Line #106 ShoutOut/GhostStory


1	Misfortune is only to be expected in the 13th novel of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', and you can't get much more unlucky than dead. But despite being a ghost, Harry's not done facing trouble, even if he doesn't have a body of his own to cope with it: just his wits, his memories, and a whole lot of Shout Outs.
2
3	* In the first chapter, Harry references one of the running gags from Terry Pratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
4	-->'''Harry:''' "For crying out loud, didn't I just say that death wasn't scary anymore? Tell that to my glands."
5	* Lea disappears, [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Cheshire Cat]]-style.
6	* ''Literature/HarryPotter''
7	** Lea tells Harry that he has his mother's Sight, and he asks "Not her eyes?". Everyone who knew Harry Potter's mother told him [[PhraseCatcher he had Lily's eyes]].
8	** He's not the only wizard named Harry to be struck down by a fatal attack and find himself speaking to a deceased associate on an empty train platform, either.
9	** Kemmler had to be killed seven times by the White Council before he'd stay dead. In the ''Harry Potter'' novels, there were seven Horcruxes that had to be destroyed to make Voldemort mortal.
10	* Inez greets Harry with a Creator/ShirleyTemple curtsy.
11	* Twelve-year-old Harry, from the fire-lighting flashback, wishes he could skip his lesson and go watch ''Series/KnightRider'' on the mall's TV displays.
12	** He compares how Justin hits him to Creator/BruceLee without the silly noises.
13	** Gathering power, young Harry reasons, ought to work like it does for the ComicBook/SilverSurfer, ComicBook/GreenLantern, or ComicBook/IronFist, and not like ComicBook/IronMan (because he doesn't actually have powers).
14	** Receiving a baseball glove for a present reminds him of Kansas City Royals player George Brett.
15	* The fire-lighting scene itself is reminiscent of how Skeeve from ''Literature/MythAdventures'' cast his own first spell. Both apprentice wizards succeed in kindling a small flame after they buckle down and focus at last, and their internal monologue reveals that both boys think their mentors' methodology is pretty stupid.
16	* "[[Literature/SherlockHolmes The game's a-freaking-foot!]]"
17	* Unsurprisingly, Captain Jack doesn't get Harry's "[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Sparrow]]" crack.
18	* Corpsetaker "gobbles a bunch of killers and she gets to [[Literature/{{Pinocchio}} be a real boy]] again".
19	* Harry mentions he fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the other two more well known ones being [[Film/ThePrincessBride to never get into a land war in Asia, and to never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line]]. Surprisingly, however, he [[AvertedTrope misses a chance]] to comment on how he's OnlyMostlyDead.
20	* Sir Stuart once lost five years listening to a Music/PinkFloyd album.
21	* Harry gives Boz a [[Radio/TheFrantics boot to the head]].
22	* Butters wanted to name the Brighter Future Society the Brighter Future Group, purely for the [[{{BFG}} initialism]].
23	* Harry tells Mort "Buck up, little camper", a line from ''Film/BetterOffDead''.
24	* Murphy warns Childs that events will segue directly to [[WildWest the OK Corral]] if the arrangement ends.
25	* Lea's attitude is summed up as "[[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietzsche]] and [[UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin Darwin]] Were Sentimental Pansies".
26	* Harry refers to Stuart crashing the gang's truck as "playing ''Film/MaximumOverdrive''" with them.
27	* The book is rife with ''Franchise/StarWars'' references, the best of which being when Harry's ghost proved its identity to Molly by quoting ''The Empire Strikes Back''.
28	** Molly tells Harry that Chewbacca (meaning Mouse) is with Maggie.
29	** Sir Stuart unwittingly uses an identical phrase to one of C-3PO's lines in ''Film/ANewHope''. Subverted when Stuart's next line transitions into a Creator/MontyPython skit.
30	** Butters agrees to join Skaldi in the ring for training five minutes after he gets a [[HilariousInHindsight functional lightsaber]].
31	** If the Eagle Scouts have some kind of Sith equivalent, Marcone would be it.
32	** Butters says Harry "totally Kenobied the day" when he persuaded Fitz to come back.
33	** The thought-image Harry and Molly'd used to signify victory in their mental practice-duels was that of Vader in his [=TIE=] fighter saying "I have you now" from ''Film/ANewHope''.
34	** Even Uriel the Archangel, Heaven's spymaster, says he prefers ''Star Wars'' to ''Franchise/StarTrek'' just after appearing to Harry during Molly's BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind.
