I just read the horrible news on boingboing that Robert Jordan has passed away after a prolonged battle with amyloidosis. I had no idea he was even sick - at Comic Con 2005 he proudly rattled off his vitals to a room of WoT fans, and by all accounts sounded ready to take on and outrun everyone in attendance. I remember my dad picked up a pile of second hand Conan novels for me at a jumble sale in Chiswick, back when I was but a young boy, and it was always Robert Jordan's tales of the iconic Cimmerian which I enjoyed the most. Years later, my school friend Harbir lent me the first (and second and third and fourth and fifth) book in the Wheel of Time saga, and it was with mounting excitement that I recognised the name on the cover. I was hooked by the series, whose outsize tomes would proceed to stretch many a school blazer pocket, and proceeded to indoctrinate anyone else I could, simply to have more people with which to share my enthusiasm. His epic had meandered a little across the later books, but had showed great promise of getting back on track with Knife of Dreams. Sadly, he leaves his great work unfinished.

George R. R. Martin has a nice remembrance on his blog.