Obviously, this thread will not be for discussions of who did or didn't like his works and why.

Posted September 16, 2007 10:57 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

I'd been following his struggle in is blog for a while.

My sympathies to all who kept us updated there, and to Harriet and Wilson (?) who seemed the closest.

The world is a bit dimmer for a bit.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:01 PM by Paula Helm Murray

Indeed - it's been a poor joke of mine that I'd wait to read his works until I was certain I wouldn't be re-reading them every few years when a new volume was released, in some strange recreation of xeno's paradox. I'm sorry to discover his time ran out before my time came.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:03 PM by xeger

My condolences to everyone who loved him.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:04 PM by Harry Connolly

Against Entropy

The worm drives helically through the wood
And does not know the dust left in the bore
Once made the table integral and good;
And suddenly the crystal hits the floor.
Electrons find their paths in subtle ways,
A massless eddy in a trail of smoke;
The names of lovers, light of other days—
Perhaps you will not miss them. That’s the joke.
The universe winds down. That’s how it’s made.
But memory is everything to lose;
Although some of the colors have to fade,
Do not believe you’ll get the chance to choose.
Regret, by definition, comes too late;
Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.

—John M. Ford, 1957-2006

Posted September 16, 2007 11:12 PM by beth meacham

The official Robert Jordan blog is hammered, but his cousin Wilson's statement is mirrored here.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:14 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

The man changed publishing world - I truly believe that without him we would be seeing far less fantasy and speculative fiction on the shelves. This is truly a great loss and my sympathies to his friends and family.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:16 PM by JerolJ

Damn.
Jordan was my "rediscovery" of fantasy in my early submarine service years.
I finished his first novel in a matter of a few watch section rotations then placed it up for grabs in the ship's library (which was an unused medical locker that didn't occupy more than a cubic foot).
I watched that novel float from hand to hand during my first deployment --- by the end of the six months the covers were tattered and torn and the pages were coffee stained and dog-eared(most likely from the Chiefs' mess).
Crew members each picked up their own copies of The Eye of the World and the subsequent novels... Robert Jordan served his country (again) by offering a crew of submariners an escape from their own harsh industrial reality and provided a common bond for them in his fantasy writing.
You never know who your writing will reach.

De profundis mare.

-=Jeff=-

Posted September 16, 2007 11:23 PM by JKRichard

JKRichard, I'll never forget getting aggrieved e-mail at the Tor account from a guy whose copy had shed its cover not long after the beginning of a tour, when there was a long list of his shipmates waiting to read it. There wasn't a lot I could do for him, aside from assuring him that we thought poorly of the spine adhesive too.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:34 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

He will be missed.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:35 PM by ebear

oh, hell.

his books were not to my taste, but i met him once or twice and he was a nice man.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:37 PM by betsyl

Aw, no. I'm really sorry to read the news.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:44 PM by Bruce Baugh

Ah, no. That is a shame. I'm sorry.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:44 PM by Scraps

The New York Times is announcing the death of another Robert Jordan, a "leading American bridge player". I can't get through to the Dragonmount website -- too much traffic. Is it possible there's been a misunderstanding?

Posted September 16, 2007 11:45 PM by Monica Toth

I always viewed the Wheel of Time books as my Lord of the Rings. When I was just starting high school, I remember losing sleep and waking up early to tear through his books. His books were my gateway into Fantasy.

I've reread the Wheel of Time series every few years after that, every time thinking and taking away something different.

He had quite the affect on my reading tastes and my interests.

I'll miss him.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:46 PM by Mat Herford

Monica, alas, there is no mistake. Perhaps the NY Times is in error. But Jim Rigney has passed.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:53 PM by beth meacham

I am so sad to hear he's gone. I used to role-play in a Wheel of Time MUD when I was in college. His was a universe anyone could play in, because it was so large and diverse.

I know he was struggling to finish his work, and had hoped to stay on just a little longer and see the culmination of his dream.

My deep condolences to his family and those who loved him. I only knew him in print, but he has still made an impact on me.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:54 PM by Merav

#14: No misunderstanding. That NYT obituary for the bridge player is from January 2004.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:55 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

He was my gateway into fantasy reading as well, and his huge rabid internet fanbase (of which I was a huge and active member, back in the day) introduced me to many of my good friends.

Strange to think that I first happened on his books when I was in high school - I will admit I lost interest in his series, over the last :gasp: seventeen years, but barely a day goes by that I don't participate in some forum that is populated by people whom I encountered through our mutual enjoyment of his books (there is a whole expatriate community on livejournal, for example).

I should go to bed now; I am getting more and more depressed as I continue to poke around my old WOT haunts.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:56 PM by Rich

Beth@16: Thank you. It must be a very strange coincidence, but these things do happen.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:58 PM by Monica Toth

Teresa @#9 I assure you that I have never sent you an email to your Tor account (yet ;). I can neither confirm nor deny...

Adhesives onboard ships don't last long --- there are too many environmental pollutants and acetates that eat away at spine adhesives. Perfect binds were the absolute worst, best to three-hole punch and place it in a binder.

