So Robert Jordan is dead.

[Morrigan]

RIP
http://www.dragonmount.com/

So he pulled a Frank Herbert, dying before his final tome is out. Apparently he left behind a lot of notes and outlines, even dictated some, so it's possible that the final volume will come out. I hope so... even if I hate WoT now, I want to see some closure to all the damn loose ends. :P

It's a bit irritating, though... the guy just wasted so much time and paper on the last few books, he could have finished it long ago. "I have 30 years ahead of me, I don't care what the doctors say!" - so much for that, you stupid bastard. :newlol

[Cleon]

"Final?"

Just read the first four books over and over again. It'll be like he never died. :D

[JoeEllison]

I gave up 2-3 books ago. A hundred chicks with nearly-identical names milling around a castle doing nothing much for 300 pages, and then it jumps to three guys talking about stuff that happened 2 books ago for 50 pages... forget it.

[money]

:mad:!!!

I was disappointed with books 6-10, but 11 was better, and I certainly wanted some closure for the series I started in 8th grade....

[Garrette]

I hated the first two books because they seemed very amateurish with very superficial characters, as if he were a college-age writer fresh from reading Tolkien but unable to grasp it.

Then I saw him maturing as a writer and plotter and by book 8 loved the books.

Book 9 was the beginning of disappointment, leaving me asking how he could possibly tie it all up in just one more; I recalled that he had planned it as a decology.

The answer came in a very disappointing Book 10: He DIDN'T wrap it all up in one, and he didn't really progress the plot.

I almost didn't get Book 11, but I am mostly glad I did. Still disappointing in spots but with some real highlights and novel twists. I particularly like the method he chose to re-unite the tower. The bit with Lan as the King-from-the-Wilderness whose army will gather round him on the last epic ride is a bit time-worn but done well enough to still be somewhat stirring.

I didn't care for how Perrin got his lady back but I did like that it wasn't all peaches and cream in that those who helped the lady didn't survive.

Matt's battles and alliances were nicely done, too.

BUT NOW HE'S DEAD?!

I didn't know.

[thaiboxerken]

He wrote good Conan books as well.

[Madalch]

Damn. I've been reading this story for 15 years...I wanted him to finish the story.

[Curnir]

Damn. I've been reading this story for 15 years...I wanted him to finish the story.

Same here.

Lets just hope he left plenty of notes.

[Morrigan]

I gave up 2-3 books ago. A hundred chicks with nearly-identical names milling around a castle doing nothing much for 300 pages, and then it jumps to three guys talking about stuff that happened 2 books ago for 50 pages... forget it.
Can't say I blame you. I only kept reading because, well, I was too far ahead to stop. I'm stubborn. :(

Fire of Heavens spoiler:

...And I want to know who the bloody hell killed Asmodean! :newlol


:mad:!!!

I was disappointed with books 6-10, but 11 was better, and I certainly wanted some closure for the series I started in 8th grade....
I know the feeling. I thought Lord of Chaos was cool, though, if only for

the Healing of Logain. It's a major, significant event, moreso than almost anything that happens after.

[Wudang]

A few friends of mine are going to be grateful I advised them to leave it until the series was finished.

To cheer everyone up again may I recommend Steven Erikson's Malazan books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/203-9603139-9818300?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=steven+erikson&Go.x=16&Go.y=14&Go=Go

[zooterkin]

Very sorry to hear about his death, but I'd given up on the story a few years ago. If only he'd got a decent editor, the story could have been finished, instead of meandering for the last few books. Ironically, the first thing I read of his was a short story (in the Visions of Wonder collection, I think), and then the the Wheel of Time series because I was so intrigued by the world he'd created. I did enjoy the Conan stories of his that I read, too.

[Denial]

RIP. I used to be a fan, until book 6. I just couldn't finish it, I kept falling asleep. My girlfriend is a huge fan, and she pointed me to this url:

http://www.wotmania.com/wotmessageboard2showmessage.asp?MessageID=68400

"What happens to WoT?"
I talked with Jason about this. He said that Jordan has been dictating outlines and plot lines and everything else related to the final book. He used the phrase "army of writers" to talk about the people that were converting those tapes into written form.

