[Simon F]

..as a fan of both WoT and ASOIAF (is that right!!) the balance of power for fantasy dominance ;) between the 2 has been leaning (in my opinion! although i am probably more a jordon fan at heart) towards GRRM in the last 5 years or so but it feels like a shift is occcuring with the release of TGS.

Anyone else feel a shift back towards WoT?

[SerJaime22]

Well, let's put it this way:

Martin is the better writer and ASOIAF is the better series.

But I don't think ASOIAF is ever going to be completed, and that's a big strike against it.

Whereas we should be holding the final WoT novel in our hands two years from now. That's a big plus.

ASOIAF is the better series, but right now I'm probably more enthusiastic about WoT.

[Werthead]

Not really answerable until the last book in both series is out (which admittedly is going to be a lot sooner for WoT than ASoIaF).

I suspect ASoIaF, as the last two WoT books could be the greatest epic fantasy books of all time and they're still not going to reverse time and wipe out the sheer pointlessness of Books 8-10 in the series. I am also concerned by Sanderson's mishandling of Mat in TGS, which was okay in that one book as he wasn't in it much, could be much more problematic in Towers of Midnight where Mat is one of the main characters. The news about ToM also being much less focused than TGS is also something of a concern. However, TGS has restored a lot of goodwill and buzz about the series that hasn't been around since at least Book 7, if not 6, which is a commendable achievement. If ADWD bombs critically, than WoT could indeed return to having the upper hand.

[Obtuse]

Truthfully, I never even knew there was a power struggle between these two series. What does the winner get? You mentioned dominance; does that mean that once one series dominates fully no one else can publish fantasy any more?

Seriously, it's like asking which day of the week is going to win, Monday or Thursday.

[ChrisW]

Well clearly Thursday. How could the first day back at work with four long days to follow even compete with only one day left before the weekend!

[Hoodwink]

But who's better, Daenerys Stormborn or Egwene Al'vere? There's only one way to find out.... FIGHT!

Surely the buzz is going to go where the 'latest' books are. Personally it's good to see WoT re-energised on the interweb again. Makes me feel all nostalgic for my WoT days and regret that I can't buy the book because I haven't read the last two books and can't reallly face a re-read.

For ASOIAF, I'll be very excited when the next volume comes out. And if GRRM doesn't make it, I'll wait for Brandon Sanderson to finish it.

[E_Moon]

Well clearly Thursday. How could the first day back at work with four long days to follow even compete with only one day left before the weekend!

For people who work weekends, Monday can be great. It's all about perspective.

OTOH, as a reader I see no reason to pit books against one another. It's not an either/or binary system.

[Fred Gallney]

]I suspect ASoIaF, as the last two WoT books could be the greatest epic fantasy books of all time

They will never bet the Lord of the Rings. :)

I think the main fault of Wheel of Time is that things don't get moving along fast enough.

[algernoninc]

Brandon Sanderson: "The Terminator" - what other series should we give him to finish after WOT and ASOIAF?

[Werthead]

Brandon Sanderson: "The Terminator" - what other series should we give him to finish after WOT and ASOIAF?

Sanderson will never finish ASoIaF.

Sorry, I know people are just taking the mickey and there is certainly a place for gallows humour (and better now than if he ever does get ill, I suppose), but it does have to be reiterated that this eventuality will never, ever happen.

I think there is frankly only one author Martin might trust and respect enough to even consider doing this, and Brandon ain't it (no offence to Brandon). But based on what George and Parris have said about this situation, there will be no other author involved and the series will not be finished by another author, as that is a phenomenon that GRRM loathes.