Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

Okay. Here's the (mostly) verbatim transcription of the Seattle Memory Keepers conversation with Harriet & Brandon. It's not every last bit; I left out the worst of the chatter except where it actually led to the next good question. JeffS is JeffS, WL is me, and the rest of the initials are the various non-rereader MKs except where I couldn't tell for sure who was talking, in which case I just used MK. Much of this I already posted, but this is directly from the recording.

Seattle Memory Keepers time with Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson
12 February 2013 (Verbatim except where noted, with the repetitions and voiceovers removed.)

What was in Grady's letter from his wife? Does she have a new ugly baby?

RAFO.

Wetlander

(I got a real RAFO card for it!)

Can you tell me more about the Jenn now, or do I have to wait for the encyclopedia? Will the encyclopedia tell what happened to them?

General refusal to answer: shrugging, changing the subject, etc. :)

Wetlander

(Yes, it was nearly a joke, because I've been pestering Brandon about the Jenn for over a year now, either in person or by proxy...)

Was Bao the Wyld part of Sharan prophecy? If so, was Demandred co-opting their Dragon prophecies?

"The Wyld" was part of Sharan prophecy; Demandred thinks he co-opted the Sharan version of the "dragon prophecies" but it was actually about him all along.

Wetlander

(I was surprised to get an answer to this; I expect some of it will show up in "River of Souls" anyway. An interesting follow-on question might be whether this means the Sharans were destined by the Pattern to fight for Team Dark.)

Will you confirm now that Rand's sword (received in The Gathering Storm, given to Tam in A Memory of Light) is Hawkwing's sword Justice?

"Yes, I can now confirm that. It's also my sword." (But in-world, it's Justice.)

Wetlander

(Possible follow-on question, if anyone is interested: Is there a backstory on it, e.g. the theory that Hawkwing took it from Guaire Amalasan? What about the idea that it came from the War of Power and was Lews Therin's own sword then?)

Since balefire strengthens cuendillar, what effect would Egwene's opposing "Flame of Tar Valon" weave have?

Good question!

Wetlander

(But then we got interrupted and didn't come back to it, so if someone is curious, they could try again and get the rest of the answer. Related questions might be... Would Egwene's weave strengthen cuendillar simply because it is the One Power? If for every weave there is an opposite weave, could there be a weave that would turn the Tar Valon harbor chains back to iron?)

Can you give any further detail on Min's viewing of Aviendha having Rand's babies? (Per the quotation: "Aviendha would have Rand's babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.")

They are natural quadruplets (no, Aviendha does not adopt Min's or Elayne's children in order to get four), and the "odd" thing is specifically their ability to channel from birth.

Some would like a definitive answer: Are channelers ever bound to the Horn? (Rand? Egwene?)

"They certainly could be." Brandon and Harriet agreed that, although the notes never specified any channelers who were so bound, there was nothing in the notes to indicate it couldn’t/didn't happen either, and they both believe it’s entirely possible.

Wetlander

(A follow-on question might be asked about whether Egwene might be a Hero, but they didn't give me the impression that they were hedging—which they probably would have, if that were in the notes.)

Vora's sa'angreal—was it always in the notes that it didn't have the buffer against over-drawing?

Yes, that was always its setup according to the notes, though Brandon gets credit for naming the thing.

No (with a laugh).

Did the name "s'redit" have anything to do with "editor"?

No, she didn't think so; however, she told the story... The Ringling Brothers (I think) circus came to town and she & Jim went to watch the elephants being unloaded. It was quite an impressive sight, and she indicated that was when he decided to put them in the books. Also, watching the (incredible!) acrobats, she's pretty sure that's when the ideas for Luca's menagerie etc. came into being.

I’ve got three names, and you can tell me what you think. Peter wants “Knights Radiant”; Moshe, my editor, wants “Lightweaver”; and I want “The Words of Radiance.” For the second Stormlight book.

(general chaotic discussion of names, pros and cons)

I don’t like yours, it’s too long.

BRANDON SANDERSON

They like “Lightweaver” – I’m worried, having a book called “A Memory of Light” and then another one with Light in the title the same year, which was why I didn’t go with that.

(more general chaotic discussion)

BRANDON SANDERSON

You guys are voting for Knights Radiant. It seems too on the nose for me, is the thing. Like naming Pat’s (Rothfuss) new book “Kvothe has sex” or something like that, you know? Yes, it’s what the book’s about, but it’s very on the nose – it’s exactly what the book’s about. Does that make sense? That’s why it bothers me, but that’s why all the marketing people are like “Yeah, that’s what it’s about! Let’s make it!”

HARRIET

Think. up. a. new. one.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah, but Moshe needs it like two weeks ago!

HARRIET

Some other weaver. Radiant Weaver.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Hey, that’s not bad. That’s actually good. You can make it two words.

(more chaos)

HARRIET

It’s better than the other three. I haven’t read a word of it...!