35	*** Which is fair enough, as Harry'd just asked him "[[Film/ANewHope Aren't you a little short for an archangel?]]" and Uriel likely knew Harry had just argued ''Wars'' over ''Trek'' in Molly's mental ''Star Trek''-themed command hub. Which brings us to:
36	* Molly's command center in her mental defense system is the bridge from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', featuring [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHAOkDamRzU the fight music]] and bridge lurches. The controls are manned by different Mollys in different-colored shirts (including a RedShirt who immediately dies) representing [[LiteralSplitPersonality facets of her personality]] as interpreted through the archetypes from the original series, complete with fights among the FreudianTrio.
37	-->"The bridge rocked again and we staggered. One of the panels exploded in a shower of sparks. Some Molly in a red uniform who hadn’t spoken crashed limply to the deck.
38	-->'Not real,' Ensign Molly said. 'Sorry; my bad. Some things you just can’t get rid of.'"
39	** The Omega Bomb, however, is a ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' ShoutOut.
40	** Harry uses his Creator/SeanConnery voice to give orders to Communications Molly.
41	** On the mental battlefield outside it, Harry spots some targeting-lights like those of the Film/{{Predator}}'s shoulder cannon.
42	** Harry says "[[Franchise/{{Tarzan}} Up, Simba]]" in his best Creator/YulBrynner voice when he turns a rug into a flying carpet.
43	*** He later tries a Creator/JamesEarlJones impression when first approaching Molly's bridge; his Yul Brynner is better.
44	* Harry "Creator/WillSmith"-ing during his fight with the lemurs.
45	* Mort complains about how everyone goes all Creator/{{Lifetime}} about Mister.
46	* Harry defines all of his neat abilities as a ghost in terms of which Creator/MarvelComics mutant has those powers: Nightcrawler is one prominent example, as is Shadowcat. He's a bit annoyed when he can't think of one that could see in the dark. Although personally, Harry suspects Colossus would've been more fun.
47	** Harry also compares his non-ghostly "wizard senses" to "[[ComicBook/SpiderMan spider sense]]".
48	* In the months between ''Changes'' and ''Ghost Story'', Marcone has [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} a stone castle transferred to a major U.S. city]].
49	** Surprisingly, mega-nerd Butters doesn't seem to have made the connection: he calls it the [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batcave]] instead.
50	* Merging with Mort, Harry sees the world hit him [[{{Film}} in Full Technicolor]].
51	* The spell Molly casts when confronted by the turtlenecks is similar to the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' illusion ''Mirror Image''.
52	* Harry calls himself the Wrestling/AndreTheGiant of the supernatural world.
53	** In the same page he also compares himself to [[Series/{{Bonanza}} Hoss.]]
54	* Mort's hybrid car is said to boast a computer that "Looked like it could have run the NYSE and NORAD, with enough attention left over to play TabletopGame/TicTacToe. Or possibly Global Thermonuclear War." in a shout-out to ''Film/WarGames''.
55	** When Harry criticizes Mort's car, Mort snarks back that Harry used to drive [[Film/TheLoveBug Herbie's]] trailer-park cousin.
56	* One of the Alphas is a young woman whose werewolf form is lightly-built and colored a bit like a coyote. In trying to recall her name (Marci), Harry's second guess is "Mercy", which is the name of [[Literature/MercyThompson Patricia Briggs' coyote-shapechanger heroine]]; like Harry, she hangs out with werewolves and fae.
57	* Speaking of Marci; She’s described as a short girl with straight mouse-brown hair bobbed at chin level and over-sized glasses. Anybody else thinking [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Velma]]?
58	* Harry starts to sneak into the Grey Ghost's lair, then quits with the Franchise/ScoobyDoo action when he realizes his ghost-self can't make noise anyway.
59	* Sir Stuart's line about wraiths not knowing pity, nor restraint, prompts Harry to suggest fear as another thing they don't know. Almost certainly a ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' reference.
60	* Aristedes' blade is like a Bowie knife designed by Creator/HRGiger.
61	* Harry tries some of the same words [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Gandalf used]] to try to open the door to Moria on the entrance to the Corpsetaker's lair. And calls her a tasteless bitch for not reading Tolkien when it doesn't work.
62	* Then there's the description of what [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Evil Bob]] looks like when he manifests. A tall, FauxAffablyEvil man with a skull for a head, who traipses about in an SS uniform? [[ComicBook/RedSkull You don't say]].
