Date: 1994-10-19
Type: Verbatim
Reporter: Aaron Bergman
Edited Transcript of the Moderated Conference held on Wednesday, October 19th, 1994 in the CompuServe Convention Center (sponsored by Tor Books and by the Science Fiction/Fantasy Literature Forum) with Robert Jordan, author of Lord of Chaos and other books in the “Wheel of Time” series.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen! CompuServe’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature Forum is pleased to welcome Mr. Robert Jordan as our guest this evening in our moderated conference. If you wish to ask a question we have a question queue set up and ready. Please key in “/question” (sans the quote marks) if you wish to ask Mr. Jordan a question. Good evening Mr. Jordan!
Is stones based on GO, the Asian game of skill? It is more complex than chess…so it is appropriate if so. And what stones are used (type of stone)?
Stones is based on Go, and the actual stones used can vary.
Mr. Jordan, are you still planning only seven books in the series, and will the next book be released on the traditional date of mid-October?
It’s been a long time since I was planning only seven books in the series. There will be several more books, and the next one will be published when I can finish it.
Is there any specific reason why there isn’t a name given to the continent in which Rand and Co. inhabit?
Simply because people don’t generally give names to their homes that way—it’s other places they give names to.
Thanks for many hours of enjoyment. There were so many new stories/threads in Lord of Chaos did you always intend to go in these directions or did it take on a life of its own?
For the major threads, I’m going exactly where I intended to go—and for most of the minor threads, I’m going fairly much where I intended to go. With some minor threads, it seemed, as I went along, that there was a better way than I had first thought.
Much of your work reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien and David Eddings in scope and character development. My question is, who are YOUR favorite authors and why?
Mark Twain, followed by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, because they’re good .
Are any of your characters based on anyone you know?
All of the women are based on my wife.
How did the Ajahs originate?
Simply because I needed an organization for the power structure, and it seemed to me that a collective organization was something women were more likely to come up with, rather than something strictly hierarchical.
Are your books based on any Biblical themes/characters?
Not directly. Influenced by. And not wholly—there are other influences as well.
What is/was Garen’s Wall? Will it play a role?
Garen’s Wall is a split between tectonic plates. It is a great cliff that stretches across hundreds of miles. As to whether it plays a part, read and find out! Maybe it do and maybe it don’t.
My question has three parts: First off, the scope of your work outstrips many of today’s other authors, and has spoiled me! 1. Do you recommend any other authors? And who? 2. Are you planning any tours in Canada? 3. When is Lord of Chaos available in Canada?
My question has a few parts: When Perrin left the Two Rivers did he tell people who he was going to see? Did Rand’s father come? Does he know about Rand being the Dragon Reborn?
Did Egwene as Amyrlin happen to be watching people’s dreams while Rand was shielded?
I’m not quite sure I understand the question. Again?
Since Rand was shielded and couldn’t form any wards on his dreams could Egwene have spied out that he was in trouble while in Tel’aran’rhiod?
Ah. Yes, she could have. The problem is, when you’ve learned that something is impossible, you have a tendency to stop trying it. She just didn’t try to spy during the period in question.
This obviously requires huge amounts of plotting and info outlining. Did you have any pertinent WOT info lost during Hurricane Hugo? (And did your house suffer at all?)
Yes, my house suffered during Hurricane Hugo, and no, I didn’t have any significant information loss.
Your societies seem to all place women in a very influential role. Any particular reason why you created so many matriarchies? Also, do you already have a solution for Rand’s love triangle?
Greetings! From Rand’s Rhuidean vision: If the Sharom is the Dark One’s prison, why would it be floating in on place above a city and not in some transcendent plain? Why didn’t Rand see it there?
But it isn’t. The Sharom and the Collam Daan are a university/research center. Or were.
Also, did Mierin intend to create the Bore?
In part, yes. Not alone.
Is Rand’s world an atheistic world, based on only human “powers”?—there seems to be a “devil” but nothing on the flip side.
What would you say the Creator is? The Light?
How do you keep up with all of the plotlines, prophecies, etc.?
