The Wheel of Time Series Finale

The Wheel of Time

Tor Books has announced that the final book in The Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light, is slated for release on January 8, 2013.

Robert Jordan, the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., began the epic fantasy series with The Eye of the World in 1990. And wrote ten more in the series before his untimely death in 2007. Knife of Dreams (#11) was the last novel he completed.

"Wheel of Time is a story that takes place both in our past and our future. In his fantasy world, the Dark One, the embodiment of pure evil, is breaking free from his prison. The overall plot is about a man who learns that he is the reincarnation of the world's messiah and is once again destined to save the world from the Dark One -- but possibly destroy it in the process. This saga is not only his story, but the story of an entire world's struggle to deal with war and change, destruction and hope. " (Dragonmount.com)

Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Jordan's wife, Harriet McDougal, to finish the series after she read Mistborn: The Final Empire. Jordan had reportedly shared all of the significant plot details with his family and from using Jordan's notes and audio recordings, Sanderson was able to take on such a monumental task. Harriet was Jordan's editor and now works with Tor Books as an editor.

Sanderson posted an essay about the writing process on his Facebook page: “I turned in a 360,000-word book. That’s 20% longer than what they wanted, and that means each step of editing and production will require 20% more time than they had set aside. In addition, while I’ve set my own deadlines, I’ve come right up against them and (in a few cases) tiptoed across. For example, instead of sending a revised book at the end of December, I only had a first draft. That’s the length pushing me back and making me revise expectations.”

Books in The Wheel of Time series:

       New Spring (2004) - a prequel to the series set 20 years before the events of the first novel

1. The Eye of the World (1990)
2. The Great Hunt (1990)
3. The Dragon Reborn (1991)
4. The Shadow Rising (1992)
5. The Fires of Heaven (1993)
6. Lord of Chaos (1994)
7. A Crown of Swords (1996)
8. The Path of Daggers (1998)
9. Winter's Heart (2000)
10. The Crossroads of Twilight (2003)
11. Knife of Dreams (2005)
12. The Gathering Storm (2009) - Completed by Brandon Sanderson
13. Towers of Midnight (2010) - Completed by Brandon Sanderson
14. A Memory of Light (2013) - Completed by Brandon Sanderson

Happy reading,
Angela
 
 
 
 

Anne McCaffrey has Died

Anne McCaffrey. Photograph: Edmund Ross/Random House

Random House announced Wednesday that the beloved writer of the Dragonriders of Pern series died at her home in Ireland on Tuesday from a stroke. She was 85. May she rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. They released the following statement:

"Anne McCaffrey ended a long and enormously successful life early Monday evening, November 21, at her home in County Wicklow, Ireland. Surrounded by the reassuring presence of family and close friends, her passing was swift and without suffering. We, her children, are hugely comforted by the outpouring of sympathy flowing now from all over the world.

"Our Mother’s talent was known to countless fans. Yet her greatest gift to us all has to have been her enormous heart. That she was able to touch so many with her tender and loving heart is the greatest source of pride we will forever enjoy. Words cannot express how grateful we are to the universe of her admirers, whose heartfelt condolences beguile us in our grief, which pales beside the joy we know Anne McCaffrey brought to so many people."

She answered letters from her dedicated fans on her blog. Her last entry was November 4. She also offered advice for aspiring writers:

“First — keep reading. Writers are readers. Writers are also people who can’t not write. Second, follow Heinlein’s rules for getting published: 1. Write it. 2. Finish it. 3. Send it out. 4. Keep sending it out until someone sends you a check. There are variations on that, but that’s basically what works.”

McCaffrey's career began with Restoree in 1967, which she described as a jab at the way women were portrayed in science fiction. She went on to publish nearly 100 books. She was the first woman to win a Hugo award and a Nebula award, and was named a grand master of science fiction in 2005.


She will be sorely missed by many.
Angela