Posted September 16, 2007 11:59 PM by JKRichard

Monica @14

Sorry to say, that it is not a mistake. I've managed to get onto the actual site once this evening. As well, I get his blog as an RSS feed. It was quite a shock, because the prior entry, just about a week ago, things sounded so positive.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:00 AM by Ed Greaves

How very, very sad. His work got me back into fantasy reading when I was about to leave--and "The Eye of the World" was the first book I read while driving (stoplights only!). My condolences to his friends and family.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:01 AM by Joy

A friend of mine has just pointed out the date of the NYT article in question: January 14, 2004. I only read the date at the top-left of the webpage, which is, in fact, today's.

How embarrassing. Sorry, everyone.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:02 AM by Monica Toth

Like Rich, I owe a lot to the Robert Jordan communities that flourished on the Internet, and am still connected with them in many ways. I feel this loss deeply, and my sympathies are with his loved ones.

Thank you, Mr. Rigney, for what you gave us. I wish I could have known you.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:05 AM by Skwid

my condolences to the family. I am sure a rose is posted somewhere.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:07 AM by marty

#24: Don't worry about it, Monica; I've done far sillier things, often when I was in that brain-scrambled state of being stunned by news like this.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:12 AM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

This is the man who stopped me at Mike's wake, thanked me for doing what I was doing, and asked me intelligent, caring questions about what I was teaching. That will always be how I remember him- a man who in his own grief and pain was so kind to others.

He or Harriet asked to see the codpiece paper when it came out. I never got around to it.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:12 AM by Sisuile

Robert Jordan got the fact that medieval lit was funny, and often funny in odd and quirky ways. He understood the bizarre but funny aspects of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in a way that surprisingly few people do.

I suspect that that his success enabled Tor to take a risk with authors that might not have had quite as much of a chance if Robert Jordan's books hadn't been so very very popular, making less likely to be wildly popular books still possible to publish.

He will be missed.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:19 AM by Lisa Spangenberg

Very sad. I'm extremely sorry to hear of it. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:20 AM by Clifton Royston

He brought a wonderful new world with real characters to life. I devoured each book and usually only got annoyed that I had to wait for the next one...I was thrilled when I found his blog, and have been reading it ever since. I was completely stunned by the news today - he'd sounded so positive in the last entries. My deepest condolences to Harriet and his family and friends. He will be missed greatly.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:28 AM by Melanie

The death of such a kind man, and a well-loved writer, is very much a loss for all of us. My deep condolences to those for whom his passing is a personal grief.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:28 AM by Deb Geisler

I met many a friend out there in the world thanks to rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan. He'll be missed. I read his Conan books in my early teens and TWoT through my 20s and 30s. I guess this shelf of hardcovers will remain incomplete, but neither will I part with them.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:38 AM by Jamie Bowden

Beth Meacham.

George R. R. Martin.

Elizabeth Bear.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:57 AM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Like several others here have commented, I met some good friends on usenet thanks to his books. I'll always be grateful to him for that.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:00 AM by Melissa Devnich

Lisa (29), his quote on Mike Ford's work did wonders.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:12 AM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

I met him at Mike Ford's memorial, but I'd known for two decades that he was one of the good ones, because Mike said so. I'm sorry for everyone who knew him well, and I'm sorry I didn't know him better.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:19 AM by will shetterly

Oh, and Skwid? I went and told the newsgroup. They already knew, of course -- the world has changed since then -- but I long ago promised them that on this occasion, I'd go there and give them the word.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:19 AM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

My condolences to Harriet, Wilson, and everyone else.

He's had a huge influence on my life over the past 17 years. I met my (now) husband due to interest in his books, and rasfwrj. I've met so many of my close friends due to him.

He will be missed.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:33 AM by Hawk

I remember reading The Eye of the World in halves--the spine had broken clear through (making it much more manageable, really). It was at the house of a family friend, standing out on a shelf of Tom Clancy thrillers. I had run out of books, and The Eye lasted me all the way home. I kept it--them, really, for a long time, side by side on my shelf. I can't remember where they've got to.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:40 AM by Heresiarch

I too broke the books, especially the last two, after another farm disaster messed up my grip. I bought a 48 color pen set and coded individual character's story lines for rereading. I wanted the last book, and I wanted him to write something just about the Aele (sp, I know, sorry). I'm sorry he's gone, sorry for his friends and family, and sorry for the loss of the story's maker.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:59 AM by JESR

Mr. Jordan was my introduction to fantasy when I was thirteen. A few years later I had the chance to meet him at Oxford Books in Atlanta, and I was absolutely petrified. He was extraordinarily kind and funny, and I'm sure that at some point I actually breathed. Now I'm an aspiring fantasy writer, and it's absolutely not an exaggeration to say that his books changed my life. Goodbye, Mr. Jordan, and thank you.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:10 AM by Maggie Matthews-Gonzalez

Local media.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:17 AM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

He became his admirers.

