{{Short description|Fantasy/mystery book series by Jim Butcher}} {{About|the series of books|the television series|The Dresden Files (TV series)|the role-playing game|The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game{{!}}''The Dresden Files'' Roleplaying Game}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox book | name = The Dresden Files | title_orig = | translator = | image = | image_size = 200px | caption = ''Battle Ground'' cover | author = Jim Butcher | illustrator = | cover_artist = Lee MacLeod, Christian McGrath | country = | language = English | series = | subject = | genre = Detective <br /> Contemporary fantasy <br /> Urban fantasy | publisher = {{unbulleted list|Roc Books|Ace Books|Dabel Brothers (comics and graphic novels 2007–2009)|Dynamite Entertainment (comics and graphic novels 2009–present)}} | pub_date = April 2000 – present | english_pub_date = | media_type = Print (hardback & paperback) <br /> Serial (comics and graphic novels) <br /> Audiobook (CD & MP3) | pages = | exclude_cover = yes }} '''''The Dresden Files''''' is an urban fantasy series written by American author Jim Butcher. The novels are narrated from the first-person perspective of Harry Dresden, private detective and wizard, as he investigates supernatural disturbances in contemporary Chicago. The first entry, ''Storm Front'', was published in 2000 by Roc Books.
The series is planned to include 25 volumes. As of January 2026, Butcher has published 18 novels set in the ''Dresden Files'' universe, as well as dozens of short stories, with audio adaptations performed by James Marsters. Other works set in the same fictional universe include graphic novels and ''The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game''. In 2007, a television series based on the novels aired for one season on the American Sci-Fi Channel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scifi.com/dresden/about/ |title=The Dresden Files on the Sci-Fi channel page |publisher=Scifi.com |access-date=April 27, 2014 |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228212858/http://www.scifi.com/dresden/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Setting== The series takes place in a world where magic and the paranormal—including vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, ''outsiders'' and other monsters—are real but widely discredited. Large portions of the globe, including much of Central and South America, are controlled by supernatural factions. These factions are loosely countered by the White Council, an organization of human wizards that wields significant economic power.
Each species has its own political and societal rules and organizations, acting to counter each other and maintain the masquerade. The human wizards depend on the White Council, while faeries either belong to one of two Faerie Courts or are unaffiliated, known as Wyldfae. Vampires generally belong to any of the four vampire courts. The series features other non-human creatures from a range of mythologies.
==Plot summary== Harry Dresden is the only advertising wizard in the United States, living in Chicago and taking supernatural cases on behalf of both human and nonhuman clients. He serves as a consultant for the Special Investigations division of the Chicago Police Department, reviewing cases that appear to have a magical element.
As the series progresses, Dresden takes on an increasingly important role in the supernatural world at large. As he works to protect the general public, he struggles to get by as a working wizard and private investigator.
=== Main characters === * '''Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden''' is a self-employed supernatural private investigator and consultant for the Chicago Police Department. * '''Bob''' is a "spirit of intellect" who inhabits a skull most often perched on a shelf in Dresden's secret lab. He is bound to the skull and its owner's commands. He is free to leave the skull if given permission by his owner, but he will die if exposed to significant sunlight without a host body. His usual vessel is Harry's cat, Mister, who does not seem to mind Bob's presence. * '''Karrin Murphy''' is a Chicago Police Department officer who leads the Special Investigations (SI) division, handling cases in which something unexplainable or supernatural is involved. As the series progresses, she is demoted from lieutenant to sergeant and stripped of her command, then later dismissed from the force altogether.
