George R. R. Martin on Robert Jordan's death

George R.R. Martin, another giant of the modern day fantasy genre, posted this on his blog about Robert Jordan yesterday:

Text copied from here:

9:30pm: R.I.P. Robert Jordan
The world of high fantasy is poorer today.

James Rigney, better known to fantasy readers as Robert Jordan, has passed away. Although he had been fighting amyloidosis for several years, the news of his death still came as a shock to many, including me. He was so optimistic and determined that you had to think that if anyone could beat the disease, it would be him.

Jim was a good and gracious man, a pleasure to share a platform or a pint with, and his contributions to modern fantasy were many. His huge, ambitious WHEEL OF TIME series helped to redefine the genre, and opened many doors for the writers who followed.

He was also unfailingly generous towards other fantasists, always ready to offer them support and encouragement. My own ICE & FIRE series might never have found its audience without the cover quote that Jim was so kind as to provide, back when A GAME OF THRONES was first published. I will always be grateful to him for that.

The last time I saw Jim was at an Archon in Collinsville, Illinois. It was before his final illness. He was the convention Guest of Honor and I was the Toastmaster, and I introduced him by telling the audience that actually we were the same person. It was a gag that Jim himself had suggested in the Green Room beforehand. While I was doing the intro, and claiming credit for all his books, he slowly entered, walked up silently behind me, and stood looming over me, glowering like Zeus. We got a great laugh.

I had some great dinners with Jim and his wife Harriet there in Collinsville as well. We talked about other writers, editors, publishers, all the stuff that writers always talk about... oh, and a little about our own series as well... and Jim and Harriet invited me to visit them if I ever made it down to Charleston. Sad to say, I never did.

RIP, Jim. You will be much missed.

--- I had forgotten all about it, but Mr. Martin was kind enough to remind me: I did discover his wonderful Song of Ice and Fire series thanks to Robert Jordan. In between Wheel of Time books, I decided I wanted to read some more high fantasy material, and in my research came across A Game of Thrones. I was undecided whether or not to get it, but when I went to Barnes and Noble to check, I saw on the cover that Robert Jordan gave it a recommendation on the cover and decided to get it. And I have not regretted that decision at all.

Now I usually don't go for those author quotes on the cover, you know the kind that says "blah blah blah this book is so good, this author is so great". But a) I have never come across one from Mr. Jordan until that point and b) that's how much in high esteem I hold him in. And he sure wasn't lying.

So just another thing to be thankful to Robert Jordan for....