Did you discover the books because of the TV Show?

[Quantus]

To fight the effects of withdrawal, I'm on the forums, will be rereading the series (slowly, this time), and will try listening to one of the audiobooks. I think if I can make it till January and the distractions of the Olympics and then the return of "Lost" and "24" I can make the long haul to next April without ending up in the fetal position. 

I recommend such distractions as Castle, Supernatural, and Fringe (castle for the snark, supernatural for the...well..the supernatural, and fringe for the deep mystery).  All these just started their new seasons within the last few weeks. 

[Technobuilder]

I'd have to say I found out about "The Dresden Files" book series because of the TV series, but I started reading the books before the show itself premiered.

I remember that the Sci-Fi Channel (back when they spelled it a little different) had had their concepts for new series kicking around posted on one of the entertainment news websites I was perusing. Basically they were just description of what each show being considered for pilot, would be like if they went to series.

So, based on nothing but that description of the series, it's main protagonist and a general summary of the basics, as well as the posibility of James Marsters as the lead... I right then decided I should look into this series and give it a go. Promptly afterward forgetting all about it.

So now, Flash forward to 1 week before the TV series is set to premiere on Sci-Fi, with a different actor and everything.

I see an ad for the series and am suddenly reminded of my initial interest.

Realizing I had yet to read ANY of the books in the series, I immediately got in my truck and went to the bookstore.
After purchasing the first novel, I went over to a friend's apartment to hang out, and I started reading Storm Front. (While taking turns at Mario Party & DDR)

Two hours later, I was back at the book store (w/ friends in tow) and then leaving with the remaining 6 books up to and including 'Dead Beat'.

And a week later when the show premeired, I was already half way through 'Grave Peril' :-)

I'm so, so, so, glad I got to read the series first. TV show was good, but the books are better.

Since then, I've recruited 12 other people who are just as hooked as I am. (ie, In line, on opening day.)

[Mors Ultima Ratio]

Personaly, I find the show awful and I'd even say it's quite an insult to the "Dresden Files". All in all, if it's permitted Mr. Butcher to write even more confortably, they can make as many underfunded and misunderstood episodes as they want.
And for the record, I started with the "Masks of Death" long before the show...

[j3nnee]

Personaly, I find the show awful and I'd even say it's quite an insult to the "Dresden Files". All in all, if it's permitted Mr. Butcher to write even more confortably, they can make as many underfunded and misunderstood episodes as they want.
And for the record, I started with the "Masks of Death" long before the show...

I wouldn't call it awful but now that I've read all the books and rewatch them it's a whole different "view" of what Mr. Butcher has done. I'd love to see a longer version of one of the books with some of the actors from the show. Maybe a full length movie. Would be nice.

[Aludra]

I read the books first, watched the show after Turn Coat, and loved it.  I like that it isn't too closely tied to the books, because let's be honest.  A book per season would be 23 seasons of TV (23 years) to finish it out? Or a book per movie is 23 movies (a little over 23 years)?  That's a little bit insane.  It's better not tied to the books.

[Quantus]

I read the books first, watched the show after Turn Coat, and loved it.  I like that it isn't too closely tied to the books, because let's be honest.  A book per season would be 23 seasons of TV (23 years) to finish it out? Or a book per movie is 23 movies (a little over 23 years)?  That's a little bit insane.  It's better not tied to the books.

Im happy that its not tied to the books in plot, but it would have been nice if it had been closer to the books in setting/magical systems.  But then, im a geek for such things.  And lets face it, TV harry was awesome, but a very different wizard and person than Book Harry. 

[Mpol]

I am a sucker for catch phrases and blurbs. I was looking for a good Fantasy book at Borders and I came across this book. The cover was plain (at the time they only stocked the UK editions) but on teh front, it read, 'Magic... it could get a wizard killed'. I snorted out loud and turned over the back, read the blurb, liked that and then proceeded to read the first page or two and was LOVING the character of Harry and how it was told in the first person. So cool. Needless to say I am now an addict. The DF are my crack. Thankyou JB!

[Mira]

  I didn't know about the books because I read more pure science fiction than fantasy type novels.  I didn't look for many fantasy/wizard types because so many of them were unoriginal in my opinion.  The television series introduced me to Harry Dresden, then of course I had to read the books and was thrilled to find some really original work.  However one thing the television series did do better, the character of Bob..

[Shecky]

I don't think TV!Bob qualifies so much as "better" as he does "more doable and approachable for the visual format". And I think they did a decent job retconning TV!Bob's origins to match his necessary-for-the-screen appearance.

[Iminthebook]

None of the above. My first dresden book was White Night and I bought it from the book section in Kroger on a lunch break from work because I wanted a good book to read and the intro on the back caught my attention. I got through the whole book like a chocolate addict eats a box of whitmans. I bought the entire series (at the time white night was the newest) the next day. I was not dissapppointed (until i saw how different the tv show was, hells bells the tv show didnt measure up)

[Jedimasterjett]

I never knew there was a show until after I read storm front. I did just get though watching the entire series. It was very good, I just wished it stayed a little closer to the book.

[jallenecs]

I found Dresden because of the TV show. 

Sort of. 

The fact is, I watch almost no television whatsoever; I prefer reading.  But one of my best friends is the opposite:  he seldom reads fiction, but is totally addicted to the Sci Fi channel.  We got together for lunch one Saturday and he says, "Have you seen that show 'The Dresden Files'?"  No, I hadn't, because I don't watch TV, duh. 

He says, "Well, I have, and they're based on these books, you see.  I bought two of the books, but haven't read them yet.  You wanna read them, tell me what you think?"  He hands me Storm Front and White Night. Sure, I thought, I'll take a stab at them, though I'm more about horror than straight fantasy.

Needless to say, I finished both books before Monday, FLEW to the nearest Borders, and stood there in the SF section, saying ugly words because they only had half the books in stock.  It took me three days to get the entire set (Small Favor had come out like a week before), and about a week to read the whole set.

Now I'm so addicted that I own a hard copy, an e-copy, and an audio copy of all the books (that are available, on the audios), and DVD's of the tv show.  AND I've bought copies of the books for my brother and my best girlfriend, and bought an extra set of audios for my husband to keep in the car

So I did come to the books because of the show, but only indirectly.

[Shecky]

Hardcore! Woot!

[tonytynot]

I had never heard of the tv show - my nephew-in-law introduced me to the books, which I love. I'm reading "Dead Beat" now... but I did get the DVD set of the tv show and watched them all then passed them on to my nephew-in-law to watch. At first I wished the tv show was more like the books, but then started liking the tv show for what it was. Wish the tv show would have continued into more seasons!

A Dresden Files movie would be awesome!

[Jaeh]

Err... guilty!

I finished all the books (what was already out, anyway) in a week and a half after I borrowed them. xD