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Hexing is one of those things that's fun to imagine annoying Harry Dresden but really hexxing in the books is almost always intentional. The big unintentional triggers are long-term exposure (he mentions the magnetic strips on credit cards wouldn't last more than a few days in his pocket,) and heavy emotions, (like being incredibly annoyed on Larry Fowler.) The actual gun-jamming happened at Bianca's when he came upstairs for Susan, and he was supercharged from uh, getting his magic back (plus some) from Kravos. He could have hexxed anything at that point.
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Aug 23, 2012 16:45
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DJ_Ferret posted:If I remember correctly: in the books there is only a single incident of gun jamming being a plot point, when harry is being sprayed down with full-auto weapons at close range. Semi-auto has never jammed, the wardens (Ramirez and all the babby wardens, even though Ramirez starts compensating a little bit and picks up a Desert Eagle around the time of White Night) all use Glock pistols and seem to never have them jam. Revolvers actually have way more complex internal mechanisms than semi-auto pistols, and would in reality be more likely to jam from any physics fuckery. That supports that the ferromancy bane is based more on impression than fact. For instance a full-automatic firearm is mechanically simpler than a semi-automatic. You need extra parts for it to stop after one round.
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Aug 23, 2012 17:02
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NovemberMike posted:Springs don't work like that. Well, they do, but most designs for magazines probably don't allow springs to be compressed to the point where that would become a factor. There is usually a stop in the bottom of the mag that keeps the spring from being compressed solid or near-solid. I do know that if you compress the springs we use at work to within 10% of their solid height, you've weakened the spring and repeatedly taking the spring to that point will weaken it until it is useless, so there is something to the idea.
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Aug 23, 2012 18:19
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actually now that i was reading all the books back to back, and quickly, Butcher isn't too in depth with the firearms part of things ... and im happy to just sit back and let him mangle what he wants (clips, clips, everyone with clips!) so long as he works on keeping his magic universe constant. its pretty funny, but i notice that in each book, at almost EXACTLY the 50% mark, is when harry concludes all opening shenannigans and starts down the path of rear end kicking for the final acts. I swear i read lines where he realizes his inital conclusions are wrong, formulates plans, etc and the nook is basically @ 50% +/- 1% ^^^^ No. springs, by design, suffer no issues so long as you stay within its limits. overstretch / compress a spring and you shorten the number of cycles you get, but normal use is what the spring was made for. Also this is only true when the spring actually cycles. Load a mag (or any spring, really) and leave it like that for 50 years. Then release the tension and you still only cycled it once. Simply leaving it compressed in limits has no effect. Roundboy fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Aug 23, 2012 |
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Aug 23, 2012 18:27
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Roundboy posted:That is a myth. You know, I've believed that for all this years, but couldn't tell you where I heard it.
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Aug 23, 2012 19:06
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Roundboy posted:its pretty funny, but i notice that in each book, at almost EXACTLY the 50% mark, is when harry concludes all opening shenannigans and starts down the path of rear end kicking for the final acts. Now do the same for when he first brings out Bob or another "expert" on the topic at hand. This one is a little more vague, but generally around the 25% mark he will realize he has no loving clue what's going on and ask for help. Favorites include Bob, Butters, and Morty.
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Aug 23, 2012 19:33
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Roundboy posted:
You're talking about fatigue. But there's also creep, a plastic deformation that slowly occurs when a material is stretched/compressed for a long time. So if you compress a spring for a long time it will deform so that its uncompressed length is now closer to whatever length you have it compressed to.
