My Own Damn Signing Report
Michael Martin
Dayton signing. I'm going to try and not repeat much of their
reports; additionally, a lot of things that RJ said and many questions
are well-known to the group (such as the Shipwrecked book, the last
scene already known, Halima wears a thong, etc.).
I _was_ impressed with the number of folks - Tim was right, prit near
300. I lucked out - arrived at the store around 5:45 PM, saw no seats
in the back of the signing area, lurked up front (passing Tim and his
friend as they played Go, only I had no idea who they were) and sat
down in the second row. Turns out the store handed out numbers going
front to back, so I was #9. Having staked out a good seat, I was
hoping for a good chance to ask all of the questions posted in the
Last Call thread from yesterday.
Also, I happened to be sitting next to Scott Carlson, an occasional
poster to the group since 1998. I sadly did not get the name of his
friend, but they were great to meet and discuss theories about the
books, as well as talk about other sci-fi/fantasy works.
OK...a few things missed on or not quite heard right from the other
posters on the pre-signing spiel:
*When he said he was aiming for 2 more books, someone from the crowd
yelled out "Make it 15 or 20!" meaning, I think, 15 or 20 books total
for the series. RJ dramatically looked to the ceiling and abjured the
Creator to _not_ listen. He then said he was Anglican, and was
therefore allowed to talk to God. Has anyone ever read or heard
anything about his religious background? Just curious.
*About that Asmodean thing...my impression is that during the last
signing tour (_not_ in a mailed letter), someone gave him a "correct"
theory on who did it. He did not confirm it to the person then, nor
will he now tell us what happened. Much spirited debate followed in
the crowd.
*About the Conan books: RJ said there was an odd phenomenon: if
someone's ass was showing on the book cover, the book sold better
(better than non-ass-showing Conan books, presumably).
Then the signing began. I had my list of questions from yesterday's
thread, but resolved to only ask during my time in line, and shout out
others as opportunity allowed. Permit me to digress and ask opinion:
at the signings, I am always unsure about what is courteous/allowable
protocol. More people than not seem to wait and line up and say
nothing at all to him (though of the 4 signings I've been to, this was
the most with people asking to have pictures taken with him), and so I
figure, "Hey, if they're not going to ask something, _I_ will!"
However, I can never really tell if this annoys RJ or not, and some of
his answers were fairly curt. I couldn't tell if it was because I was
being rude (or he thought I was) or that he simply didn't want to
answer the question. The question about his time at the Citadel was
mine - meaning I asked on behalf of a poster here - was answered with
what I took as "Shut the hell up!" shortness. If anyone can offer
thoughts as to what they think is acceptable at such events, I would
be most courteous.
Also, I happened to run into an old friend whom I had not seen for two
years or more at the signing. So, despite my choice seat (front row
after getting books signed) and list of questions, both my uncertainty
of what was acceptable re: number of questions and the presence of my
old friend made it impossible to ask all I wanted, and to hear
everything asked by fans.
However, I was able to glean a few things by either direct question or
hearing it:
Q: Length of time Danelle spent as novice/accepted?
A: RAFO (he gave me a small smile as he said it, obviously knowing why
it was being asked)
Q: What happens to a piece of heartstone if a gateway is opened across
it?
A: Heartstone is pushed aside, gateway remains intact. (He appeared
fairly amused by this one.)
Q: Have we yet seen the alter-ego Demandred presents to the Third
Agers on-screen?
A: NO. (I asked twice to make sure.)
Q: Why didn't Rand kill Padan Fain when he spotted him at the rebels'
camp in ACoS?
A: Rand was there to reach out to the rebels, and killing Fain would
not have been productive, and Rand is not a fool. (I had to stifle
quite a few comments at _that_ answer).
I didn't ask about how many seals broken, or the odd smells, as they
would get RAFO'ed pretty quickly.
That book about salt:
Salt by Mark Kurlansky. It is indeed about salt!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802713734/qid=1042852931/sr=2-
1/ref=sr_2_1/002-2667376-1092869 (may have to recombine)
At the last signing, he recommended "When China Ruled the Seas"
(fascinating book, BTW); when asked about historical books this time,
he recommended Essays of Montaigne:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140446044/qid=1042853940/sr=2-
1/ref=sr_2_1/002-2667376-1092869 (may have to recombine)
and he also recommended Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393317552/qid=104285402
5/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2667376-1092869?v=glance&s=books (may have to
recombine)
Tim's reported his comments on the Air Force, which was both brave and
funny, considering Dayton is an AF town (Wright Pat is here, and is
the area's biggest employer).
