Check out that click-bait title! This week’s blog entry is chock full of internecine writer drama. There could be a boffer sword duel by the swingset after school. Today, I will tell you how Jim Butcher, one of my favorite authors, has coined almost the same idea as I had from my old dog, Storm. Stay tuned for a tale of scientific discovery and credit for naming.
Who is Jim Butcher?
The author of the Dresden Files has a successful career as an author now. He likes LARPing and a variety of other nerdy subjects. I’ve met him twice at a book signing and attending author panels. He has no idea who I am. I’m just starting out. My Alex Rune stories remind people of Jim’s writing, which was the point. I suspect Jim and I think on similar ways though we have different backgrounds. That is the source of the debacle over the new wave/particle.
What are Sleepeons?
In book 15, Skin Game of the Dresden Files, the concept is first revealed. Spoiler Alert! Harry brings Mouse over to visit and soon everybody falls asleep because dogs emit Sleepeons. This mysterious particle radiates from snuggling dogs, causing sleep among those in the snuggle.
Enter the Storm of Sleepitrons
At the end of the 20th century, before The Dresden Files published date, I got a dog. She was a purebred cream colored Chow Chow, and we named her Storm, the first of the hero named pets we’ve had over the years. She was big; she was fluffy; she was gentle, and at rare times, she liked to snuggle. Imagine if you wore a thick fur coat in Texas. You might not snuggle too often either.
In those blessed occasions, she’d hop onto the bed and snuggle at my back or at our feet. It was awesome. We’d read and after a short while, felt the drowsy effects. I theorized to my wife that the dog emitted Sleepitrons. That was still last century. Same particle, similar name.
We had to put Storm to sleep in January of 2011. She lived fourteen years, which is pretty good for a Chow. Her face is still on the opening screen of my phone.
Great Minds Think Alike
While I get a chuckle saying Jim copied my idea, there is no way Jim would have ever heard my version of the idea. In my experience, ideas repeat. People facing similar problems come up with similar solutions. I have a lengthy list of tech ideas I came up with that came to fruition by others. So far, only plastic snowman arms have yet to appear on the market.
The Duel
I saw Jim last spring at Houston’s Comicpalooza. He’s in awesome shape. It would be hilarious if he read my blog post and agreed to a boffer sword duel to settle this like nerds. I’m certain he’d win. Which would be funny for everybody watching.
So go forth all three readers of my blog! Like, Comment, Share and see if we can somehow draw the eye of Jim the Butcher. He comes to H-Town for signings at Murder By the Book now and then so this is doable.