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Messages - Nightfall

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DF Books / Re: Peace Talks Update
« on: March 29, 2020, 08:05:06 PM »
According to some guy named Jim Butcher (but what does he know), Peace Talks out in July, followed by Battle Grounds in mid October. Basically, the thing got huge,and he had it suddenly swerve in a new direction, mid book, and his editor said "make it two books", so he did. That took time, but they will both be coming out this year.

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: March 29, 2020, 07:58:34 PM »
FADE, BY Daniel Humphreys, book 1 of the Paxton Locke series (total 3 so far). Described as "Harry Dresden’s sorcery goes on a Supernatural-style road trip. Cool car sold separately." It feels like a Dresden book, even though it isn't.

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DF Spoilers / Re: Mac's Possible Identity
« on: March 16, 2019, 09:18:27 PM »
All I know is this...
When I first saw Mac and the bar, and since, I was immediately reminded of Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. It also has such an enigmatic bartender, who has influence all out of proportion to what he actually does.

If it is based on that, and you want to know who, or even what, Mac is, all I gotta say is, get used to disappointment.

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: November 10, 2018, 03:03:21 AM »
First, what are the Dresden Files books, so we can search for others like it? One thing they are is "Urban Fantasies", so this can help, "urban fantasy with male lead characters", https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5181._Urban_Fantasy_With_Male_Lead_Characters  , you will note that Dresden files much of the top of this list, so we can expect that those also near the top are at least somewhat like Dresden.

Next, where did "Urban Fantasy" come from? I believe it started with Mercedes Lackey, specifically her "Serrated Edge" series, starting with "Born to Run", Elves, racecars, and a human mage who acts a lot like Dresden, and the "Urban Elves" sort of thing found here http://www.mercedeslackey.com/books/bedlam4.html  in the "Bedlam Bards" series. As far as I can see, that is where the whole type of world we see Dresden inhabit, and the sort of story he is in, came from.

Therefore, it seems likely that these books by Mercedes Lackey and friends will be enjoyed by those who like Dresden.

As a side note, I noticed an ad for a new "Fantastic Beasts" movie, with two guys with wands. So, naturally, I broke out the old wand breaker spell, just in case, but it has been a while, so all I managed to do was ruin some gals nails (she said I did it just today, this actually happened). OK, so now I have a nails breaker spell in my spellbook, never can tell when you might need such a thing, next, I am working on a "Bad Hair Day" spell.

Don't tell the bigfoot.

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: October 28, 2018, 01:42:39 AM »
http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/sample-chapters/

Sample first chapters of:
Unexpected enlightenment
Prospero Lost
Prospero In Hell
Prospero Regained

And, an extra bonus, from the Prospero books, Mabs Handy Guide to Surviving the Supernatural. Mab is Miranda's (the protagonist from the Prospero books, very Dresden like) "Mab Boreal here. You know me—the Northeast Wind who works for Prospero Inc. as a company gumshoe", an air spirit who appears as a hard bitten detective type, sorta Bob like http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/category/mabs-handy-guide-to-surviving-the-supernatural/  A good addition to your copy of Jane's Fighting Monsters, could keep you alive.

Short excerpt:
Name: Sea Drake
Where To Find It: Under water…usually in oceans.

However, Miss Miranda, her brothers, and I fought one in Hell. It was inside a giant kronosaur. Guess it had been eaten for lunch. Nothing beats being swallowed by a monster and then having to fight another monster while in its stomach.

Oh wait.

Almost anything beats that.





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DF Books / Re: new tv series in development
« on: October 20, 2018, 03:15:38 AM »
Personally, I like that old show, not despite the fact that it did not follow the books, but because of it. If it follows the books too closely, well, I've read the books, been there, done that. If it is sorta Dresden-like, enough so that it can at least be considered Dresden (even if only barely), but has NEW Dresden stories, and is at least a decent series (which I thought it was), then it's something new. Not as good as a whole new Dresden book maybe, but, well, it's something.

It could have been better, but personally I liked the acting, Dresden and Murphy seemed like themselves, even if he was too short (how many actors do you know who can play Dresden AND are almost seven feet tall) and she was a brunette (I thought she was the best part of the show, despite brunette and too tall).

