The Next Lord of the Rings? Wheel of Time Fans Hope So!

Sci Fi Wire reported today that Universal Pictures has acquired the film right to The Wheel of Time. The film adaptations will start with The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan’s first book in the series.

The Sci Fi Wire announcement waters down the conflict in the series to seem pretty dull, but WoT fans know better. The series is about a lot more than just the eternal struggle of good - Rand al’Thor as the Dragon Reborn - and evil -the Dark One. (Sci Fi Wire named the Dark One, something I will not do here!)

Some fans worry that a movie adaptation can’t possibly capture the beauty of the series as well as their imaginations, but many are excited. The announcement does not mention whether the films will be live action or animated; computer generated animation seems to be the popular hope among fans, as it would ease fears about what channeling the One Power will look like, and addresses the problem of cast members aging. The Harry Potter films are one example of the actors aging faster than their characters, and less time passes in the Wheel of Time universe over the span of more books, comparatively.

Of course, I would be lying if I didn’t say I would be thrilled if Universal Pictures based any of their casting on the WoT Fan Cast I’ve complied here.

The best we fans can hope for is that Universal Pictures does the same justice for The Wheel of Time as the Lord of the Rings film trilogy did for Tolkien’s books.

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Dabel Brothers will be producing graphic novels of the entire Wheel of Time series

Have you heard? The Dabel Brothers are going to be doing graphics novels of the whole Wheel of Time series! Are you excited? I am!

I loved the [unfinished] New Spring comics they came out with a few years ago, before Red Eagle Entertainment ran that project into the ground.

I can’t wait to see the new comics for the whole series. I can’t help but wonder… will the characters look anything like our Wheel of Time fan cast?

*pokes the Dabel Brothers to head over here for inspiration*

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A Sense of Humor

As Rand gets to know the Aiel as “his people,” he often makes remarks to himself about their odd sense of humor. In Lord of Chaos, in the chapter called “A Sense of Humor,” he turns to face the Maidens who claim he has no sense of humor, and he tells them the following story:

An irascible old farmer named Hu discovered one morning that his best rooster had flown into a tall tree beside his farm pond and wouldn’t come down, so he went to his neighbor, Wil, and asked for help. The men had never gotten along, but Wil finally agreed, so the two men went to the pond and began climbing the tree, Hu first. They meant to frighten the rooster out, you see, but the bird only kept flying higher, branch by branch. Then, just as Hu and the rooster reached almost the very top of the tree, with Wil right behind, there was a loud crack, the branch under Hu’s feet broke away, and down he went into the pond, splashing water and mud everywhere. Wil scrambled down as fast as he could and reached out to Hu from the bank, but Hu just lay there on his back, sinking deeper into the mud until only his nose stuck out of the water. Another farmer had seen what happened, and he came running and pulled Hu out of the pond. “Why didn’t you take Wil’s hand?” he asked Hu. “You could have drowned.” “Why should I take his hand now?” Hu grumped. “I passed him just a moment ago in broad daylight, and he never spoke a word to me.”

I’m as clueless as the Maidens on this one. I can’t figure out why it’s supposed to be funny, though I know it’s not about the water or the rooster. Can anyone explain why Rand al’Thor would tell this particular story to prove that he has a sense of humor? What’s the punchline?

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Lord of Chaos Love

I’m in the middle of re-reading Lord of Chaos right now. I used to say that The Shadow Rising was my favorite book, but I changed my mind after Book 11 came out. Knife of Dreams is now my favorite book of the Wheel of Time series.

But now that I’m reading Book 6 again, I can’t begin to imagine why Book 4 used to be my favorite. I never really cared much for the immense amount of Aiel history in The Shadow Rising. I always loved the breaking of the White Tower, but I was very impatient as I re-read the book… it’s not until nearly the end. Same with Faile and Perrin getting married. I kept waiting for my favorite parts, but there was too much to get through to get to them.

