At last I break my blogging slumber.  I was hibernating for summer (or so it seemed), but Arty called me yesterday with news that shook me to my very core.  I had a voicemail from him when I left work saying: "Josh, I was reading MSNBC today when I saw the news.  Who knows if they'll finish the series now."  What!?  What series could you mean?  I thought about TV series for a minute, and then it dawned on me that there is one old man holding the key to a series that is near and dear to my heart.  I searched frantically on my phone as I drove home for news, and finally happened upon the Wikipedia article for Robert Jordan.  "This article is about a recently deceased individual."

BLOOD AND BLOODY ASHES!  My demeanor is calm, my face practically carved from stone, but inside I struggle with anger as if it's the tainted male half of the Source.  I'm sure somewhere there's a woman folding her arms beneath her breasts, and tugging her braid (if she has one).

<following in true Jordan fashion, I would insert an amusing but pointless anecdote about Arty's shenanigans at his latest wedding reception>

People have been taunting me about this eventuality for a while, and I was really hoping the man would plan for his own mortality.  He wasn't too old (58), but he was no spring chicken and Wheel of Time was just *begging* for some closure.  Hopefully he kept detailed notes.  I will accept a finale written by others, if it resolves the story the way Robert Jordan envisioned it.  How will I know it's authentic?  I'm not going to venture further down into that nest of doubt.

I'm almost more sad that I won't get an Age of Legends prequel series either (at least not an authentic one).  Those teaser bits from Rhuidean and the like just kill me now!

I'll end the post on a good note, though.  Despite the rueful tone of this post, Robert (James), you spun a tale that I find intriguing and captivating.  You wrote the only series to date that I have read twice (8 books worth anyway).  Thank you, and may Bela carry you home.