84 replies to this topic

[kcf]

Tor made it official today, the release date for A Memory of Light, the final Wheel of Time book is January 8, 2013.

Thoughts? Reactions? Reflections?

[MaesterLuwin]

Any reason why the wait is so long? I realize they want to edit the crap out of this book and go out on a high note, but does anyone knowledgable of the publishing industry know if there's any other reason to release this after the holidays?

I'll be there on the release date; I'm not as big of a fan as I used to be, but there's still a very nostalgic place in my heart for the glory days of the series in the mid-90s, when I debated the books on Usenet. Jordan was my first step into a wider world of literature, fandom, and wild theorizing.

[Rob B]

My guess, perhaps Tor's schedule is a bit tight at the end of the year and they don't want the focus taken from those books to be lost in the release of AMoL and vice versa.

Besides, it's the last book, let them take a bit more time to polish it as much as possible. It'll give all of us more time to re-read and/or catch up.

[Mr Merdle]

The post-holiday release does seem a bit eccentric but in a twenty three year series what are a few months.

[Nathan Stinson]

Brandon Sanderson posts his reflections on the announcement: http://goo.gl/la52a

It is currently down from overwhelming traffic, but it should be back up before long

[Arataniello]

To ne honest, it will be nice to see it finally over and done with.

[alguien]

Looking forward to it.

I'm sure its being given top priority and millions invested in its production schedule, but it does seem odd that they are releasing it so close to after the Christmas holiday.

[Starkess]

Excellent. Thought it was going to be sometime in 2012, but I guess that's close enough.

[The Anti-Targ]

I'll read it, and no doubt I'll buy it rather than borrow from the library given it will be on 7 day loan rather than 4 week, and it'll have rather a long waiting list.

Though, it might be the book I try out as an ebook, if I can borrow someone's ebook reader.

But, sad to say, I've lost that lovin' feeling for this series somewhat. I want to see it to it's conclusion, and for anyone wanting to read a good fanstasy series I'll recommended as one of a few options (ASOIAF first of course), but it's not what it used to be. I don't think sanderson made a sows ear out of a silk purse, I think the series lost a wee bit of its savour while Jordan was still at the helm.

There's a bit of a lesson I think. Even in literature things can get too big and unwieldy. Take note GRRM, 7 or 8 books for ASOIAF should be enough. If you feel a new and exciting plotline coming on ignore it. "The tale grew in the telling" can only be allowed to go so far before the internal editor has to start saying "enough already".

[Calibandar]

Curious. Everybody was expecting November, it seemed to be done on time as well.

Also, January is usually a bit of a dead month in book publishing. So yea, an odd date.

You could say that this book is so massive that they simply don't care when they release it, it'll draw millions of readers anyway. And that is going to be true anyway, so in this case the book won't be hurt by it.

Edit: Sanderson's explanation makes it pretty clear why the book is later than expected.

Quote

My guess, perhaps Tor's schedule is a bit tight at the end of the year and they don't want the focus taken from those books to be lost in the release of AMoL and vice versa.

We'll see in March, when the new schedules go up until the end of the year. But usually Tor slows down on releases after November.

This makes this the second highly anticipated book in epic Fantasy that was expected this year to move to 2013, after Peter Brett's 3rd book. Abercrombie might just make it this year, but Bakker looks impossible as well. This year could be entirely devoid of major releases.

Edited by Calibandar, 16 February 2012 - 04:06 PM.

[Sci-2]

The Anti-Targ, on 16 February 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

Though, it might be the book I try out as an ebook, if I can borrow someone's ebook reader.

If you have a computer (or even a an iPhone/Android) you should be able to get the free Kindle Software: http://www.amazon.co...ocId=1000493771

[Switchback]

Nathan Stinson, on 16 February 2012 - 03:13 PM, said:

Brandon Sanderson posts his reflections on the announcement: http://goo.gl/la52a

It is currently down from overwhelming traffic, but it should be back up before long

I love how open and honest Sanderson is about his work.

As for it being pushed back a couple of months, no big deal to me really.  I've been reading this series for 20 years now, I can handle a couple extra months.  Really, really pumped for this book.  I'm sure it will be pretty bittersweet to read it, but for now I'm just excited about it.

[Werthead]

The release date is curious given that it misses the lucrative (even for otherwise massive releases) pre-Christmas period, something that Tor would have avoided if at all possible. I suspect Sanderson's late delivery (apparently Tor were supposed to get the finished novel in December, not just the first draft, which I didn't realise before) coupled with Harriet's insistence on a longer editing period and possibly Tor's busy schedule combined to make this date more attractive. Plus a November release date against heavy-hitters from other publishers may have risked AMoL not completing the home run of being the seventh book in a row to go to #1 on the bestseller lists, whilst in January it's virtually guaranteed to do it.

Quote

This year could be entirely devoid of major releases.

We have the new Erikson, and maybe the new Esslemont (if it holds for November I'd be pleasantly surprised) as well. We also still have the new Stephen King, the new Abraham, a new Mieville, a new Parker and Mark Lawrence's second book as well. Plus, of course, there's the ever-errant Lynch to consider.

[wolverine]

MaesterLuwin, on 16 February 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:

I'll be there on the release date; I'm not as big of a fan as I used to be, but there's still a very nostalgic place in my heart for the glory days of the series in the mid-90s, when I debated the books on Usenet. Jordan was my first step into a wider world of literature, fandom, and wild theorizing.

My sentiments exactly.  This series got me back into reading my first year in college after a hiatus towards the end of high school.

Except take out mid-90's and put in early 2000's (I am not that old!)

[Grack21]

Well, it is TOR. Who the fuck knows how they think.

[mashiara]

I thought it would be November of this year, but what's a few extra months after you've been waiting for so long? I'm really looking forward to this. One way or another, it will be great to see the end of the story.

[Aximand]

Well, I honestly was hoping it would be November, but as a fan of the series I understand why Harriet would want the last piece of her husband's legacy to be as perfect as possible.  I have a lot of other fiction to keep me busy until then so it will still be a good reading year for me. I am curious as to how this will change the release of Stormlight Archive #2.

[Switchback]

Damn, i just thought again about how I've been reading this series for 20 years now.  That's nuts.  More than half of my life I have either been reading a WoT book or waiting for a WoT book.  I'm not sure how I feel about the series ending.

[SpaceChampion]

I like the post-Christmas release date.  I usually get a Chapters gift card for Christmas.  TGS only cost me $0.70 when it came out.  :-)

(Of course if the world ends in December then fuck you Tor!)

Edited by SpaceChampion, 17 February 2012 - 12:30 AM.

[cseresz.reborn]

kcf, on 16 February 2012 - 02:08 PM, said:

Thoughts? Reactions? Reflections?

I for one, as a WoT fan, can finally rest easy that no more butchering of the best epic fantasy will ever take place.