Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files

( 576 )

Overview

The first short story collection in the #1 New York Times bestselling series-including a brand-new Harry Dresden novella!

Here, together for the first time, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher-a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. Also included is a new, never-before-published novella that takes place after the cliff-hanger ...

See more details below
Hardcover
$25.03
BN.com price
(Save 3%)$25.95 List Price
Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (42) from $5.17   
  • New (21) from $13.81   
  • Used (21) from $5.17   
Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$12.99
BN.com price

More About This Book

Overview

The first short story collection in the #1 New York Times bestselling series-including a brand-new Harry Dresden novella!

Here, together for the first time, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher-a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. Also included is a new, never-before-published novella that takes place after the cliff-hanger ending of the new April 2010 hardcover, Changes. This is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan as well as a perfect introduction for readers ready to meet Chicago's only professional wizard.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

Readers have followed the exploits of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden for over a decade, but this case file is the first collection of short stories about the wily wizard/investigator. Like Harry himself, Side Jobs covers a wide swath of urban asphalt; from gritty back alley monster encounters to whimsical supernatural flights. Dresden Files sliced perfectly for leisure reading. This 400-page hardcover contains a never-before-published novel that takes place after the cliff-hanger ending of Jim Butcher's April release.

Publishers Weekly
Fans of Butcher's long-running and bestselling urban fantasy series featuring Chicago wizard PI Harry Dresden were stunned by the concluding events of the 2010 novel Changes. They'll probably want to skip ahead to the last of this collection's 11 stories, "Aftermath," set just hours after the end of that book. With Dresden's fate uncertain, it's his longtime ally, Sgt. Karrin Murphy, who must help find a kidnapped werewolf. This entry is the collection's strongest, full of powerful emotion. The rest of the book is a mixed bag, ranging from Butcher's first attempt at short fiction--"a novice effort" that "wasn't up to par for professional publication"--to more recent tales set around and between the novels. First-timers will be lost, and this uneven volume mostly makes the case that Butcher's talent is best displayed in longer form. (Nov.)
Kirkus Reviews

Eleven tales, 2002-2010, complete with author's notes and chronology, embellishing the exploits of Chicago's Harry Dresden, licensed PI and professional wizard, ranging from an apprentice piece written two years before the Dresden Files series achieved liftoff to an unpublished novelette set hours after the end of Changes (2010).

All the regular cast members feature—Bob the Skull, long-suffering Karrin Murphy of the Chicago PD, Harry's vampire half-brother Thomas, Molly the apprentice, Harry's werewolf allies Billy and Georgia—as Harry (or, occasionally, somebody else) fends off attacks from an ever-lengthening list of evil supernatural entities. Jenny Greenteeth of the sidhe, for instance, abducts Billy the Werewolf's bride to be, Georgia. Harry helps Thomas combat another vampire, while gleefully demolishing a shopping mall. A young wife turns out to have been abducted by a son of Grendel the monster (it's breeding time). Poor Harry tries to take a day off, only to get involved with psychic parasites, as Molly sets his lab on fire. Another tale stars Thomas, with Harry convinced that his magically disguised brother is the bad guy. A renegade priest threatens a former Knight of the Cross. Enchanted beer paradoxically brings Murphy and Dresden together while forcing them apart. Finally, there's the splendid, aforementioned original novella. In all, the book is of no great depth, but it's witty, fast-moving and well worked-out. Butcher's yarns go along with the standard supernatural repertory while providing enough twists to keep things fresh and intriguing.

Sidelights on the Dresden mythos, which no true fan will want to miss.

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780451463654
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 10/26/2010
  • Series: Dresden Files Series
  • Pages: 418
  • Sales rank: 351,353
  • Product dimensions: 6.20 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 576 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(361)

4 Star

(148)

3 Star

(44)

2 Star

(12)

1 Star

(11)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 581 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 26, 2010

    For Dresden nuts!

    The hardcover is on my desk next to me, and of course I have all Dresden titles for Nook, too, now. Each short story is headed by an annotation by Jim Butcher himself. Pretty cool.

    A Restoration of Faith (pg 1) is a pre-Storm Front look at Harry meeting Murphy. Harry saves a run-away pre-teen girl from a Bridge Troll.

    Vignette (pg 21) is a look at Harry working out a Yellowbook ad with Bob.

    Something Borrowed (27) is a look at a Faerie revenge move on Billy and Georgia's wedding.

    It's My Birthday, Too (61) is a fast-paced Black Court Vamp romp of wit, quick thinking, and Little Folk bargaining when Harry tries to celebrate Thomas' birthday. My favorite of the book!

    Heorot (107) teams Dresden up with Gard. We learn her background, your jaw drops, a damsel is saved, and Mac thanks Harry.

    Day Off (149) is my second favorite "side job". If artists were contracted to paint this story, they would need to hire the genetic love-child of Norman Rockwell, someone from The New Yorker magazine, and any conceptual artist Sam Rami used in the Spider-Man trilogy.

    Backup (173) is a Thomas Raith POV. Worth the read. I bought this when it was released seperately, and was not disappointed. It deepens the scope of the non-human realm of the Dresdenverse.

    The Warrior (211) shows how little choices have big ramifications. And it shows that Michael, though disabled, is still one kick-butt character.

    Last Call (269) is a Harry/Murphy tag team that stops a maenad from turning a Bulls game into a drunken lovefest. Murphy nearly cleans Dresden's clock. Read it!