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Aug 23, 2012 19:59
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mister posted:You're talking about fatigue. But there's also creep, a plastic deformation that slowly occurs when a material is stretched/compressed for a long time. So if you compress a spring for a long time it will deform so that its uncompressed length is now closer to whatever length you have it compressed to. this is the last post before it devolves into spring chat, so after this we can agree to disagree. This is a pretty big thing when it comes to firearms magazines. and its 'fact' that if you compress a spring, keep it within its normal range (ie like a normal load in a mag) and NEVER uncompress it, it has done zero work. if the act of compressing it and leaving it compressed is causing fractures, etc then you went too far, or made it out of poor materials. ConfusedUs posted:Now do the same for when he first brings out Bob or another "expert" on the topic at hand. This one is a little more vague, but generally around the 25% mark he will realize he has no loving clue what's going on and ask for help. Favorites include Bob, Butters, and Morty. Yes yes ! along with the cut and paste paragraphs each book about murphy, mac's bar, the blue beetle, etc. I still like the books :/ Roundboy fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Aug 23, 2012 |
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Aug 23, 2012 20:36
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Roundboy posted:Yes yes ! along with the cut and paste paragraphs each book about murphy, mac's bar, the blue beetle, etc. I still like the books :/ The intros to Murphy and the Blue Beetle often change subtly, to reflect changes in age, stature, mental state, battle damage...it's a pretty good, if formulaic, way to keep up with what's happened in the past. Mac's bar, on the other hand....it gets a sign. Yeah.
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Aug 23, 2012 21:36
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Same thing with Harry's apartment. At first it's a pig sty, and then slowly over the course of the books there's lots of changes.
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Aug 23, 2012 21:41
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That's what most annoyed me when I first started reading the series, it just seemed so lazy to basicly C&P the same couple of paragraphs for different topics.
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Aug 23, 2012 22:19
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Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? From Last thread I got recommended and read: Kevin Hearne: Iron Druid 1-4 (Super powered Druid fighting Deities. 1-3 we're pretty mediocre IMHO, but 4 was legitly good and was more of a side adventure) Ben Aaronovitch: Rivers of London 1-3 (Constable-Wizard apprentice in London. All awesome & Totally British) Charles Stross: Laundry Files 1-4 (Computer Wizard, Agent & Cthulhu Mythos, with surprising respectful of Lovecraftian Horror. All Awesome & British.) + Similar thing I've read before Dresden Files: Glen Gook: Garrett P.I 1-13 (Steampunk fantasy private detective) Any other recommended reading for people with fondness of Dresden Files, but wanting more?
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Aug 23, 2012 23:29
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If you haven't read the Nightside books, you no idea of what copying/pasting descriptions really is.
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Aug 24, 2012 00:35
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Do go on. What's the name of the perp... Writer?
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Aug 24, 2012 00:36
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Ornamented Death posted:If you haven't read the Nightside books, you no idea of what copying/pasting descriptions really is. Oh god yes, at least 10% of each (pretty short) book is just C+P of character appearances or expressions.
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Aug 24, 2012 01:04
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jammu posted:Do go on. What's the name of the perp... Writer? Simon R Green. They're pretty fun but even lighter than dresden. You could also try the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. They're a little romancey, but the plot and action are still solid. The setting is pretty cool too. Basically the world alternates between magic and technology; a few thousand years ago the world switched from an age of magic to technology and it's in the process of switching back now. The transition isn't smooth though, so for a couple of decades or maybe centuries it switches back and forth randomly. Every few hours it will switch from magic working to technology working while the other doesn't. Society got hit pretty hard when the magic first reappeared: skyscrapers collapsed, planes fell out of the sky, communications went down, and all kinds of magical creatures came out of dormancy. People survived and learned how to use the magic and adapt however, so by the time of the series things are running more smoothly. The main character is a merc who gets hired or pulled into investigating various crimes and plots.
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Aug 24, 2012 01:07
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jammu posted:Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? Charles Stross has a fair number of other books. In the previous thread people mentioned his Merchant Princes series, which is quite good. The first two are pretty good, though not amazing. Books three and four are where things seem to really start picking up, four being the book I'm currently on.
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Aug 24, 2012 01:14
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The Walker posted:Charles Stross has a fair number of other books. In the previous thread people mentioned his Merchant Princes series, which is quite good. The first two are pretty good, though not amazing. Books three and four are where things seem to really start picking up, four being the book I'm currently on. Supposedly he's going to be writing books seven through nine sometime this decade. It's the series I'm most looking forward to finishing, or continuing, after the Dresden Files.
