Future Books...

[mrabbott]

I know Mr. Jordan had planned to write books after the Last Battle.  Since his passing, are there plans to let other up-and-coming/present authors continue the WoT world?  I know Mr. Jordan had a lot of success writing for the Conan saga; has anything come about in reguards to letting this same opportunity for the WoT world?  I would love for this facinating world and characters to continue.

[Guest leebarr]

I think after AMOL the series should be put to rest. No one can write like RJ. It's his world and it should stay that way

[mrabbott]

With that thinking, then AMOL should never be released; which is insane. The world is awesome, I see no harm in some other authors coming in and writing some books based on the world.

[42Bonzo88]

   I agree with Leebarr. The series would be put through different writing styles and I think the books would suffer and go down.

[Nightstrike]

Well, I agree that noone can write like RJ himself. Despite that, I would LOVE to see future books set in the WoT universe. The WoT world is just too good to be put to rest after book 12.

[aussie_ashaman123]

Im with Nightstrike. The WoT world is one of the most detailed fantasy settings I've come across. Of course any new stories wont have the flair of Robert Jordan, but they dont have to. You can create new characters, with new personalities. In the end, I think this would make the WoT universe more 'real'.

 

As long as there is an honorable mention to the Creator (aka Robert Jordan), I cant see why there would be a problem.

[mrabbott]

I am sure people had the same opinion about the Star Trek universe, but look at all of the great series/books that have come from that!  WoT could as well.

[Charlz Guybon]

The Collapse & the War of Power, The Breaking of the World, The Founding of the Tower & the Rise of the Ten Nations, The Trolloc Wars, The War of the 2nd Dragon & the Rise and Fall of Hawkwing, the Conquest of Seanchan, The Hundred Years War, The Fall of Malkier & The Travels of Jain Farstrider, how Tam became a blademaster & general, and how Moraine & Lan arrived just in time. So many great stories to tell.

[Vambram]

I would like to see more stories, also, written both in the distant past, and in the future of history for WOT. Of course, we ought to respect Jim and Harriet's wishes concerning this, so therefore, Harriet ought to have the final say as to whether or not there will be more WOT books written after MOL, and as to who will write them.

[Nethran Thaimal]

If anyone should be allowed to write future WoT books, I say wait until aMoL comes out and see how Mr. Sanderson does.  If it's passable, let him do it.

 

The only thing I can see not matching up are the battle sequences. RJ brought those to life, due in very large part to his military background. Who can use that the same way that RJ did?  Far as I know, not many veterans go on to write fantasy.

[Dashiva]

It was logical to have AMOL to be completed because it is the final book in the series and the series needs to be finished. Even with another author. But to do these outrigger novels that RJ hinted at seems too much. It would be too much disrespect in my eyes. To let another author come into this beautiful world he created and almost certainly screw it up because no one knew it better and no one can write it better than RJ. Besides no one would know for a certainty what they were about and what story to tell, so there would be alot of room for creativity, which the new author would have to make on his own and then it would no longer be RJ's Wheel of Time. It would be disastouros on so many levels. When you have something good why not appreciate it. And leave the masterpiece a masterpiece!

[Nethran Thaimal]

I don't think there should be a new WoT series or anything.. That would be taking it too far.  I just think that some loose ends might need tying up, and who better to do it than the man that's ending the sseries?  And I doubt, very much, that Herriet would let anyone screw anything up too bad.  She shared the world with RJ, she knows the "rules".

[Leopoled Boothe]

Well, Robert Jordan did plan on writing two more prequels as well as some out-trigger novels.  Provided that RJ left some notes on these materials I might be comfortable with Brandon Sanderson taking a crack at them, but first I'll have to see how he does with AMoL (I am very optimistic in that reguard).  However, I don't think anyone should be allowed to write any books in that world that RJ himself did not intend to exist.  Yes, WOT is an awsome world but so were the Star Wars and Dragon Lance worlds and I am apauled by some to the tripe people have writen in those worlds.

 

WOT is an awsome world and that is exactlly why it should be left alone.   

[Vambram]

Would y'all still think its a bad idea for more novels if Jim's wife, Harriet, gives the approval for more books, and is the editor of those books?

[Leopoled Boothe]

Would y'all still think its a bad idea for more novels if Jim's wife, Harriet, gives the approval for more books, and is the editor of those books?

 

In a word, YES!!!!!!  As far as we know RJ only gave his blessing for AMoL to be completed.  As far as we know he said nothing about the prequels or out-triggers, which is why the idea of even Brandon Sanderson writing these seems a bit iffy to me.  I certainly do not think RJ would approve of random arthors being given liscence to fabriated new stories in his world.  I mean the reason that no role playing based on this world exists is because RJ was so picky about what could occur in his world (not that I blame him).  If you want evidence of how a good world can be made bad by a crappy arthor just pick up any Star Wars novel writne by Kevin J. Anderson and it will become crystal clear. 

[Kadere]

I'm completely with Leopoled on this. RJ never had any plans to tell us tales from the AoL or the Trolloc Wars or the Hundred Years war or any of that stuff because as he put it, we'd already know how it ended.

 

Furthermore he also said that he had a contract with some of his friends out west that if anyone every tried to write in his universe they were to go and break their knee-caps.

