Jim Butcher Popular Books

Jim Butcher Biography & Facts

Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author. He has written the contemporary fantasy The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and Cinder Spires book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1971. He is the youngest of three children, having two older sisters. He has one son, James J. Butcher, who is also a Fantasy writer. Career While he was sick with strep throat as a child, Butcher's sisters introduced him to The Lord of the Rings and The Han Solo Adventures novels to pass the time, thus beginning his fascination with fantasy and science fiction. As a teenager, he completed his first novel and set out to become a writer. After many unsuccessful attempts to enter the traditional fantasy genre (he cites J. R. R. Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, and C. S. Lewis, among others, as major influences), he wrote the first book in The Dresden Files—about a professional wizard, named Harry Dresden, in modern-day Chicago—as an exercise for a writing course in 1996 at the age of 25. For two years, Butcher floated his manuscript among various publishers before hitting the convention circuit to make contacts in the industry. After meeting Butcher in person, Ricia Mainhardt, the agent who discovered Laurell K. Hamilton, agreed to represent him, which kick-started his writing career. However, Butcher and Mainhardt have since parted ways; Jennifer Jackson is his current agent. Butcher has written two series: The Dresden Files and Codex Alera. Codex Alera has ended after six novels and The Dresden Files are still ongoing; he has also written a Spider-Man novel, entitled The Darkest Hours, released on June 27, 2006. In addition, he contributed a short story for publication in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding with Charlaine Harris and Sherrilyn Kenyon, among others, released in October 2006. He has since contributed to the anthologies Many Bloody Returns in September 2007 and My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon in December 2007. In October 2008, he released another short story in Blood Lite and a novelette, "Backup", illustrated by Mike Mignola. Bibliography Dresden Files series Six months after Butcher was signed by Mainhardt, Storm Front, the first novel in The Dresden Files, was picked up by Roc/Penguin Books for publishing. It was released as a paperback in April 2000. Fool Moon followed nine months later on January 1, 2001, and the third book, Grave Peril, was published in September 2001. Thereafter, the release schedule slowed, with Summer Knight appearing on September 3, 2002. The fifth and sixth books, Death Masks and Blood Rites, appeared in August 2003 and 2004, respectively. Coinciding with the release of Blood Rites, Butcher published a Harry Dresden short story, entitled Restoration of Faith, on his website, chronicling Harry's life before The Dresden Files as a private eye for Ragged Angel Investigations. In December 2004, the Science Fiction Book Club picked up the first three novels in the series for release in a hardcover omnibus edition titled Wizard for Hire for a March–April 2005 rush release in order to arrive on store shelves before the seventh novel in May.Dead Beat, released on May 3, 2005, was the first hardback release in the series by Roc. The first printing of 15,000 copies sold out in three days, and the book was immediately reprinted. A second omnibus edition, titled Wizard by Trade and containing Summer Knight and Death Masks, appeared in early 2006, followed by Proven Guilty on May 2, 2006, the same day as the paperback edition of Dead Beat. Proven Guilty quickly climbed to #21 on the New York Times Best Seller list and #91 on the USA Today list. A third omnibus release from the Science Fiction Book Club entitled Wizard at Large and containing Blood Rites and Dead Beat was released in November 2006.A ninth book from Roc, White Night, was released on April 3, 2007, shortly after the paperback edition for Proven Guilty in February. White Night reached the top five of the New York Times Best Seller list on an initial printing of 100,000 copies. Small Favor, the tenth book in the series, was released April 1, 2008. It debuted at number two on the New York Times Best Seller list, Butcher's highest debut ever, and number three on the USA Today best seller list. The eleventh book in the series, Turn Coat, was released April 7, 2009. The 12th book in the series, Changes, was released April 6, 2010. The 13th book, Ghost Story, was released July 26, 2011. The 14th book, Cold Days was released in hardback in November 2012. The 15th book, Skin Game, was released on May 27, 2014. The series garners a strong following and is now available in several languages, including Spanish, Dutch, French, Czech, Polish, German and Mandarin Chinese. Codex Alera series After the success of the beginning of Dresden, Butcher returned to the traditional fantasy genre with his second series, Codex Alera. The series chronicles the life of a young man named Tavi from the Calderon Valley of Alera on the world of Carna. The people of Alera have grown complacent with the trappings of empire (the story is based loosely on the late Roman Empire) and their control of powerful elemental forces known as furies. The inspiration for the series came from a bet Butcher was challenged to by a member of the Del Rey Online Writer's Workshop. The challenger bet that Butcher could not write a good story based on a lame idea, and he countered that he could do it using two lame ideas of the challenger's choosing. The "lame" ideas given were "Lost Roman Legion", and "Pokémon". On March 3, 2003, Jim Butcher announced that Ace won a bidding war against rival publisher Del Rey Books for the rights to the series.The first novel in the series, Furies of Calderon, was published in hardcover by Ace, and in August 2004, major booksellers began taking pre-orders for an October 5, 2004 release. Furies of Calderon was the first hardcover release for Butcher, and was a significant step forward in making the transition from a part-time to a full-time writer. A paperback version followed in June, 2005, just a month before the release of the second book, Academ's Fury. It was released in paperback on November 28, 2006, with the third novel, Cursor's Fury, following on December 5. While originally intended to be a six-book series, Codex Alera was initially signed as a trilogy. After the series showed success, Roc agreed to publish three more novels in the Codex Alera series. The fourth novel, Captain's Fury, released December 4, 2007 and peaked at #17 on the New York Times Best Seller list. The fifth novel, Princeps' Fury, was released November 25, 2008 and peaked at #13 on the New York Times Best Seller list. The sixth and final novel, First Lord's Fury, was released on November 24, 2009, and has reached #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list.Audio rights to the Codex Alera belong to Penguin Audio. Captain's Fury was released in audio format March 27, 2008, read by Kate Reading. Audio ver.... Discover the Jim Butcher popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Jim Butcher books.

