Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

JUSTIN LEE

BRANDON SANDERSON

JUSTIN LEE

BRANDON SANDERSON

BRIAN CAYEN

BRANDON SANDERSON

BRANDON SANDERSON

I was fortunate enough to attend the Robert Jordan book signing at the Barnes and Noble in San Jose near where I live in California, and I figured everyone might be interested to hear what it was like.

RJ was scheduled to appear at 7pm, so, my (much more dedicated friend who drove seven hours from LA) went down to get in line around 3pm. Shortly after he arrived, he called to warn me, "The guy next to me says that last year, the line wrapped around the building!" So, I took the afternoon off work and headed down to ye olde book store.

I got there around 4, and about seven people were in line. Surprisingly, only three of us had read Winter's Heart, so we went off into the onsite coffee shop, and had a few hours of hard core Jordan discussion. We went back and forth on a lot of the issues in Winter's Heart: Demandred (we really wanted to be convinced that the evidence was inconclusive—IMHO, RJ is a huge, deceptive tease otherwise), the possibilities for Slayer as Asmodean's killer (Sure, he really looks like it now—but did we really have enough evidence to guess it was him pre-Lord of Chaos?), whether Sammael is alive, whether he's directing the slayer, if Moridin was just sending the Forsaken off to "pay the butcher's bill" rather than actually stopping Rand, if Olver was Gaidal (this never dies!), and if a Well explained Verin's delving in the stedding.

Naturally, all this rampant Jordanism led into what questions we would ask Jordan. I had brought a notebook, and wrote down a few of my favorites:

—How many more of your books will feature nude women slapping each other? Is there any possibility they will be illustrated?

—Is it now crystal clear who Asmodean's killer is? [I know what poor luck Asmodean questions have—but I figured a quasi-indirect one might get by.]

—What can you tell us specifically about the compulsion used by Aes Sedai in the Warder bond? What effect, if any, does channeling have on preventing this? Is it sufficient to just be holding saidar/saidin to avoid this effect?

—Is Machin Shin a result of the Dark One's taint on saidin being used in the creation of the Ways, or a result of some portion of the corruption of Shadar Logoth creeping into the Ways via the Waygate there? Or is it something completely orthogonal to both these powers, merely being a parasite that showed up once the place began to grow dim?

—Were The Path of Daggers and Winter's Heart originally meant to be one book? Why was the book jacket changed?

—What does the title Dragon mean, historically speaking? Was there some deeper significance to Lews Therin Telamon being named that, or was it because dragons have always been historically badasses?

—What happens to an Aes Sedai's Warder bond if she enters a stedding? Can she still detect it? What if I tie off a weave, and enter a stedding? If the weave vanishes, will it reappear when I leave? If it won't reappear, why can't shielded/tied channelers such as Asmodean or Liandrin simply enter a stedding to have their shield dissolved?

So, naturally, my friend and I didn't have time to ask all these questions, but it was quite an event.

QUESTION

ROBERT JORDAN

QUESTION

ROBERT JORDAN

QUESTION

ROBERT JORDAN

This is a collection of quotes that were organized by Raina (presumably an old rasfwrj person) some time in 2001. Most of the original sources for the quotes she collected were found online, so those quotes aren't included here. These are only the leftover quotes, and as a result we have no idea where they came from or when they were asked, unless there are clues in the text. Sometimes it's not entirely clear if consecutive paragraphs are from different reports or the same report. We are, however, always searching for these lost interviews, and when we find them, we'll delete the quotes from this collection. I'll include Raina's introductory comments below, along with a list of the categories, each of which links to a Google Doc containing a link to the original category and an annotated copy of the page's original contents, linking to known sources and highlighting lost sources, which are the ones included here. Raina also drew from these interviews for her collection (and those quotes are not included here):