I am sorry to hear it. What a year.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:29 AM by abi

My condolences to you and everyone at Tor. This is a huge loss.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:55 AM by John Klima

I'm sorry to hear this. It's always depressing to hear that someone so valiant lost the fight. Also . . . "Any man's death diminishes me, for I am part of mankind." Condolences and prayers to his family and close friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 3:35 AM by Shalanna Collins

Ah, hell. We didn't know him well, but the time we met in Dublin, he was just a joy to be around.

(sigh) At the moment, seems like the best way to honor his memory is to go work on a book.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:14 AM by Diane Duane

Very sad news. He was a good writer and by all accounts a good person. The Wheel of Time will be remembered as one of THE defining works of late 20th Century fantasy. Condolences to his family and friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:39 AM by Adam Whitehead

I lived in hope that one i would meet the great soul that drew me out of this world and into his !

Alas no signings in the UK.

Gone but will never be forgotten, rest in peace without pain or sadness, i your reader will allways remember you with a smile !

Posted September 17, 2007 4:55 AM by Sara

Gone but not forgotten.

Posted September 17, 2007 5:26 AM by Paul

Darn.

I remember picking up the The Eye of the World from my local library not long after it had been published, not knowing much more than that it had the funny squiggle on it that meant it was a sf or fantasy novel and reading the first chapter. From the first sentence I was hooked and I stayed hooked a long time, through the rest of the novel and many of the sequels. It was the first time I've read a fat fantasy series and still the thing I judged other such series by: will it suck me in the way Robert Jordan did?

For much of the nineties I spent many a happy hour reading and rereading these books and while I may have stopped doing so later, the memories remain.

My condoleances to his friends and family.

Posted September 17, 2007 5:56 AM by Martin Wisse

Oh crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Didn't even like the books, but I'm devastated. So. Much. Time. Invested.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:03 AM by russell

My condolences to his friends and family.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:35 AM by Fragano Ledgister

He fought a long battle. I'm glad he's finally at peace.

My deepest condolences for his family, friends, and fans.

Posted September 17, 2007 7:05 AM by Jackie

This must be such a blow to the folks at Tor who've had such a wonderful association with him, and naturally his family and close friends. When I was a bookseller I remember my customers and their passion for his work. Now I'm a writer, I hope one day to touch people as he touched people, with his own passion and dedication and craft.

My condolences to you guys, and to all here who are grieving.

Posted September 17, 2007 7:30 AM by Karen Miller

Ah, damn. May his memory be for a blessing.

Posted September 17, 2007 7:43 AM by Velma

I'm saddened by his passing.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:12 AM by mayakda

"Growing old is a series of goodbyes." (Edgar Pangborn). I'm sorry.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:28 AM by Randolph Fritz

My introduction to the internet at large came through his works as well, and I still keep in touch with quite a few friends I met that way.

I like the URL of the local media story Patrick posted - "Robert Jordan Dies At Age 16,247." If only.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:31 AM by Craig

The first six books of the Wheel of Time were major influences on my writing during my middle-teen years, and I'm sorry to hear today of his death. When he announced that he had contracted the illness that would eventually kill him, it struck me how prophetic the copy of the dustcovers of his book was. "He has been writing since 1977 and intends to continue until they nail shut his coffin." And so he did.

If you have to go, that's the way to do it. Doing the things you love til the very end.

I still fondly remember the early days of Rand and Mat and Perrin and Egwene and Elayne and Aviendha (my personal fav). My brother and I used to get the books as soon as they were out in hardcover and pass them back and forth and theorise. Rest in peace, Mr. Jordan.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:47 AM by PixelFish

I met him at a conference once. My wife thought he was a sexist but I liked him. Principled, smart and witty.

God bless, RJ!

Posted September 17, 2007 8:48 AM by Christopher Turkel

Damn. The WOT books sucked me in, too. There's something wonderful about books that paint a complete enough world that you can kind of climb in and get lost in there; there aren't too many writers who produce such a world. Jordan was one.

"The wind was not the end. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. But it was an ending."

*Sigh*.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:58 AM by albatross

Too damned young. )-: My sympathies to all.

Posted September 17, 2007 9:33 AM by Suzanne

His books have always picked me up by the toes and dangled me upside down until I finished reading. And that quality exists in them regardless of whether I like them or not.

That's talent, and that's Writing, and his will be sorely missed.

Posted September 17, 2007 9:37 AM by A.J. Luxton

Like xeger, I always expected I'd read his books when the series was finished, so I remain unfamiliar with his work. This is sad news, but at least his pain is over.

My condolences to all.

Posted September 17, 2007 9:47 AM by Suzanne M

I met Jim very early in my employment at Tor, when, because of lack of office space in the NY office (we were in something roughly the size of an oversized cloest in those days; I shared a drafting table--not even a desk--with David Hartwell and our then-art director. David came in 2 days, I came in 2 days, and the art director came in on Fridays), I was packed off to Jim and Harriet's place in Charleston to work out of "the back office."

I spent about a month there, with a break to return to NY for Passover, and throughout that time, Harriet and Jim were unfailingly gracious hosts who extended to me many of the privileges of family despite the fact that we had never met before I turned up on their doorstep with my luggage.