It would appear that the final book will still be published, I'm sure details regarding that will work themselves out.


I have no idea who this Jason guy is, though.

[joobz]

RIP. I used to be a fan, until book 6. I just couldn't finish it, I kept falling asleep. My girlfriend is a huge fan, and she pointed me to this url:

http://www.wotmania.com/wotmessageboard2showmessage.asp?MessageID=68400



I have no idea who this Jason guy is, though.
To honor his memory, I am going to try and forget books 7 to 11.

The end of the lord of Chaos was awesome.

[Andronicus]

RIP Mr. Jordan.

Hopefully Mr. Jordan was at least able to write the climax. I don't care if he outlined filler for someone else to polish the dialog, if he didn't write the climax, then the story is truly an unfinished symphony.

[Denial]

To honor his memory, I am going to try and forget books 7 to 11.

The end of the lord of Chaos was awesome.

After a quick stop at Wikipedia for a synopsis of book 6, it appears I was wrong. Book 7 was the snoozefest, and you're quite right, the ending of book 6 was awesome. I think I'll start from over the beginning, it's been 10 years since I read anything he wrote.

[Ducky]

I told my wife (who posts here as Avheinda, so you can see where this is going) that Robert Jordan had died and she had a look of terror on her face as she almost frantically said

"DID HE FINISH THE SERIES?"

To which I replied:

"Yes dear. 5 books ago."

If anyone needs me, I will be sleeping on the couch...

[Morrigan]

:newlol

[athon]

I read the first four, I think, years ago...and couldn't bring myself to read any more. I damn near choked on his writing style as it was. Flat, two dimensional characters, rather slow plot interspersed with kind-of cool ideas...I grew out of it pretty soon after growing out of Eddings.

Sad that he died, but I won't miss him as a writer. I read a contribution he offered to a 'how to write' book aimed at authors and found it close to useless.

Athon

[quixotecoyote]

I read the first four, I think, years ago...and couldn't bring myself to read any more. I damn near choked on his writing style as it was. Flat, two dimensional characters, rather slow plot interspersed with kind-of cool ideas...I grew out of it pretty soon after growing out of Eddings.

Sad that he died, but I won't miss him as a writer. I read a contribution he offered to a 'how to write' book aimed at authors and found it close to useless.

Athon

Eddings is actually getting better. He's still writing the same story over and over, but his style is improving and isn't quite as over-the-top hackish. Plus he's telling the same story in less installments now.

[Garrette]

Eddings is actually getting better. He's still writing the same story over and over, but his style is improving and isn't quite as over-the-top hackish. Plus he's telling the same story in less installments now.I'd say it's far too late for him to get better. He's been at it too long with nothing of quality at all to show for it.

The Belgariad should have been enough to have him run out of town.

[Thanz]

I lost interest in WoT after Winter's Heart. After the big thing at the end of that book, I had high hopes. He then spends the entirety of the next book all but completely ignoring the big thing at the end of Winter's Heart. Supremely frustrating. When the next book came out, my brother asked me if I had read it yet, my 100% true response was: "I didn't even make it through the blurb on the flap."

[Morrigan]

Now where's Curnir to call all of us anti-Jordanites? :D

[3point14]

I'd say it's far too late for him to get better. He's been at it too long with nothing of quality at all to show for it.

The Belgariad should have been enough to have him run out of town.

Ah, the Belgariad was fun when I was much younger. My tastes are a little more sophisticated now (Or maybe I just hope they are? Or maybe I'm just more pretentious) but back then when I was a kid, it had me hooked.


WRT Jordan - I think I read the first one and kind of enjoyed it, but then I saw the long, long list of books stretching out into infinity with not a single thread resolved, just more and more and more things to remember until the author decided that he'd written enough. Clearly he has done so now.

These days I like consise much more than verbose - The Old Man and the Sea being a prime example.

