Book 12...and 13? A Memory of Light to be split in half due to size

[Werthead]

News on Book 12 and now, apparently, 13:

From one of my colleagues on asoiaf.westeros.org:

Although he plans on submitting the manuscript as one work, he suspects that due to the size it will be released in two volumes, making the series 13 long...which he said he'd gotten emails from people requesting that he actually do that due to the significance of the number to the series.

He's writing it in chunks, basically picking two characters at a time and one particular scene towards the middle of the book and it writing up to that point, then hes going to continue from there when he has all of the characters. Final word count he's aiming for is around 675,000.

He also talked a bit about how he was approached to do the project...absolutely no warning, Harriet just called him up and asked if he wanted to do the last book. He said he actually e-mailed her the next day to reassure her that he was, in fact, not an idiot and was capable of talking in full sentences despite their previous day conversation.

As someone on Wotmania pointed out 675,000 words is almost as big as LoC and ACoS put together, or three times the length of TPoD. There is no binding technology in existence that can hold together a paperback of that size, and a hardcover would be seriously pushing it.

Looks like we're going to get 13 books after all.

 

[C Of K]

I was wondering how they planned to pull off a minimum of 1,200 pages. Now I wonder how long we'll have to wait for book 13 after book 12 is released.

Or does this

he suspects that due to the size it will be released in two volumes

mean that they will be released simultaneously?

Thanks for the news, Wert.

 

[Clansman]

A boxed edition set would be a really slick way to finish this series. I knew that it couldn't be wrapped up in just one volume. Too much has to happen to allow a single volume.

 

[Talysia]

Interesting news. Thanks for the update, Werthead.

 

[kenpat]

A boxed edition set would be a really slick way to finish this series. I knew that it couldn't be wrapped up in just one volume. Too much has to happen to allow a single volume.

Hopefully they will release it in that form because I've just started to reread the series and figure at 1 book a month I should be ready for the final release by October 2009.

 

[Werthead]

I was wondering how they planned to pull off a minimum of 1,200 pages. Now I wonder how long we'll have to wait for book 13 after book 12 is released.

Or does this

mean that they will be released simultaneously?

Thanks for the news, Wert.

No. Volume 1 is slated for November 2009 and Volume 2 for March 2010, the twentieth anniversary of the series.

 

[Rahl Windsong]

I recently found myself with nothing to read and too late at night to visit the library, so I started this series again with Eye of the World. I find it hard to believe that those first few books can be so good and then later on.....it gets so utterly boring!

Anyway I am now on to The Great Hunt and so far I am enjoying it as much as I did the re-read of Eye of the World. The only problem is that eventually I am going to run out of the good ones....

Here is to hoping and praying to the Creator that 12 and 13 are in that good category!

 

[Leinahtan]

I am afraid I loved all the books, though at times I wanted the chapters to just talk about Mat and his little adventures, but I am going to be sad when the book ends. I found Jordan's writing entertaining in English class.

 

[dustinzgirl]

I am afraid I loved all the books, though at times I wanted the chapters to just talk about Mat and his little adventures, but I am going to be sad when the book ends. I found Jordan's writing entertaining in English class.

Mat should have his own collection. He is by far my favorite. What can I say, I'm a sucker for those heroic rogue types.

 

[Michael01]

Too much has to happen to allow a single volume.

I felt the same way, even though I've only read through The Crossroads of Twilight. I have to order Knife of Dreams soon; I keep putting it off.

Are they going to have a seperate title for Book 13, or will it just be "Volume 2 of A Memory of Light?"

Dustinzgirl: Mat is a really cool character, isn't he? Although I must admit that I'd love to see how things turn out for Egwene, all thing considered...

 

[Pyan]

A boxed edition set would be a really slick way to finish this series. I knew that it couldn't be wrapped up in just one volume. Too much has to happen to allow a single volume.

Mmm...and if more had actually happened in books 7 to 10, and the plot had moved a wee bit faster, you wouldn't need an extra book to wrap it up...

 

[Clansman]

Mmm...and if more had actually happened in books 7 to 10, and the plot had moved a wee bit faster, you wouldn't need an extra book to wrap it up...

Py, my friend, I could not agree more. This series could have been finished by book 9 or 10 had the plotting been a lot more crisp.

 

[dreir]

Indeed. And we would've gotten 10 really good books instead of 8 good ones (hopefully!) and a 5 books' worth of fillers. But alas..

- Dreir -

 

[KESpires]

News on Book 12 and now, apparently, 13:

From one of my colleagues on asoiaf.westeros.org:



As someone on Wotmania pointed out 675,000 words is almost as big as LoC and ACoS put together, or three times the length of TPoD. There is no binding technology in existence that can hold together a paperback of that size, and a hardcover would be seriously pushing it.

Looks like we're going to get 13 books after all.

Question for ya Wert, since I see you on GRRM's board and value your opinion.

I've got the prequel and have already read The Eye of the World. Considering that the series has a definite end, and despite what I've heard about the "in-between" books in the middle, is it worth it to start down the journey of reading the series?

As a mutual fan of GRRM, how does it measure up?

 

[Switchback]

well, i'm no wert, but i would suggest you definitely read jordan. it's really an amazing series, and the fact that your wait for the later books will be nothing, i doubt you'll find them as objectionable as those of us who waited for them. they hold up pretty well upon re-read. i love this series.

 

[KESpires]

That's good to know. I'll hit that prequel up and re-read The Eye of the World sometime soon. I've got to do something while I wait for GRRM to run out of excuses to procrastinate any longer.

 

[Werthead]

Re: Book 12...and 13...and 14? A Memory of Light to be split in thrain due to size

It's no ASoIaF, but it is pretty good, although it does sag towards the end.

Current rumour has it that Tor are going to split the final book into THREE volumes and publish them at 12-month intervals. If this is true, I suspect the fanbase's response will be...unsympathetic.

 

[Werthead]

A Memory of Light has been split 'maybe' into three books (i.e. it will be split in three but Tor are trying to appease the fanbase by saying it could still be two), the first of which will be called The Gathering Storm and released in November 2009. And yes, you'll have to wait 12 months for the next one. And 12 months for the one after. Although Sanderson expects to have the whole thing finished by the end of the year at the latest. I am expecting a cacophany of fury from the Internet about this.

​

In addition, that is really quite a hideous cover. It's even worse than Knife of Dreams. Rand breakdancing in front of a haunted house? Okay...

 

[Switchback]

Oh, dear lord.

A) That cover is ridiculous. B) I was getting used to the significance of 13 books, 14 ruins that. C) Having the whole thing written by the end of this year, and then waiting until the end of 2011 to be done with it seems a little extreme. D) How could they not sell a hardcover? E) I just want to read it....

 

[Riselka]

Here's an article from Tor about the split into three:

Tor.com / Science fiction and fantasy / Blog posts / Tor announces <em>The Gathering Storm</em>, Book Twelve of Robert Jordan’s legendary Wheel of Time® fantasy series