Jim was a man of great good humor, significant passions, and unbounded creativity. His humanity was clear in his every action. He was a mensch.

I'll miss him.

My condolences to his family and to all who loved him.

Posted September 17, 2007 9:51 AM by Melissa Singer

Condolences to his family and friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:00 AM by John Farrell

The Wheel of Time, that ROBERT JORDAN spun,
Has reclaimed its own. His work's not done.
We may yet see him in an Age to be.
Timor mortis conturbat me.

I'd been meaning to re-read the Wheel of Time, and I shall. It always depresses me when I finish a book that really sucks me in - but one that's never done could go anywhere.

Rest in peace.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:10 AM by Sam Kelly

I guess he must have had his off days, because the one time I met him -- at a TusCon a few years before the first WoT book came out -- I came away with such a negative impression that I've never been able to bring myself to read any of his books.

My loss, judging by the remarks of others who knew him better.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:13 AM by Bruce Arthurs

Resquiat in pacem, et lux perpetuae. =|

Posted September 17, 2007 10:14 AM by abb3w

The wheel turns. Sending good thoughts to those who will miss him most.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:25 AM by Steve

I had been awaiting the release of the last book in the Wheel of Time series for some time now and am deeply saddened by this news. The works of Robert Jordan inspired me to write on my own. It would be a great honor for some author to finish this book for him. He will truly be missed in this world. It is a sad day for all. My thoughts and prayers for the family and friends. Godspeed Robert. May you rest in peace.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:26 AM by J. Kozee

Condolences to his family, friends, and readers. Sad news indeed.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:28 AM by Michael Walsh

My mother, who taught me to love reading and introduced me to fantasy and science fiction, adored his books, and from comments here, it's clear he was much loved. My sympathies to his fans, friends and family. Beth, I had totally forgotten the Cavafy poem, and reading it again brought tears... Thank you.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:28 AM by Lizzy L

Velma @56, I have always appreciated "May his memory be for a blessing." When I think of Jim, however, I think of Mike--and it's because of Mike that I know that Jim didn't wait for his memory to be a blessing, he was a blessing while he was alive.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:37 AM by Debbie Notkin

That Pangborn quote upthread is so sadly true! Mike Ford died younger than I am now, Robert Jordan just a touch older, and it was also far too early for Phil Frank of the "Farley" cartoons (at 64, as noted on SFGate a few days ago).

They live in our memories now.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:41 AM by Faren Miller

Scott Lynch.

Charles Coleman Finlay.

Jo Walton.

Posted September 17, 2007 10:42 AM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Ah, damn.

I know he had his critics, but his books did a great deal to change the way I thought about epic fantasy. Whatever else they were, they weren't derivative; they took the building blocks of generic quest fantasy and spun off them a world that was grand and weird and ambitious, at once familiar and deliriously strange.

I haven't kept up with WOT for a couple of volumes now, mostly because other things caught my interest more, but I never stopped admiring what he was trying to do with it. For the inspiration and delight he gave me, I owe him a great debt, and I'm terribly sorry he didn't make it to see his Great Work completed.

He will be missed, and he will be remembered.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:02 AM by Dan Layman-Kennedy

TNH@38:

Thank you. It's funny, as sad as this has made me (and it's hit me harder than I expected), that gesture, that fulfillment of a promise, is what made my eyes water.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:03 AM by Skwid

Wyrdsmiths

Vale

Posted September 17, 2007 11:26 AM by Kelly McCullough

My immediate reactions on hearing the news were thinking, "Oh, crap," picturing him and Mike Ford standing together at the Lunacon at that airport hotel more than two decades ago and thinking that now both of them are gone, thinking of Harriet's loss, and thinking of the wider communities of Tor, publishing and writing, the SF community, and the readership. That's one enormous hole....

Posted September 17, 2007 11:29 AM by Paula Lieberman

My love and good thoughts to Harriet, to all Jim's family and friends, and to all of you at Tor (particularly to Tom). I know this was a long struggle; I'm so sorry.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:40 AM by Madeleine Robins

:( I just finished rereading the first 11 books Thursday, too.

The first thing I did when I got on the internet for the first time was look up info about RJ and tWoT.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:46 AM by JC

Because it wanted out:

A mighty writer was the man
Read the thousands in his van

Though I knew him not at all
I am saddened by his fall

Finding tears when ere I blink
So I cannot help but think

With tales unfinished, words unwritten
Reader's hopes by death smitten

How much worse fans and friends will feel
At this sad turning of time's wheel

Posted September 17, 2007 11:52 AM by Kelly McCullough

I thought this webcomic and commentary, the day after his death, was in poor taste myself.

My Elves are Different

Posted September 17, 2007 11:53 AM by Paul

Uh, Paul? Then why link to it here? This is not the place to comment on his work, as Patrick said in the very first post. And yes, linking to a snarky comment by somebody else is commenting on his work.

Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:12 PM by mythago

My condolences to all who cared for him, as a writer or as a person.

