TOPIC: Robert Jordan Dies

FYI, from AP:<br /><br />Wheel of Time Author Robert Jordan Dies <br />Sep 17, 11:25 AM EDT<br />By BRUCE SMITH - Associated Press Writer<br /><br />CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Author Robert Jordan, whose "Wheel of Time" series of fantasy novels sold millions of copies, has died of a rare blood disease, his aide said Monday. He was 58.<br /><br />Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., died Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina of complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, his personal assistant, Maria Simons, said. The disease attacks the body's major organs; in Jordan's case, it caused the walls of his heart to thicken.<br /><br />He wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in Charleston under the pen name Reagan O'Neal in the early 1980s. Then he turned his attention to fantasy and the first volume in his Wheel of Time epic, "The Eye of the World," was published in 1990 under the name Robert Jordan.<br /><br />Jordan's books tells of Rand al'Thor, who is destined to become the champion who will battle ultimate evil in a mythical land.<br /><br />Book 11, "Knife of Dreams," came out in 2005; there was also a prequel, "New Spring: The Novel," in 2004. The other titles in the series include "The Great Hunt," "Lord of Chaos" and "The Path of Daggers." Jordan was working on a 12th volume at the time of his death, Simons said.<br /><br />He is survived by his wife, Harriet McDougal Rigney.<br />

I've not read the series though I'm told its excellent, though some have claimed it was unnecessarily drawn out. The 12th book was to be the last of the central story right?

Sorry to hear that.  I'm sure many of his fans will be disappointed.  At GenCon I talk with people all day about writers.  He was one of the most praised and maligned (for drawing out his series and holding his readers hostage).  Many people who took the time to speak with me are done reading trilogies and series.  They want stand alone books (can be in the same world), but they do not want to wait on authors to finish the next book to find out what happens.  <br /><br />What do you like to read?  Series, stand alone, or stand alone related in the same world?<br /><br />Makes me want to go home and write.  Don't want to get half done with my world and not finish.<br /><br /><br />Widseth<br />

<br />Sorry to hear that.  I'm sure many of his fans will be disappointed.  At GenCon I talk with people all day about writers.  He was one of the most praised and maligned (for drawing out his series and holding his readers hostage).  Many people who took the time to speak with me are done reading trilogies and series.  They want stand alone books (can be in the same world), but they do not want to wait on authors to finish the next book to find out what happens.  <br /><br />What do you like to read?  Series, stand alone, or stand alone related in the same world?<br /><br />Makes me want to go home and write.  Don't want to get half done with my world and not finish.<br /><br /><br />Widseth<br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />I like series but where each book can stand alone.    Brust's "Vlad Taltos" series works for me.  As does Bujold's "Miles Vor Kosigan" series. 

<br />I like series but where each book can stand alone.    Brust's "Vlad Taltos" series works for me.   As does Bujold's "Miles Vor Kosigan" series.  <br />

<br /><br />Woohoo for Bujold!!<br /><br />I like pretty much everything she's written. Am currently reading 'The Sharing Knife'.

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<br />I like series but where each book can stand alone.    Brust's "Vlad Taltos" series works for me.   As does Bujold's "Miles Vor Kosigan" series.  <br />

<br /><br />Woohoo for Bujold!!<br /><br />I like pretty much everything she's written. Am currently reading 'The Sharing Knife'.<br />

<br /><br />I am waiting for Sharing Knife II to come from amazon.  Volume I was excellent.<br /> 

As far as I know (this is from my husband who was an ardent RJ fan) that one of the things R. Jordan did before he died was share the final details of where he wanted his book(s) to go with his wife and a cousin. That being the most important thing for most fans - did he finish the last book? Ugh. This is why I have not started the series. I did not want to be left waiting for so long. That and I did actually read his Eye of the World just after high school (a long time ago) and decided that I did not like it enough to keep up with the series. I always joked with Hubby that if he finished the series then I might actually read it.<br /><br />As for your question Widseth I enjoy series such as Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, plus I also am a huge fan of Bujold. I really like the Miles Vorkosigan Series and have A Sharing Knife sitting by my bedside (currently unread - hang head in shame). Though to tell you the truth I don't have a lot of time to read these days and currently prefer stand alone books simply because I can go through them faster. <br /><br />I can tell you what I hate though... series that should have ended a long time ago. As much as I love the R.A. Salvaltore books with Drizzt D'Ordun I really think he should have left off at The Halfiling's Crystal(Gem?). Everything after that was just for money in my opinion.<br /><br />Lady Myke

As far as RA Salvatore, while the series has continued to run, it never makes any pretense about having a story with an absolute beginning or end. It's basically just events that occur, conflicts crop up, get resolved, something else happens....it actually gives it a "living" feel to it IMO.<br /><br />Servant of the Shard was probably my favorite after the original 3 books. I'm actually very interested in what ultimately becomes of Entreri and I've been most interested in following that spin-off.

Widseth,<br />While I like threaded stories, I really appreciate authors who take the time to try and write their stories so that they stand alone as one Beginning, middle, and end.  <br /><br />The main complaint when this is wrapped into a complex world or tale, is that each book has a certain amount of redundancy in it, which some people find annoying.  If the information is re-packaged, either through edits for brevity or from another perspective, that seems best, and really doesn’t bother me.  <br /><br />I do find myself a bit put out when the text is cut and pasted from the previous volume, however.<br /><br />Dave <br />

I am very curious about this because as I write The Brazen Serpent Chronicles, I want to have completed plots in each book, but each book will have a relationship via character, item, setting, etc to other books.  For example The Talon of Light is a sword--it virtually drops out of the second book and two major characters connect the first two books.  But in the third book I go back a thousand years (figuratively) to when the sword was forged and tell the story of how it came to be and why.  When all seven or eight books are completed, I hope when someone finishes they will see a history--the Chronicles of the world, as seen through the eyes of different characters throughout the rise and fall and rebirth of the civilizations.<br /><br />I hope to avoid major redundancy (and certainly cutting and pasting) by setting changes--how the events of the history are interpretted in Standel in one book and in Misdara in another--even in different ages and then provide a connecting thread between the two, if that makes any sense, so the reader will have "aha" moments and have the satisfaction of saying "now I see why that happened the way it did."  Kind of like getting a history of the US from a story about a modern day Californian in one book, a 17th century New Englander, an 1867 Southerner, and a 1500 native American--maybe following an artifact made by the Indian and given to a French or Spanish explorer.<br /><br />Anyway that is my goal, so I have a real interest in this question.  Thanks for the response.<br /><br /><br />Widseth

I like a variety of books.  I will say that I'm partial to reading series.  When series are done right, it's a joy to watch the evolution of characters from one book to the next, to see how they change and grow.<br /><br />Kim

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R R Martin.  AWESOME!  Definitely an excellent example of a stry developing over time, with characters evolving as events in the world change.<br />