Dresden Debts

Finished the 7th book in the Dresden series - Dead Beat.  Seeds laid in the previous book come to the forefront right away in this book.

The mystery of the sigil burned into the palm of Dresden's burned hand is craftily revealed and with it comes the promise of greater power in a time when Harry needs it the most badly.  Halloween Eve is coming and with it the bad guys - this time necromancers - are up to evil on such a scale that war on the Wizard Council is but part of a feint for a more devious plan.

Balanced against all of this and the lure of greater power is the certainty that if Harry goes down that path he will lose himself to fallen angel Lasciel.  She is also known as the Seducer, the Webweaver and the Temptress.

Harry's little dog is not so little anymore and guards his master well.  A new character, Butters - a timid one man polka playing band - is a techie that ends up becoming much more of a fighter than even Harry thought he could be.  

Handled far more slowly and carefully is the relationship between Harry and Murphy.  She takes off with the mercenary Kincaid from the last book; reading between the lines in an attempt to get some form of reaction out of Harry.  Even though she is absent from most of the book, all of Harry's actions are predicated on protecting Murphy.  During the course of the story Harry is forced by his half-brother to confront his feelings about Murphy even though nothing is resolved when the two of them meet at the end of the book.

But I can't wait to see Murphy's reaction when she finds out she was the reason Dresden took all the risks he did in this story.  If she does find out that is.  My money is on her finding out.

Really enjoying the character arc and growth for Harry.  His power has grown substantially from the first book and so too have the choices Harry has to make.  And the price he has to pay.

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This Friday we are heading to Lake Louise out in the Rockies for the weekend.  It's a four hour drive from home and I was hoping by the end of March that the worst of winter was behind us.  But it's been the second coming of winter with snow falling on consecutive days and more in the forecast.  

This could be an interesting trip.

I Swear By Jupiter's Cock!

I've been reading my first Ramsey Campbell book - Creatures Of The Pool - and after hearing so much praise for him my initial impressions are decidely mixed.  I'm a third of the way into the book and an overwhelming majority of it has been a history and geography lesson of Liverpool.  I'm a big believer in setting but this is going overboard. At this point, very little has been revealed about any of the characters and beyond the story noting how damp everything is, very little of the story itself has yet to be revealed.   I'm probably making a fool of myself at this point with my initial reaction given Campbell's reputation.  Or maybe I just chose the wrong book to start with.

On the flip side, when I want a fun and quick read I find myself turning to Jim Butcher's - Dresden Files series.  The book series came to my attention after the short lived TV series. Butcher writes the Dresden books in engagingly dry manner that harkens back to those old hard boiled detective noir style stories and has mixed it with wizardry, magic, and the supernatural.  Harry Dresden is a very sympathetic character who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and never seems to get a break.  Harry has a great sense of humor which leavens up the grist mill of obstacles and tribulations Butcher puts his poor protagonist through.

If the title of this post rings a bell for you then chances are you too are a viewer of the StarZ series - Spartacus.  The show is in its last season and has followed the story of Spartacus's capture into Roman slavery, his rise in the gladiatorial arena, and the Slave Revolt he has led against the Romans.  In the final season, which is four episodes in, Julius Caesar himself has been summoned to deal with the ever growing rebellion.



After a first season shaky start in the first four episodes - exacerbated by the show's signature battle scenes that are very reminiscent of the 300 movie's slomo bloodfests - the series has crafted a complex and intricately plotted story that constantly presents characters with life and death decisions from which very few walk away alive.  The body count is high and favored characters fall with a degree of regularity that tops that of The Walking Dead.  The difference between Spartacus and The Walking Dead is that with Spartacus, character deaths consistently illicit emotional responses from both sides of the spectrum depending on where your character loyalties lie.

This is a very adult show.  Blood, limbs, heads - cloven whole or in half, and gore flow freely.  So does wine and bodily fluids.  Spartacus is an equal opportunity show - full female and male nudity, yes including that of the frontal variety - are often on display in all the possible configurations and gender pairings possible.  These were violent times and Spartacus captures it all whether it be in the arena, on the battleground, or behind closed doors of a master's estate. 

Further props have to be given to the cast who undergo a rigorous physical regime to maintain and project the musculature of warriors.  These actors, in very physical roles, then must master many weapon types with swords the most common choice.  The physical aspects of the show are then married with modern technology to create battle scenes that, for my money, surpass most things seen on the much more lauded Game of Thrones.  Another show which I enjoy watching.

Spartacus is a great show that deserves far more acclaim than it has garnered to date.  This is a harsh, gritty world where the characters live and die hard. Check it out. Highly recommended.

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On a writing front I put together a piece of micro fiction and sent it off today.  The deadline is mid-March so it was great to get that one under my belt. Especially since it is my first dribble of fiction writing in ages.

Review of Smart Pop's The Psychology Of Dexter

The Psychology Of Dexter

Taken from the Smart Pop website 'About' page:


'Smart Pop Books - On the best in Pop Culture Television, Books, And Film'

'Smart Pop books is a line of smart, fresh funny essays on the best of pop culture tv, books, and film, with particular focus on science fiction and fantasy television and literature.'

From the back cover of Smart Pop's The Psychology of Dexter book:

'Millions of us are fascinated by unlikely hero Dexter Morgan - a character who constantly makes us question what being “normal” really means.  What makes Dexter tick? And what makes a show about a serial killer so appealing to those of us at home?

Think you know Dexter?  The Psychology of Dexter will make you think again.’

Fringe Science: Parallel Universes, White Tulips, And Mad Scientists

Fringe Science: Parallel Universes, White Tulips, And Mad Scientists

Taken from the Smart Pop website 'About' page:

'Smart Pop Books - On the best in Pop Culture Television, Books, And Film'

'Smart Pop books is a line of smart, fresh funny essays on the best of pop culture tv, books, and film, with particular focus on science fiction and fantasy television and literature.'

From the back cover of Smart Pop's Fringe Science book:

'Fringe has always been more than the sum of its parts-but its parts, too, are worth a closer look.  The show combines a surfeit of mad science, some old school sci-fi flair, and a dash of strawberry-milkshake whimsy to create the challenging, fascinating Pattern that keeps us coming back season after season and universe after universe.'