Spotlight Squee: Robert Jordan

Today, it's a year since the funeral service, so here's my hommage to the Creator. The only downside of writing this entry is that it has made cry, as I do think the world has lost a most magnificent storyteller. A toast to his memory! May he live forever in our hearts!

Who is this person?
Robert Jordan, pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr., wrote The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina on 17 October 1948, served in Vietnam in the late 60s and later took up writing. He's written some Conan books as well, but is most famous for tWoT. He was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis in 2006, and died on 16 September 2007.

How did I find this person?
A classmate suggested I should read "The Eye of the World", as it was a very good book... and so I borrowed it from the library and started reading. She was not wrong!

How long ago was this?
Must have been in 1996 or 1997, I think.

So what's the deal?
It's a world that lives and breathes. It's not full of annoying "we're in such a hurry and we're so much in danger as we're being chased... so we'll sit here for a couple of weeks and have a party with our new friends"... nor does it have pages upon pages of elvish singing... or women who keep fainting all the time for sympathy. Some people complain that the books are too full of descriptions, but that's what I enjoy about them. It makes for a very detailed understanding of the world, and makes it come alive. It's just books that tickle my imagination and my interest, and I love them for it. They're a great inspiration - and I could never manage to write to his level... but it sets the bar very high and gives a good rolemodel for fantasy fiction writing. Kudos, RJ.

If I met this person IRL, I'd...
...be very surprised, considering he's dead. :( But if I had had the chance to meet him when he was alive, I'd say "I love your books and the world you have created!"

Obsession rating:
Undecided. Still my favourite fantasy books and I'm eagerly awaiting the final installment. Just a shame it won't be penned by the Creator himself. :( Then again, I suppose I could say it's a little bit high, considering I have all the books, New Spring, The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time and a few years ago, I was given two SIGNED roleplaying books by my now hubby that he got off eBay from someone in America, which made me very happy. Oh, and I loved walking around in the PC game as well, but this computer won't play it. :( Was probably higher when I was an active WoT RPG member, back in 2002-2004.

Linkage:
Wikipedia: Robert Jordan
TOR Books: Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan's Blog
wotmania
Dragonmount
Virtuella Vita Tornet (a Swedish RPG sort of based on the world of tWoT)