I thought the show had promise despite clashing with the books. I hope the new show is closer to the books, but I do not need to see the books on TV, I have the books already, I want the TV to be NEW stories, but as close to the books as can be despite that. It should also be noted that writing for a book and for a TV show are not the same, example, I think Potter is dry and sparse as books but worked great as movies, and I know some books that are great but would not work as movies (maybe as a TV serial). Do not be surprised if the new TV show is not the books, because the books may not make good TV.

In short, I am hoping for NEW Dresden I have never seen or read before, so long as it IS Dresden.

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DF Books / Re: cold showers
« on: October 20, 2018, 03:00:23 AM »
The easy way, unless you are broke like Harry *sigh*, have a big, or at least long house, you at one end, hot water heater at the other end, far enough from you so that you do not recreate the scene from Mythbusters where they tested a hot water heater rocket (right through the roof, hundreds of feet high).

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: October 20, 2018, 02:55:06 AM »
Pale Realms of Shade, read it here
http://www.scifiwright.com/samples/fic/pale-realms-of-shade/

Don't say I never gave ya nuthin'.

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: October 20, 2018, 02:51:20 AM »
It was not the being dead that I minded, it was the hours.

That is the first line from a John C. Wright short story in The Book of Feasts and Seasons (short stories). The story can be described as Ghost Story like, but shorter (of course).

Gotta be the best opening line I have ever seen.

The series he wrote is:

Swan Nights Son, The Green Knights Squire book 1 (yes, that green knight)  a modern (older) teenage boy (and his, er, dog, who talks, well, to the boy, who speaks animal) discovers his never seen father is a knight of King Arthur (despite Arthur being, uh, mostly dead), with the court of the Elves (pretty much the same elves Dresden fans are used to), he is, uh, "trained" as a knight to start by a, er, unusual trainer, which works surprisingly well, has adventures many of which are surprisingly funny,  and things go on from there for 2 more books, followed by...

Daughter of Danger, book 1 of The Dark Avengers Sidekick, superhero'es sidekick wakes up in hospital with amnesia, picks up odd friends on way to learning who she is and whats up (such as a faerie who is cursed to always be happy and carefree regardless of the situation, and who naturally decides she wants to be a hard boiled detective type, despite being completely temperamentally unsuited to the job, she does surprisingly well despite her total naivety), three books.

To be followed by Mad Scientists Apprentice, 3 more books.

There is also, by the above author, SOMEWHITHER, an older teenage boy ends up in a parallel world (of several) which is the oddest most far out world the author thinks he can make believable. We are talking way out here, yet it works. Example, one of the worlds never had a Crucifixion, result, no crosses, result, it is overrun by vampires, makes sense, right? The author plans another book, but there is only the one right now, the next is in production.

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DF Books / How to use computers as a mage
« on: October 14, 2018, 06:19:05 PM »
First, stop thinking like a mage, a caster of spells, start  thinking like a maker of magic doodads, like Butters (and Bob!).

OK, now you realize that the problem is not that you can't use computers, they work fine, you just can't be next to them while you do it. So, how do we use one from way over here while it is way over there?

First, you must have  a large enough place that you can have the computer at one end of  a long house, say a wing, or in some way well away from any mages, and in a rather long rectangular room. You use it from one side of the room, the computer is 20+ feet away at the other end.

Seeing the screen- This is the easy part, use a projector, and project the screen onto the wall at the end of the room the computer is in. This way, the screen will be big enough that you can see it from across the room.

Controlling the thing- Keyboard, have one, push key, it is simply a regular looking keyboard that merely connects one big solid piece of metal to another, a simply on/off switch, for each key. From that, a series of wires runs to the actual keyboard, above which is a series of solenoids, when the switch is pushed, power goes to the solenoid, which then extends a rod to push the actual key on the actual computer keyboard, one for each key. You will want surge suppressors on each wire, just in case...

Next, make that computer have two screens, the other is a touch screen, which shows the same thing the projector does. Now, have a similar series of solenoids spaced about the screen to touch it when you push a button at your end.

You now have a touch screen and keyboard controlled computer, good enough. Sound, well, hook up big speakers and have them shout at you from across the room (it is only 20 or so feet).

Possible  additions: It would be good to have some sort of circle or barrier to magic energy between you and the computer. This will have to be self powered (like Marcones desk circle, or Harries wards), it does not have to be very  powerful, just enough to stop stray magic eddies, or spells cast in another part of the house.