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Aug 24, 2012 01:54
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jammu posted:Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? The Rook by Daniel o'malley. Similar to laundry files, but less geekery. Bourne meets fantasy. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Aug 24, 2012 |
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Aug 24, 2012 02:34
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404GoonNotFound posted:And I am, sadly, lazy as hell. Sanderson books?  And did someone mention preview chapters being out for Cold Days? Anyone mind linking me if that's the case. Stroth posted:And Kincaid, who loves automatic weapons, spends most of his time around Ivy. Who's got enough power to make the Merlin look like a wet firecracker. Magic doesn't gently caress up guns. Harry's just stubborn. Pretty sure it was mentioned that it's also about the control. Beings like the Archive and faery queens have enough control that they don't accidentally gently caress up technology.
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Aug 24, 2012 02:44
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:The rook by Daniel o'malley. Similar to laundry files, but less geekery. Bourne meets fantasy. The Rook is great. If you like Dresden Files, you'll like this. It's also a little touching with the *minor spoiler* getting to know the self that was forgotten.
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Aug 24, 2012 02:50
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Genocyber posted:Sanderson books? Yeah, there's Legion due out later this month (part of a deal with Subterranean Press, but the hardcover LE's been sold out for a looong time), and The Emperor's Soul in November (which is apparently set in the same world as Elantris, believe it or not). It's not Stormlight Archives 2 or a follow-up to Alloy of Law, but more Sanderson is more Sanderson. As for the preview chapters, those are only in the paperback edition of Ghost Story for now.
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Aug 24, 2012 02:51
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This Winter is going to be a really good time for books.
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Aug 24, 2012 03:50
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404GoonNotFound posted:Yeah, there's Legion due out later this month (part of a deal with Subterranean Press, but the hardcover LE's been sold out for a looong time), Unless you just want a slightly fancier version (and some people do!), there's no reason to get the LE of Legion. Sanderson is probably the single most accessible writer out there, getting to one his signings is not difficult by any stretch of the imagination. (Why yes, I do plan on killing myself lugging around his WoT books at Dragon*Con!) Ornamented Death fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Aug 24, 2012 |
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Aug 24, 2012 03:57
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jammu posted:
Mike Carey: The Felix Castor Series was reccomended in the last thread and I just wrapped those up and they are fantastic. English exorcist fighting ghosts, demons and werewolves.
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Aug 24, 2012 07:53
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jammu posted:Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? I've been rereading/catching up on Kat Richardson's Greywalker series, and enjoying it quite a lot. About a private investigator who, after being clinically dead for two minutes, starts to be able to see and interact with ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. The first book's a little unfocused plot-wise, though it's a much stronger first novel than, say, Storm Front, and things get better very quickly.
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Aug 24, 2012 13:52
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jammu posted:Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? The Garrett books are good? Are there really 13 of them? If so, this sounds like my next purchase. I like when there's a lot of books to catch up on since I read them so fast.
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Aug 24, 2012 20:08
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Daric posted:The Garrett books are good? Are there really 13 of them? If so, this sounds like my next purchase. I like when there's a lot of books to catch up on since I read them so fast. Good-ish. Glen Cook literally said "I should write fantasy versions of the Nero Wolfe books" and did so. They have some entertainment value but I'd recommend just going to the source and reading the original Nero Wolfe mysteries instead.
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Aug 24, 2012 20:25
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Good-ish. Glen Cook literally said "I should write fantasy versions of the Nero Wolfe books" and did so. They have some entertainment value but I'd recommend just going to the source and reading the original Nero Wolfe mysteries instead. I'd recommend reading both. The Garrett books are pretty fun and the setting is a lot more interesting than "New York stuck somewhere in the 30s-50s."
