Is it appropriate?

[OZ]

I think the best way to balance the two is to reference things in a way that those that are familiar with the referenced story will get and that those that are not familiar with the referenced story will not notice. For example actually using the name Harry Dresden will require the reader to have some familiarity with TDF. On the other hand if a character said that they would need a detective that was also a wizard to solve the crime it would make sense in story. If they or another character googled it and said the only one they could find advertised was in Chicago which was too far away to do them any good,  it would be a Dresden reference for those that were familiar with it but simply a line in the book about the main character unsuccessfully trying to find help to anyone else.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I think the best way to balance the two is to reference things in a way that those that are familiar with the referenced story will get and that those that are not familiar with the referenced story will not notice.

This does also have a problem with references aging; you get unlucky in picking which current bestseller or movie you quote, and in ten years' time nobody knows what the heck you're talking about.  I think you can pretty well trust Shakespeare and Milton not to age badly, but that's about it.

For example actually using the name Harry Dresden will require the reader to have some familiarity with TDF. On the other hand if a character said that they would need a detective that was also a wizard to solve the crime it would make sense in story. If they or another character googled it and said the only one they could find advertised was in Chicago which was too far away to do them any good,  it would be a Dresden reference for those that were familiar with it but simply a line in the book about the main character unsuccessfully trying to find help to anyone else.

Very nice example.  I'd also note that you can get mileage out of layered quoting; "better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" can get some impact from knowing its original context in "Paradise Lost", but with the right contextual cues you can make it also recognisable as specifically quoting VNV Nation using a quote from "Paradise Lost" in "Kingdom" to people who know VNV Nation.

[OZ]

I think you can pretty well trust Shakespeare and Milton not to age badly, but that's about it.

Ben Franklin and portions of the KJV bible have weathered well also although many mix up which quotes come from which.

I'd also note that you can get mileage out of layered quoting; "better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" can get some impact from knowing its original context in "Paradise Lost", but with the right contextual cues you can make it also recognisable as specifically quoting VNV Nation using a quote from "Paradise Lost" in "Kingdom" to people who know VNV Nation.

If you can pull this off, it works very well.

[Wordmaker]

In general, pop culture references are considered fair use. You don't need permission for your character to drink a Coke, for example. If you want to include the reference, I would say go right ahead.

[Aminar]

Just finished Libriomancer.  So much awesome but way way too short.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Ben Franklin and portions of the KJV bible have weathered well also although many mix up which quotes come from which.

If you don't know where something comes from, it's usually either Dorothy Parker, Winston Churchill, or Oscar Wilde.

[o_O]

This does also have a problem with references aging; you get unlucky in picking which current bestseller or movie you quote, and in ten years' time nobody knows what the heck you're talking about.  I think you can pretty well trust Shakespeare and Milton not to age badly, but that's about it.

A related danger is "The author comes off as trying too hard for pop references- is  this overcompensation by a clueless oldie?"

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

A related danger is "The author comes off as trying too hard for pop references- is  this overcompensation by a clueless oldie?"

Yeah, I've read a number of books that have failed in the direction of "the writer is layering in references to the pop culture of their youth and the world has moved on since then."

[LizW65]

One example of a work that managed to find a good balance of pop culture references is the show Farscape. It used a ton of pop culture references, yet all were sufficiently well-known as to be familiar to just about any Westerner who wasn't living in a cave for the last fifty years, and well-established enough that they don't seem obscure or outdated even though the show ended a decade ago.

[o_O]

One example of a work that managed to find a good balance of pop culture references is the show Farscape. It used a ton of pop culture references, yet all were sufficiently well-known as to be familiar to just about any Westerner who wasn't living in a cave for the last fifty years, and well-established enough that they don't seem obscure or outdated even though the show ended a decade ago.

And it even has a Dresden tie-in.

[FishStampede]

One example of a work that managed to find a good balance of pop culture references is the show Farscape. It used a ton of pop culture references, yet all were sufficiently well-known as to be familiar to just about any Westerner who wasn't living in a cave for the last fifty years, and well-established enough that they don't seem obscure or outdated even though the show ended a decade ago.

I think Farscape did a great job of having their cake and eating it too. John Crichton is a pop culture machine, throwing out references left and right, so American audiences immediately sympathize with him and laugh at his jokes. His companions are aliens from another galaxy, so all of his references are completely lost on them. Foreign audiences (or those just not as plugged in to pop culture) sympathize with his crew and their baffled reactions.

I read a book (part of the Laundry series by Charles Stross) where the main character says he was enjoying reading this book series about a wizard in modern-day Chicago. Doesn't call Harry out by name but it's pretty obvious what he's referring to. The same book has a cultist die via iPod commercial (which, interestingly, most of his British audience would not get). For something less mainstream like the Dresden Files, I'd go for an oblique reference. Maybe something like "I thought about waving my hands and shouting FUEGO but I didn't want to deal with the bill for property damage" or "I needed to think my way through this. Come up with something unexpected. Unfortunately, all I could think of was a polka-powered zombie t-rex. My brain must be on strike."

[LizW65]

For what it's worth, I think Cold Days has just about pushed the "fair use" thing to it's limits. Harry even jokes about getting sued at one point.

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

In my novel, I had a supernatural information broker say that he'd see if he could get anything from 'that bloke in Chicago'. Seemed innocuous enough to me, but what are your thoughts? I also think I referenced a mage selling enchanted items in Camden (Alex Verus).

[o_O]

In my novel, I had a supernatural information broker say that he'd see if he could get anything from 'that bloke in Chicago'. Seemed innocuous enough to me, but what are your thoughts? I also think I referenced a mage selling enchanted items in Camden (Alex Verus).

Seems OK to me (aside from the quibble I have about information brokers who talk of their sources not staying in business for long).

[THE_ANGRY_GAMER]

Well, most of his info comes from the Akashic Record, so it's not a huge problem. I've also got a Spanish Inquisition reference and a slightly-veiled reference to Interview with a Vampire as well as a direct reference to Dirty Harry, but i figure those are pretty standard.