Had Robert Jordan lived what stories within the WoT universe would you had liked to read?

[Occams whiskey bottle]

I know, another 'What If' question, but I'm doing my first complete reread, and these questions keep lingering...

 

I would have loved to have read a series about how the White Tower rose to power, and another one on how it fell from power. I don't know if there is any information on those topics, but if anyone has any links it would be greatly appreciated. What WoT stories does it pain you to know that you will never read? The Trolloc Wars, The Age of Legends, Gaidel and Birgette, the Adventures of Hawkwing, or some other event that had happened?

[Bannakaffalatta]

Seanchan and Shara

The Seanchan fascinate me, I would have loved to read about key parts of their history, and the ramp up to the Hailene, and Corenne.

While we got a glimpse of Sharan society in AMoL, their is SO much left unanswered.

Both of those burn my brain, I even started my own fanfic about Shara, about 6-7 years ago, but it never left my notebook.

[Suttree]

I don't think the WT ever did fall from power. The AS were a failed institution to be sure if you compare them to the AoL. Regardless they were the main bastion against the Shadow for 3,000 years and the only reason people even remembered the DO existed. They are also the only group to remian in power unbroken during all that time.

 

But to your question we have a good idea what we would have gotten had RJ lived.

 

1. Two prequels, one about how Tam found baby Rand on DM and another on how Moiraine and Lan made it to the 2Rs just in the nick of time.

 

2. An Outrigger series based on Mat and Tuon returning to Seanchan to deal with the fallout there.

[Leopoled Boothe]

I don't think the WT ever did fall from power. The AS were a failed institution to be sure if you compare them to the AoL. Regardless they were the main bastion against the Shadow for 3,000 years and the only reason people even remembered the DO existed. They are also the only group to remian in power unbroken during all that time.

 

But to your question we have a good idea what we would have gotten had RJ lived.

 

1. Two prequels, one about how Tam found baby Rand on DM and another on how Moiraine and Lan made it to the 2Rs just in the nick of time.

 

2. An Outrigger series based on Mat and Tuon returning to Seanchan to deal with the fallout there.

 

 

 

That doesn't mean that's all we would have gotten.  There was a time when RJ said that he intended to write nothing in the WOT world outside of the main sequence but later changed his mind and decided he would do three prequels and a series about Mat and Tuon.  So it possible that had he lived he might have decided to write more stories within this world.

 

That being said I would really like to have seen some short stories or novellas that take place during the time frame of the main sequence but are told from the point of view of some of the more misunderstood characters in the series, particularly Couladin and Dain Bornhold.  The thing that I find so interesting about these characters is that they are not darkfriends and yet they still found themselves at odds with major players among the forces of the light.  I could see Couladin's story playing out like a Shakespearian tragedy, the tale of a good man whose fatal flaw, his ethnocentrism, prevents him from accepting an outsider as the Car'a'carn and ultimately leads to his downfall.  What would really make these stories interesting is that the villains would be Rand and Perrin respectively. It would be fascinating to see them recast in these roles.

[Suttree]

 

I don't think the WT ever did fall from power. The AS were a failed institution to be sure if you compare them to the AoL. Regardless they were the main bastion against the Shadow for 3,000 years and the only reason people even remembered the DO existed. They are also the only group to remian in power unbroken during all that time.

 

But to your question we have a good idea what we would have gotten had RJ lived.

 

1. Two prequels, one about how Tam found baby Rand on DM and another on how Moiraine and Lan made it to the 2Rs just in the nick of time.

 

2. An Outrigger series based on Mat and Tuon returning to Seanchan to deal with the fallout there.

 

 

 

That doesn't mean that's all we would have gotten.  There was a time when RJ said that he intended to write nothing in the WOT world outside of the main sequence but later changed his mind and decided he would do three prequels and a series about Mat and Tuon.  So it possible that had he lived he might have decided to write more stories within this world.