I didn't know him as either. I can fix the former, but it seems clear my life has been poorer for the latter.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:20 PM by Xopher

As others have said, oh damn. I'd never read his books -- a case of so many books, so little time. But I know that a good number of my friends will be feeling as sandbagged by fate this week as I did this time last year. He was so determined to stay with us, it was easy to believe he could hang a little longer, and a little longer after that... My condolences.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:26 PM by Julia Jones

My condolences to his family and friends.

Je m'en vais comme on vit, allant porte à porte,
A l'ombre de chacune ouverte;
Ce que le temps avare avorte
Ne nous est jamais vraiment perte:
Les manuscrit inachevés que j'emporte,
Dans maints couloirs abandonés, inertes
Et empilés, voient leurs fins à l'eau forte
Gravées, sur des âmes encores vertes,
De tout âge, de toutes sortes,
Même pleurant mon sommeil. Certes
Je ne suis plus, peu m'importe
Ma vie est en les mots des langues disertes
Des miens, que seul l'amour transporte.

If my use of first person is found disrespectful, please disenvowel knowing I didn't mean to be.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:36 PM by MD²

How is it that I never remember that life isn't forever, that work will remain undone, stories untold? I hope that I've learned something about fiction from Jordan, good and bad, but I hope I can learn this final lesson: time is short.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:36 PM by Alex Cohen

Sadness.

I recall being in high school and gently teasing my friend for having his nose buried in a different Jordan novel every week. "Jeez, dude, how many of those are there?" And then one day I was leaning in too close to peer at the back-cover plot description on the latest while my friend continued reading, and another friend came by and couldn't resist the opportunity to flick the book in my face. Just stuck his finger in between the pages and flick! The spine rebounded sharply off the bridge of my nose, and I had a lovely bruise the next day.

So, yes, since I haven't actually read Robert Jordan's books, my fondest memory of them is the day one of them gave me a black eye.

Authors' passings always put the urgency on me to write faster. But this particular occasion also puts me in mind of getting back in touch with high school friends. Which seems appropriate. My class is still far too young for us to be regularly watching obituaries for each other, but tomorrow is uncertain for all that. We shouldn't wait for the next 5n-year reunion to say hello.

My condolences to the family; close, extended, and spiritual.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:48 PM by Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little

[...]
The White Plains Galleria,
Second floor B Dalton,
Six blocks from the 4:00pm bus up Benedict Ave.
Fantasy bricks above the Niven and below
the Anderson.
I didn't buy them.
Then the eternal September,
came the r.a.sf.* flamewars.
Alt.fan.robert-jordan bled into alt.warlord,
and aol'ers.
And I still didn't buy them.
It's been fourteen years,
I'm not a reader of fantasy.
I haven't bought his books.
It's sad whenever somebody dies.
Baruch dayan emet.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:51 PM by The New York City High School Math Teacher

It is a little astonishing to realize how much of my life right now is the result of the Wheel of Time series.

And, judging by the comments and posts, that is the smallest sliver of his life and his legacy.

Condolences to all those who knew him.

Posted September 17, 2007 12:57 PM by Kate Nepveu

I have very vivid memories of receiving the first two books of the Wheel of Time as a Christmas present when I was in Grade 10 or 11. I devoured them in about two days and if my perception of the series has fluctuated over the years during the long wait between books, my memory of the joy I took in falling into those first two books has not.

He had a long vision for that story and I was deeply curious (more so even than with Ms Rowling's series) to see how much of its end would be in its beginning. I am deeply saddened to learn that his illness has overcome him before he could conclude the writing.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the Eye of the World signed during his last visit to my city and am very glad this morning to have it. His wife was with him that day and my thoughts are with her this afternoon.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:10 PM by MW

They already knew, of course -- the world has changed since then -- but I long ago promised them that on this occasion, I'd go there and give them the word.

One obituary was enough, I think.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:11 PM by Mike Hoye

Robert Jordan is a hero to me. Sometimes I groused while reading his Wheel of Time series, but other times I wanted to stop writing myself, because what was the point if I could never write on his level? Jordan's books greatly influenced my ideas about what fantasy writing was, and what it could be, and inspired me and my own work tremendously.

It is painful to admit that his death has also fills me with a horrible guilt, because while I am truly saddened at the loss of this great man who was loved by and touched the lives of so many, another more selfish part of me is throwing a tantrum in the back of my mind, raging that it will never know how the Wheel of Time ends. It is rumored that Jordan told the answers to his wife in his last days, and that he agreed that a ghost writer can finish his last book, but it won't be the same.

Rest in Peace, Robert. If I can touch one person the way you touched me, I will be proud.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:22 PM by Peter Brett

Everytime someone asked me if I'd ever read Jordan, I would answer: I'll wait until he's finished. I hate knowing it's unfinished, but I guess it's time to go get the books. Enough recommendations on this list from people I respect to make it important.
I'm so sorry for those of you who knew him; he sounds like a heck of a good guy.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:23 PM by Emma

I've enjoyed his work for years, though I never hung out on the fan forums or his blog.