[3point14]

I'd say it's far too late for him to get better. He's been at it too long with nothing of quality at all to show for it.

The Belgariad should have been enough to have him run out of town.

Ah, the Belgariad was fun when I was much younger. My tastes are a little more sophisticated now (Or maybe I just hope they are? Or maybe I'm just more pretentious) but back then when I was a kid, it had me hooked.


WRT Jordan - I think I read the first one and kind of enjoyed it, but then I saw the long, long list of books stretching out into infinity with not a single thread resolved, just more and more and more things to remember until the author decided that he'd written enough. Clearly he has done so now.

These days I like consise much more than verbose - The Old Man and the Sea being a prime example.

[Andronicus]

I read the Belgariad when I was in Jr. high, I think. I thought it was fantastic. Then I looked at it again in college and went "Blagh." Eddings 0, Dostoevsky, 3 (The Idiot, The Possessed, and The Brothers Karamazov for those keeping count.) Its amazing how a little age and education reduced my taste for modern fantasy reading.

[DJM]

At least Jordan won't annoy some of the people here with new books anymore. :rolleyes:

[3point14]

I read the Belgariad when I was in Jr. high, I think. I thought it was fantastic. Then I looked at it again in college and went "Blagh." Eddings 0, Dostoevsky, 3 (The Idiot, The Possessed, and The Brothers Karamazov for those keeping count.) Its amazing how a little age and education reduced my taste for modern fantasy reading.

I have to say age(and a lack of education) hasn't dulled my appetite for a good fantasy novel. Pratchett gets purchased when published in Hardback form, and I still think (and I'm prepared to get shot down here) that Magician is fantastic, and David Gemmell (before he died, of course) had a way with words and concise story telling that really appeals to me.

What age has done is add diversity, stuff other than fantasy (which was my staple from 10 to 21) but these days it's less and less fiction and more and more 'pop-science' looks far more intellectual on the tube, even if I don't understand half of what I'm reading:))

(Edited because I misspelt 'intellectual' which would have been okay if I'd meant it in a cool, ironic way. I didn't)

[Andronicus]

Raymond Feist's Magician? I read the first four books or so (though a Darkness at Sethanon - thank you Amazon for the quick reminder). I liked them much more than the Belgariad.

[Morrigan]

Feist sucks. Really, really sucks.

[3point14]

Raymond Feist's Magician? I read the first four books or so (though a Darkness at Sethanon - thank you Amazon for the quick reminder). I liked them much more than the Belgariad.

Well I think they're a little more sophisticated than Edding's works.

I have to say though, it's not really worth worrying about anything past Sethanon.

But, as Morrigan proves, it's all down to personal taste really.

[TJ]

I just found out about Jordan today, and I've been following his illness for a year and change. I was really hoping he'd pull out of it for more than my own selfish reasons but alas, it was not to be. I had also heard that he left plenty of notes, dictations and the like to finish up the series. At least there's that.

RIP RJ.

[Madalch]

I read the Belgariad when I was in Jr. high, I think. I thought it was fantastic. Then I looked at it again in college and went "Blagh." Eddings 0, Dostoevsky, 3 (The Idiot, The Possessed, and The Brothers Karamazov for those keeping count.) Its amazing how a little age and education reduced my taste for modern fantasy reading.
I like to think that I'm educated, but I didn't mind the Belgariad last time I re-read it, and I couldn't stand Dostoevsky even after getting my PhD. After 10 chapters or so, I decided the term "The Idiot" was not actually the title of the book, but a description of the fellow suckered into buying the thing.

Now Michael Moorcock- now those are books that cannot be re-read ten years after first enjoying them.

[quixotecoyote]

I just found out about Jordan today, and I've been following his illness for a year and change. I was really hoping he'd pull out of it for more than my own selfish reasons but alas, it was not to be. I had also heard that he left plenty of notes, dictations and the like to finish up the series. At least there's that.

RIP RJ.

Hopefully he left instructions for more cowbell.