 

Obviously RJ loosened this a bit when he learned he was sick and possibly wouldn't finish the series, so he ordered Harriet to find another writer to finish off AMoL. It may be in his wishes (and I think it's completely up to Harriet and what RJ may have said about the idea before his death) to have the prequels and outriggers finished as well, but I wouldn't be surprised, nor would I be at all dissappointed, if AMoL was the last WoT book ever published.

 

This is RJ's story, it's his world, and his wish that no one else tread in it besides Brandon Sanderson's job to finish AMoL (and possibly the prequels and outriggers on which we don't really know for sure).

[Vambram]

Would y'all still think its a bad idea for more novels if Jim's wife, Harriet, gives the approval for more books, and is the editor of those books?

 

In a word, YES!!!!!!  As far as we know RJ only gave his blessing for AMoL to be completed.  As far as we know he said nothing about the prequels or out-triggers, which is why the idea of even Brandon Sanderson writing these seems a bit iffy to me.  I certainly do not think RJ would approve of random arthors being given liscence to fabriated new stories in his world.  I mean the reason that no role playing based on this world exists is because RJ was so picky about what could occur in his world (not that I blame him).  If you want evidence of how a good world can be made bad by a crappy arthor just pick up any Star Wars novel writne by Kevin J. Anderson and it will become crystal clear. 

 

Well, I realise all of this about future books and whether or not Harriet would give approval, and be the approving authority for the authors and their stories as the Editor of the WOT series is pure hypothetical speculation; however, none of us know James Oliver Rigney and what he wanted for the future better than she does. Therefore, hypothetically speaking, if Harriet decides to do as myself and others have suggested, then I am confident that very good stories in the world of WOT will be written.

Oh, by the way, Leopold, there are RPG's out there that are licensed and approved by RJ for the WOT. One of them is a D&D style d20 diced based system.

[Majsju]

Regarding the prequels (and possibly the outrigger with Mat and Tuon), if there is any actual material to work with, it seems to me it should fit quite nicely with the new and improved guide harriet was supposed to make.

 

As for someone else stepping in and toying with RJs creation...*cough*Dune*cough*

[Charlz Guybon]

Well, Robert Jordan did plan on writing two more prequels as well as some out-trigger novels.  Provided that RJ left some notes on these materials I might be comfortable with Brandon Sanderson taking a crack at them, but first I'll have to see how he does with AMoL (I am very optimistic in that reguard).  However, I don't think anyone should be allowed to write any books in that world that RJ himself did not intend to exist.  Yes, WOT is an awsome world but so were the Star Wars and Dragon Lance worlds and I am apauled by some to the tripe people have writen in those worlds.

 

WOT is an awsome world and that is exactlly why it should be left alone.   

There are plenty of great Star Wars novels out there, almost none with Dragon Lance. If the quality vs. tripe qutiont was similar to Star War novels that would be fine with me.

[Charlz Guybon]

I'm completely with Leopoled on this. RJ never had any plans to tell us tales from the AoL or the Trolloc Wars or the Hundred Years war or any of that stuff because as he put it, we'd already know how it ended.

What a lame cop out, we know what happened only in the vaguest and general sense possible. I'd love to read a novel about the Fall of Aridhol and find out what really went down. The same for dozens of others events that are referenced in passing.

[Kadere]

I'm completely with Leopoled on this. RJ never had any plans to tell us tales from the AoL or the Trolloc Wars or the Hundred Years war or any of that stuff because as he put it, we'd already know how it ended.

What a lame cop out, we know what happened only in the vaguest and general sense possible. I'd love to read a novel about the Fall of Aridhol and find out what really went down. The same for dozens of others events that are referenced in passing.

 

It's not a cop out it's the author's wishes. I, for one, respect RJ's wishes.

[Vambram]

Do we know for sure beyond reasonable doubt, that this was still RJ's wishes in the final weeks before he passed away?

[Kadere]

We have Brandon Sanderson saying that so far there is no plan to write any more WoT books besides AMoL. And I highly doubt an author who's so involved with his work and his world and has said numerous times that no one was to write in it after his death changes his mind that drastically only a few weeks before his sudden death to then allow numerous other authors to make up stories about his work and his world.

 

But do we have a definative answer, post-death, from Harriet about RJ's wishes on this matter and if they've suddenly changed? No we do not.

[Luckers]

Frankly, I can't abide the thought of more novels being written. AMOL is nessasary, and more importantly it was already mapped out by RJ. Stylistically there will be differences, but it will still be true to RJ's vision--beyond that it becomes the work of another person, and to be quite honest i reguard that as little more than plagarism, even with legal consent.

[Charlz Guybon]

Sanderson's views on the matter

http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=5592.75

Two questions to answer. First, will I do more WoT books?  I don't know, honestly. On one hand, I would hate to see writings of mr Jordan go unfinished, and I now know what the prequels and outriggers would have contained.

 

On the other hand, I don't think any of us want to simply exploit the master's legacy.  We don't need dozens of books being released in Mr. Jordan's name.

 

Let's see where we are in two years. There are too many factors involved to give a good guess now. It will depend on the state of the notes, the fan reception to book 12, and how Harriet feels.