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Aug 24, 2012 20:46
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ulmont posted:I'd recommend reading both. The Garrett books are pretty fun and the setting is a lot more interesting than "New York stuck somewhere in the 30s-50s." They're both good, but one thing I really like about the Wolfe books is the setting -- it's always very precisely in the year the particular book was written. If you read all the Wolfe books in order it's like moving through from 1930's New York up to 1970's new york. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Aug 24, 2012 |
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Aug 24, 2012 20:56
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servo106 posted:Mike Carey: The Felix Castor Series was reccomended in the last thread and I just wrapped those up and they are fantastic. English exorcist fighting ghosts, demons and werewolves. That was such an awesome way to take down demon for the climax. I really hope he returns to that series.
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Aug 25, 2012 17:03
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jammu posted:Is there a spot in OP for recommendations of books/series that are almost as good as Dresden and similar? I think I picked these up on a recommendation in the last thread: Kate Griffin: Matthew Swift series 1-4 (sorcerer/hobo wakes up in his flat holding a telephone but it turns out he's been dead for two years, and it might not be just him that's come back) First book "A Madness of Angels" Very british, all set in London. Author loves to pack in adjectives and write long, stream-of-consciousness sentences. I think it works in context, but it may turn some people off. Magic in these books is metaphor becoming reality, kind of. Here's a passage explaining it (guy has just warded off a living shadow using a ticket to the underground): A Madness of Angels posted:"Very well. Explain to me - the underground ticket." Benedict Jacka: Alex Verus series 1-3 (Mage who can see the future [and that's his only power] gets attacked by dark mages, solves mysteries, etc. Very similar to Dresden, except the main character doesn't get his rear end kicked as much since he can see it coming. Interesting emphasis on preparedness and the various abilities that arise out of being able to see possible futures - he never misses when he throws anything since he can find the future where he hits and just do that, he can walk through a room without being noticed since he can find a future in which everyone was looking away at just the right moment, etc.) First book "Fated". Daniel O'Malley: The Rook already been mentioned, but it's great.
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Aug 25, 2012 20:59
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Just pre-ordered Cold Days on Amazon. 
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Aug 25, 2012 23:22
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I'll just use surefire method of searching "Cold days" in kindle shop and downloading first thing I find. Look! It's "A Cold Day for Murder (Kate Shugak #1)" for 0,00. It must be good and Dresdeny!  (Disclaimer: I didn't download it.)
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Aug 26, 2012 00:10
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ulmont posted:I'd recommend reading both. The Garrett books are pretty fun and the setting is a lot more interesting than "New York stuck somewhere in the 30s-50s." I love the Garrett books, it isn't just the noir-ish treatment, it's also the sense of humor that never fails throughout the series. Some of the names made me laugh out loud (Penny Dreadful, anyone?), or the handling of Kip, who apparently has a direct line into our current-day universe. Some people have complained that Tinnie Tate turned into a harpy for no apparent reason in the most recent novel, but I think if you look back at the character, the signs were there from early in the series. I guess I'm also more forgiving about that kind of change because things had to evolve if the Garrett-verse was to remain interesting and fun, for me, at least. Apparently there's a new novel coming, the working title is Wicked Bronze Ambition, so I'm definitely looking forward to it!
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Aug 26, 2012 20:38
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A friend linked this to me. It owns.
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Aug 27, 2012 04:48
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ConfusedUs posted:A friend linked this to me. It owns. Ashamed to speak my name? 
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Aug 27, 2012 04:53
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ConfusedUs, could you collate all these new recommendations in the op? My new credits arrive tommorow!
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Aug 27, 2012 04:57
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Tithin Melias posted:ConfusedUs, could you collate all these new recommendations in the op? My new credits arrive tommorow! I put all the ones that I've personally read in the third post. pseudonordic posted:Ashamed to speak my name? The mere suggestion of you caused you to appear. Truly, I fear to speak your name, for who knows what fate may befall me?
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Aug 27, 2012 05:06
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ConfusedUs posted:The mere suggestion of you caused you to appear. Truly, I fear to speak your name, for who knows what fate may befall me? If you keep invoking me, I'm going to demand a pizza like the other polevoi. <  >
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Aug 27, 2012 05:12
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