63	** Attacking Evil Bob's defenses, Harry recognizes the scenario he's entered from ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''.
64	* The police station in Chicago Between reminds Harry of old episodes of ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}''.
65	* Judging by their graffiti, at least one of the Big Hoods is a believer in the conspiracy theories of Creator/DavidIcke.
66	* During the flashback to Harry's teen years, he makes period-appropriate Shout Outs to [[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee-Wee Hermann]], ''Film/TheNatural'', and ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina''.
67	** In the same flashback, young Harry is subjected to an audio-CatScare by a ''VideoGame/{{Sinistar}}'' arcade machine.
68	** The straitjacket that alerts him to Justin's intentions lies next to Harry's much-used copy of ''Literature/TheHobbit''. Seeing it, Harry realizes he can't exactly run off to [[Literature/LandOfOz Oz]] and ask another wizard for help.
69	** He Who Walks Behind smiles like something from Creator/LewisCarroll's drug-induced nightmares.
70	** Being confronted by the Walker leaves young Harry feeling empathy for Jerry of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry''.
71	* The entire subplot dealing with Fitz and his trouble rescuing his friends from [[TheFagin Aristedes]] is a either a pastiche or homage to ''Literature/OliverTwist''.
72	* Harry quotes the opening narration of ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' to Sir Stuart.
73	* Mortimer Lindquist: [[{{Literature/Nightside}} "Don't have a gun. Never really felt like I needed one"]]
74	* Bob describes the ancient Sidhe Wars as "like ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Series/AllMyChildren'' made a baby with the Macho Man Wrestling/RandySavage and a Whac-A-Mole machine". Even Harry's left speechless by ''that'' one.
75	* Uriel reveals that [[spoiler:one of the Fallen tempted Harry to arrange his own death with seven words]] and that as a result [[spoiler:Uriel can use seven words to help Harry]]. Considering that Jim Butcher and Patrick Rothfuss are friends, this may be a shoutout to ''Literature/TheNameOfTheWind''.
76	* At one point Harry says that for someone to get away with calling Murphy "Karrie", they'd have to be "a Franchise/{{Terminator}}. From [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Krypton]]."
77	* Inez gives a shout out to Jim Butcher himself, when she tells Harry "They'll write books about you."
78	* [[Film/TheMatrix "There is no spoon."]]
79	* Fitz calls Harry's disembodied voice ''Theatre/{{Harvey}}''.
80	* Frustrated that the Lecter Specters don't laugh at his jokes, Harry says it's like Creator/{{Gallagher}} performing at the Harvard Faculty Club.
81	* The battle at Chichen Itza is called "Murderpalooza", a reference to the Lollapalooza concerts.
82	* Harry uses his tracking spell to spin around and point at his objective, commenting [[Literature/{{Xanth}} "Crombie, eat your heart out"]].
83	* Molly, according to Butters, has gone "totally [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Dark Knight]]."
84	* A "Literature/TheThreeLittlePigs" reference crops up when Forthill speaks to Harry.
85	* Bob's sanctum is like "[[Film/JamesBond Apartment Bond, James Apartment Bond]]". Manifested inside it, Bob dresses like Creator/JamesDean.
86	** When Butters calls, an alarm right out of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' goes off inside.
87	* "You look like you're expecting [[Film/SilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]] to come through the door."
88	** Harry dubs the mob of insane ghosts the "Lecter Specters".
89	* Morty vigorously denies being a hero, or as he puts it, "a goddamned death wish-embracing Literature/DonQuixote."
90	* Eternal Silence reminds Harry of old images of ''Radio/TheShadow'', and has a voice so deep, it makes Creator/JamesEarlJones sound like WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse.
91	* Evil Bob never read the EvilOverlordList, apparently.
92	* Seeing that Mortimer has shaved his head, Harry refers to his new look as "a full-on [[ComicBook/XMen Charles Xavier]]".
93	* When Molly tells one of the Fomor thugs "You're my huckleberry", she's using a piece of Victorian-era slang that was revived by the movie ''Film/{{Tombstone}}''.
94	* Butters' Plymouth Road Runner has a vanity plate that reads: "[[WesternAnimation/RoadRunner Meep Meep]]".
95	* One of the possible afterlives Harry says he was supposed to have faced would be burning in an oven equipped with a stereo that played nothing but Music/BarryManilow.