==Background== As a writing student, Butcher wrote several novels that he has since described as "terrible", the majority being traditional high fantasy. At the suggestion of his writing teacher, author Deborah Chester, he attempted a novel in the style of the ''Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', media they had discussed because Butcher was a fan. Resistant to her systematic approach to writing fiction, he set out to prove her wrong by closely following her methods. The result, which would require little editing, was ''Storm Front''. Butcher has called the experience, "a valuable lesson about humility."<ref name="Butcher">{{cite web | url=http://www.jim-butcher.com/jim/ | title=How'd Jim Get Published? | publisher=Jim-Butcher.com | last=Butcher | first=Jim | authorlink= Jim Butcher | year=2004 | access-date=February 4, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Whiteside">{{cite journal | url=http://www.casfs.org/ConNotations/Volume_17/ConNotations_17-02.pdf | title=A Conversation With Jim Butcher | journal=ConNotations | last=Whiteside | first=Lee | year=2007 | issue=2 | volume=17 | access-date=February 4, 2008 | archive-date=March 20, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320101439/http://www.casfs.org/ConNotations/Volume_17/ConNotations_17-02.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="wizardsharry.com">{{cite web| url=http://www.wizardsharry.com/dresden5.html| title=The Wizard interview with Jim Butcher| publisher=Wizards Harry.com| access-date=February 4, 2008| archive-date=February 13, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213173045/http://www.wizardsharry.com/dresden5.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{Quotation|When I finally got tired of arguing with her and decided to write a novel as if I [were] some kind of formulaic, genre-writing drone, just to prove to her how awful it would be, I wrote the first book of the ''Dresden Files''.|Jim Butcher in "A Conversation with Jim Butcher", 2004<ref name="McCune">{{cite web | url=http://www.sfsite.com/08b/jb182.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040823145935/http://www.sfsite.com/08b/jb182.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 23, 2004 | title=A Conversation with Jim Butcher | publisher=The SF Site | last=McCune | first=Alisa | year=2004 | access-date=February 4, 2008}}</ref>}}
Butcher next sought an agent or editor, a process that took over two years.<ref name="Whiteside" /> During this period he completed the second novel, ''Fool Moon'', and made significant progress on the third, ''Grave Peril''. Deciding to focus on agents who had sold similar novels, Butcher submitted a copy of his manuscript to the literary agency of Ricia Mainhardt, who represented Laurell Hamilton. It was rejected.<ref name="McCune" /><ref name="Butcher" />
His break came when Butcher met Hamilton at a convention and was invited to a lunch including Mainhardt. Mainhardt agreed to represent him, and six months later, the first three books of ''The Dresden Files'' were sold to ROC.<ref name="McCune" />
The first volume, ''Storm Front'', was released on April 1, 2000 in paperback; the next two novels in the series, ''Fool Moon'' and ''Grave Peril'', were published in January and September 2001, respectively. Subsequent novels were released annually until ''Peace Talks'', published in July 2020 after a six-year hiatus, scheduled to coincide with the 20th anniversary of ''Storm Front''.<ref name="20th">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tor.com/2019/12/16/jim-butchers-new-novel-peace-talks-will-publish-in-2020-for-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-dresden-files/|title = Jim Butcher's New Novel Peace Talks Will Publish in 2020 for the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files|date = December 16, 2019}}</ref>
Butcher is currently planning for twenty-two books in the "case files" of the series, to be capped by a final "double-length apocalyptic trilogy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jim-butcher.com/faq |title=Jim Butcher FAQ |date=December 27, 2010}}</ref>
==Publication history== In 2007, ROC began publishing hardcover reprints of books one to six. Volumes 7-15 (''Dead Beat'' through ''Skin Game'') were published first as hardcover, then released in paperback several months later.
Orbit Books purchased the series for UK publication and released the first novel, ''Storm Front'', in September 2005, five years after the initial US release. They continued to publish two books per month. In November 2007, Orbit bought the rights to ''Changes'' and ''Ghost Story'', the 12th and 13th novels.<ref name="Pagan">{{cite web | url=http://www.orbitbooks.net/2007/11/09/more-more-more-dresden-files/ | title=More, more, more Dresden Files! | publisher=Orbit Books | last=Pagan | first=Bella | date=November 7, 2004 | access-date=February 5, 2008}}</ref>
In the USA, the series moved to Ace Books starting with ''Peace Talks'', book 16.<ref name="20th" />
All volumes of ''The Dresden Files'', along with the companion short-story anthologies ''Side Jobs'' and ''Brief Cases'', have been released as audiobooks. The first four novels were produced by Buzzy Multimedia Publishing, while later audiobooks were produced by Penguin Audio. All except ''Ghost Story'' were originally narrated by James Marsters. In a release on his website on June 27, 2011, Butcher reported that Marsters would be unable to voice ''Ghost Story'', "due to scheduling conflicts"; instead, the narration was performed by John Glover.<ref>Jim Butcher's [http://www.jim-butcher.com/posts/2011/aaaa-news website] on June 27, 2011</ref> James Marsters returned to read the ''Cold Days'' audiobook.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files |author1=Jim Butcher |author2=James Marsters |date=November 27, 2012 |isbn=978-1611761603}}</ref> In April 2015, a rerecorded version of "Ghost Story" by Marsters was released.
The Science Fiction Book Club has released omnibus editions, with each of the four volumes reprinting two or three of the novels in the sequence.
