Being Harry Dresden? Now, that's rather extreme...

Since I started on the path of text roleplaying, I've had my interest in the point of view (POV) of a story revived. I used to think it didn't matter too much. In fiction, a lot of the time it doesn't (whereas in roleplay it can make a world of difference, particularly in the attitude of the writing partner, and can conceal - or reveal - no end of real-life hang-ups; but that is material for another entry).

And sometimes the POV is what makes all the difference between adequate and mindblowing.

Jim Butcher is one of my favourite authors and his Dresden Files one of my favourite book series (not the favourite because I still have read more Marion Zimmer Bradleys, but we're getting there). Just so you don't expect objectivity here. Jim, if you end up reading this, I have your blog bookmarked.

I tend to dislike first-person narrative because a) I like the capability for omniscience that an outside voice has, and b) it can give a bit too much information into the viewpoint character's mind, which I don't necessarily want to share. But Harry Dresden's mind is a fascinating, as well as hilarious, place to play the fly on the wall in.

It can't be easy to be a wizard-cum-private investigator in 21st-century Chicago. As an avid Mage: the Ascension player, camouflaging magickal power has always been the greatest challenge, something that I wanted canon characters in rulebooks to tell me about as much as about their power and knowledge. Harry is a wonderful lens through which to view supernatural conflicts in a mundane environment, and he single-handedly got me into the urban fantasy genre, after my long tenure in the halls of high fantasy and sword & sorcery.

Keep the White Council appeased, or pay the bills? Protect his cop friend Murphy from getting in harm's way, or land a date? Harry thinks on his feet, thinks a lot, and thinks aloud. I find myself chortling non-stop for pages on end (especially if Bob is involved, or distraction-by-taunting tactics are necessary).

Which makes it even more shocking and emotionally involving when tragedy strikes. People get hurt and die around Harry; not just baddies, the way cliched poetic justice would have it, but likeable people, those that make you want to headbutt something and scream, 'Not fair!'

The series is fast growing longer (How, Jim? How do you churn them out like this? I can hardly keep up with you!), so here's the complete list for you to invest in:

01. Storm Front (2000)
02. Fool Moon (2001)
03. Grave Peril (2001)
04. Summer Knight (2002)
05. Death Masks (2003)
06. Blood Rites (2004)
07. Dead Beat (2005)
08. Proven Guilty (2006)
09. White Night (2007)
10. Small Favor (2008)
11. Turn Coat (2009)
12. Changes (2010)
13. Side Jobs (2010, short stories)