NationStates Jolt Archive

This link may or may not work. It's been having some difficulties. (http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan/)

I always dislike it whenever a writer dies, especially one who was still writing.

he was sick for a long time wasnt he?

NOOOOOOOO!!

Oh man... Sigh.

(calms down)

So, are they going to tell us how the story ends?

he was sick for a long time wasnt he?

Yeah, he was sick for several years.

May Robert Jordan rest in peace. He was one great author. :(

NOOOOOOOO!!

Oh man... Sigh.

(calms down)

So, are they going to tell us how the story ends?
I don't think it ever was going to end. I gave up reading Wheel of Time series around book 5 when it became apparent that Jordan was more intertested in publishing as much as possible rather than lead to a conclusion. I picked up Book 9 the other month, randomly opened to a page and could still pretty much follow what was happening. Which means not a lot had in books 6, 7 and 8.
I found his writing tiresome and labourious. He'd spend 3 pages describing how grand a room looked, when 'opulent' would do just as well. I wish an editor could have cut a lot of the excess fat off the stories and pushed Jordan to wrap the series up. Then we'd have been left with a good tight story instead of this meadering waffle.

Here is an approximate transcript of the phone conversation I had with my mother a few minutes ago:

Me: Mom, I have to tell you something you're not going to want to hear.
Mom: What?
Me: Well, a famous person died today.
Mom: Who?
Me: It's going to make you mad.
Mom: ...why would I be mad about someone dying?
Me: I really think you're going to get mad.
Mom: That doesn't make sense. I mean, unless it was Robert Jordan or something.
Me: ...
Mom: Robert Jordan didn't actually die without finishing the series, did he?
Me: ...
Mom: Oh, %^&*! I KNEW he'd do that! I KNEW it! Dammit!
Me: I told you you'd be mad.
Mom: Dammit!
Me: Yeah. It's sad.
Mom: DAMMIT!

I found his writing tiresome and labourious. He'd spend 3 pages describing how grand a room looked, when 'opulent' would do just as well. I wish an editor could have cut a lot of the excess fat off the stories and pushed Jordan to wrap the series up. Then we'd have been left with a good tight story instead of this meadering waffle.
That's part of Robert Jordan's writing style. He isn't like, say, Orson Scott Card or Isaac Asimov, who leave most to the imagination. Jordan prefers - preferred - to describe things so we could get a clear image in his head.

And I liked how he published a lot of books, because they were extremely entertaining and good quality.

Rest in peace. Wheel in Time was the only fantasy series I've ever gotten into, apart from Lord of the Rings [and even then I have never read all three books]. Then again, I stopped at Book 7 in Wheel in Time about seven years ago. Nevertheless, the impact the books had on me is apparent in the way in which I remember most major details and could easily pick everything back up if I decided to continue 'finishing' the series. He was a very good author and it's unfortunate we can't enjoy more literature from him.

Who? I'm not recognizing the name.

Rest in peace, Robert Jordan.

I invested so many hours in those books... read them, re-read most of them several times.

I'm happy that he was willing to pass on the rest of A Memory of Light to others... that series cannot die incomplete.

That's part of Robert Jordan's writing style. He isn't like, say, Orson Scott Card or Isaac Asimov, who leave most to the imagination. Jordan prefers - preferred - to describe things so we could get a clear image in his head.
point taken. Personally I found his minutely-detailed descriptions got in the way of the story more than added to it.

Who? I'm not recognizing the name.

You're not the only one.

Damnit. Now I can't finish reading the series. Nooooooo!

God DAMN IT.....Here I am not finding out about this until I see the link in the Nation states forum......I am really out of the loop. But may you rest in peace Robert Jordan.

well most of the last book was done as i understood it...i hope...

which robert jordan was this? the writer who created horse clans? or isn't there also a basket ball player by that or some similar name?

i don't pay that much attention to athletics so i'm not entirely certain about the latter. but i did meet a writer by that name once at some convention or book signing or something. i think he also wrote, there was a series of stories that i read several of. it was one of those fantasy kind of things. its been so long now, and i no longer have them. there was something about an inn and a blacksmiths shop. and this bunch of young guys, the first one had something to do with the inn i think and one of the others was the son of the blacksmith, who ended up telepathicly communicating with wolves who turned out to be not such bad guys after all but he kept being conflicted for reasons i could never fully understand, how or why he kept rediscouvering this and then turning arround and denying it to himself.

and of course there was magic, and users of it for both good and ill, and hmm, i think in one storry there were some really trippy underground or warp demention or something passages. i always like those sorts of things.

wheel of something, time maybe? i think the first or second book had a title like that and the series also. blah, i'm getting old and it's been too effing long. i ought to go look it up somewhere.

