Would anyone else like to see a Tam al'Thor book?

[Dagon Thyne]

Am I the only one who wants to see a book, or even a series of books, that follow Tam from his leaving the Two Rivers to when he returns home with Rand?

 

It could how how he rose to the rank of First Captain and joined the Companions in Illians, and in the final book it can be him fighting in the Aiel War and finding Rand and bringing him home.

[Kadere]

There was actually a plan back when RJ was alive to write two more prequel novels after New Spring. The second prequel novel would have actually covered this story you wanted chronically Tam's travels from the Two Rivers, his rise to becoming a Captain and gaining his heron mark sword, the Aiel War, and finding Rand, taking him back to the Two Rivers.

 

The third prequel novel would have covered what happened just before The Eye of the World begins giving us what Lan and Moiraine were doing before they came, along with Thom and everybody else, and what brought them all to the Two Rivers just in time for Bel Tine.

 

RJ left enough notes for the prequel novels to be completed, but RJ had spent most of his life saying that once he died there would be no more WoT books written. He didn't want people just coming into his world and exploiting it for cash. It wasn't until close to the end that he started to argue that someone HAD to finish AMoL for him in case he didn't survive. And so after Brandon was put on AMoL Brandon stated that he didn't want to do the prequel, or the outrigger, novels because he didn't want to just exploit RJ's world. Harriet finally agreed, and it seems that we will never get them. Which kinda sucks, but is understandable.

[Suttree]

RJ left enough notes for the prequel novels to be completed, but RJ had spent most of his life saying that once he died there would be no more WoT books written. He didn't want people just coming into his world and exploiting it for cash. It wasn't until close to the end that he started to argue that someone HAD to finish AMoL for him in case he didn't survive. And so after Brandon was put on AMoL Brandon stated that he didn't want to do the prequel, or the outrigger, novels because he didn't want to just exploit RJ's world. Harriet finally agreed, and it seems that we will never get them. Which kinda sucks, but is understandable.

 

Totally understandable and I agree with assessment given RJ's feelings on the matter. As to the source material are you sure that there is indeed enough notes for the prequels? I have always heard it was nothing even approaching what they had for AMoL, which I would consider the bare minimum(was actually surpsised to read in interviews lately how much BS has actually made up). Anything less and it would just be another author creating stories in his world. That sounds absolutely terrible to me.

[Thrasymachus]

I reckon that would depend a lot on the author whether it would be a terrible idea. For the prequels, I'd read them if they were released, but I'm not dying to know all the little details about what the important characters were doing pre-tEotW. I'm much more interested in how channeling was discovered and how it will be lost. Tam, Moiraine and Thom's backstory don't feel incomplete to me with regard to the main series. As for the outriggers, I'd have to finish aMoL first to see how much is left unanswered. If Avi's visions about the Aiel are left unanswered, the issue of damane and the a'dam is left unresolved, and the overall international state of affairs is left simmering, I'd probably be very interested in the outriggers being released. Even so, I'd still be more interested in how channeling was discovered and how it will be lost.

[Suttree]

I reckon that would depend a lot on the author whether it would be a terrible idea.

 

Well seeing how RJ was extremely against anyone writing in his world and I don't believe there is much source material cant see how it would be a good idea. We are lucky that he changed his mind at the last minute in allowing us to get an ending. Guess even if I could get past that fact that it isn't what RJ wanted, I look at it as what decent author is going to put his own career on hold in order to write those books(it would most likely be some D&D type hack...cue the Stephen Donaldson quote ;) )? What do they have to go off as an outline and source material? There is just far too much at risk with his legacy on the line to my mind.

 

Quoted this on the other board and it helps give some insight into his mindset...

 

Question

 

Could it be possible that it will never end?

Robert Jordan

 

 

Uhm, no, there is no possibility that it will never end. I will wrap up all of the major storylines, I will wrap up some of the minor storylines. Other minor storylines will be left hanging, and I'm going to do worse than that. I am going to set a hook in the last scene of the last book, that will make some people who don't believe what I say, think that I am setting up a sequel. What I am doing, what I will be doing, is trying to leave you with a view of a world that is still alive. One hope that some fantasies have is that when you reach the end of the book, or you reach the end of the trilogy, all the characters' problems are solved. All of the things that they have been doing are neatly tied of in a bow, all of their world's problems have been solved. And there's no juice left, there's no life left. you think 'I ought to set this world on a shelf and put a bell-jar on top of it, to keep the dust off.

