It should be established now that I am a great big dork. The more of these you read, the more this will become clear. I have eclectic tastes so my various geekdoms cross a broad spectrum of… things.

How about THAT for eloquence?

I was trying to think of what to geek out over first, and it became clear to me what that subject HAD to be a couple of months ago.

Jim. Freaking. Butcher.

So let’s hop in our TARDIS and woosh back in time, shall we? This had to be over a decade ago at this point. Strolling through Barnes and Noble, I come across a series – the Dresden Files – by Jim Butcher. It looks… cute. I was already a fan of urban fantasy (though it wasn’t really called that yet), and this just looked fun. A wizard living in Chicago? Playing the part of PI and consultant to local PD? All the while, he’s dealing with estoric forces beyond our imagining?

Oh hell yes.

I bought every one of the books he had out in the series (only 3 or 4 at this time – I may have a problem where it comes to buying books, but we’ll just handwave over that for now).

Back in the TARDIS people! Back to present day!

I fell in love with Harry Dresden at that time. And Bob. Never before have I so desperately wanted a skull to perch on my shelf!

… stop staring at me. Read the books.

I have eagerly awaited each year for the next installment. Sometimes there has been swearing – ok, a lot of times, there have been swearing – but I’ve always been there, money eagerly in hand as I awaited for the next installment.

One of my all-time favorites lines has to be from Summer Knight. Harry is dashing into battle with some serious old-school Fae, unleashing his battlecry of “I DO NOT BELIEVE IN FAIRIES!” as he charges in. This had me laughing so hard, I nearly fell off the couch. That was only the beginning. “Polka never dies” is right up there as well.

It even had its own, short-lived TV series! It was great for what it was, and lasted for all of one season. Don’t be too harsh on it. There were a few things that made me twitch, but by and large, I enjoyed the hell out of it.

But it’s not just the Dresden Files. Jim Butcher has a second series – the Furies of Calderon. It was the series he originally wanted to publish, but had been turned down for, so he pitched Harry Dresden, and lo! We got something amazing!

But the Furies have a very different feel to them. If you enjoy high fantasy, I strongly recommend them. A battalion of Roman soldiers get pulled into an alternate dimension, and they do what Romans are often wont to do – they survive. This series takes places a number of centuries later where you get to see how that culture has evolved yet stayed so very similar, and dealing with fantastical elements that have encroached upon their reality.

And STEAMPUNK!!!

I haven’t had an opportunity to read his latest series yet, but I have the first book, signed by the man himself.

Oh, did I forget to mention that? I GOT TO MEET JIM BUTCHER at Planet Comicon in Kansas City this past May. He signed my first print of Storm Front (Book 1 of the Dresden Files), took a picture with me, and even let me hug him.

Oh yes, and he graciously accepted a copy of Wake Up Call as well.

How many people can say their favorite author has a copy of their book upon his shelf??