 

I would be interested see the quotes where RJ ruled out anything aside from the main sequence. The earliest one I could find is back in 94 and it says the opposite of what you claim.

 

Regardless his next work was to be Infinity of Heaven which was outside of the WoT. We also have quite definitive answers on there not being a chance of him writing anything from the AoL etc. There are a number of strongly worded answers to along those lines so it seems highly unlikely.

[Sabio]

He might not of made too many more than the mat and Tuon outrigger and his 2 prequel books ( I believe he mentioned a 3rd prequel but can't remember what it was suppose to be about)  Remember since the middle of the series he was taking about 3 years for each new WOT book.  So even at 2 years per book that would be 6 years for 3 prequels, and no idea how many books the mat and Tuon outrigger series would of been, plus anything he wanted to make outside of the WOT universe.  I couldn't see him making too many more WOT books.

 

But a book from the Aiel POV during the Aiel war would of been nice, or even from LAN and Moraines view during the Aiel war.

[Occams whiskey bottle]

He might not of made too many more than the mat and Tuon outrigger and his 2 prequel books ( I believe he mentioned a 3rd prequel but can't remember what it was suppose to be about)  Remember since the middle of the series he was taking about 3 years for each new WOT book.  So even at 2 years per book that would be 6 years for 3 prequels, and no idea how many books the mat and Tuon outrigger series would of been, plus anything he wanted to make outside of the WOT universe.  I couldn't see him making too many more WOT books.

 

But a book from the Aiel POV during the Aiel war would of been nice, or even from LAN and Moraines view during the Aiel war.

 

 

I believe that the one you cannot remember is the story of Tam, which probably would have covered parts if not all of the Aiel War.

[Leopoled Boothe]

 

 

I don't think the WT ever did fall from power. The AS were a failed institution to be sure if you compare them to the AoL. Regardless they were the main bastion against the Shadow for 3,000 years and the only reason people even remembered the DO existed. They are also the only group to remian in power unbroken during all that time.

 

But to your question we have a good idea what we would have gotten had RJ lived.

 

1. Two prequels, one about how Tam found baby Rand on DM and another on how Moiraine and Lan made it to the 2Rs just in the nick of time.

 

2. An Outrigger series based on Mat and Tuon returning to Seanchan to deal with the fallout there.

 

 

 

That doesn't mean that's all we would have gotten.  There was a time when RJ said that he intended to write nothing in the WOT world outside of the main sequence but later changed his mind and decided he would do three prequels and a series about Mat and Tuon.  So it possible that had he lived he might have decided to write more stories within this world.

 

I would be interested see the quotes where RJ ruled out anything aside from the main sequence. The earliest one I could find is back in 94 and it says the opposite of what you claim.

 

Regardless his next work was to be Infinity of Heaven which was outside of the WoT. We also have quite definitive answers on there not being a chance of him writing anything from the AoL etc. There are a number of strongly worded answers to along those lines so it seems highly unlikely.

 

 

 

I must admit that most of what I write on these forums these days is from memory.  I used to do alot of WOT research reading interviews with RJ, Q&A sessions at book signings and the like, but as time is a luxury that I no longer have in abundance I am rarely able to peruse such things anymore.  Below is a link to the interview I was thinking of 

 

http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Source:Stories_from_RJ%27s_LOC_signing_tour,_Fall_1994

 

It is from a q&a session during the LOC tour in 1994.  The specific quote I was remembering is the following:

 

"Robert Jordan won't ever write about these characters again once the series is complete. He may write a series based on the NEXT age though..." (signing attendee: Daniel L. Rouk, dlr@uncecs.edu)

 

Admittedly it is not exactly as I remembered.  In this quote RJ does not rule out ever writing in this world again but he does state that he will write no more stories about the characters in the main sequence and seems to imply that he will write no more stories that take place in the Third Age.  None the less, the fact remains that he did at some point change his mind as the Prequels and Outriggers would have taken place in the Third Age and would have involved characters from the main sequence eg Mat, Tuon, Perrin, Tam, Moiraine, and Lan.