Other things, a magic wireless keyboard, magic headphone, or a magic powered mouse, and a much smaller remote screen, may be possible, but will take a lot of work, and are probably not worth it. The screen is easiest, just use a magic seeing eye or mirror, put it in front of the computer screen, it will transmit to a magic mirror were you are what is on the screen, doable, but you would have to make one, and the projector is available now. Magic keyboards/headphone/mouse would depend on using a magic crystal tuned to put out radio or IR signals identical to those put out by wireless versions of keyboards and headphones and mice, the problem being to shape the signal into something the receiver and computer will understand, which will take some knowledge of wireless technology, as well as some considerable work to design a magic powered processor to process the signals (which send commands to the crystal, which turns that into IR). The keyboard would be fairly simple (comparatively), headphones harder (as long as you don't mind AM radio quality sound), and the mouse would take some work, and probably only give you an old fashioned analog quality mouse.

So using a computer is possible, as long as you have a big house, or better a headquarters, the White Council HQ could set this up and have at least one computer available for use.

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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: October 14, 2018, 05:30:39 PM »
Somewhat less like Dresden alternatives, but good and at least somewhat like (some Dresden like elements):

The (only 4, so far) "Unexpected Enlightenment" books by L. Jagi Lamplighter. Rachel Griffin goes to college (at 13) to learn magic (easier when you have perfect memory), immediately runs into a murder plot which turns into a much bigger plot (sorta Dresden-like), and basically has more things happen in just her first five days (*whew*)  than even Harry Dresden usually sees. This has been described as "Harry Potter meets Narnia", but it is more than that, as you will see below.

This takes place at a Harry Potter type school, but the school seems more real than Potter, since it is based on a unique, real life college that the author went to, takes place on the real Roanoke Island (which, conveniently, no one is allowed to visit), has many critters taken from legends of the Hudson Highlands (as well as elsewhere), has a magic system much more well thought out and believable than in Harry Potter, and characters that are both unusual yet seem more real than seems possible, because they are taken from a very long role playing game the author played in, thus, they are real, or as real as the players were (the authors husband played Sigfried the Dragonslayer, who isn't exactly a dragonslayer, but you'll find out). After you read this, Potter books will seem dry and dull and not fleshed out (I tried the first Potter book after this, the movies are better).

Also, 3 books by John C. Wright (also known as Sigfried the Dragonslayer< husband of above author), "Daughter of Danger". A young women finds herself dead (usually not a good sign), and is hastily revived/resurrected, and is told the rush is because she is about to be killed again. She wakes up in a hospital with total amnesia, barely has time to discover she is wearing a magic ring, has yellow skin (Japanese), that she is not Japanese, and then two werewolves and a seven foot goat guy with a trident come in and try to kill her. She uses the kung fu she did not know she had, escapes, and now must find out who she is (little things like her name, who were those guys and why, how did I get to be a superhero, etc). To be followed by a book about her boyfriend (now fiance) called "Mad Scientists Apprentice". While testing his new spaceship, he sorta made a new crater in the moon, which he named (after her) Yummy Cutie crater, she told him NEVER to say that again.

Oh, and Lamplighter also wrote 3 books about Prospero's children, starting with Prospero Lost, kinda Dresden like, the 500 year old daughter of the Shakespeare wizard Prospero has to go and rescue him, picking up her siblings on the way to help, magic and mayhem follow. In some ways, it's like Skin Game.
 



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DF Books / Re: Alternatives While We Wait
« on: October 14, 2018, 04:50:10 PM »
<i>The Monster Hunter Files are a collection of stories by a whole bunch of really amazing authors, set in the Monster Hunter universe.  I think we got something like nine New York Times bestsellers in here.

There are stories from <b>Jim Butcher</b>, Faith Hunter, Jonathan Maberry, Jody Lynn Nye, John Ringo, Sarah Hoyt, Mike Kupari, Jessica Day George, John C. Wright, Maurice Broaddus, Brad Torgersen, Quincy Allen, Alex Shvartsman, Kim May, Steve Diamond, Julie Frost, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, and me.</i>
"Me" being Larry Correia

For that matter, the Monster Hunter series by Larry Correia Is good. Mercenaries who's job is to stamp out monster infestations, so much money per head (or whatever they use for one).

Also recommended, "Hard Magic" also by Larry Correia, the first book ends with a zeppelin boarding another zeppelin starting a pirate versus samurai and ninja plus magic fight Really, what more do you want?

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