But I’m enjoying Lord of Chaos quite a bit, without so much impatience. (Well, there was the uber-long prologue to contend with…)

I don’t remember squeeing so much about Egwene and Gawyn before, but I’ve been getting all mushy just thinking about them. I love when Egwene gets caught up in Gawyn’s dream, them blushes herself scarlet remembering everything the next morning. And her inner monologue about how sensible women don’t do certain things… well, not unmarried women, at least. That makes me chuckle. And then when she and Gawyn meet at the inn in Cairhien each morning while she’s still apprentice to the Wise Ones… I melt thinking about how wonderful it is for them to be able to steal some kisses and forget the world for a while.

(They’d better get together by the end of A Memory of Light! You hear that, Brandon Sanderson?)

And Lews Therin finally starts talking to Rand.

And Nynaeve Heals Logain. That is an excellent scene. I love her inner monologue, keeping herself angry enough to channel. Then POOF! He’s Healed.

I think it’s safe to say that Lord of Chaos is my second favorite book in the series at this point. I may change my mind as I continue re-reading.

The one thing that will cement it as my second favorite is if the battle of Dumai’s Wells is in this book. What an awesome scene. I just can’t remember if it happens at the end of this book, or if it’s in the next one. It looks like it’s this one, since Elaida’s emissary is in Cairhien already, buzzing about the “Green Sister” with Rand. The only thing that has me doubting that it will happen soon is that Min is not yet in Cairhien. And I know that Min gets captured along with Rand.

Ah well. Maybe she arrives in the chapter I’m about to read tonight.

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Wheel of Time region in Nation States

Do you play Nation States? Would you like to be a part of a WoT region? Join us in the region Wheel of Time????????.

I would be very grateful if you could lend me your World Assembly endorsement as well. I am the Borderland Queendom of Karistina.

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All choked up by Brandon Sanderson’s words

I’ve been a little behind in my reading of Brandon Sanderson’s blog. I just read his entry from the end of March when he talks about his “collaboration” with Robert Jordan in completing A Memory of Light.

This part has me all choked up:

Collaborating with Robert Jordan seemed to set me too high in the process. I’m finishing the Master’s work for him, since he is unable to. I kind of feel like Sam, carrying Frodo the last few paces up the mountain.

Maybe I’m just a big old sap, but that just pulls at my heartstrings.

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CafePress has not quite been balefired by Zazzle…

Alright, has anyone checked out Zazzle? They’re like CafePress, only a million times better.

Instead of needing to start different stores for each different design theme (Wheel of Time, LOST, Cutest Baby Ever, etc.) I can have one store for everything, sorted into categories. Instead of having to place one design on each individual type of merchandise I want to sell it on, I can add the design to a shirt once, and customers can place it on any type of shirt they have available. Score! And it’s free; no need to pay for a premium shop.

So I’m working on moving my Wild Eggplant Wares over to my Zazzle shop. They gave me this nifty little widget to display my designs, too!

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Please feel free to leave comments full of praise. I love it.

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Wishing Randland was Real

I get wistful whenever I read (or re-read, as it is) the Wheel of Time series. Do you? I wish I could be there. I’d want to be Aes Sedai, of course. My current self would never make it to the shawl; I’m far too soft for that. But if I’d grown up and gone to the White Tower at a young age, I think I could’ve made it. If I had the ability to channel, that is.

I find myself wanting to snack on crusty breads and sharp cheese, with grapes. It seems that Rand, Mat, Perrin, and all the rest are always munching on bread and cheese. The women are more likely to mention grapes. And I wonder if icce peppers are more like jalapeno peppers or habanero peppers.

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Sound Bite Contest!

I want to try something different. I want you to make a sound recording - in either .mp3 or .wav format - of your best Rand impression. What should you say? Just one word:

RAHHHHHH-VIIIIIIIIIN!!!

Pretend that Rahvin’s evildoing has just toppled a stone wall onto one of your best friends and one of your future lovers. You want him dead. Not just dead, but dead beyond dead.

Upload your sound clip on the web and post the link here. You have until April 30, 2008. Voting will take place the first week of May 2008.

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Wearing o’ the Green

To all of my fellow Green Sisters, Warders, and friends:

Hope you did have a happy day today, enjoying yer wearin’ o’ the green!

I hope you read that as if Bayle Domon had said it.

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