How strong is your WoT fandom?

[TheBeerPatriot]

After completing Notharah's survey about the WoT (http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,59246.0.html), I thought about how long I've been a fan of this series.  If you've been a long-time fan of this series (since 1992, for me), have you ever had any lulls being a fan of this series?

 

For me, I was a strong fan of the WoT when I first picked up EotW in '92.  I devoured the next 3 books within months.  I started picking up the new books as soon as it was released starting with TFoH.  I did my first re-read after finishing LoC, and participated in WoT usenet groups in the mid-90's.

 

I had my first lull as a fan after ACoS, as I was slightly disappointed with it at the time (I do like this book better now after re-reading within the series).  My fandom took another dip down after TPoD, then went back up after WH's ending. 

 

With CoT though, I had a difficult time getting through it and felt it had lost direction.  As a result, I lost interest in the series at that time and didn't really think about the WoT for a couple of years.

 

When KoD came out, I was hesitant to read it, thinking it would be a repeat of CoT (silly, I know).  Enough took place that I was interested in the series again.  I finally joined Dragonmount a month before TGS was released, and that book re-fired my WoT fandom and took it back to the level it had been when I first started reading this series.

 

Some of the lulls in WoT fandom may be obvious, coinciding with the release of books that are not as well received as others (i.e. TPoD & CoT).  For those that have been fans of this series, has your fandom been consistently strong, or had similar lulls? Or even lulls in different spots?

[Fains nose]

Yeh well for me WH was the first book i had to wait for and i was satisfied, then CoT was a massive dissapointment so when KoD came out i bought it but didnt read it until 2009 when i randomely found out RJ had died and another book was coming out in the series, so i reread the whole series in anticipation, including KoD, which had been sitting unread on the shelf for a couple of years and i re-ignited my love for this series and reading. So for me the lul was between whenever CoT came out to about feb 09, and in between that period i forgot about WoT alltogether, but im glad i got back into it because i think ill be rereading this series for decades

[Demiandre]

In France, the books were published in late 90ies for the first one, anf I didnnt even began thzn. I only happened to buy a book by happenstance, read it. I was a bit disapointed. I don't even know why anymore... Then I received the following books as gift and continued months after I had them, but then, I had to stop smoking for a month to buy them all at once and quietly continue to read the wheel of time. As you were waiting for KoD, I was waiting for the btranslation of The fires of Heaven, which are the ninth and tenth for us in the serie.  Then I had the chance to do a work experience in Ireland and went to a bookstore in Dublin where I found the english books. I take the chance and bought them all at once, and bring them back to France. I read the whole serie ten times at least, waiting for the Gathering Storm, following every hints I had on it. I went to french forums, then as I knew as much as many, I went to Dragonmount, where I learn how much more "instructed in WoT sciences", as I don't find a better way to put it, than french fans. So I'm currently presenting to french readers some theories that I find here and look what is said about it there. It's quite funny, as I'm playing the role of a teacher there.

 

And now I'm waiting for the 11/2 to have my annual "pinpricks of WoT stuffs" delivery

[gambril]

Well thats pretty neat Demiandre.

 

I discovered the series sometime in '02/'03 while I was on an aircraft carrier in the gulf and would read them before I'd go to sleep at night.  At this time the books only went up to COT.  The only thing I can remember is liking the books but for some reason I didn't have any desire to wait for the series to finish and just never thought about WoT again until about 5 months ago.

 

My first fantasy love was always R.A. Salvatore so I remember being done with all his books and not having any other fantasy to read and found my WoT books stashed away and tried to recall if the books were any good (obligatory lol here).  The only thing I could remember is there was strange magic in the story and very vaguely what Rand did at the end of TDR.  In hindsight it's funny never realizing how good the story was until earlier this year but also with the last book I had read being COT...not really I guess.  Kinda strange but in some ways I wish I didn't know about this series until all the books are done but can't have the cake and eat it too I suppose...at least not for another year or more!