SOURCES

Letter to Tom McCormick: December 1993
Sense of Wonder interview: October 1994
Compuserve chat: October 19, 1994
AOL chat 1: October 21, 1994
AOL chat 2: October 21, 1994
Sci-fi Channel Interview: April 23, 1995
East of the Sun Con�Karl Johan Nor�n: June 16, 1995
East of the Sun Interview�Helena Lofgren: June 17, 1995
Balticon XXX�Bill Garrett: April 5, 1996
Balticon XXX�Pam Korda: April 6, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Brian Ritchie: June 21, 1996
Compuserve chat: June 26, 1996
AOL chat 1: June 27, 1996
AOL chat 2: June 27, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Hawk: August 4, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Robert Watson: August 23, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Lara Beaton: August 23, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Greebs: August 25, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Erica Sadun: October 9, 1996
ACOS Signing Report�Mike Lawson: October 12, 1996
AOL chat: October 19, 1996
DragonCon Sci-Fi Channel chat: June 28, 1997
Barnes and Noble chat: November 11, 1997
Waldenbooks Interview: October 1998
Barnes and Noble chat: October 19, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Aaron Bergman: October 20, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Pam Basham: October 22, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Drew Gillmore: Octoer 24, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Justin Howell: October 24, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Chris Mullins: October 24, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Rick Moen: October 25, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Kevin Bartlett: October 29, 1998
Sci-fi.com chat: November 1, 1998
Amazon.com interview: November 6, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Matthew Hunter: November 14, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Michael Martin: November 15, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�John Hamby: November 18, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Melinda Yin: November 18, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�John Nowacki: November 20, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�John Hamby: November 21, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�Rachel K. Warren: November 21, 1998
TPOD Signing Report�John Novak: November 21, 1998
Brisbane Signing Report�Joel Gilmore: September 21, 1999
Locus Magazine Interview: March 2000
Orbit interview: October 2000
Barnes and Noble chat: November 11, 2000
WH Signing Report�Ryan R.: November 12, 2000
Sci-fi.com chat: November 14, 2000
CNN chat: December 12, 2000
Author's Table Interview: 2001
Leiden Signing Report�Aan'allein: April 2001
Amsterdam Signing Report�Aan'allein: April 5, 2001
Rotterdam Signing Report�Aan�allein: April 6, 2001
Dromen and Demonen chat: April 6, 2001
Elf Fantasy Fair�Aan'allein: April 7, 2001
Elf Fantasy Fair�Aan'allein: April 8, 2001
Interview with RJ�Kurafire: April 10, 2001
Marcon Report�Sorilea: May 2001

Below are collected various Jordan questions and answers, and reports from interviews. Not all quotes are guaranteed to be here, although I try to be thorough, and in some cases I've deleted answers that repeat material more or less verbatim. They are organized into categories by topic, and some are in more than one category, so you shouldn't find it hard to find a quotation you're looking for. Try 'Miscellaneous' if none of the categories seem to fit. As for such categories as 'Sex and Sexuality' and 'Bela'�you asked the questions, I just sort them.

And please stop asking who killed Asmodean or if Moiraine will be back. 'Read And Find Out' is already far too long!

In several cases, the people who provided the quotes have included comments of their own on the questions or answers. As such, any interpretations of Jordan's words do not necessarily represent my personal opinion. A few comments were written by me, and they are in blue text and signed Like this�Raina. so you should have no trouble working out which is which.

Robert Jordan Himself
How long will the series be, how long will it take, and does he know the end?
What if he dies before finishing it?
How did the series originate?
How does he go about writing the books?
What are his sources and inspirations?
What else has Jordan written?
What else is in the Wheel of Time universe?
What is he planning to write?
Fan reaction to the books
Spin-offs: movies and so forth
The Wheel of Time game
Fantasy as a genre
Jordan and Tolkien
Advice to aspiring writers
Guide Art and Cover Art
WoT versus reality
Themes of the series
What books does Jordan read?
Timing of events in the series

Workings of the Wheel
Women and Men
The One Power, the True Power, and channeling
The Dragon
The Heroes and the Horn
Tel'aran'rhiod and other dreams
The Age of Legends
Is he his characters?
Rand al'Thor
Mat Cauthon
Perrin Aybara
Egwene al'Vere
Nynaeve al'Meara/Mandragoran
Moiraine Damodred
Al'Lan Mandragoran
Min Farshaw
Elayne Trakand
Aviendha
Thom Merrilin
Faile ni Bashere t'Aybara
Berelain Paeron sur Paendrag
Tam and Kari al'Thor
Padan Fain
The Daughter of the Nine Moons
Birgitte and Gaidal Cain
Verin Mathwin
Cadsuane Melaidhrin
Galad Damodred
Sharina Melloy
The Shadow
The Black Ajah
The Forsaken
Shadar Logoth
Slayer
The White Tower
The Black Tower
Warders and the Bond
The Aiel
The Aelfinn and the Eelfinn
The Oath Rod
Language and the Old Tongue
The Ogier
Geography
Theology
Prophecy
Blademasters
Other Lands (Shara, Seanchan, the Land of the Madmen)
Sex and Sexuality
Bela
Trivia
Miscellaneous
Read and Find Out!
Questions for the future
Raina's Hold

I know what you're talking about. I won't confirm 100% or not, but the phrasing was intentional.

As I understand, if you are 'spun out' you do not respond to the call of the Horn. So no Cain showing up if it is sounded again, as he's been spun out.

Astrogat

As you understand it? Isn't your understanding more or less canon at this point?

ilikedirigibles

No, it's not his world or book series. He can misunderstand something just as well as the next guy.

