Date: 2000-11-10
Type: Paraphrased
Location: San Jose, CA
Reporter: Hawk
Originally I was going to skip this signing since I (A) didn’t finish the book until Monday and (B) have been to so many of these before but Batya wouldn’t stop bothering me until I agreed to go.
While I was one of those near the back of the line (though not quite out the door), I had a surprising amount of fun. At the store I managed to bump into someone I know, have some fun debates with the people in line around me, was introduced to a Discovery Zone book about Dungeons and Torture for kids, discover that RJ still remembers who I am, and was able to hang around and listen to RJ speak. Since only one of us in my group had finished Winter’s Heart , there were very few questions asked about that book.
Why was the glossary so short?
Normally he solicits opinion from people what should be in there, but he ran out of time this book. He would have liked it to have been more fleshed out.
Have you ever seen “Army of Darkness”? There’s a scene in there where Ash (the protagonist) smashes the mirror and mini dopplegangers come out of each shard.
No. When did the movie come out?
Army of Darkness was released on October 9, 1992 …and The Shadow Rising was released on September 15, 1992. Looks like both parties are innocent (not that most fans of WoT would have minded if RJ had referenced the movie).
What was the use of Elayne’s “rod” in The Path of Daggers ?
RAFO and he’s surprised at the imaginations of some of the female fans who mail him—their imaginations are quite vivid.
This was explained in Winter’s Heart , ‘A Lily in Winter’.
Was there ever a Purple Ajah?
They were going to, but they ran off to New Orleans and started up a biker bar instead.
There were a lot of fans upset at your decision to sell the Prologue to S&S as an ebook, and there were other people upset at your “special introduction”, thinking that you were mocking your fans. What was your intent/how did this come about?
People who got upset about the “special introduction” need to “take a break and get a milkshake.” The introduction was definitely about mocking ebooks and how it really did feel like selling your soul. S&S came to him and begged for something—anything—to sell from Winter’s Heart as an ebook. He didn’t go to them at all.
Do you think you’ll ever put the books out in electronic format?
When there’s a reader that he can “drop in the water, dry with a hair dryer, and then read” he’ll move over to ebooks. He’s also waiting for the industry to hash out its standards. He expects that to take another 5 years or so.
How many more books? [No one I was with was stupid enough to ask.]
At least three more.
Nominees for quotes of the evening:
“One time when Harriet asked me what I wanted for dinner, I told her to read and find out.”
“If you die before the series ends I will desecrate your grave.”
All in all, I’m glad I went. The crowd was definitely less than previous years; however, I feel much of that has to do with the fact that this event was barely advertised. It did give me a chance to get my book personalized, at least.
Hawk
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