We're gonna miss him.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:25 PM by David Harmon

His books changed my perception of writing, myth and the way history and backstory work in a larger span.

I didn't know until I read this thread that he had passed; not 20 seconds later Teresa's newsgroup post came up in my reader feed.

I'm a grown man of 31, I think of myself as "manly" and "practical"...and I have just shed tears for a stranger I only met once, and who wouldn't know me from Adam.

I bought a trade paperback copy of "The Eye of the World" out of the shipping box the day it arrived at Waldonbooks, I read every word before I closed my eyes that night.

My participation with the RJ mailing list and the newsgroup are honestly how I came to discover PNH and TNH and eventually find my way to this community; and for that alone I will be forever grateful.

I've read every obituary/memorial/remembrance that's been linked so far, and while all of them are moving and heartfelt, I want to say that Melissa Singer's @#66 was the one that really spoke to me. A good host. I this world and in his world, that's a wonderful way to be remembered.

For me today, the world is another light dimmer.

Condolences to his family, friends and to all my fellow fans.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:32 PM by Karl Kindred

17 years of facination, devotion and even frustration. Common sense whispered in the back of my mind that this was something more likely to happen than not in the near future. Yet still it is numbing and dislocating. The window into a treasured, adored and even obsessed over imaginary world has been shut and shuttered for all time. And the real world is a bit less rich and wondrous and bright because of it.

Grief is the price we pay for the privilege of loving, respecting or admiring our fellow man. And today I grieve for the man and for the author. And a small bit for the world he created. A world that still fascinates and resonates in my own imagination. That his last work will be A Memory of Light is somewhat ironic and entirely fitting.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:51 PM by JohnH

thanks for this thread. It's nice to read so many comments and rememberances.

Posted September 17, 2007 1:56 PM by Kathleen

He'll be missed, although his work will inspire many writers for years to come.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:09 PM by shannon

Well, hell. I was so convinced he'd win this thing... I'm stumbling around in gloomy funk, and I never had the fortune of meeting the man, just loving his work and following his blog...

And a CNN article...

Posted September 17, 2007 2:14 PM by Shawna

It feels almost as if the foundation of the house I live has just cracked. It may be no comfort now to his family and friends, but he was loved by millions, and will be remembered.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:19 PM by Chris S.

I think it is a testament to his greatness as a story-teller that many young writers felt the urge to criticize his writing. Give us a couple months or a couple years after that criticism (like Scott Lynch, linked above), and we all felt like boobs for it, because the man could actually write extremely well, and he did actually earn every single one of his millions of fans.

We, younglings, all had to deal with him, though. Part of how we created an identity as fantasy writers was choosing to accept or reject the Wheel of Time in our own visions. This urge, I think, led to more criticism than was actually deserved.

The greatest tribute to the man, I think, is how every person in the fantasy genre had to respond to his books, his stories, his world - more so than any other author since Tolkein. No one could have no opinion.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:29 PM by jmmcdermott

I've read none of his books, but if you can know a man by his enemies, you can surely also know him by his friends. My condolences to his family, his communities, and those friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:33 PM by Linkmeister

Xopher @ 87 speaks for me.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:33 PM by Caroline

I was never able to get into the WoT series. This always made me feel a bit sad that I was missing out on something that was clearly giving so much joy to so many people. By all accounts, he seems to've been a good and generous man whose intelligence and humour helped others bring out the best in themselves, and I'm sorry to've missed out on that as well.

Posted September 17, 2007 2:49 PM by Julie L.

I read The Eye of the World years ago when I was an assistant librarian. I enjoyed the book, but I remember more the avidness with which the younger readers devoured his series. Any writing that brings that much joy and enthusiasm to young readers is a great thing.

My condolences to his friends and family.

Posted September 17, 2007 3:05 PM by MLR

I'm a big fan and im very saddened by the loss, I am however optimistic that something will happen with the great world he has created. He will be greatly missed. Condolences to his family and fellow readers.

Posted September 17, 2007 3:18 PM by Eric

Another sad day for the field. I'm sorry he died so relatively young.

While I wasn't a fan of his writing, he had hugely devoted fans. I've worked in various bookstores, on and off, for years, most recently in 1994 and 2002. I was unfamiliar with his work in '94, but people, particularly teenaged boys, always came looking for his latest books. Even in 2002, when Rowling had captured the interest of so many teens, Jordan's books were still frequently asked after.

Posted September 17, 2007 3:30 PM by Laurie D. T. Mann

He created a massive edifice. And I have seen so many people come together around the bonfire he lit, connecting to each other, while listening to the story he wove, then spinning off and creating the stories of their own lives.

This has hit me very hard. I wish peace to his friends and family.

Sounds the horn now---many a reader,
Who followed him through tome after tome:
May "The last embrace of the mother,"
As he wrote, we wish, "welcome you home."

Posted September 17, 2007 4:00 PM by Zeynep

Neil Gaiman.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:07 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

It is always a sad day when one of our warriors dies. Mr. Rigney was a true warrior laureat. He has brought countless hours of entertainment to this old sheepdog no matter where our nation has sent me. I have stood in Australia and seen the Aiel Waste, looked out over Arad Doman, and flown my helicopter throught the Malvenide Narrows... You will be missed. The world truly is less of a place this day.

