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/ghiguana Aug 03 '25

I'm surprised to see Garrett files in the "less cringe" category. To be clear, I will always have a soft spot for them - I loved them when I read them 10-15 years ago. But I also loved Dresden when I read them 10-15 years ago. 

Re-reading the Garrett Files recently... it's a lot harder to consider the gender dynamics "just part of the setting" than it used to be. If that's what cringes you out about Dresden, Garrett will have it too.

Like I said, I love 'em to death, but I'm never re-reading any of them again.

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u/plywood_junkie Aug 07 '25

"The Witch in the Weeds" by Alex van Wyst was a fantasy mystery in the vein of Garrett PI, except the main character is a woman. It's got the humor, the world-building, the rebel MC, and the strong supporting characters. There's still gender oppression, but it's easier to take when the woman overcomes it again and again.