For those of you that know my reading habits, you are probably aware that I have spent the last...oh, 15 years or so... reading and rereading The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. The series is up to 11 books in total now, 11 of probably some of the most enjoyable books I have ever read (book 10 was never one of my favorites, but still infinitely better than a lot of stuff I've read). The last book came out in 2005, and the next (last?) book in the series was due to come out in 2009.
Alas, yesterday the WoT community lost Mr. Jordan. He died after a battle with a rare disease, Amyloidosis. Still working on his newest book right up until the end.
My cousin Robert gets the credit for introducing me to the Wheel of Time. I can remember his exact words..."hey, have you ever read this book called The Eye of the World?" I picked it up at the library a couple of days later, and I was totally hooked. I think Jordan was on his third book by then, because I remember that I devoured the first three books back to back over a series of almost-no-sleep nights. At that time he was still putting out a book every 12-15 months or so, and each one was purchased with great anticipation and ended much too soon after it was started. While the series was still "manageable" I used to reread the entire series a month or so before a new book was scheduled to drop so I could be fresh and and ready for the story to continue.
Jason and I had the pleasure of meeting him in King of Prussia a few years back at a book signing for the 9th book. I schlepped the first 8 books of his with me, bought the 9th there, and he signed every one of them. It's the first and only time I've waited in line to meet anyone, and he was gracious and accomodating and more than willing to talk to those of us that hung around after, wide-eyed fantasy book geeks in the presence of The One, our Dragon.
So today I am sad, and spending some time at Robert Jordan's blog, reading over 1000 comments from fans on his passing. Then I am going to start the series over again tonight, and I will read each page slowly with the knowledge that this is probably goodbye, and I will thank Robert Jordan at the end for 15 years of delight.
The Squeeze and environs
13 years ago
1 comments:
I certainly remember when you took your eight books to King of Prussia and met this remarkable man.
I got hooked on the Mitford Series - I bought the book at Costco's when I was out in Seattle in June. She wrote 6 books and one I didn't really want to read. Alas her series has come to an end also, and there is much that was left dangling....... I don't know if she is planning to write anymore or not, but I haven't read anything that indicates she is writing an 8th book.
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