Sadly, I had to leave early - had a relative flying into town and I
had to get to the airport and pick them up. So my copies of TGH and
FoH are still unsigned; everything else is.
Thanks to Matthew and Tim - this would have been _much_ longer without
their reports, and they picked up on a lot I either missed or
dismissed, as having heard it many times.
--
Michael Martin
http://www.stormraven.com
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in
return."
Jean Dufresne
>
> *About that Asmodean thing...my impression is that during the last
> signing tour (_not_ in a mailed letter), someone gave him a "correct"
> theory on who did it. He did not confirm it to the person then, nor
> will he now tell us what happened.
According to the WoTFAQ, he was reported as saying during the TPoD
signing tour in 1998 that "very few of the fan letters he gets are
correct" about who killed Asmodean. I suppose he's also been hearing
the whole list of suspects during his signing tours, over the years.
Either way, I'm afraid it has become just another of the variants in his
repertoire of stock non-answers for saying "I do not want to speak about
Asmodean's death". Any question about it will be met with one variant
or another. He seems to be using this particular one more often of
late.
> Permit me to digress and ask opinion:
> at the signings, I am always unsure about what is courteous/allowable
> protocol. More people than not seem to wait and line up and say
> nothing at all to him (though of the 4 signings I've been to, this was
> the most with people asking to have pictures taken with him), and so I
> figure, "Hey, if they're not going to ask something, _I_ will!"
> However, I can never really tell if this annoys RJ or not,
He should not be annoyed if you ask one or two questions, or he should
have no reason to show that he's annoyed even if he actually is, unless
he had a bad day or is tired. Normally, judging from the signing
reports posted in the past, he seems to take it all with a good
attitude, as a part of his job, so to speak. After all, you are there
because you are buying (or because you bought or will buy) his books.
So, a person who politely asks one or two questions at his turn in line
should be met with the same attitude from him. However, he (and the
store manager) may understandably get rapidly annoyed if someone sticks
in front of him and keeps asking a whole series of questions, especially
if many people are attending the signing session.
Unfortunately, he never comes near where I live, so I do not have a
personal experience of this. But if I had a choice between several
signing sessions, I would choose to attend the one where I would expect
the smallest number of people. That way, there's a better chance that
the atmosphere will be relaxed and that RJ may be willing to speak a bit
more with each person, or after everyone have had their turn in the
line.
> and some of
> his answers were fairly curt. I couldn't tell if it was because I was
> being rude (or he thought I was) or that he simply didn't want to
> answer the question. The question about his time at the Citadel was
> mine - meaning I asked on behalf of a poster here - was answered with
> what I took as "Shut the hell up!" shortness.
With all the persons present at this particular signing, if RJ wanted to
be out of there before midnight he knew he had only a very short time
for each person. It is also possible that he did not feel inspired by
some questions on the moment or that doesn't want to speak about some
subjects. Or if you asked more than a few questions, he may have just
meant: "It's time to pass to someone else, please."
> Q: What happens to a piece of heartstone if a gateway is opened across
> it?
> A: Heartstone is pushed aside, gateway remains intact. (He appeared
> fairly amused by this one.)
I like that one. It's not exactly "useful" with respect to the general
story, but it's certainly a fun little question which you were almost
certain he would answer. Good idea.
> Q: Have we yet seen the alter-ego Demandred presents to the Third
> Agers on-screen?
> A: NO. (I asked twice to make sure.)
That's interesting, if only for killing the notion of Demandred hiding
under a fake mustache and spending his spare time torturing people with
ropes.
--
Jean
Cameron Wm. Akers
<baltez...@yahoo.com> wrote:
<A-mer-ril-ly we snip a-long, snip a-long, snip a-long>
>*About that Asmodean thing...my impression is that during the last
>signing tour (_not_ in a mailed letter), someone gave him a "correct"
>theory on who did it. He did not confirm it to the person then, nor
>will he now tell us what happened. Much spirited debate followed in
>the crowd.
>
Jordan doesn't know.
That's what I can come up with. He doesn't know. The whole "You? NO!"
bit was to provide we the reading public with something to keep us
busy while he worked on dulling down the plot and making Taim
Demandred...no, wait the public figured that one out too soon...
And now he's pulling this "Oh, some vague person who could have been
any one of thousands of people I've met on book signing tours the past
few years mailed in the correct answer.
