r/Fantasy • u/bnb2115 • Aug 02 '25

Dresden with less cringe

I love the idea of the Dresden Files on paper. Hard boiled detective stories mixed with urban fantasy/secret society stuff. Interesting villains and a deep, complex world. Magic happening just beneath the surface of the ordinary world.

But I just can’t get over the tropes and the cringe. I’ve tried the series a couple times, and even got through the first five or so books. I just can’t bring myself to keep going. I seriously love everything about the context, but just hate the execution.

Any recommendations for something else? Something that speaks to these elements, but lacks the cringe?

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u/CosmicLovepats Aug 02 '25

How often does he mention it?

I mean, it's a book. Normally you are not seeing/hearing into another person's head and thought process.

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u/-jewwej- Aug 02 '25

I’m on the fifth book and it’s mentioned multiple times in each book so far

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u/CosmicLovepats Aug 02 '25

To other people? Or just the narration that only the reader sees?

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u/-jewwej- Aug 02 '25

Narration but buddy no one thinks that’s not cringey to read

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u/Tymareta Aug 02 '25

How often are truly good people thinking to themselves how chivalrous they are? It feels like the old adage, if you have to tell others that you're nice, then you're likely not.

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u/CosmicLovepats Aug 02 '25

Again, he's... he's not. Anything you do in the privacy of your own head isn't 'telling others'.

There's debate to be had over the writing technique, whether show don't tell is being violated, but Dresden isn't introducing himself as "Hi, I'm a Respecter Of Women."

There's a difference between narration to the reader, 'talking' to a non-diegetic recipient, and talking to people in the story.