GraphicAudio is adapting the series as dramatized audio editions, beginning with ''Storm Front'' in August 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.graphicaudiointernational.net/dresden-files-1-storm-front.html?srsltid=AfmBOopIVC8BEvkW0IzViLRHtKIgo03oVPKmbW-hRaNp5YoW6JCMkBet |title="Dresden Files 1: Storm Front [Dramatized Adaptation]", graphicaudiointernational.com}}</ref>
===Bibliography=== {{See also|The Dresden Files short fiction}} {{The Dresden Files bibliography}}
==Other media== ===Television=== {{Main|The Dresden Files (TV series)}} A television adaptation of the series premiered January 21, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel. The series was canceled in August 2007; fans campaigned to save the show but were unsuccessful.<ref>[http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/09/14/bring-back-the-dresden-files-drum-stick-campaign "Slice of SciFi's 'Save Dresden!' campaign"]</ref>
In October 2018, Fox21 optioned the ''Dresden Files'' for a new TV series.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2018/10/the-dresden-files-fantasy-novels-optioned-fox21-tv-studios-series-development-1202476632/ "'The Dresden Files' Fantasy Novels Optioned By Fox21 TV Studios For Series Development"]</ref>
===Graphic novels=== Dabel Brothers Productions began releasing a ''Dresden Files'' graphic novel series in 2008; a hardcover compliation was released in October that year. The initial four-issue miniseries, called ''Welcome to the Jungle'', is a prequel to ''Storm Front''. The series was nominated for the inaugural Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2009.
''Storm Front'' was announced as the next adaptation in July 2008.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081221110620/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17074 "Dabel Brothers Publishing announces 'Jim Butcher's Storm Front' creative team"], Comic Book Resources, July 2, 2008</ref> The first issue was released in November; however, midway through the production, the title changed hands<ref>[http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2009/12/03/exclusive-dynamite-takes-over-dabel-brothers-publishing/ Dynamite acquires Dabel Brothers titles], Heidi McDonald's ''The Beat'', December 3, 2009</ref> from Dabel Brothers to Dynamite Entertainment, resulting in a gap between issues #5 and #6. Artist Ardian Syaf left to work for DC Comics, and Brett Booth was brought in to finish the project.
In 2017, the ''Dresden Files'' miniseries ''Wild Card'' won the Dragon Award for Best Graphic Novel, and ''Dog Men'' won the Dragon Award for Best Comic Book.<ref>[http://awards.dragoncon.org/2017_winners/ 2017 Recipients: The Dragon Awards], DragonCon, 2017</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- !align=center|No. !align=center|Title !align=center|Release date !align=center|Notes |- |1 |''Welcome to the Jungle'' |October 2008 |Illustrated by Ardian Syaf. Published by the Dabel Brothers. Includes 12 pages of concept art. Prequel to ''Storm Front''. |- |2 |''Storm Front'', Volume 1: The Gathering Storm |June 2009 |Illustrated by Ardian Syaf. Published by the Dabel Brothers. Includes ''Restoration of Faith'' an eight-page comic from the Showcase 2009 Free Comic Book Day, originally published as a short story on Jim-Butcher.com. |- |3 |''Storm Front'', Volume 2: Maelstrom |February 2011 |Illustrated by Ardian Syaf and Brett Booth. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Includes preview of "Fool Moon" and concept art. |- |4 |''Fool Moon'', Volume 1 |November 2011 |Illustrated by Chase Conley. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. |- |5 |''Fool Moon'', Volume 2 |April 2012 |Illustrated by Chase Conley. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. |- |6 |''Ghoul, Goblin'' |March 2013 |Illustrated by Joseph Cooper. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Set between ''Fool Moon'' and ''Grave Peril''. |- |7 |''War Cry'' |June 2014 |Illustrated by Carlos Gomez. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Set after the events of ''Dead Beat''. |- |8 |''Down Town'' |February 2015 |Illustrated by Carlos Gomez. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Set after the events of ''White Night'' and just before the short story "It's My Birthday, Too". |- |9 |''Wild Card'' |April 2016 |Illustrated by Carlos Gomez. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Set after ''Downtown'' and before ''Small Favor''. |- |10 |''Dog Men'' |February 2018 |Illustrated by Diego Galindo. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Set between ''Small Favor'' and ''Turn Coat''. |- |11 |''Bigfoot'' |March 2022 |Illustrated by Joseph Cooper. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Adaptation of Working for Bigfoot. |}
{| class="wikitable" |+Collections |- !scope="col"| No. !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Release date !scope="col"| Collects |- |1 |'''Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Graphic Novel Omnibus, Vol. 1''' |July 2015 |''Welcome to the Jungle''<br>''Storm Front''<br>''Fool Moon''<br>''Restoration of Faith'' |- |2 |'''Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Graphic Novel Omnibus, Vol. 2''' |October 2017 |''Ghoul, Goblin''<br>''War Cry''<br>''Down Town'' |}