Molon Labe!!! Driver down, God speed...

Posted September 17, 2007 4:11 PM by JHudson

I've been trading messages with my son in college who was an even greater fan of Robert Jordan's than I was. We will be in mourning for quite some time.

I've read on another site that the conclusion was almost written and that Harriet may bring it to a close and get it published. Fingers crossed that this comes to fruition.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:14 PM by moe99

My condolences. I was thinking of Mr. Jordan/Rigney last week trying to remember a line PNH used in early 90s, describing Robert Jordan and Steven Brust as men that both wore hats and both wrote fantasy, but that was about all they had in common.

His vision for the WOT was complex and epic, and like everyone else, I'm hard pressed to think of more influential modern author in the fantasy genre.

The spouse and I raised a toast in his memory when we read the news last night.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:24 PM by Tania

I attended a signing in New York and brought a paperback copy of The Wheel of Time which I had managed to glue back onto the spine of the cover. After waiting in the line for some time it was explained to me by one of the booksellers that the signing was really intended for hardcover books and that, if I wanted a signature I would have to ask the authors permission and then wait at the back of the line. I did just that; when I asked, Mr. Rigney smiled and told me that he was just happy to sign books for people who read them. It was a pleasure to spend a few moments with someone so gracious.

Posted September 17, 2007 4:31 PM by Luke H

Arrggghhhhhhhhh What about the ending? It was almost there!

Posted September 17, 2007 5:04 PM by Gwen

Never met him personally.

But, aside from my enjoyment of his books, I've also met a lor of nice people because of them. And a not inconsiderable portion of my regular web circuit is made up of websites of people I've met because of the WOT series.

Condolences to his friends and family.

Posted September 17, 2007 5:37 PM by Michael I

Sad, sad news. I haven't read some of the more recent ones, though my love for the world he created hasn't diminished. I was looking forward to catching up once he was done.

A former colleague used to take the day off work every time a new WoT book came out just to read it. We'd spend hours talking about all the possible outcomes and identities yet to be revealed. I've shared that world with many of my students as well. Those bonds remain.

Posted September 17, 2007 5:40 PM by kouredios

I always meant to say something here about Mike Ford's passing as well, but the words weren't there at the time. Not that this bit of doggerel is a significant step up from silent tribute...

Too soon are they gone,
both Mike and Jim,
but their words live on.

Together they were drawn
by language and whim;
too soon are they gone.

They would seize upon
both doggerel and hymn,
but their words live on.

When Mike went beyond
Jim’s future seemed grim,
too soon are they gone.

Each a genre scion,
they wrote with great vim,
but their words live on.

The world grows wan,
the light grows dim;
too soon are they gone.
But their words live on.

Posted September 17, 2007 5:41 PM by minz

A lovely anecdote from a friend, Leigh Butler (among other things, the WoT FAQ maintainer).

Posted September 17, 2007 6:07 PM by Kate Nepveu

R.I.P.

I loved WoT.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:12 PM by MM

I remember Harriet McDougal mentioning, long ago--it had to be 1977 or '78, that there was this terrific young writer, a Vietnam veteran. He wrote really good action and adventure, and other stuff--historical. She was very enthusiastic, one of Harriet's many great virtues. And then, probably ten years later, after Tor was born, and Jordan had already written some really terrific new Conan, Tom Doherty took me into his office one day and handed me the first five hundred pages of The Eye of the World and commanded me to read and comment on it.
Tom was enormously excited. This was the first time we had a fantasy novel at Tor that he felt could really make a huge splash. And coming from Tom, who had sold Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in the '60s, that was a heady endorsement.
Reading the manuscript convinced me that Tom was absolutely right, as he pretty much always is. I was avid to see the rest of the manuscript, and he obliged, and though it was quite long, I breezed through it. It was magical in so many ways.
We don't always get the privilege of greatly admiring the authors we publish, but Jim Rigney was, to my mind, always a gentleman, ever a kind, thoughtful person, and I never saw him do anything hurtful to anyone.
Being as talented as he was, and as kind and great-hearted too, he was, as many here have said, a gift to us all. His span of interests was wide, and he brought to everything he wrote a keen intelligence as well as great creative passion.
Knowing that he was struggling with the disease that ultimately felled him was painful for all who knew and loved him. And that meant all who knew him or his works. There will be no replacing him. Such as he don't come along very often, if ever again.
I'm sure everyone who has written to note his passing feels much as I: no words can adequately express the depth of loss.
For Harriet, I can feel only sympathy, and hope that in her mourning she will, despite the pain of his loss that must be overwhelming, feel some relief that his ordeal is over. And for others in his family and among his wide circle of friends and admirers, we can but take some small solace that in his life he gave us the precious gift of his words, which of course will live on.