Best Seller Jim Butcher Books of 2024

  • Kiss of Venom synopsis, comments

    Kiss of Venom

    Jennifer Estep

    The New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series continues with a new enovellafrom the hero’s point of view! Owen Grayson is bound and determined to get Gin back...if her e...

  • The Turn synopsis, comments

    The Turn

    Kim Harrison

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison returns to her beloved Hollows series with The Turnthe official prequel to the series that will introduce you to a whole new side ...

  • Peace Talks synopsis, comments

    Peace Talks

    Jim Butcher

    HARRY DRESDEN IS BACK AND READY FOR ACTION, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files. When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an...

  • Skin Game synopsis, comments

    Skin Game

    Jim Butcher

    From Jim Butcher comes the newest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files...Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day. Bec...

  • The Olympian Affair synopsis, comments

    The Olympian Affair

    Jim Butcher

    An instant New York Times bestseller!The fate of the Cinder Spires may be decided by crossed swords in the next exhilarating fantasy adventure from the author of the Dresden Files,...

  • Storm Front synopsis, comments

    Storm Front

    Jim Butcher

    In the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series, Harry Dresden’s investigation of a grisly double murder pulls him into the darkest depths of mag...

  • The Dresden Files Collection 7-12 synopsis, comments

    The Dresden Files Collection 7-12

    Jim Butcher

    “One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves,”(Cinescape) the Dresden Files have become synonymous with actionpacked urban fantasy an...

  • Side Jobs synopsis, comments

    Side Jobs

    Jim Butcher

    With tales ranging from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilariousincluding an original story for this volumeSide Jobs is a musthave collection for every devoted Harry Dresd...

  • Changes synopsis, comments

    Changes

    Jim Butcher

    “A can’tmiss entry in one of the best urbanfantasy series currently being published.”Booklist (starred review)As Chicago’s only professional wizard, Harry Dresden has faced demons,...

  • Deadly Sting synopsis, comments

    Deadly Sting

    Jennifer Estep

    The eighth hotly anticipated book in the Elemental Assassin series by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep: it’s Gin Blanco's partyand you’ll cry if she wants you to. R...

  • Ghost Story synopsis, comments

    Ghost Story

    Jim Butcher

    Chicago wizard Harry Dresden gets a taste of the dead life in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.In his life, Harry’s been shot, stabbed, sliced, beaten, burned...

