A speculative thought on the next Dresden Files

[sholio]

I just had a really horrible thought, which I've been heartlessly inflicting on the commenters in my last Dresden Files thread.

This book was all about marking a turning point in the series and in Harry's life. I'd been blithely assuming that Harry couldn't possibly be dead, at least not permanently, because he's the narrator. But then I got to wondering -- What if Butcher is planning on switching narrators?

He could do just about anything. The whole next book could be all about Harry's friends putting together a posse to go rescue him from heaven or hell or wherever he ends up*. Or Harry could be dead for good and it could suddenly be Maggie's story. Or ... anything!

Let's have a POLL.

[Poll #1548669]

(*Now that I've had this thought, I really want it.)

Comments

[splitbeak.livejournal.com]

DAMMIT JIM!

The #1 reason the Dresden Files are so popular, IMO, is because Butcher wrote a very likable and enjoyable character. If he switches narrators, he's basically thrown away what made the series what it is. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not sure I would keep reading without Harry.

Besides, I have to keep comforting myself with the thought that no way would Mab allow Harry to just die right when she finally has him. She had to have been watching him closely, ready to take him away as her knight.

I really hope Butcher doesn't change narrators. Really, really hope.

[nonniemous.livejournal.com]

The question remains, who is the woman he heard at the end? I think we're meant to assume it's his mother, because he's dying, but it could be Mab, it could be Lea, it could be Murphy who has pulled him from the lake already. Also, who was she speaking to? Harry, or left-over-death-curse guy?

But I totally agree that losing Harry would irrevocably change the series, and not for the better. I can't see his editors letting him do it, let alone his readers. If Harry's gone, then it's the end of the series. Which is the biggest reason I don't believe he is gone. The next is what you said about Mab. She's not letting him go, no way.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in all seriousness, I don't think he's permanently gone. On the other hand, now that the thought has occurred to me, I'm really intrigued by the possibility that Butcher's going to use this as an opportunity to expand his universe a bit and explore it through other characters' eyes. I can certainly see how writing twelve books through the first-person eyes of one character could lead to an author wanting to do things a little differently for a while.

But, no, I don't think he's dead. :D

As to the woman ... I don't know! Mab would be my first guess, but the idea that it's Murphy hadn't occurred to me -- that's an intriguing thought!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I adore Harry and I definitely don't want to lose his snarky self permanently! I can't help wondering, though, if Butcher is going to take advantage of this opportunity to explore his 'verse -- and his protagonist -- from other characters' viewpoints, kind of like he did with the Thomas-POV short story that came out a year or two ago. That was fun, and I'm intrigued by the idea that he might try something like that again ... and I totally wouldn't put it past him to let us twist in the wind as to whether Harry is actually dead until the middle of the book or something like that.