I've read on Butcher's forum that the last three books are going to be called Stars and Stones, Hell's Bells and Empty Night. You'll also probably know that these are curse words in the Dresdenverse, so I've been wondering... Why?

From the two clues we've got I'm going to take an enormous leap and guess that they're three signs of the Apocalypse being nigh, or that they happen after the Apocalypse. Also of significance is that the White Court is the only one I can recall saying 'Empty Night', which suggests it may do something to them more than to ordinary wizards. Make their demon take over, maybe?

Any other ideas?

 

Interesting idea. Who would thought that curse words from Dresden may have originated from wizard's version Book of Revelations or something. But it has sense as Harry using them only when something really bad happens. We will see in what? Seven years? Damn as much as I like that Dresden isn't ending soon, 10 years (to last book) is very long time.

 

I know that Hell's Bells was a curse long before Dresden was around - it was a common curse in Footrot Flats, a New Zealander newspaper comic that started when Jim Butcher was four. And a quick Wiki shows that a bomber in WW2 was named that, as well as a biker film made in 1970.

'Stars and stones' is a rather common phrase related to astronomy and alchemy, and a quick Google will reveal it being used as all or part of a name of a bunch of books, websites, and papers relating to one or the other.

As for 'empty night', it's too generic for Google to throw anything up, but it could be any number of things. An especially unpleasant part of the NeverNever? A poetic name for the Outside?

So I really doubt they're signs of the Apocalypse, given that at least two of them weren't invented for the Dresden Files. They're probably just generic cursewords of the magical subculture, and therefore, I'd guess that it's just a way of showing how serious shit is. It's as if they're named "Oh Shit", "Holy Fuck", and "Sweet Sodomy on a Bicycle".

 

I almost wish that's what they were actually called.

 

Still in DF books their origin maybe different, even if in real world is like you said. Or they are generic curse words, but 'Empty Night' is very suspicious.

 

As I recall didn't Butcher out and out state that the last three books were going to be post apocalyptic?

 

Yeah he did, which is why I made the connection to the Apocalypse, and especially since we've already seen Lucifer acting in obvious support of Nicodemus and his crew (who happens to be one of the best chessmasters in the series at this point).

 

Ah sorry I misunderstood what you wrote.

 

You know, it's little weird that Bucher said his 3 last books (which as I recall will be trilogy apart from Files series) will be about post-apocalypse times. Because to me it suggest that in last Files book there will be end of the world and good guys will lost.

 

I can't remember an exact quote saying it would be a POST-apocalyptic trilogy, but rather 'apocalyptic'. To me, that says it won't be after the end of the world, but during the struggle to prevent it.

 

Correct. I believe he said that there would be 20 (though its increased to 21 supposedly) of the case files such as the ones we have had so far, and then he would end the series in a "big apocalyptic trilogy". The implication being that the current books will be the "set-up" to the final three books where everything will go to hell(perhaps literally).

I don't think it has been said or even suggested anywhere that the final three books would happen after the apocalypse. I need a quote of that if such exists.

 

If I remember correctly, and I cant remember where I read it so I probably don't, the series is going to be something like 15 or 18 books, plus three post-apocalyptic Dresden. I'd wager Mad Max Dresden is gonna rock some bitches.

 

Last I heard, it was gonna be 18 books, not including the final "apocalyptic" trilogy.

My impression was that the last 3 books would take place basically during the End War. We shall see in another 4ish years though.

 

I always thought:
Hell's bells - present in mundane world
Empty night - reference to the Outside, like saying 'hell' but for wizards
Stars and stones - ??? Lord of the Rings reference? "seven stars and seven stones and one white tree"?

 

I'm pretty sure it's just gonna be one whole book series, all over the place.

 

To me Hell's bells could mean that Lucifer is active and possibly causing extreme havoc topside. This would have to mean that the preceeding book ends on a note of Lucifer declaring all out war on every fucker that doesn't agree with him.

Somehow, I can't imagine Butcher letting us down like Supernatural lets its fans down.

 

Or he could be joking about the title of the books.