In actuality, it took three books to wrap up the many storylines and character arcs. His widow (and editor) Harriet McDougal, appointed Brandon Sanderson, who had then published his debut novel, Elantris, to finish the series following these notes. He had also written the ending scenes years before.

The constant question was always, 'will the series ever be finished?' (If current booksellers think they get a lot of questions about when the next 'Game of Thrones' novel will be finished, let me assure you it's nothing like the volume of people hungry for news of the next WoT book during its heyday!)īefore passing, Jordan dictated extensive notes and outlines for the final “book” in the series. It was a challenge and privilege to play that role for so many fans, helping them move through the stages of grief and anger, and really impressed the size and passion of the WoT fan-base on me. Rigney was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2006, and died in September 2007 after undergoing extensive medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic.Īfter his death, one of my semi-official duties at the bookstore I then worked at became informing WoT fans inquiring about publication of the next volume (which was almost a daily occurrence) of his passing. By 1993, when the fifth installment, The Fires of Heaven came out, WoT books were huge bestsellers. The first book of The Wheel of Time (WoT) series, The Eye of the World, was published in 1990, and sold well. Rigney began writing for his own amusement in 1977, and published under several pseudonyms in the 1980s. Jordan’s real name was James Oliver Rigney, Jr., a Vietnam veteran who later worked for the US Navy as a nuclear physicist.

With a total readership of that magnitude, it seems likely there are many people collecting Jordan's books and related items, so we have assembled this guide to the major works and significant associated items. If you’re unfamiliar with The Wheel of Time, think of it as a 14-volume The Lord of the Rings set at a future point in Earth's history when society has regressed technologically and forgotten most of our history - but discovered magic, naturally! Total sales for the series are estimated to be in excess of 80 million copies, although those figures are several years old and at least one of his publishers has suggested the estimate is on the low side. I’ve collected his books for the past 25 years. Robert Jordan was the best-selling author of The Wheel of Time fantasy series, and (because I need to get my utter impartiality out of the way at the start) one of my favorite authors.

Tor books new york office