  • By a Thread synopsis, comments

    By a Thread

    Jennifer Estep

    The sixth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series featuring Gin Blanco, who by day owns a Tennessee BBQ joint, and by night is a tough female assa...

  • Tangled Threads synopsis, comments

    Tangled Threads

    Jennifer Estep

    The fourth book in the “outstanding” (Romantic Times) Elemental Assassin fantasy series featuring Gin Blaco, who by day is a waitress at a Tennessee BBQ joint, and by night is a to...

  • Blood Rites synopsis, comments

    Blood Rites

    Jim Butcher

    In this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, Chicago's only professional wizard takes on a case for a vampire and becomes the prime suspect in a series of ghas...

  • Death Masks synopsis, comments

    Death Masks

    Jim Butcher

    The Dresden Files have taken the genre of paranormal mystery to a new level of action, excitement, and hardhitting magical muscle. Now, in Death Masks, Jim Butcher’s smartguy priva...

  • Poison Promise synopsis, comments

    Poison Promise

    Jennifer Estep

    In book eleven of her New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series, author Jennifer Estep continues “one of the best urban fantasy series going on the market” (Fresh Fictio...

  • Shadowed Souls synopsis, comments

    Shadowed Souls

    Jim Butcher & Kerrie L. Hughes

    Featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman, this dark and gritty “mustread anthology for UF fans”(RT Book Reviews) proves that ...

  • Summer Knight synopsis, comments

    Summer Knight

    Jim Butcher

    In the fourth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring everyone's favorite wizard for hire, Harry Dresden is suckered into the tangledand dangerousaffairs of Fae...

  • The Dresden Files Collection 1-6 synopsis, comments

    The Dresden Files Collection 1-6

    Jim Butcher

    The first six novels featuring Harry DresdenChicago’s only professional wizardare a perfect introduction to the # 1 New York Times bestselling series that Entertainment Weekly desc...

  • Battle Ground synopsis, comments

    Battle Ground

    Jim Butcher

    THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET SERIOUS FOR HARRY DRESDEN, CHICAGO’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL WIZARD, in the next entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files. Harry has faced terribl...

  • Fool Moon synopsis, comments

    Fool Moon

    Jim Butcher

    “One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves,”(Cinescape) the Dresden Files have become synonymous with actionpacked urban fantasy and nons...

  • Brief Cases synopsis, comments

    Brief Cases

    Jim Butcher

    An allnew Dresden Files story headlines this urban fantasy short story collection starring the Windy City’s favorite wizard.The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional ...

  • Proven Guilty synopsis, comments

    Proven Guilty

    Jim Butcher

    Wizard for hire Harry Dresden has to track down the things that go bump in the night in this novel in Jim Butcher's #1 New York Times bestselling series.There’s no love lost betwee...

  • Dead Beat synopsis, comments

    Dead Beat

    Jim Butcher

    “The wildest, strangest, best Dresden adventure to date...Butcher’s blending of modern fantasy with classic noir sensibilities ensures that there’s never a dull moment.”SF Site &#x...

  • Turn Coat synopsis, comments

    Turn Coat

    Jim Butcher

    Jim Butcher’s breakthrough #1 New York Times bestseller starring Chicago’s only professional wizard, Harry Dresden. When it comes to the magical ruling body known as the White...

  • Cold Days synopsis, comments

    Cold Days

    Jim Butcher

    After a brief interlude in the afterlife, Harry Dresden’s new job makes him wonder if death was really all that bad in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Harry...

  • White Night synopsis, comments

    White Night

    Jim Butcher

    Wizard Harry Dresden must investigate his own flesh and blood when a series of killings strike Chicago’s magic practitioners in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling seri...

  • Grave Peril synopsis, comments

    Grave Peril

    Jim Butcher

    Wizard for hire Harry Dresden gets mixedup with the dead in this “haunting, fantastical novel”(Publishers Weekly) in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.Harry Dresden’s f...

  • Furies of Calderon synopsis, comments

    Furies of Calderon

    Jim Butcher

    In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shou...

  • Small Favor synopsis, comments

    Small Favor

    Jim Butcher

    In this novel in Jim Butcher’s #1 New York Times bestselling series, an old debt puts Chicago wizard Harry Dresden in harms way...Harry’s life finally seems to be calming down. The...