When I finish the Wheel of Time, I want to do it in such a way that you will think it's still out there somewhere, people still doing things. This story has been concluded, this set of stories has been concluded, but they're still alive.

Question

 

mumble-mumble on the tape, but the answer should give you a general idea of the question.

Robert Jordan

 

No, I will not continue writing it, I will be going on to something else, and nobody else will continue writing it, because I have an automatic contract set up that if anyone tries to sharecrop in my world, their kneecaps will be brought to me.

 

All joking of knee caps aside he spoke strongly on a number of occasions about no other writers being allowed to play in his world. I think that has to be respected.

[Thrasymachus]

Meh, I can certainly agree while the author is alive, and for a period of time after as well. But I don't think it shows disrespect to a creators legacy for other creators to play with their creation. If they can make it better, then it expands the original author's legacy, it doesn't diminish it, and if not, then they only tarnish themselves, and the original work remains as good as it ever was.

[Morden]

As much as I would love to be able to read more WoT books, unless you could talk with RJ's ghost and basically type whatever he says, or unless he's reborn ;-) then it would be a continuation of the characters names, but it wouldnt be the same world.

 

BS is doing a good job keeping to the spirit of the world and as much as I enjoy tGS and ToM, you can tell it isnt RJ and that is with a wealth of notes and a lot of communication. I think if anyone tried to continue it anyway without a lot of notes and instructions and without the integrity and respect needed to complete the job then it would end up like whats happened with the Dune universe. Anyone who has read the originals and then seen whats been done since... basically inshort they dragged out two trilogies before they set out to do the book they were originally meant to do to complete the series then progressed to right more and more...

[Morden]

Meh, I can certainly agree while the author is alive, and for a period of time after as well. But I don't think it shows disrespect to a creators legacy for other creators to play with their creation. If they can make it better, then it expands the original author's legacy, it doesn't diminish it, and if not, then they only tarnish themselves, and the original work remains as good as it ever was.

 

Thats just it though, most start with good intentions, but if they gain any measure of success then it seems to lead to a downward spiral, and they lose the respect and integrity they started with and become something else..

[muddasssir]

Meh, I can certainly agree while the author is alive, and for a period of time after as well. But I don't think it shows disrespect to a creators legacy for other creators to play with their creation. If they can make it better, then it expands the original author's legacy, it doesn't diminish it, and if not, then they only tarnish themselves, and the original work remains as good as it ever was.

I definitely agree with you

[driedraspberry]

The prequel I would've been interested in is an AoL one about LTT. In any case, it doesn't sound like we'll have anything to worry about for another 50 or so years.

[Clouded]

I would've loved a prequel book about Tam, but I think only if it was done by RJ. I've grown accustomed to his voice in Wheel of Time. Anyone else feels off.

[jwood01]

I would actually prefer the release of his Tam al'Thor notes rather than some other author writing a prequel about him. As we have seen with the notes on Cadsuane, RJ made very detailed notes about character backstories.

 

I would love it if they published an unvarnished compendium of RJ's notes on his characters; I would buy this. I'd even pay upwards of $50 for it if it contained some artwork of each character (hopefully drawn ebtter than those in the BWB).

[jwood01]

Did Tam serve in the Whitecloak wars? If so, I wonder if he was involved in the Illianer army surprising Pedron Niall from behind through the mountain pass.

[Wool-headed lummox]

Hard to think of anything more boring and inconsequential.

[fuzz1717]

The prequel I would've been interested in is an AoL one about LTT. In any case, it doesn't sound like we'll have anything to worry about for another 50 or so years.

 

I'd like that too, I think it would be sweet to get more background on all the forsaken (like how was Asmo evil? what did he do...?). Ah well it doesn't really matter, we still have AMoL to look forward to.

[Maleshub]

I don't know about a book about Tam Al'Thor since we will know already what happens afterwards. No suspense there, or not enough of it. The outriggers with Mat and Fortuona would be more preferable.

 

While the idea of new books seems to be a bit raw at the moment, I don't think it would detract from RJ's legacy if updated glossaries are released. And I think we have the WoT encyclopedia coming up; and that should cover a number of blindspots.