 

As one good turn deserves another I would now be interested to see the quote where he states the opposite.

 

As an aside I am glad that he decided never to write about the AoL as we already know how that turned out.  It would have taken all the suspense out of it.

[Sabio]

I think the only AOL book I would want to read would be the sealing of the bore.

[Suttree]

http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Source:Stories_from_RJ%27s_LOC_signing_tour,_Fall_1994

 

It is from a q&a session during the LOC tour in 1994.  The specific quote I was remembering is the following:

 

"Robert Jordan won't ever write about these characters again once the series is complete. He may write a series based on the NEXT age though..." (signing attendee: Daniel L. Rouk, dlr@uncecs.edu)

As one good turn deserves another I would now be interested to see the quote where he states the opposite.

 

Not sure what you mean. The very quote you provided says the opposite as he is open to writing outside of the main sequence. Regardless there are a number along these lines:

 

Interview: Jun 26th, 1996

Compuserve Chat (Verbatim)

Ryssgarde

You include a glossary in every novel. Any chance we'll see a companion book with EVERY term defined? How about prequels to this series?

Robert Jordan

The possibility of a companion book with all the terms defined is fairly strong—once the series is done of course!

As far as prequels, that would depend entirely on my coming up with a story I'd like to tell that is set there. It's not enough to say, "I just want to write what came before this." I tell the history of this world in great detail already. I will add that we're putting together an illustrated guide which will include some things that are not in the books such as the story of Arthur Hawkwing's rise and fall.

 

In relation to his plans for after AMoL:

 

As far as the Age of Legends is concerned and going back to them, when I reach the last scene of this book I would have told the story that I wanted to tell in this world. I would have said what I wanted to say in this world. And my intention at that point is to go onto a different universe, a different world, a different set of rules, different cultures. I've been thinking about it for about five or six years now.

Question

With the same characters?

Robert Jordan

No, certainly not. If I've done it, why do it again? That's the trap that sometimes you guys push the writer into. You say, "You know, I really liked what you've done before. Do it again." And he does. And pretty soon he's doing the same thing over and over again. Now I'll hope you'll stick with me because I've done this. When I finish it I will have done it and I will try to go on something else that is not exactly the same. I hope you'll like it.

 

 

[Leopoled Boothe]

Leopoled Boothe, on 21 Dec 2013 - 6:09 PM, said:

http://wot.wikia.com...tour,_Fall_1994

 

It is from a q&a session during the LOC tour in 1994.  The specific quote I was remembering is the following:

 

"Robert Jordan won't ever write about these characters again once the series is complete. He may write a series based on the NEXT age though..." (signing attendee: Daniel L. Rouk, dlr@uncecs.edu)

As one good turn deserves another I would now be interested to see the quote where he states the opposite.

 

Not sure what you mean. The very quote you provided says the opposite as he is open to writing outside of the main sequence. Regardless there are a number along these lines:

 

 

 

Yes, he does say that he's open to writing outside of the main sequence and I addressed this inaccuracy in my memory.  However, he also states that he will not write any more stories about THESE CHARACTERS (i.e. the characters in the main sequence) but he might wright a story that takes place in THE NEXT AGE.  Apparently he changed his mind because the prequels do not take place in "THE NEXT AGE" and the Outriggers would have involved "THESE CHARACTERS."

 

The point is that at one point he clearly changed his mind about what additional stories he would wright in the WOT world.  Therefore, we cannot assume that had he lived the prequels and Mat/Tuon is all he ever would have written in this world.

[Suttree]

 

  Honestly, I'm not sure what you're playing at.

 

Excuse me?

[Leopoled Boothe]

 

 

  Honestly, I'm not sure what you're playing at.

 

Excuse me?

 

 Yeah, never mind that.  Kind of misread something in your response the first time through.  Just a misunderstanding, sorry about that 

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to start anything just curious as to what quote you were referring to.