Jim F.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:24 PM by Jim Frenkel

Terry McGarry, who, aside from being a fantasy author in her own right, was also Jordan's copyeditor for many books and many years.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:45 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Sarah Monette.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:50 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Found the first
on the shelf
with the violas

the eighth
in an airport bookshop
hasty en-route home
(when the businessman nodded my way,
said, 'Great series!'
flashed his own).

Skipped a class
(not condoned)
for the bookstore on election day
(set history teacher's eyes rolling,
but was not punished for reading in class).

Hard to be sad
for a stranger -
I just hope he was ready
(and that he was right-
that there might be good days to die)

Posted September 17, 2007 6:53 PM by P.o.m.

Madeleine Robins.

Posted September 17, 2007 6:53 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

I don't have anything profound to add, but I feel compelled to say that Robert Jordan was one of several that inspired me not only to keep writing, but to put my heart and soul into it the way he did. The world can be such a dark and dreary place, and that's especially true on a day when such a brilliant light is snuffed out before its proper time. My condolences to his family, his friends, his associates, his readers and to the world of literature in general.

Posted September 17, 2007 7:14 PM by Jason Venter

It seems the celestial beyond is in need of imagination, for all the greats suddenly heading its way.
I had hoped for an ending to the series but not to its author. Condolences to family, friends and fans.

Posted September 17, 2007 7:32 PM by Rhondi Vilott Salsitz

I've grown up with this series, and loved every word of it. I don't know if i'll ever want to read again. My heart goes out to all friends and family, and I know the pain you are feeling must be unbearable, since I sit here with tears in my eyes, yet I have never met the man in person.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:09 PM by Brent Copeland

I never know Jim well, but working with Teresa on the first couple Wheel of Time books was an unforgettable experience that taught me a great deal.

Everywhere I go I meet fans of Jordan's books. Just this last week the fellow who waits on me at Starbucks had one of them.

My condolences to Harriet and his family and friends.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:26 PM by Robert L

I wish I had known the man, so that I could say something pertinent here. That not being the case, I shall say nothing except offer my condolences to those who knew him.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:32 PM by Ron E

I've read for a long, long time
The turnings of the Wheel of Time
And though each comes to the time
Of his ending, I remember the time
When I first took hand and read.

Requiescat in pacem.

Posted September 17, 2007 8:51 PM by Tony Zbaraschuk

Like Kate, I've been struck by how much of my life is all tangled up with The Wheel of Time. The friends - nay, the *family* - I found on rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan are such an integral part of my life, I couldn't untangle from them if I tried hard. How different (and perhaps less satisfying) my life would have been without Jim Rigney and his work.

The news of his passing has hit me way harder than I had expected it would. A little, but wildly important, piece of my heart was taken away.

Posted September 17, 2007 9:08 PM by Maggie

The Wheel of Time had a weird way of sending ripples of interest out through the world. What those ripples catalyzed was as unique as the story itself. Personally, I think it reflects very highly on his work that what it brought about in the world of fandom was of such high quality.

Not to be too AOL, but when I was a Marine passing the days and weeks and months aboard ship, WoT played a special role in keeping me sane and giving me an identity to hold onto.

I also believe that rasfwrj (mostly a lurker, but I'm in the family tree) probably taught me more about the real world than most other time sinks before or since. Does that sound scary?

In any case, rest in peace.

Sandy

Posted September 17, 2007 10:38 PM by Sandy Pratt

Following Patrick's lead:

Pamela Dean

Posted September 17, 2007 10:40 PM by Geri Sullivan

Good-bye RJ - If you enjoy the afterlife as I have enjoyed the fruit of your earthly toil – peace will be yours

Never the less – the world is less good with out you!

Posted September 17, 2007 10:57 PM by Addison Mapes

Saw this today; while his fiction did not particularly appeal to me, I came to know him as a very kind and generous man. And we sold a lot of his books. He did good in the world; and who can ask for more?

Posted September 17, 2007 11:01 PM by Tom Whitmore

Sad news, certainly. He obviously loved to write, and many people loved him to write— but he fought off his illness good and long, and did the best he could to see his opus through.

And Phil Frank is dead? I must go to PacBell Park and offer up a chilidog with Alphonse. Damn.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:01 PM by B. Durbin

Very sad news. My condolences.

Posted September 17, 2007 11:21 PM by Georgiana

Thank you Robert Jordan for sharing your amazing vision and prodigious imagination with us. You inspired me to imagine and write. I would re-read the entire series up to the latest book whenever I was sick or had enough time on my hands. You will be missed. Perhaps you too will come back to us on the wheel of time, a storyteller in a time when you needed again.

To his family and friends, you are in our thoughts.

Posted September 18, 2007 12:57 AM by San

I miss him.

Condolences to all who loved him, his work, or both.

Posted September 18, 2007 12:59 AM by elise

I too take off every time his books come out. I also reread the series each time. My mother wanted to live until she finished the series- she died in 1996. My daughter trick or treated as an ai sedai-she devoured his books like I did. A top fantasy writer has to finish this series. It won't be as good- but it needs to be done as a tribute to such a monumental work.

Posted September 18, 2007 2:00 AM by Rev. Edgar Stephens