=^^=
.../\...

point taken. Personally I found his minutely-detailed descriptions got in the way of the story more than added to it.

Likewise. His "Conan" stories were better. Personally I started to get pissed off with "Wheel of Time" series about 3. For some reason the women characters annoyed me. I think I got as far as 5 and gave up, as it started to get very reminiscent of a badly devised "Dune".

Sorry guys to rain on the parade, but I thought the WoT series to be absolutely atrocious, it was full of tens of thousands of words best edited out, some aparts (especially in the first book) seem solely there to take up words so the book is bigger, the first one is like random nothingness for god knows how long, then randomly orcs attack, magicians pop out of nowhere, and the stories goes retarded and Ran finds out he's a God. I know there are like 10 or so in the series, but you'd have to be quite bloody minded to keep reading them after the first book, srsly guys I want the hours back I spent reading his wannabe fantasy crap.

Raymond Feist ftw.

I had a feeling he wasn't going to make it. Book 12 was supposed to be the end of the Wheel of Time. Now there won't be an end.

which robert jordan was this? the writer who created horse clans? or isn't there also a basket ball player by that or some similar name?

i don't pay that much attention to athletics so i'm not entirely certain about the latter. but i did meet a writer by that name once at some convention or book signing or something. i think he also wrote, there was a series of stories that i read several of. it was one of those fantasy kind of things. its been so long now, and i no longer have them. there was something about an inn and a blacksmiths shop. and this bunch of young guys, the first one had something to do with the inn i think and one of the others was the son of the blacksmith, who ended up telepathicly communicating with wolves who turned out to be not such bad guys after all but he kept being conflicted for reasons i could never fully understand, how or why he kept rediscouvering this and then turning arround and denying it to himself.

and of course there was magic, and users of it for both good and ill, and hmm, i think in one storry there were some really trippy underground or warp demention or something passages. i always like those sorts of things.

wheel of something, time maybe? i think the first or second book had a title like that and the series also. blah, i'm getting old and it's been too effing long. i ought to go look it up somewhere.

=^^=
.../\...

It was the writer you're thinking of.

Raymond Feist ftw.

"Prince of the Blood".....A skeleton of large dimensions in his closet.....

"Prince of the Blood".....A skeleton of large dimensions in his closet.....

'Remove his manhood'..... well yeah maybe

:(

He will be missed.

Sorry guys to rain on the parade, but I thought the WoT series to be absolutely atrocious, it was full of tens of thousands of words best edited out, some aparts (especially in the first book) seem solely there to take up words so the book is bigger, the first one is like random nothingness for god knows how long, then randomly orcs attack, magicians pop out of nowhere, and the stories goes retarded and Ran finds out he's a God. I know there are like 10 or so in the series, but you'd have to be quite bloody minded to keep reading them after the first book, srsly guys I want the hours back I spent reading his wannabe fantasy crap.

Raymond Feist ftw.
that's almost exactly what I was thinking. I was just trying to be diplomatic and not wanting to upset/annoy anyone who might like his stuff since he's just died.

Each book basically had the same plot: A new development would surface for the good guys to defend against. In the end they'd triumph. Meanwhile, the ongoing important overall plotlines would have developed by another inch or two, if we were lucky. And a couple of new ones would be introduced to further convolute matters so the reader wouldn't realise how little has actually been accomplished.
This is the sort of writing standard you see in your typical soap opera.

I find Jack Vance's writings magnificent in their sparsity. There's a writer who can conjure up whole worlds and describe a person/situation/place perfectly in just a sentence or two.
I can't help but feel that, had Jack Vance written the WoT books, it would have been a short story yet more would have happened.

Likewise. His "Conan" stories were better. Personally I started to get pissed off with "Wheel of Time" series about 3. For some reason the women characters annoyed me. I think I got as far as 5 and gave up, as it started to get very reminiscent of a badly devised "Dune".
The female characters annoyed me as well. They all came across as bitchy, whiny, self-obsessed, shallow teenage girls. Even the ones who weren't teenagers.
Most of the plot-lines seemed to revolve around Ran being all moody because he doesn't know an important piece of information. One of the female characters has that information. But instead of telling Ran, she gets all annoyed at him cause he's so moody and decides to teach him a lesson by not divulging this vitally important knowledge.
Which makes perfect sense when you're in the ultimate struggle against the forces of darkness looking to sweep over the world and destroy everything living.