[Thorum]

Jordan was born in 1948. A slower writer than BS, aMoL would have been finished by about 2015. Take 2 years for each of the planned pre- and sequels, and we're at 2025. When he would have been 77 years old.

 

That's not even taking into account Infinity of Heavens.

 

Had RJ lived, he would probably have stopped writing after this. As would any sensible person.

[Goaswerfraiejen]

To return to the OP's question...

 

I would have liked to see novels exploring the following aspects of the WoT universe:

 

*The Trolloc Wars (including Mashadar's creation)

*The conquest of Seanchan

*The rise (and fall) of Artur Hawkwing

*The Breaking of the World

*The travels of Jain Farstrider

*The Whitecloak War

*The War of the Hundred Years/reign of Ishara

[Suttree]

I would have loved to see some of the stories from the Trolloc Wars. Specifically the Fall of Manetheren and how Rashima Kerenmosa fixed things diplomatically for the Ten Nations and then broke the back of the Shadow essentially turning the tide of the TWs at the Battle of Maighande.

[Leopoled Boothe]

Jordan was born in 1948. A slower writer than BS, aMoL would have been finished by about 2015. Take 2 years for each of the planned pre- and sequels, and we're at 2025. When he would have been 77 years old.

 

That's not even taking into account Infinity of Heavens.

 

Had RJ lived, he would probably have stopped writing after this. As would any sensible person.

 

I not sure about these calculations as there are a few things that you need to take into consideration:

 

1. KoD came out in 2005

2. Jordan's writing was slowed considerably due to his illness

3. RJ was bound and determined that the 12th book would be the final volume of WoT

 

As the typical interval between books in the later half of the series was two years book 12 probably would have come out in early 2008 at the latest.   It is uncertain whether RJ really could have told the rest of the story in just one book (I strongly suspect that TOR would have talked him out of it) but I think he would have gotten it done in no more than two books.  Therefore, if a 13th book were necessary even making a conservative estimate the series would probably have been completed no later than 2011.

 

If memory serves I believe RJ stated that IoH would have been about six books so giving him two years for each book were at 2023 when he finishes this series.  So all things considered RJ would likely have been somewhere between his late 60's and mid 70s before he began to write the prequels and outriggers (assuming he stuck to his original plan).  So yes, realistically we probably would not have gotten much more in the WoT world than the five planned books.  However, the OP's question was not what additional stories might RJ have realistically written but rather what stories would you have liked to have read?

[Asgard Thorin]

I would like to read about Moiraine's other battles with Black Sisters. New New Springs, if you will.

[hankscorpio]

Both of the prequels he claimed to have planned interest me.  The books about Mat and Tuon, not as much.  I would have also liked to have gotten at least one prequel based in the Age of Legends, so we can read more about the bore being discovered, and more about LTT, The Forsaken (before and after they became The Forsaken), etc.

[Leopoled Boothe]

Both of the prequels he claimed to have planned interest me.  The books about Mat and Tuon, not as much.  I would have also liked to have gotten at least one prequel based in the Age of Legends, so we can read more about the bore being discovered, and more about LTT, The Forsaken (before and after they became The Forsaken), etc.

 

While I would have read and probably enjoyed all of RJ's additional WoT books the only one that really interested me is the prequel about Tam.  Tam was always one of my favorite characters and I've always been curious about Karyie al'Thor's back story, in particular I'd like an explanation as to why the DO or Ishameal had her soul at the end of TEotW.

[Occams whiskey bottle]

 

Both of the prequels he claimed to have planned interest me.  The books about Mat and Tuon, not as much.  I would have also liked to have gotten at least one prequel based in the Age of Legends, so we can read more about the bore being discovered, and more about LTT, The Forsaken (before and after they became The Forsaken), etc.

 

While I would have read and probably enjoyed all of RJ's additional WoT books the only one that really interested me is the prequel about Tam.  Tam was always one of my favorite characters and I've always been curious about Karyie al'Thor's back story, in particular I'd like an explanation as to why the DO or Ishameal had her soul at the end of TEotW.