With difficulty.
Do you use story boards, flow charts, etc. or just the FAQs?
No, I don’t use story boards, etc. I just do outlines in the sense of synopses of what I intend to write.
Is the Hawkwing era and or the Seanchan based on any actual historical era and do you plan on including some more historical data about the Age of Legends and maybe a separate series?
The first part of your question: no. It’s based on several combined. The second part: Only insofar as it affects the story in the “here and now.” In a separate series: no.
Why weren’t Compulsion and Illusion mentioned in the previous books before Lord of Chaos and is there any specific character in the series that you have taken a liking to?
Compulsion and Illusion: They weren’t mentioned primarily because it wasn’t necessary. Actually Compulsion has been mentioned a number of times, and I think Illusion has been mentioned in passing at least once or twice. It just wasn’t necessary to deal with them in depth. The answer to the rest of the question: All of them. (Sorry.) I like all of them. Whoever I’m writing—that’s the one I like.
Moiraine actually used Illusion a couple of times in The Eye of the World ; it just wasn’t named as such.
Did you think the series would become this popular?
No. I hoped, but I never thought.
Did you think you were going to write only the first book without sequels? If your wife is all the female characters are you all the male ones?
No, I knew from the start that I was writing something that would be multiple books. I just never knew how many, exactly. The last question: Probably, God help me. Never thought of it that way, though.
In the Starlog interview , RJ seems to have indicated that it was originally intended to be one book.
Hello all and Mr. Jordan. I am a big WOT fan and I am amazed by some of the themes, i.e. struggle between men and women. Mr. Jordan truly sheds some light on differences between men and women. There also seem to be some allusions to Native Americans, weaves of fire, air, etc. The politicking and warring of the Game of Houses and battle scenes are told with the clarity of someone who has military experience. Can you briefly state what from your background makes WOT so realistic?
Forty-odd years of life. “Briefly?” It’s what it boils down to.
Are Min’s visions absolute foretellings or probabilities?
Her visions are absolute foretellings. The problem is, she doesn’t always know what it means. The only changes from that are two visions she’s had which indicated the possibility of the future forking, an “either/or.” And that’s the only time she’s ever had anything like that.
There is a big influence (already mentioned) from wide ranging source materials. This is a great deal of fun, tracking down all of the various sources whilst reading. Is there a reason that the Arthur and other Avalon legends are referred to so much. Gawyn, Morgase, et al.?
They really aren’t referred to any more than many other legends and myths, but they’re simply more recognizable to most Americans.
RJ was probably hinting that the Americans are generally the least ‘cultured’ and the least likely to recognize the foreign legends he drew from, Norse and Slavic mythology (very prominent), etc. The Arthur legends are probably better-known elsewhere (i.e. Britain, France).
Mr. Jordan. Just curious, do you know how many words you’ve typed into this series (some authors have it in the epilogue)?
My answer is not closer than plus-or-minus 100,000 words or so. Give or take a million.
Firstly, I’d like to thank you for my mother’s autographed The Fires of Heaven , 10/150 and also, what inspires your deft writing?
Everything!
Specifically?
Everything specifically!
We have been speculating regarding Demandred’s current doings and his possible location/appearance. Care to comment?
Well, no.
Will we be getting more glimpses into the Dark One’s prison as we go?
The prison: maybe.
Hi Mr. Jordan and everyone. I was wondering about Artur Hawkwing. I notice parallels to the King Arthur legends in particular… But what other stories inspired this?
Too many to go into—truly too many.
Folks, I’m afraid I’ll have to bring this conference to a close. I would like to thank Robert Jordan for being our guest tonight! And I’d like to thank you all for coming!
Thanks to everyone for coming. We have to go!
Night Mr. Jordan! And thank you Patrick for your assistance!
Natalie Farsi, Tor’s publicist, says thank you all. I say thank you all. RJ and Harriet are two tired folks. But this was fun. And we’re off. Have a good time!
RJ didn’t have internet access at the time, so he most likely joined the chat at the Tor office with Harriet.
Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
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