New Poll: The Changing of the Guard???

Hi guys!

I've been asked this question throughout the summer, and in all sincerity, I cannot provide an answer or even an opinion. A lot of readers have been asking me who is the heir apparent in the fantasy genre.

With J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series coming to a close in the next volume, no one knows if this writer will ever attain even a fraction of the success that Harry and co. has generated. But Rowling is in a class of her own. . .

Come next month, we will only have a single volume left to complete the titanic The Wheel of Time series. And again, even though Robert Jordan has already signed with Tor Books for his new series, will he ever top the bestseller lists like he's been doing for more than a decade? And with Goodkind's The Sword of Truth (thankfully) coming to an end with the release of the next two volumes, who will be the next big thing???

At the moment, both George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb seem quite secure in their position. But as with Jordan, can Martin ever hope to create another series like A Song of Ice and Fire?

Can authors like Terry Brooks, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Stephen R. Donaldson, Raymond E. Feist, and David Eddings return to their former glory?

A lot of people would be temped to mention the name of Steven Erikson. But although an extremely gifted author, he has not yet generated an appeal that has reached most fantasy readers. Aficionados venerate his work, but the masses have not yet caught up with the buzz. R. Scott Bakker? China Miéville? Both are very good writers, but are not always accessible for the regular fantasy fan.

Guy Gavriel Kay? Tad Williams? Greg Keyes? J. V. Jones? David Farland?

Who knows??? Do you believe that we will see a changing of the guard, such as the one that took place in the early 90s? Or do you believe that both Jordan and Goodkind will continue to make regular appearances on the NYT bestseller list? Is there an heir apparent, after all?

Let's see what you guys come up with!:-) As always, I will be posting this on the usual message boards. . .