 

 

If I recall correctly the Wheel of Time was supposed to center around a middle aged man, and then Tor told RJ to make the main character younger. Possibly meaning that Tam, in a way, was "originally" the Dragon Reborn. If that is true then the encyclopedia should provide plenty of background on those two. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much about the amount of new information that the encyclopedia has, but I'll buy it nevertheless...

[Sabio]

I am sort of confused by what you mean Tam "originally" the dragon reborn.  My problem with the thought of the middle aged man theory is then he wouldn't be able to channel since he would of gone insane long before getting to middle aged.  And wouldn't of made sense if he was like the Sul'dam who can channel but would need someone to teach them to ever be able to channel.

[Suttree]

A few answers on the topic...
 

Interview: Oct 17th, 1994
LOC Signing Report - Daniel Rouk (Paraphrased)
Robert Jordan
Originally, when I began thinking about the story, Tam and Rand were the same character. The main character was to be a soldier who had gone out to war and returned to a small village.

 

Interview: Jun 26th, 1996
Compuserve Chat (Verbatim)
Eric Ligner
With the scope of this work, it must have been on your mind for a long time. When did you first conceive the story and how many years after that was the first book published?

Robert Jordan
I had the first notions for this book, I guess it was 1975 or '76. For these books I should say. But there were a lot of things to think out, a lot of changes I went through. For instance the character of Rand and Tam were originally one. I spent about ten years noodling the story around in the back of my head before I ever put words on paper, but that's rather typical for me. My books have a fairly long gestation period.

 

Interview: Nov 11th, 1998
MSN eFriends Interview (Verbatim)

Jimbo3
Did you create Rand, Matt, and Perrin one at a time or all together?

Robert Jordan
One at a time...in fact, when I first started thinking of what would turn into The Wheel of Time, Rand and his foster father were one character. Not a 50-ish man and his teenage foster son. But a man in his 30's who had run away from a quiet country village seeking adventure, had become a soldier, and now after 20 years of that, world weary and tired. Who has come home to his pastoral village seeking peace and quiet, only to find that the world and prophecy are hard on his heels. You can see that that's a much different character that what I ended up with when I started writing. I may actually use him someday.

Interview: Apr 4th, 2001
Leiden Signing Report - Aan'allein (Verbatim)
Robert Jordan
He also talked about how the early stages of the story evolved, about Rand starting out as Tam, coming back to Emond's Field (although it wasn't Emond's Field yet back then) after 20 years, realizing he'd outgrown it. And then prophecy tapping him on shoulder with the message that he was fated to save the world, and oh yeah, he'd die in the process. He went for Rand instead, because he wanted an innocent character, a character who could realize how little he knew, and thus could grow a lot more.

 

[Asgard Thorin]

 

Both of the prequels he claimed to have planned interest me.  The books about Mat and Tuon, not as much.  I would have also liked to have gotten at least one prequel based in the Age of Legends, so we can read more about the bore being discovered, and more about LTT, The Forsaken (before and after they became The Forsaken), etc.

 

While I would have read and probably enjoyed all of RJ's additional WoT books the only one that really interested me is the prequel about Tam.  Tam was always one of my favorite characters and I've always been curious about Karyie al'Thor's back story, in particular I'd like an explanation as to why the DO or Ishameal had her soul at the end of TEotW.

 

That, too, would interest me. I always wondered a little, if Tam had to kill his wife to save his son. I.e. was Taim's announcement to the Two Rivers that Rand was the Dragon Reborn a complete surprise to his father?

[Sabio]

How the DO had Rand's mom's soul was simple, the DO is the master of the dead and can tempt souls.  It seems to me as is you resist him he can't touch your soul but if you give in then he has your soul to do whatever he wises to.  He can stuff you  in another body or simply torment you for eternity.  He must of made promises to her that she believed and then he had her.