The literary world was rocked this last Sunday, September 16th, when word came that Robert Jordan had passed away. Instantly, blog sites and Yahoo groups, lists of all kinds, were buzzing. Even I, who have never read a Jordan novel, felt the loss.
Why? What is it about this man that has created such a ruckus, such a stir?
I’ve often asked for book recommendations from my writer friends, and on nearly everyone’s list is Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series. They say his writing is something that must be experienced.
He was born James Oliver Rigney, Jr. in Charleston, South Carolina. He went into the military and had quite the career, including two tours in Vietnam. He then worked as a nuclear engineer for the Navy. However, in 1977, his life took a turn in a whole new direction as he decided to write.
In 1980, he released “The Fallon Blood,” using the pen name Reagan O’Neal. He wrote two others as well, but in 1982, he wrote “Conan the Invincible” and published it under the name of Robert Jordan. He went on to write other books in the Conan series.
1990 saw the dawn of “The Wheel of Time” series. He charted it out to be a twelve book project, not knowing that his life would be cut short while working on the twelfth installment, “A Memory of Light.” Fans the world over are aching, wondering what his plans were for that book, and speculating that his wife, Harriet, might finish it for him.
It was in 2006 that Jordan made public his health problems. He posted on his website that he was suffering from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (cardiac amyloidosis). The prognosis for such an illness was that he would last four years, but he had every intention of proving the doctors wrong. Some of his faithful fans even offered him their blood marrow, hoping that would help speed his recovery. Unfortunately, the wheel of time was not in his favor, and he passed away last Sunday at the age of 59, so young.
The city of Charleston has certainly lost one of its most famous residents. He was a private man, even more so since falling ill, but the town recognized him instantly whenever he went out, with his beard, hat and glasses. They will miss him for years to come, but his legend is eternal.
Related Blogs:
The Passing of Lloyd Alexander