96	* Stuart tells Harry that, with practice, he might be able to push a penny across a table very slowly. Pushing a penny around is how Sam proves his existence to Molly in ''Film/Ghost1990''.
97	** Also, much later Murphy reminds Harry that he's not Creator/PatrickSwayze and she's not Creator/DemiMoore. And they're certainly not in pottery class.
98	* "Sweet home Chicago" is a refrence to ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', or just to the song by that name in general.
99	* In his flashback to the long-jump contest, Harry remembers having felt as if he'd learned to fly like ComicBook/{{Superman}}.
100	* Harry compares the wards on Murphy's house to a wall built out of [[Franchise/{{Lego}} [=LEGO=]s]].
101	* Molly is referred to as Literature/RaggedyAnn by Murphy, in accordance with her "Rag Lady" nickname.
102	* Bob: "Don't make me puke. [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977 You wouldn't like me when I puke.]]"
103	* Seeing a cop car approach, Harry/Molly sings "[[Series/{{Cops}} Bad boys, bad boys]]" to the turtlenecks.
104	* The inevitable "[[Film/TheSixthSense I see dead people]]" reference (or rather, ''hear'' them, since it's Fitz who makes it).
105	* To his own disgust, Harry starts singing ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' lyrics to himself at one point.
106	* The Corpsetaker probably looked like a ''Film/JamesBond'' villainess when she was young.
107	* Citing unlikely alliances, Bob mentions [[Literature/TheBible God and Lucifer]] messing with Job, [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Luke and Vader]] killing the Emperor, and [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Spidey teaming up with Sandman]].
108	** Harry wants to dismiss the latter example because ComicBook/SpiderMan isn't real. Bob retorts that in another universe, he could be real. A case of FridgeLogic when you realize that in our universe, Harry himself is just as fictional as Spidey...
109	** [[EpilepticTrees Wait but Luke and Vader are?]]
110	* Molly's psychic sensitivity is compared to her having great big, honking WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}} ears that are extremely sensitive to loud noises.
111	* Harry quips "It's like [[Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome Thunderdome]]" when the other ghosts gather around him in three dimensions. When they fetch Molly, he greets her with "Two ghosts enter, one ghost leaves."
112	* Butters asks if Aristedes is fast like Creator/JackieChan, or fast like ComicBook/TheFlash.
113	* Told that they're like family, Fitz snarks that their gang is like ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Harry would've opted for ''Series/TheWaltons''.
114	** Mentioning both shows in close proximity may also be a reference to one of the first President Bush's speeches, in which he advocated making American life more like the latter than the former.
115	* "[[Music/TheWall How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?]]"
116	* Boz emerges from the pit like Franchise/{{Godzilla}} from the surf, and lumbers towards Mort with [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Voorheesian]] steps.
117	* Molly thinks Harry's quoting Literature/TheBible when he says "for everything there is a season". He was quoting Music/TheByrds.
118	* Likewise, Harry thinks Uriel's quoting [[Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension Buckaroo Banzai]] when he says "no matter where you go, there you are". ''He'' was quoting Creator/{{Confucius}}.
119	* The downright ''horrific'' death suffered by one of Evil Bob's wolfwaffen is reminiscent of Creator/CliveBarker's "Confessions of a Pornographer's Shroud".
120	** The wolfwaffen themselves appear to have been recruited by Evil Bob from one of David's nightmares in ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon''.
121	* The "Southbound Train" that seizes Corpsetaker's shade, rears up, and plummets down into the depths is somewhat reminiscent of the "Express Bus to Hell" from the conclusion of ''Film/TheFrighteners''.
122	* Harry insists that Uriel [[Literature/AChristmasCarol make like the Ghost of Christmas Present]] before he decides, at the end.
123	* Uriel, perhaps not surprisingly for an archangel, references a quote often attributed to [[Creator/CSLewis C.S. Lewis]], saying that Harry is a soul, who has a body.
124	* Not unlike Neo in ''Film/TheMatrix'', Harry [[spoiler: wakes up with tendrils plugged into his limbs, weak as a kitten, with his eyes hurting from the light because he hasn't been using them]].
125	* At one point Harry says to Eternal Silence [[Series/KungFu1972 "Next you'll want me to take a pebble out of your hand."]]
126	* While talking to Inez, Harry says to himself that he has [[Franchise/StarWars picked up the red Lightsaber]] and joined [[ComicBook/XMen The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants]].

Context ShoutOut / GhostStory