[DPT24]

  I didn't disover WoT until last August,and read straight through from New Spring through TGS from then utnil Jaunuary.  I really enjoyed them, and didn't have to deal with waiting until ToM, but PoD was by far the worst, I actually enjoyed CoT, alhtough it was a little strange to go back in time like that. 

[bobothebarbarian]

I bought EotW in 1990 when it just had come out I was 13 years old and had been so sick I couldn't get out of bed with pneumonia for over 3 weeks. while I was sick I read the Thomas Covenant series and just about every other book in the house at lest one time most of them 2 times. i wanted something good and thick that would take me a while to read. I was so weak I could barely walk to the bathroom but was so board I couldn't take it any more I paid my big Brother to take me to the Grocery store 2 blocks away(it had a really good book section)on his bikes handle bars. there was a cardboard display with EotW and the picture of Lan and Moraine on horse back was all I needed to grab it I got 2 other book that i don't even remember and went home I read the part about LTT and fell asleep. the next day my fever went to over 104 degrees and had to take the old ice cube bath then went to the hospital was really out of it for a few days but I still remember dreaming the prologue like I was actually there. But i thought it was just one book thought it was a sudden end but still good. it wasn't till late 1991 when The Dragon Reborn came out and i realized it was a series I loved book 2 and 3 and was ready for the next. I still remember thinking ok 3 books in a year and a half so would ask the guys at the book store for the books every few months (and then using the internet when it came around ) waiting for each new book

[Owayn The Traveller]

I first picked up the first ook around the turn of the century in my local libary. Quickly read through the first three and had a excruicating wait for the person who had the shadow rising to drop it back. I live in a very small town in Ireland, have no car, no internet and no bookstore in town, so when I realised the libary only had the first four books I was a bit sickened. So convinced them to get the rest. Read them. Then had to wait for crossroads and when it came in, the other person in my town who reads fantasy books got it first. So had  double wait for crossroads. Imagine my dismay when I finally got it. At this stage I had never even thought of websites devoted to the books.

Anyway the wait for knife of dreams wasn't do bad and I hadn't a clue when it was coming. I just happened to walk past it in a bookshop in Dublin when Iwas in college. When I finshed it I undertook my first re-read of the books, discovered the various web sites and pretty much a mjor fan since knife of dreams. Agnoising wait for last book, not so much for towers for some reason. This site is great helped me with some stuff like whats the deal with slayer, is sammael dead and who the heck is this third guy rand is seeing. Alas it also hasn't helped with some others like, who killed Asmodean? To be honest I'm going through a bit of a lull right now.

[bobothebarbarian]

Oh ya I forgot to say I did a read through at least 1 time in between each book. I have bought at least 3 copy's of each book cause everyone has fallen apart. so I guess I have read each 1 at least 7 or 8 times except for TGS only 4 so far. but i have sections of all the books all over the place so when ever I sit down Ill grab 1 and just read a few random chapters.  my son started reading them when he was around 10 so about 4 years ago now ( I actually wanted to name him perrin but my wife said no  ??? ) and i gave him my first copy of EotW it amazingly had just lost its cover but but now its in a bunch of pieces  ;D my son tried to tape it back together for me  :o

P.S. I didn't want to name him after Perrin I just liked the name. Now he wishes we had because he has got a few of his friends to become WoTheads. and this post goes perfect with my How addicted to the Wheel of Time are you? Poll at this link if you can catch it

[move]http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,58622.0.html[/move]

[Luckers]

I'm Luckers. Does that answer your question?

[Demiandre]

I'm Luckers. Does that answer your question?

 

:D up! Very well put!!

[TheBeerPatriot]

I'm Luckers. Does that answer your question?

 

:D up! Very well put!!

The fandom is strong with this one ;)

[Demiandre]

I'm Luckers. Does that answer your question?

 

:D up! Very well put!!

The fandom is strong with this one ;)

??? What does it means ??

 

[Luckers]

It's a star wars joke.