"But I've never told them it was the correct answer.
"And I'm not telling you what the correct answer is. So Neener neener
and off with you!"
Anyway, that's my looney theory.
--
Cameron Wm. Akers
No .sig necessary. Move along.
Michael Martin
news:3E28D6...@globetrotter.net...
> Michael Martin wrote:
Hmmmm. So next time, ask 2-3 or quickly, then shut up and listen?
Hard to do, when so few people seem to actually _talk_ to him during
the signing. If it helps, I always tried to see if he was engaged in
discussion with a signee, and I _never_ asked when young kids were up
there (figuring they were already nervous enough, I didn't want to
blow their one chance to ask a question themselves).
> Unfortunately, he never comes near where I live, so I do not have a
> personal experience of this. But if I had a choice between several
> signing sessions, I would choose to attend the one where I would
expect
> the smallest number of people. That way, there's a better chance
that
> the atmosphere will be relaxed and that RJ may be willing to speak a
bit
> more with each person, or after everyone have had their turn in the
> line.
Yeah, the best signing of his I've been to was back in 1996, in Cincy.
He was officially touring for the Fallon books, but of the 30 or so
folks who showed, _no one_brought Fallon books to be signed, and we
all had time to ask a lot of questions and chat with him.
John J. Aylward
> Q: Have we yet seen the alter-ego Demandred presents to the Third Agers
> on-screen?
> A: NO. (I asked twice to make sure.)
>
Guess that kills the taimendred threads for good! one down at least.
only asmodean to go.
John S. Novak, III
> Hmmmm. So next time, ask 2-3 or quickly, then shut up and listen?
> Hard to do, when so few people seem to actually _talk_ to him during
> the signing. If it helps, I always tried to see if he was engaged in
> discussion with a signee, and I _never_ asked when young kids were up
> there (figuring they were already nervous enough, I didn't want to
> blow their one chance to ask a question themselves).
Ask him and the bookstore people if you can hover in the background
and take notes. I did that a few books back and was met with an, "Oh,
you're one of those people," glance (not undeserved) but he seemed to
take it with grace.
I made it a point not to pepper him with questions, though, and not to
interfere with other people getting their books signed.
--
John S. Novak, III j...@cegt201.bradley.edu
The Humblest Man on the Net
David Holman
> Q: Have we yet seen the alter-ego Demandred presents to the Third
> Agers on-screen?
> A: NO. (I asked twice to make sure.)
Much as I dislike the fact that this means we haven't seen the
alter-ego of what was set up as one of the principal Forsaken after 10
damn books (hell, I'd be pissed if it was any Forsaken) I like the way
this question was phrased. Taimandred was already pretty much dead
after WH, but not only does this, along with the other people who
asked this same question at this round of signings finally kill it
once and for all, it _also_ renders moot the multitude of other
Demandred suspect posts; Weiramon, etc.
Along with finally putting the final nail in the Gaidal Cain and
Olver debate, it seems the signings are going to result in far more
modification and outright deletion of material from the FAQ than CoT
will. How sad.
--
Dave Holman
Jim Mansfield
Thanks also for such a detail report
[snip]
>The question about his time at the Citadel was
> mine - meaning I asked on behalf of a poster here - was answered with
> what I took as "Shut the hell up!" shortness.
Sounds like someone has issues about their time at the Citadel ;-)
> Q: Have we yet seen the alter-ego Demandred presents to the Third
> Agers on-screen?
> A: NO. (I asked twice to make sure.)
Curiouser and curiouser.
Thanks again for the summary,
-Jim
Jim Mansfield
news:9c402785.03011...@posting.google.com:
> "Michael Martin" <baltez...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:<Xs2W9.16302$i73.3...@twister.neo.rr.com>...
> Along with finally putting the final nail in the Gaidal Cain and
> Olver debate, it seems the signings are going to result in far more
> modification and outright deletion of material from the FAQ than CoT
> will. How sad.
It kind of annoys me that we get as many answers to the issues of
dangling plot lines from the signing reports as from the actual book. I
think I have gotten more milage out of these tow big signing reports as
from the whole CoT.
Why can't RJ write this stuff down in a book instead of waiting for a
book signing to answer!
-Jim
Jaspreet
news:Xs2W9.16302$i73.3...@twister.neo.rr.com...
