From jeff@nospam.starfall.com Wed Mar 8 11:01:58 2000 Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:26:14 -0600 From: Jeff Huo Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan Subject: Re: release date for book 9 Resent-Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 14:02:49 -0500 (EST) Resent-From: Ben Ryan Resent-To: mobius@core.binghamton.edu Resent-Subject: Re: release date for book 9 In article <20000119185747.03566.00000332@ng-ca1.aol.com>, gobbylin@aol.com says... > Once upon a time, drgnbear@my-deja.com wrote: > > >13 seals on the dark ones prison > > > > 13? Really? Hmmm....so, is that why when 3 seals are broken, everybody keeps > going on and on about how there are only 4 left? > > Man, must be that New Math....4+3=13.... > > Oh, not to mention 7 Ajahs, and 7 Ages.....does that mean he intended to write > only 7 books? Was ACoS REALLY the LAST book? It nearly was, you know. What, you haven't seen the letter? Apparently, there was a bit of a tiff between Robert Jordan and Tor near the end of ACoS, and, well....here, let me cut and paste it in for you...hope it helps! ----- letter begins ------- FOR TOR INTERNAL REFERENCE: REG #4392442 PG 1 OF 2 Tor Books 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 James Oliver Rigney, Jr
Re: Book 7 Manuscript, Draft Chapter 42 Dear James: Thank you very much for sending us the final portion of your manuscript. We, however, has some concerns about the final portion that we would like to discuss with you, both in formatting and in content. Please understand that our concerns have nothing to do with the unfortunately non-cordial conversation we had just after you had submitted Chapter 41. We fully understand your extreme frustration, and we regret asking you how many more books there will be in the series. We realize you must be asked this question a great deal, and that it remains a very sore point for you. We also assure you that the opinion of the intern who made the unfortunate comment that the series was already too long does not represent the offical opinion of Tor. However, we are concerned about the chapter you submitted subsequent to that conversation, and would ask you to consider several issues. The spelling errors, grammatical errors, and distinct lack of punctuation and captialization are not by themselves intractable problems, as we have copy editors able to process such items. Nor do we necessarily have anything against submissions written in crayon, nor are we necessarily upset just because said pages were delivered wrapped around a brick and tossed through Tom's window. We do appreciate greatly that you resubmitted the last fourteen .............. TOR INTERNAL: REG #4392442 PG 2 OF 2 pages after we informed you the paste you used to attach the letters you cut out from various magazines to spell out the last few paragraphs had caused the construction paper sheets to stick together. Tor does not have a standard policy of censoring the submissions of its authors prior to publication. However, we anticipate some difficulty with retaining the chapter title, "The Creator Goes Apeshit", in its present form. We are also aware that, while there are no technical difficulties involved in using the grayscale image of your middle finger extended and raised as the chapter icon, this, at the very least, is inconsistent with previous styles and designs. We recognize that you have full right to carry the series wherever you please. We respect and uphold a long tradition of creative freedom here at Tor, and value our long relationship with you. However, we ask you to reconsider having Rand suddenly suffering an explosively fatal attack of metal allergy shortly after poking himself on the Laurel Crown, and then having the Creator blow up the world out of sheer frustration. We recognize that not _every_ character dies in your proposed manuscript; however, the scenes of Bela in Nirvana themselves are problematic, even accepting that it is likely that a horse's Nirvana would include at least some carnal pleasure. Many of the images are just plain sick. Especially those involving Perrin. We accept your contention that some of the horifically painful deaths, described in graphic detail, of some of the female main characters depicted in your chpater would in fact be tremendously popular with your fan base, but we believe overall this submitted chapter is not the best possible end to the series. We propose forgetting this chapter ever existed and continuing from there. Finally, and we feel most importantly, your proposed chapter leaves several key points unfinished. Specifically, and most critically, at no point does Rand score with Min, Elayne, and Aviendha at once. This was an explicit term of your contract. You promised. Please don't make us beg. Respectfully yours, ---- letter ends ------ -- Jeff Huo | jeff@nospam.starfall.com U. Michigan Med | http://www.starfall.com/~jeff New to the group? Welcome! Please read http://www.landfield.com/faqs/sf/robert-jordan-faq/