===Role-playing game=== {{Main|The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game}} Evil Hat Productions released a licensed role-playing game based on the series in 2010. The RPG consists of three books: ''Volume One: Your Story'', the core rule book; ''Volume Two: Our World'', a text describing the game universe; and ''Volume Three: Paranet Papers'', expanding both the rules and the game universe.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Dresden Files RPG: Paranet Papers | date = March 8, 2015 | access-date = October 11, 2015 | url = http://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-rpg-paranet-papers}}</ref>
In 2017, Evil Hat released ''Dresden Files Accelerated'', a new standalone providing a lighter version of the game.<ref>{{cite web | title = Dresden Files Accelerated | date = February 12, 2017 | access-date = December 26, 2018 | url = https://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-accelerated/}}</ref>
=== Tabletop game === In June 2017—after a successful Kickstarter campaign where they raised $549,486 from an initial goal of $48,000—Evil Hat Productions released a card game for 1–5 players, titled "The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-cooperative-card-game/|title=Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game|date=2017-02-13|work=Evil Hat Productions|access-date=2018-07-19|language=en-US}}</ref> The game was designed by Eric B. Vogel and features original artwork by Fred Hicks, Chris McGrath, and Tyler Walpole.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/187273/dresden-files-cooperative-card-game/credits|title=The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game|website=BoardGameGeek|access-date=2018-07-19}}</ref>
The core game includes Harry, Murphy, Susan, Michael, and the Alphas, and plays through the first five novels as well as Side Jobs, a random scenario generator based on the short story collection of the same name.<ref name=":0" /> Three expansions were released alongside the base game in 2017, and two more released the following year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.evilhat.com/home/dfco-expansions/|title=DFCO Expansions|date=2018-06-20|work=Evil Hat Productions|access-date=2018-07-19|language=en-US}}</ref>
The game was well received, with a rating of 7.2 out of 10 on Board Game Geek's site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/|title=BoardGameGeek {{!}} Gaming Unplugged Since 2000|website=boardgamegeek.com|access-date=2018-07-19}}</ref>
==Reception== Bookriot recognized the cultural impact of ''The Dresden Files'', noting that the series is "a lot of people’s doorway into the world of urban fantasy."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hobbs |first1=Caitlin |title=10 Books Like The Dresden Files |url=https://bookriot.com/books-like-the-dresden-files/ |website=Book Riot |access-date=2 May 2026 |date=4 Sep 2020}}</ref>
''Skin Game'', the 15th installment in the series, was included in both fantasy writer Brad Torgersen's "Sad Puppies"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bradrtorgersen.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/sad-puppies-3-the-2015-hugo-slate/ | title=Sad Puppies 3: the 2015 Slate | last=Torgerson | first=Brad | date=February 1, 2015 | access-date=April 13, 2015}}</ref> and science fiction and fantasy author Theodore Beale's "Rabid Puppies" slates, as part of a right-wing, anti-diversity campaign to incluence voting for the Hugo Awards;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://voxday.blogspot.com/2015/02/rabid-puppies-2015.html | title=Rabid Puppies 2015 | last=Beale | first=Theodore | date=February 2, 2015 | access-date=April 13, 2015 | archive-date=April 13, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413142121/http://voxday.blogspot.com/2015/02/rabid-puppies-2015.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="The Sydney Morning Herald 9 April 2015">{{cite news|last1=Biggs|first1=Tim|title=Gamergate-style furore after sci-fi awards hijacked|url=https://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/gamergatestyle-furore-after-scifi-awards-hijacked-20150408-1mfpk2.html|access-date=April 11, 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> The nomination effort was successful, however, the book placed fifth in the final tally of votes, behind "No Award".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/content/pdf/2015HugoStatistics.pdf | title=2015 Hugo Award Statistics | access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/ ''The Dresden Files Series''] at Jim Butcher's website * [http://www.buzzymultimedia.com/ Buzzy Multimedia]—Publishers of the audio books * {{ISFDB series|id=7445|title=The Dresden Files}}
{{Jim Butcher}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dresden Files, The}} Category:The Dresden Files Category:American fantasy novel series Category:Book series introduced in 2000 Category:Contemporary fantasy novels Category:Novel series Category:Novels set in Chicago Category:Occult detective fiction Category:Speculative crime and thriller fiction Category:Urban fantasy novels Category:Fiction about wizards