>
>
> However, I can never really tell if this annoys RJ or not, and some of
> his answers were fairly curt. I couldn't tell if it was because I was
> being rude (or he thought I was) or that he simply didn't want to
> answer the question. The question about his time at the Citadel was
> mine - meaning I asked on behalf of a poster here - was answered with
> what I took as "Shut the hell up!" shortness.
apologies for making you go thru that attitude of his.
Jody
> >signing tour (_not_ in a mailed letter), someone gave him a
"correct"
> >theory on who did it. He did not confirm it to the person then,
nor
> >will he now tell us what happened. Much spirited debate followed
in
> >the crowd.
> >
> Jordan doesn't know.
>
been
> any one of thousands of people I've met on book signing tours the
past
> few years mailed in the correct answer.
>
> "But I've never told them it was the correct answer.
See. This bothers me about Jordan. I think he's just being annoying.
First, he says very few people have guessed Asmo's killer right.
Well, i'm sorry, but i don't think the list of suspects is 500 long.
I think Jordan does know.
Regardless what he says though, there is not one piece of evidence
in the books that would prevent him from changing the killer
tomorrow if he wanted.
I'd still stick with Graendal, as she seemed to believe/know(who
even remembers now) Asmo died.
Originally, i cared, as Asmo and Moiraine were two characters i
liked. It's seven books later, and this has nothing to do with the
plot(much like the latest book so i read:) ), the real question is:
Why doesn't he just say who did it?
Scott Carlson
jody_oh...@sympatico.ca says...
Well, at first he kept telling us the evidence was there and wanted to
make us work for the knowledge. OK, acceptable.
Now, however, he just enjoys watching us sweat. Sadistic bastard.
Besides, it leaves open the prospect of publishing an interview for $50
after the series is over. People would buy it, too, if it had the
definitive Asmodean answer.
--
Scott Carlson
Therese
(kaf...@hotmail.com) wrote:
> Besides, it leaves open the prospect of publishing an interview for $50
> after the series is over. People would buy it, too, if it had the
> definitive Asmodean answer.
In that case, we could perhaps buy one collectively, 'cause I doubt
there'd be anything else in there worth reading.
--
Therese Wikström
Nathan Scott
kaf...@hotmail.com says...
> > Originally, i cared, as Asmo and Moiraine were two characters i
> > liked. It's seven books later, and this has nothing to do with the
> > plot(much like the latest book so i read:) ), the real question is:
> >
> > Why doesn't he just say who did it?
>
> Well, at first he kept telling us the evidence was there and wanted to
> make us work for the knowledge. OK, acceptable.
>
> Now, however, he just enjoys watching us sweat. Sadistic bastard.
>
If I had to guess, it's one part not wanting to spoil the fun, and two
parts, "If I tell them, I'm going to get nothing but grief, letters and
annoying autograph seekers giving me an endless list of reasons why it
couldn't be who I said it is."
Besides, he doesn't need to tell us. It was obviously Slayer.
--
Nathan Scott
Do not ask me to explain this reality business.
Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with it.
Michael Hoye
Nathan Scott <nat...@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>
>Besides, he doesn't need to tell us. It was obviously Slayer.
'cause Asmodean was, like, slain.
Or maybe it was Moridin _and_ Slayer, 'cause after he was slain
he was, like, dead.
--
Mike Hoye
Nathan Scott
mh...@prince.carleton.ca says...
> In article <MPG.1898e522e...@allnews.nbnet.nb.ca>,
> Nathan Scott <nat...@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
> >
> >Besides, he doesn't need to tell us. It was obviously Slayer.
>
> 'cause Asmodean was, like, slain.
>
Well, there was more to it than that, of course. My tongue is only
somewhat in cheek.
I posted my explanation a while back, but nobody listens to me. Most of
the time, that's because I've got nothing interesting to say, but not
necessarily all of the time. It's got holes in it, but nothing a little
handwaving won't fix.
Basically, note the coincidence of Slayer's grey man/BA assasinations
through books 2 and 3 with Lanfear's appearances, factor in Lanfear's
known scheming with Asmodean (for Asmodean-recognition-purposes), keep
in mind Slayer's excellent pop-up ability and body-hiding location,
recall that Lanfear was pushed through the twisted doorway which
supposedly leads to the Tower of G, add a dash of Slayer being the only
known being to enter the Tower of G at will, mix, stir and jump to
conclusions.
I say she either specifically ordered him to off her realizing Rand was
becoming too powerful, or she just left some generic "If something
happens to me, Asmo shouldn't survive the week" orders.
Like I said, holes are there. But I find it a hell of a lot more
satisfying than anything else I've heard.