Not saying he did here, but just 'cuz he's finishing the series doesn't mean, for example, he can retcon or change anything or do "whatever he wants or thinks".

Astrogat

No of course not. But if there are two ways to understand something (that RJ has written) wouldn't it be up to Sanderson to decide which of those he believes to be right?

So if he thinks that when he's spun out he wont respond to the Horn, no one can ever prove him wrong (there are nothing in the books to contradict this), so wouldn't his understanding be the "right" one?

Brandon Sanderson

Here's the thing. There are three million+ words of notes, and RJ changed his mind about a lot of things as he wrote, explored, and made decisions. (He talked about this being his process. He saw the Wheel of Time as an organic thing.) So any time I speak on an issue like this, there's the chance that Maria (his assistant) will come to me and say "Actually, Brandon, he changed his mind on that. Look here for the revision." Half the time, it's something he mentioned in passing to her, Harriet, or Alan and isn't even written down.

So...on things I think I know, but haven't confirmed with Team Jordan yet, I usually add some wiggle room. My knowledge is far from absolute. Fortunately, everything in the books I write gets fact-checked a half dozen times. (Even then, some of my mistakes slip through.)

Birgitte thinks he's been reborn into the world.

SPENCER POWELL

That's a nice answer.

MARK

No kidding.

SPENCER POWELL

Birgitte thinks he's been reborn?

VIRGINIA

She's mooning over all the ugly boy-children she can get her hands on, thinking "Ohh, maybe this is him!"

ALAN ROMANCZUK

But keep in mind the only way she thinks that is because she hadn't seen him for a while in Tel'aran'rhiod before she was yanked out by Moghedien. So we don't even know if that's true, do we? (I just threw that out for what it's worth.)

VIRGINIA

But she did always say that he was usually born before her, but we don't know how long in real world time, so he could be more than a child, hopefully. Or he could still be lurking in Tel'aran'rhiod.

SPENCER POWELL

But there's no way he could be more than a child. Correct me if I'm wrong, Alan, but the entirety of the books we have isn't more than a couple of years, is it?

JENNIFER LIANG

Yeah, it's been about twenty-four months for the main characters. Alan would know for sure.

ALAN ROMANCZUK

Yes, I'm not saying this is true. Well, of course I know, but I can give you various possibilities: he could be born as a child right now; he could still be lurking in Tel'aran'rhiod; he could have been ripped out the same way Birgitte had been, in which case he would be an adult, right?

SPENCER POWELL

Unless he was dead. Because wouldn't it require someone to bond him after he gets ripped out? Wasn't that kind of the deal with Birgitte?

ALAN ROMANCZUK

Mmhmm.

VIRGINIA

Well, maybe he's stronger than she was…maybe he's…

ALAN ROMANCZUK

There are a lot of possibilities.

JENNIFER LIANG

Unless somebody has a really ugly Warder they're not talking about… [laughter]

MARK

Not all Warders are beautiful. I mean…

VIRGINIA

Go check Myrelle's quarters. I know Myrelle has a real penchant for hiding extra Warders around… [laughter]

JENNIFER LIANG

Yeah, but she likes hers pretty.

SPENCER POWELL

She got Lan.

VIRGINIA

Lan's impressive, but I don't know if anybody would call him pretty any more. [laughter]

KJacobs: Yes, thanks for asking about Verin's letters! I was going to ask that directly to Brandon but you saved me some time. :)

I wound up asking two questions directly to Brandon, about Birgitte and Gaidal and about the Rand/Moridin body swap, which a friend requested I ask. I'll write them out as close to verbatim as I recall.

I have a question about who Gaidal and Birgitte might be reborn as. I was wondering if Gaidal could be the son of an Asha'man and if Birgitte might be reborn as an Aiel?

Gaidal definitely could be, and there's a pretty big hint in Towers of Midnight that many folks online have found. As for Birgitte, it's possible.

Mageen

Do you know who Birgitte is reborn as?

Brandon Sanderson

No.

Mageen

I think a case could be made for Melaine, as the Wise Ones talk about her time being near.

Brandon Sanderson

In the WoT, a soul becomes tied to the body at viability.

Mageen

(As noted in the group Q&A per Robert Jordan.)

I think that's pretty much confirmation that Gaidal is Grady's son. I can't decide whether the comment on viability is to direct attention towards Elayne, as she is at that stage of pregnancy, confirmed by that crazy scene. I know in the torchat Brandon said the notes don't say who Melaine's children are, so maybe he's just stating everything he knows. I prefer to think that Elayne's children might be Calian and Shivan and would usher in the end of the current age. I look forward to the encyclopedia, that's for sure!