Dresden Files: Series Timeline

[DARTHYAM]

So let's assume that Harry is 25 come Storm Front. That would have Storm Front and Fool Moon take place in 2002 (He'd turn 25 in 2001, and Storm Front takes place in Spring.) Grave Peril would be 2003, Summer Knight 2004, Death Masks 05, Blood Rites 06, Dead Beat 07, Grave Peril either 08 or 07, White Night 08, Small Favor, 09, Turn Coat, 11, Changes 2012.

If He was born in 74, than it would be

2000: SF and FM
2001: GP
2002: SK
2003: DM (Mayoral election year in RL, which is also occurring in the book).
2004: BR
2005: DB
2006: PG
2007: WK
2008: SF
2010: TC
2011: C
2012: GS AND CD

If Harry was born in 75

2001: SF and FM
2002: GP
2003: SK
2004: DM
2005: BR
2006: DB
2007: PG
2008: WK
2009: SF
2011: TC
2012: C
2013: GS and CD

1976

2002: SF and FM
2003: GP
2004: SK
2005: DM
2006: BR
2007: DB
2008: PG
2009: WK
2010: SF
2012: TC
2013: C
2014: GS and CD

All in All I think the 1974 birth is the most plausible; it even adds nice parallels to the real world
ex
1.) Mayoral elections line up and the Terrorist paranoia that Nick presumably planned to exploit in the aftermath of the deadly plague. Also
2.) Beginning of the War on Terror corresponds with the beginning of the Vampire War; End of Iraq War and death of bin laden corresponds with the end of the Vampire War

[lovejoy69]

Jim has told me, "His birthday was actually 1976. I've always meant him to be about five years younger than me."

This may introduce plotholes, but I don't think it's any more hole-y than any other year.

Always worth it to hear the word from The One Who Actually Knows This Stuff.

[wizard nelson]

is there a timeline for the RL stuff? like jim was born, jim wrote(uhh what was that short with murph and the troll?) when in this class on so and so date or even just the release dates? i didn't start reading til just before TC came out so idk nothing from before that. kinda a blessing, if i'd had to wait for each book from SF i'd have gone batty by now. anticipation and waiting fry my brain.

[Priscellie]

is there a timeline for the RL stuff? like jim was born, jim wrote(uhh what was that short with murph and the troll?) when in this class on so and so date or even just the release dates? i didn't start reading til just before TC came out so idk nothing from before that. kinda a blessing, if i'd had to wait for each book from SF i'd have gone batty by now. anticipation and waiting fry my brain.

The release dates are all on Wikipedia, as is Jim's birthday.  I don't see a need for a timeline for it.

[wizard nelson]

The release dates are all on Wikipedia, as is Jim's birthday.  I don't see a need for a timeline for it.

well. that IS a timeline. just not done here. which does answer my question roundabouts. thanks.

[lovejoy69]

is there a timeline for the RL stuff? like jim was born, jim wrote(uhh what was that short with murph and the troll?) when in this class on so and so date or even just the release dates?

For the real-life events, organizations and places which have been touched on during the DF, several examples have been mentioned even within this timeline thread, if I remember correctly. Others could be quickly researched.

If you want to collect them up and then share them, either here or opening a thread of its own for them, others might find use for your efforts too. One example of a RL site mentioned: Stroger Hospital was in the planning and funding process for a number of years, then opened its doors December 2002, IIRC. (And by the way, the name of the politician for whom the hospital was named for is pronounced 'Stro jur with accent on the first syllable, not g pronounced like in growl, so I'm assuming that the hospital name is pronounced like its namesake's.)

During a series reread, it can be interesting to note the real world references, although of course it's always necessary to allow for the fact that the actual months when Jim is writing each book naturally have a considerable lead time prior to each's release date. That interval is greatest for the first few books because SF and FM had already been finished, except for final polishing, during the period when Jim had begun negotiating with prospective agents and publishing houses to sell his series.

[Tami Seven]

I didn't see Thomas's birth listed on the timeline, or did I overlook it? If Harry is Oct 21, 25 BSF, then Thomas should be Feb 14, 31 BSF. 

[Priscellie]

I didn't see Thomas's birth listed on the timeline, or did I overlook it? If Harry is Oct 21, 25 BSF, then Thomas should be Feb 14, 31 BSF.

You overlooked it.  It's there!

[Tami Seven]

You overlooked it.  It's there!

I see it now.  Weird that I missed it at first glance. With Thomas' Birthday coming up, I was curious as to how old he would be.

So he would be turning 44 or 45 this month. Interesting. 

[Ben de Wal]

old enough to know better?

[Priscellie]

Only if you mean "know" in the Biblical sense.

[Sharlee]

All in All I think the 1974 birth is the most plausible; it even adds nice parallels to the real world
ex
1.) Mayoral elections line up and the Terrorist paranoia that Nick presumably planned to exploit in the aftermath of the deadly plague. Also
2.) Beginning of the War on Terror corresponds with the beginning of the Vampire War; End of Iraq War and death of bin laden corresponds with the end of the Vampire War

New to this forum, so I don't know if this has come up already, but here's another reason to vote for 1974 as Harry's birth year:

In the Ghost Story flashback when Harry first casts his fire-lighting spell, twelve-almost-thirteen-year-old Harry wishes he could skip the lesson and go watch Knight Rider on the TVs displayed at the mall.  The last original episode of Knight Rider aired in August of 1986, and the program wasn't syndicated by its makers, that practice having been reserved mostly for comedies and game shows in the mid-eighties.  Assuming young Harry's definition of "almost thirteen" meant "within three months of thirteen", that fits with a 1974 birth date, but not '75 or '76.  Unless we were to push Harry's birth even further back, or forward all the way to 1979 (12 years before the failed Team Knight Rider spinoff), '74 is the only year to fit with Harry's viewing preferences.

[Priscellie]

Fantastic catch, Sharlee!

We should make a list of reasons why Harry's birth should be in certain years.

1974 (SF in 1999)

• Works with mayoral elections
• Dovetails with major post-9/11 historical events: terrorist paranoia, War on Terror, end or Iraq war, and death of bin Laden
• Closest to Knight Rider timeline
• Lydia's prophetic dream about the Challenger disaster in 1986 hits at a more plausible age (while still certainly plausible for Harry being born in 1976).  Assuming she's talking about the assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981, this is also the most plausible.
• CON: David Kotkin (age 18) takes the stage name "David Copperfield" in 1974, though his career doesn't take off until 1975.  Still, if Malcolm knew him from the SAM and even helped him choose a name, this isn't a deal-breaker.

1976 (SF in 2001)

• WoJ (who can be fallible)
• David Copperfield attains fame in 1975.
• Holy cats, I am seriously coming up blank here.

What else am I missing?  Seems very likely I need to inform Jim he's wrong.

[Orladdin]

...What else am I missing?  Seems very likely I need to inform Jim he's wrong.

I very much love that this is a community where that can happen.  And that Jim's the kind of author who will listen, of course.  :-D

[Sharlee]

Another small item for the timeline:

21 October 1805 - Admiral Horatio Nelson dies of a gunshot wound suffered at the Battle of Trafalgar.  Gard is present and takes the fatal bullet from his body.  (From "Even Hand")