The bit that really made me give up was when they killed two of the bad guys. I was thinking, "Finally! we're seeing some progress here! At this rate, they'll be through the evil disciples and onto the big bad headhoncho by book 9 at the latest. There's light at the end of the tunnel!"
And then at the end of whatever book that was, Mr BigNasty brings the two back to life, thus further prolonging the series and showing that Robert Jordan really had no intention of ever reaching a conclusion.

As for Conan, I've never read Jordan's stories. However Robert E. Howard's stories are magnificent. Well worth getting hold of.

:(

He will be missed.

Maybe by his family, not by anyone who read his books.

I'm in the middle of re-reading the whole series for the first time as one block, rather than snippets here and there. I'm up to book six. Its weird, books 1, 2 and 3 absolutely flew by, but in particular so far six is such a drag... I seem to remember 6,7, and 8 were the slowest, except for that battle in book 8(?) between the Seanchan and the Asha'man... if I remember correctly, that too was awesome. I was really hoping I'd finish the 11th about in time for the 12th and final... damm. I love his work. Sure, it does stagnate for a while, but seriously, to say that very little happens is a complete overstatement. Book 3 especially was absolutely PACKED with plot action, its just that some of the later books are more character and politics driven, rather than action. And book 11... phwoar!

I'm in the middle of re-reading the whole series for the first time as one block, rather than snippets here and there. I'm up to book six. Its weird, books 1, 2 and 3 absolutely flew by, but in particular so far six is such a drag... I seem to remember 6,7, and 8 were the slowest, except for that battle in book 8(?) between the Seanchan and the Asha'man... if I remember correctly, that too was awesome. I was really hoping I'd finish the 11th about in time for the 12th and final... damm. I love his work. Sure, it does stagnate for a while, but seriously, to say that very little happens is a complete overstatement. Book 3 especially was absolutely PACKED with plot action, its just that some of the later books are more character and politics driven, rather than action. And book 11... phwoar!

Ooh ooh! Has Nynaeve tugged her braid yet? That was really cool, the way she'd do that on every single damn page she appeared on...

Maybe by his family, not by anyone who read his books.

Well, that's an arrogant generalisation. Inaccurate too, he has many fans, and we will miss him.

If you don't like his work, that's fine, each to their own, but don't claim your own opinions as everyone's.

Well, that's an arrogant generalisation. Inaccurate too, he has many fans, and we will miss him.

If you don't like his work, that's fine, each to their own, but don't claim your own opinions as everyone's.

I'm with you , I like his books okay, I stopped reading after book 5 or 6 or summit. We are all diffeant in our taste, thats only to be expected. The sad thing I guess, is that we all seem to be indifferant in our attitude to death also.

The bottom line, a man died, now fan or not my thoughts go out to his family.

Maybe by his family, not by anyone who read his books.

Speak for yourself. Don't presume to speak for others.

To all those who are dissing Robert Jordan...Shame on you! The man is dead, show a little respect, even if you disagree with the writer or don't like his work just quietly leave. If you think other authors are better, well that's your opinion but we don't need to hear that right now.

I myself am a fan of his work, I have read the series twice and I am greatly disappointed by his loss, and I believe the writing world is much poorer for it.

Maybe by his family, not by anyone who read his books.

*reads post. Looks over thread. Shakes head at how wrong AP is*

Jordan was a great writer, and I'll miss him. Mostly because he didn't finish his series, but I gave up on a conclusion at around book seven. Say what you will about his writing style, his books had some of the slowest moving story lines I've ever seen and the time between books was so long I thought it would be another decade before the Wheel of Time series was finished. Even then, I still read to the ninth book because Jordan was good enough to keep my interest despite his pacing. May he rest in peace.

May he rest in peace. From what I under stand he was Ill for a long time and he knew the end was near. I was told by a friend last week who is a big follower of Jordan, that he was almost done with book 12 and has made arrangements to see the book finished and published. So If it is true we will see the finish of the series that he envisioned.

He knew around 5 years ago that his time was limited. He had Cardial Amyloidosis (sp). The final book wasn't scheduled to be out until 2009, so we knew that the odds of him not making it to see the end were pretty good.

I remember that his book bio always said he intended to continue writing until they nailed shut his coffin, looks like he was right.

May he rest in peace. From what I under stand he was Ill for a long time and he knew the end was near. I was told by a friend last week who is a big follower of Jordan, that he was almost done with book 12 and has made arrangements to see the book finished and published. So If it is true we will see the finish of the series that he envisioned.

I hope that's true. I've invested too much time in that series to see it end unfinished.

This is going to ruin my husband's day. Seriously ruin it. :(