialogue for it. The average viewer doesn't need to know this right off, just the fans of the books.

So am I right in this...magic only screws with stuff when actually ACTIVE, rather than a general field of roll-the-dice around Harry? Or dead wrong?

[Lady Geektastic]

Another question that popped up when reviewing Birds of a Feather. In the opening scene, Laura states that she feels "strangely rested, despite the lack of sleep". Are we to assume that sex with Harry is rejuvenative?   

Well, good sex is.

REALLLLY good sex is, but damages property.*



*Reading YOU SUCK: A Love Story by Chris Moore right now. Sorry.

OMG.  I didn't know it was out...  how is it?  Fiends is one of my favorites (after Coyote Blue)

Replying in here to not derail the thread. It's very good...highly reccomend Moore to Butcher fans, especially A Dirty Job, The Stupidest Angel, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, and Coyote Blue. They're a different tone, but the snark is turned way up to 11. Putting Jim, Chris, Max Barry, Steven Brust, Bob Asprin, Robert Wolfe, and John Steakley in a free form panel for 3 hours would just be...interesting. Snarkadelic. -Mickey

MAN! I so wanted to read that, but I couldn't afford it when I went to B&N. My friend keeps telling me to read A Dirty Job, but the library is always, always out of stock. *pout*

[Robert Wolfe]

Robert...Harry's apparent lack of a gremlin-field around electronics keeps coming up.

Here's my theory from another thread:
On the show, magic is less blatant. I'm assuming (the issue hasn't come up yet to explain it) that Harry's gremlin-field in the show only manifests when he's near something AND using magic, rather than an ambient field like the books. The candles are mostly in his lab, and I bet when Jim's blackberry goes bad in the show, Harry's working magic in the morgue.

This hasn't become an issue in the show as yet, so if I'm right, there hasn't been an opportunity to write dialogue for it. The average viewer doesn't need to know this right off, just the fans of the books.

So am I right in this...magic only screws with stuff when actually ACTIVE, rather than a general field of roll-the-dice around Harry? Or dead wrong?

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Or when he's upset or emotional.  Or when the stuff is delicate and high tech.  Note how he hovered back from the computer in Boone.  Note that he still has a ton of candles around and cooks with gas (which is electronic free if you hand light the gas burner).  Note that his lab is basicially entirely electricity free.  And he uses a rotary phone.  And he still drives the a relic of a car, too.

[dawnsister]

 {{Turns out I went to school with a Robert Wolfe (Class of '82). He was Catholic, too, as I recall.  But he went by "Bobby" and he's in prison now.}}


Robert - are you writing from Jail??  ;-)

Any plans for the not-so-great Fairy Godmother to make an appearance in the future?


*Looks like Adam Baldwin and Summer Glua scored a new shows-
It looks like Summer will be in the new TV "Terminator" spinoff
series, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
http://whedonesque.com/comments/12422

And Adam's apparently landed a job in a show called "Chuck" which
comes from the creator of "The O.C."
http://whedonesque.com/comments/12421

[Hazelip]

*Looks like Adam Baldwin and Summer Glua scored a new shows-
It looks like Summer will be in the new TV "Terminator" spinoff
series, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
http://whedonesque.com/comments/12422

If they do this anything like the old NOW comics project, in which there were multiple Terminators sent back in time at once, it could be interesting. 

[Kalshane]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Or when he's upset or emotional.  Or when the stuff is delicate and high tech.

So was Murphy's computer not going out in "The Boone Identity" an "oops"? Harry was sitting right by it in her cubicle and his emotions were running pretty high between having just been shot at and arguing with Murphy. I was completely expecting a BSOD from it in the least.

[bobtheskull]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Or when he's upset or emotional.  Or when the stuff is delicate and high tech.

So was Murphy's computer not going out in "The Boone Identity" an "oops"? Harry was sitting right by it in her cubicle and his emotions were running pretty high between having just been shot at and arguing with Murphy. I was completely expecting a BSOD from it in the least.

Hmm.  I'd not really noticed the cubicle as being her desk.

Is Murphy the SI boss in the show yet or does the SI boss just not rate an office?  Or did you guys change it to a cubicle for space reasons, because shooting in an office is problematic?

[CarolM]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Or when he's upset or emotional.  Or when the stuff is delicate and high tech.

So was Murphy's computer not going out in "The Boone Identity" an "oops"? Harry was sitting right by it in her cubicle and his emotions were running pretty high between having just been shot at and arguing with Murphy. I was completely expecting a BSOD from it in the least.

Hmm.  I'd not really noticed the cubicle as being her desk.

Is Murphy the SI boss in the show yet or does the SI boss just not rate an office?  Or did you guys change it to a cubicle for space reasons, because shooting in an office is problematic?

Not wishing to butt in, but I was under the impression that the TV show had decided to dispense with SI altogether. You can see their point, if they're downplaying the magic and supernatural stuff, Chicago police wouldn't need a special team to investigate such things would they? On the other hand they do need a Wizard PI.  Does not compute!!


-Note from Mickey...yep, no SI. However, many law enforcement agencies use psychics as paid consultants, this is really no different.

ETA Yes Mickey the police use psychic consultants I know but I don't think any of the ones the British police use claim to be Wizards. Or are you saying psychics are wizards and vice versa?

-Note from Mickey: I'm saying that, as far as the beancounters are concerned, they are the same thing.

[Soulless Mystic5523]

*Looks like Adam Baldwin and Summer Glua scored a new shows-
It looks like Summer will be in the new TV "Terminator" spinoff
series, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
http://whedonesque.com/comments/12422

If they do this anything like the old NOW comics project, in which there were multiple Terminators sent back in time at once, it could be interesting. 

::Looking around quickly hopeing noone noticing the slight derailment::
Summer Glau is also in the series The Unit as a somewhat regular (prolly only the one season but who can say at this point).
::Dashes off before anyone notices::

[Kalshane]

Is Murphy the SI boss in the show yet or does the SI boss just not rate an office?  Or did you guys change it to a cubicle for space reasons, because shooting in an office is problematic?

http://www.jim-butcher.com/bb/index.php/topic,1788.0.html

[ButMadNNW]

That just makes me sad.  It's not like Potter is the first wizard to use spellwords.

I completely agree. Harry Potter (a series I love) hardly invented the magic word.

I agree, as well. And on a similar note (sorry to add a slight derailment by responding so late; I just got here), I quickly tired of people (IMDb/SciFi) complaining that Harry & Bob looking the Ravens up in a book was too Charmed-like. When has there been a wizard in history/literature who did not have at least one reference book? Maybe not a "Book of Shadows," but even Bob makes a mention of his "first grimoire" - I think in the first episode... - Grimoires are real, historic texts on magic, so where's the fault?

*carefully sets thread back on tracks*

*waves to Robert* Hi! I don't have a question at this time, but I'm truly enjoying the show (without having read the books). Keep up the great work!

[Rel Fexive]

Re: research - not to mention those other two magically-slanted series that always got busy with the bookwork: Buffy and Angel.

[Kalshane]

Right. And even Gandalf has to go through moldy old books to find out more about Bilbo's ring. He suspects what it is, but he needs to do research to be sure.

[Rechan]

Hey Robert, will we be seeing Michael in season 1? Or ever?

[Robert Wolfe]

Hey Robert, will we be seeing Michael in season 1? Or ever?

Not season one, hopefully eventually.