[supergirlfriday]

As the moderator, can you expel anyone who makes other fan references, Luckers? lol

 

May the force be with you, Demiandre  8)

[Demiandre]

Oh yes. I didn't caught it at first. Shame on me!! (It could also be argued that I never watched Star Wars in english...) Wurde die Kraft mit Ihnen sein. (Yes, I did in german :) )

[Luckers]

As the moderator, can you expel anyone who makes other fan references, Luckers? lol

 

May the force be with you, Demiandre  8)

 

As a mod, no. However I'm an Admin *grins evilly*.

 

[i shouldn't have said that. People might realise I'm willfully banning Terry Goodkind fans.]

[supergirlfriday]

Ah, so you're not using the force... but the True Power  :D

[Natrix]

I had just got done reading some other series that I had on my list when I realized that I was out reading material around December of ‘08. I asked my brother in-law if he knew of any good series. He had a friend that had been reading WoT since the beginning and loved it. I went to the local bookstore and picked up my copy of TEotW. I had trouble reading the first few chapters. I just wasn’t used to the amount of detail that RJ put into his reading. Once I got past that I’ve been addicted ever sense.

 

I was able to read through and was in the middle of a second read up to FoH when TGS came out. After TGS I found Dragonmount and have many answers that I have sought while reading the series. I took a couple weeks off and started reading TGS and LoC at the same time.  I hope to finish my re-read of the series before ToM.  By far the best series I’ve ever read.  I wish (as I’m sure all of you do) that RJ was around to finish, but I think BS ,my fellow Nebraska native :), has done a great job. I can’t wait until ToM! I will keep reading for many years to come.

[Ozzie_aiel]

I picked up The Great Hunt in my local library in the mid 90's, I found it hard to get into, but once I did, I kept going.

 

The thing that sets WoT apart from every other fantasy series I've read is the depth of History and Culture that has been put into this world, and the way it almost seems contradictory. Like being unable to trust a group of people, who cannot lie, or seeing a templar order dedicated to the eradication of evil as villains.

 

There are other authors out there i like because of they can convey sweeping battles between vast forces (Raymond E Feist) or the detail of the duels (R A Salvatore), but Robert Jordan created a world that is real, so real you can almost picture it.

[jemron]

I've been a fan since 1996.  I stumbled onto a forum that was hosted by the people who made the Wheel of Time game (I think it was Atari or something) and I discussed the books with people online whenever I could get to the library to use the Internet.  I eventually migrated over to dragonmount and other fan sites, but stayed dormant  as a lurker until last year when TGS hype began to build.  I've been a diehard fan since I first read tEotW in 1996, but it was the online communities that really made me the fan I am today.

 

I was surprised to learn (at the TGS midnight release party in Provo) that although I wasn't the first in line there, I knew much more about the intricate details of the series than most of the people who I met while waiting in line.  I guess I'm more of a fan than the general readers of the series.

 

I'm just so glad that the new author of the series lives so close to me and has a midnight release party in my COUNTY (not Country, but county).  It is a quick drive for me, and it is so close to home, and RJ never came to Utah before he died that I'm aware of.  I'm even more of a fan now that the WoT comes from so close to home.

[TheBeerPatriot]

As the moderator, can you expel anyone who makes other fan references, Luckers? lol

 

May the force be with you, Demiandre  8)

 

As a mod, no. However I'm an Admin *grins evilly*.

 

[i shouldn't have said that. People might realise I'm willfully banning Terry Goodkind fans.]

But in the case of Goodkind, you'll be providing a public service with those bans ;)

[hagarrus]

As the moderator, can you expel anyone who makes other fan references, Luckers? lol

 

May the force be with you, Demiandre  8)

 

As a mod, no. However I'm an Admin *grins evilly*.

 

[i shouldn't have said that. People might realise I'm willfully banning Terry Goodkind fans.]

But in the case of Goodkind, you'll be providing a public service with those bans ;)

 

Hmmm....I'm a Goodkind fan.  I will admit that some of his books aren't the best and he has a major tendency to be preachy, but RJ has his faults as well.  All in all, both authors should be commended for their stories.

 

On topic, I've been reading the series since TGH came out and while some the books were personally disappointing, I've purchased every single book the day they came out and read them till i was finished, excluding all the but necessary activities. :D