The 1st of 3 books to end The Wheel of Time to be released Nov 09

[White Elk]

I'm a big fan of The Wheel of Time series. Days ago I finished rereading the series (11 books with over 3 million masterfully crafted words). I ached for more, and we fans have been waiting for Tarmon Gaidon for some time now. I was saddened to learn of Mr Jordans passing last year. I learned of it here at CFC and it was no surprise to me that so many fanatics are fans of the series. And so I wanted to share the latest news (March 30th) regarding the completion of this epic story.


From a Tor press release as quoted from Dragonmount

Tor Books is proud to announce the November 3rd, 2009 on-sale date for The Gathering Storm, Book Twelve of The Wheel of Time and the first of three volumes that will make up A Memory of Light, the stunning conclusion to Robert Jordan’s beloved and bestselling fantasy series. A Memory of Light, partially written by Jordan and completed by Brandon Sanderson, will be released over a two-year period.

Whohoooo! At last! The Gathering Storm has been written and is in production as you read this. The November release date should be written in stone. Brandons a couple hundred thousand words into the second book and is confident it will be released no later than fall of 2010. And then the final book by fall of 2011. In total he estimates that the 3 books in Memory of Light will contain over 800k words. Each of Mr Jordans books averaged around 300K so we can look forward to more fat books to finish the story with.

Apparently some fans are upset by the decision to expand Memory of Light into three books. The author speaks to this in his blog. I for one am very happy that the story doesn't end with one cramped and abridged book. Despite my excited anticipation, I am quite happy to wait to have all those loose strings tied proper. Shortly into book 10: Crossroads of Twilight, I couldn't see how the story could possibly be wrapped up with only 2 more books. There are just too many charectors involved in too much stuff in that huge world to get it all finished with just a few hundred thousand words. So I think it very good news that Brandon's giving the story its due by doing what it takes to end it proper!

 

[Valerarren]

As long as we don't have (yet another) Zeno's paradox going on with these books, I'll be happy. The original intention of Robert Jordan was for the series to be substantially shorter, 3 or 6 books maybe? Then again, George RR Martin seems to have the same Zeno's paradox issue (every time he finishes one book, he decides he'll need one or two more than he originally planned to finish the series)

 

[zup]

I don't see how that's a problem in itself. The limited human lifespan is the problem.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Well, I'm glad that to hear that there will be a conclusion to the series.

As for GRRM, I've lost interest; I read his A Game of Thrones when it was first published (I was 14-years-old) and read every following volume as it appeared. I expect to be retired to Australia by the time the heirs to his estate publish his scribblings as the conclusion to the long-forgotten but once eagerly anticipated A Song of Fire and Ice series.

 

[orangelex44]

Whooo! I'm excited. I've been a fan since junior year of high school, when I burnt through the series at a book a week (and I bought every one, too - cost me a ton of cash, but worth it).

For my part, I agree with the decision to split the book up a bit. Granted, I'm not Robert Jordan, but to me there was no possible way for the series to end in one simple volume of reasonable length, given where it ended. It's sad that he isn't around to see the end of it.

 

[Luckmann]

Finally. Finally I can start reading the series.

 

[slowcar]

duke nukem coming out, too?

 

[JonathanStrange]

Forever coming out.

 

[Ploeperpengel]

Cool that's good news. I've been a fan of this series from the beginning. Thx for the info

 

[Spectral-Fremen]

I spose i'll have to reread this series.

Eventually.

 

[Domingo]

I made it to book 8 or so, then all the braid pulling, complex political intrigue, and huge cast of characters became too much for me.

It's a good series, just one that I think was stretched beyond its logical limits.

 

[Tasunke]

braid pulling? anyways, know where I can start to buy the series? any volume 1 books left?

 

[Warts]

I agree. The series lost me around book 8 as well.

 

[xienwolf]

I loved that the book spread out to follow so many paths, it let you feel like there was an actual world, instead of just a stage on which a couple of characters are presented in all their glory. Actions had far reaching consequences, people lacked information which was readily available to others and acted based on what they knew.

My only problem was reading the series at the same time as reading Sword of Truth. There was just enough shared inspiration between the two that the stories frequently cross in my memory.

 

[razzach]

Haha. I love both author's work too Xien. Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth is an Objectivism philosophy book while Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is VERY GOOD! What I love in those two books is the main characters are not super powerful Gandalf like figures - Richard doesn't even know how to cast spells.

@Tasunke:
I remember Nynaeve's braid pulling now

@White Elk:
A Memory of Light was separated into 3 books??? I just hope that it really will finish in 3 years

 

[Enthralled]

I was able to make it past all the weird bondage crap in Goodkind but I gave up when he had a demonic chicken.

Jordan on the other hand, while at times getting rather bogged down in soap opera style relationships, is a far better read and I am looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. I just hope the writing style of the last 3 books does not change drastically.

Count me firmly on the side of wanting authors to take their time and write more and larger books. I can point to any number of writers who crank out multiple books in a year but they are poor quality. When I love a world I want to spend as much time with it as possible.

The linked blog post though is very interesting with some of the details that were described. The major book stores look to be dictating book size and titles. I hope electronic publishing and reading becomes a bigger deal over time so the resaler can be cut out of the picture and stop dictating terms to the creators.

 

[White Elk]

braid pulling?

Yeah Nynaeve and her bloody braid! Shes one of the many main charectors. When shes angry, and shes often angry, she tugs her braid. I lmfao everytime I picture that. Or I did the first hundred times I read it ;~P

anyways, know where I can start to buy the series? any volume 1 books left?

I'm sure new editions will be printed, and that old are still in stock and able to be ordered if they aren't still being stocked anywhere.

 

[Grey Fox]

Yey! The bastard had to go and die on us, didn't he!? Can't wait to read the ending.

 

[popejubal]

I loved the first few books and I enjoyed the next few, but his last few books just left me cold, mostly because I couldn't re-read every book each time a new one came out and there was enough time between books that I forgot details that turned out to be very important. The last book I read just left me more confused than inspired.

I'd love to read the final 3 books, but I think that I'll need a wikipedia style archive of important facts/events/characters and a 10 page [plot/story arc] summary before I dive into them.

 

[BeefontheBone]

I'm positive there's enough cruft on wikipedia to do that job I had much the same problem; the books seemed to get longer but have less happening in each of them. The prequel was dire, too. Still, I'll probably end up reading these (allowing time to catch up - maybe I should have already started!)