As you all probably know by now, we’re big fans of The Dresden Files here at CG. (The books, not the show. Except for Olivia, but we forgive her. Mostly.)

There’s been an unusually long delay for the latest book in this epic series, though. It’s been almost two years since Skin Game was released, and we have yet to get even a release date for the next installment, Peace Talks. Yes, we had the (really great) Aeronaut’s Windlass last fall, starting an entirely new series that I want to see more of, but face it, we want more Harry Dresden. Well, we finally have an answer for the delay!

According to a hot-off-the-presses announcement, Jim Butcher has been revamping the first book, Storm Front, into a new edition, updated to fit with the worldbuilding of the rest of the series. As longtime fans know, the first two books have several details that don’t really fit with the direction Jim went later on; now he’s going to be releasing special editions that fix that, as well as add new material.

From the press release:

Over the years, Jim has often been asked, “If you could go back and change anything about the series, what would it be?” He’s previously shrugged off such queries with a non-committal quip, but he admits the questions always struck a chord with him.  Today, on the 16^th anniversary of Storm Front’s release, Jim answers the fans’ call with The Dresden Files Special Edition.

This definitive collection seeks to bring the series more in line with his original vision, adding characters and worldbuilding details that would’ve been impossible given the constraints of the publishing industry at the time.

Jim credits the influence of his long-beloved Spider-Man franchise in this decision, citing the perennial appeal of Peter Parker’s origin story.  He muses, “I’ve always wondered what Harry Dresden’s early life would’ve been like if he’d faced functionally identical villains, but with a different love interest, and with him being slightly more attractive, in a millennial way.”

The first novel will be rebranded as “Harry Dresden v The Shadowman: Front of Storms.” Jim draws readers’ attention to the “v” as opposed to the more conventional “vs.,” citing this choice as a way of “keep[ing] it from being a straight ‘versus’ book, even in the most subtle way.” This essential installment is due out in bookstores April 31^st.

Jim hopes fans will embrace this new edition, as he looks forward to correcting an oversight in the dream sequence in Dead Beat, where he neglected to mention Harry’s father’s uncanny resemblance to Hayden Christensen.

If successful, Jim plans to reboot the series again in five years with an entirely different publisher.

I’m sure the date of this announcement is, of course, absolutely coincidental. Happy April 1st!