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Backup | 
 enlarge | Author: Jim Butcher
Creator: Mike Mignola
Publisher: Subterranean
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $13.60
You Save: $6.40 (32%)
New (7) Used (3) Collectible (2) from $11.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 1082
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Deluxe
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 72
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5 x 0.7
ISBN: 1596061820
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781596061828
Publication Date: October 31, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Let's get something clear right up front.
I'm not Harry Dresden.
Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44 revolver in his pocket. He'll spit in the eye of gods and demons alike if he thinks it needs to be done, and to hell with the consequences--and yet somehow my little brother manages to remain a decent human being.
I'll be damned if I know how.
But then, I'll be damned regardless.
My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster.
So begins "Backup," a twelve thousand word novelette set in Jim Butcher s ultra-popular Dresden Files series. This time Harry's in trouble he knows nothing about, and it's up to his big brother Thomas to track him down and solve those little life-threatening difficulties without his little brother even noticing.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
 From a monster's POV October 24, 2008
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
I'll confess right up front that I am an unabashed fan of Thomas Raith, Harry Dresden's psy-vampire half-brother, and when I first heard about this book, I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. As short as it is, it's a great read, and it gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of a character who is far more than the mere pretty face he may pretend to be. We get a first-hand sense of Thomas's struggle to keep his literal inner demon-symbiote in check, and of his concern for his little brother. And we also get some stunning if deceptively small revelations about the world in which they both live and work and fight to keep the things that go bump in the night in check. The illustrations by legendary graphic novel artist Mike Mignola more than complete this great little book!
Fantastic, but then I knew what I was getting into November 16, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've seen a lot of negative or ambivalent reviews for Backup and I think they are misrepresenting the demographic. I knew that it was a short 70 page novelette and a companion book to the Dresden Files, I think anyone who was confused about it could have easily learned everything they wanted to know by doing a simple google search.
As for the story itself, I really liked "seeing" the DF world from a perspective other than Harry's. I think Thomas is a good narrator and while Backup gave me more confidence that Thomas wasn't going to turn on Harry, I still am unsure about the whole Oblivion War. I'm excited to learn more and I'm sure it will become important in later novels.
My only complaint is that it's too short, but as a fan I think all the books are too short and want another the instant I finish.
Bravo, Mr. Butcher. Keep up the good work.
A very tasty tidbit October 23, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is very good. An expansion of the Dresden Files world. As the previous review stated, it was a short but pleasant tale.
I would like to read more tales of this type exploring the lives of other characters in the Dresden Files' world. Karren Murphy, even Bob, Mouse or Mister could be fun in a short tail (so to speak ;)). I enjoyed this story immensely.
I can hardly wait for the next full length adventure in the main story, but this was a pleasant addition to the entire adventure.
"I'm not Harry Dresden..." November 1, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
NOTE: Reading at least 'Blood Rites' and the preceding books in the Dresden Files would be a good idea before reading 'Backup', and my review does contain spoilers for 'Blood Rites'.
Jim Butcher's newest book, a twelve thousand word novelette called 'Backup', is a very short story from his Dresden Files series, only this time it's from the point of view of Harry's brother, Thomas. One of the best things about 'Backup' is that it gives insight into Thomas' personality, such as how he sees himself and his relationship with his brother. Thomas' opinions of Harry are very amusing and he has no trouble telling them. Just look at Thomas' worry that Bob the Skull doesn't actually talk, and that Harry was pulling his leg using his night job as a ventriloquist. We also really start to understand how much of a hardship it is for Thomas to suppress his demon everyday, and how little he thinks of himself. The story itself is also fun, and Thomas has a similar sense of humor to his brother, though they have little contact. 'Backup' is fast paced and never lets up on its speed, so it feels that it was over before you even realized you started it. It is very easy to read, so it shouldn't take more then a hour to get through. The price tag is a bit extreme for a tiny book, even with such nice binding. Either way, Thomas is a great character in the Dresden Files, despite his small part, so it is nice to see more attention on him. I personally would love to see more stories about Thomas in the future, or at least more appearances from him in the main series. Overall, 'Backup' is a refreshing look at the Dresden Files, since Thomas sees the characters and events in a completely different light then Harry. If you like the Dresden Files series you'll almost certainly like this story, though you might want to borrow from a friend or the library due to the price for such a short book.
Jim Butcher needs no Backup November 22, 2008
Well let me start by saying this. I have liked everything Jim Butcher has written. He has gotten better and better with every book. Along comes Backup a very short story about Harry's brother Thomas. It's 70 pages and some of those pages have drawings from Hellboy artist and creator Mike Mignola. So how could it be as good or as deep of a story as his other books? Well it is. He has deepened The Dresden world wonderfully with this short story. It also give a very nice character builder for Thomas. It show's that Harry's older brother could carry a whole series by himself. Hopefully we will see some stories from Thomas's past. Jim does it again. If you like Jim's books then you need to pick this one up.
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