    Love Hurts (303) is a fun read about a Red Court scientist "spreading" love through enchantment, and how Harry/Murphy tag that creature for Death's collection.

    Aftermath (335) is a Murphy POV after Changes, when Dresden is missing/ presumed dead. Murphy and Billy go after Sea Mutants. Oh, yeah, and Marcone spares Billy's life so he can save others' lives. Look for that debt to be called upon later in the Dresden series.

    I rated the Book Cover poorly, because Dresden does NOT wear a hat, but ROC's artist can't take it off, apparently....

    I had a hard time rounding up these Side Job stories on my own. I ran across "The Warrior" after I read Turn Coat in that small anthology. I scoured the Internet for PDF scans of any other short Dresden story. Now I have them all! :)

    16 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 28, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Clearly this compilation is for fans of the series

    Although the quality of the eleven entries varies to an incredible degree, fans of Dresden will want to read the anthology that is a sort of history of the author. No question, the audience will want to read the novella "Aftermath", which occurs a few hours after the end of the stunning Changes. Many of the tales fill the gaps between the novels especially with a close look at support cast in entries like "Backup" focuses on Thomas and "Warrior" on Michael. Some like the first Dresden unpublished tale, A Restoration of Faith, displays Jim Butcher's talent, but not experience as the contribution is a bit confusing; that might be caused by knowing so much about the only wizard in the Chicago phone book. Clearly this compilation is for fans of the series; newcomers would be better off watching the TV show or starting with the novels as that is Mr. Butcher's forte.

    Harriet Klausner

    9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 21, 2010

    Good for the hardcore fans, not for the casual.

    This was a welcome distraction while waiting for Ghost Story, I must say, but fans looking for answers to questions that were raised at the end of Changes will not find them here. The new Novella features Murphy and offers no clues as to what happened to Harry.

    It's a neat little collection, but fans looking for a significant push to the plot will not find it here.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 10, 2010

    Great Antholgy

    I am glad i waited for this book instead of buying all the other ones for a single Dresden story. Its a nice diversion until Ghost Story is released.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 29, 2011

    A great read

    Side Jobs is both alike and completely different from all of the Dresden Files books up to this point. It's a collection of short stories, written by Jim Butcher, which take place at various points in the continuity of the Dresden Files universe, each one prefaced by a short explanation.

    It's the same, most obviously because it involves the characters and locations that readers have come to know and love through the main series of novels, but also because of the writing itself, which pulls you in and never wants to let go. The difference comes through the feeling and the ideas behind each story. The ones written in the usual manner, from Harry's perspective, feel lighter and less serious, while the ones NOT written from his perspective (of which there are two - one from Thomas's viewpoint and the other from Murphy's) actually have a different texture, and really do feel like they are being narrated by someone else while still keeping with the usual Dresden Files tone.

    In all, Side Jobs is definitely a book to pick up if you've read the other Dresden Files novels (if you haven't, some of the characters and events referenced in the short stories will be a bit confusing, although Jim Butcher does his best to explain them in the narratives).

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted June 2, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Dresden files in short form

    Jim Butcher has once again given beautiful stories of the wjizard PI that is Harry Drrsden. These shorts are true Dresden which will delight every fan.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 1, 2010

    If your a fan of the series an good read

    The quality is not consistent in the stories and the book is written for fans well versed in the series. Newcomers would be better off starting with the novels as that is the arena where Jim Butcher's really shines.

    Nikki

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 18, 2011

    Love Harry

    This series is a great read between other reads. That's when I catch up with Harry and his antics. Like different T,V. shows. Great stories.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 14, 2011

    I can't get enought Harry Dresden!!

    These stories are wonderful, they fill in some gaps between books. They're funny and entertaining. I don't know how Jim Butcher does it, but he hasn't written a bad Harry Dresden story yet! I highly recommend to any Dresden fan.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 5, 2011

    Page turner

    Fast paced action, nerd humor, and interesting plotlines have hooked me on the Dresden series. Although this is a set of short stories it is no exception.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted August 6, 2011

    Awesome

    Love the entire series

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted July 30, 2011

    Perfect for fans!

    It was great to have all of the stories together!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 2, 2011

    Never disappoints!

    These stories fill in the gaps between books ... Great idea! Now we know what happened to Michael and how Harry found out more about Gard! Big fan, and can't wait for Ghost Story!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 20, 2011

    Good read, however, not what I expected

    As always Jim Butcher delivers. This book was composed of small works written between his more major Dresden novels. The shorts were very entertaining. However, I was disapointed that the story didn't pick up where the last book in the series left off. C'mon Jim, what happened to Harry?

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 18, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Impressive, as always.

    As I am a huge Dresden fan i am biased, but this book is as solid as all of his work. nice to read some of the shorts to fill in those pesky gaps between books.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 19, 2010

    dresden fans must read!

    great back story and sidelines for all dresden fans... especially the final story told from karen murphy's perspective!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 4, 2013

     

     

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 14, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Excellent read!

    I don't normally do short story compilations, but this one was as good as his full novels, with lots of backstory to the characters. I would definitely recommend to any fan of Dresden.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 22, 2012

    A fun romp with Harry

    I found this book to be a very nice collection of stories which gave me some insight into Harry Dresden. It allowed me to picture Harry as more of a regular guy who at least got a little rest (?) in between his adventures outlined in the novels. The book also allowed us readers to see how Mr Butcher's writing of the wizard's stories evolved over time which was great. I greatly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to Dresden fans.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 3, 2012

    Sweet

    It's a great read full of awsome stories.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 581 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)