For someone so late on his book, he sure dicks around a lot on his blog.....

I thought this whole trilogy had been written even before the first book came out. I understand rewriting and editing, I just thought it was farther along then this. maybe he's just trying to emulate Martin, and excuse this but: finish Dance already, FUCK!!!!

I too thought that this trilogy was already finished. I just got done reading "The Name of the Wind" the other day and was looking forward to reading "The Wise Man's Fear" soon. Ah, oh well. If I can wait for "Dance" I can wait for this.

Icarus: I understand the expression of frustration, but I really don't think that is fair. You (and I, and everyone else who doesn't personally know Pat Rothfuss) don't know
a) how much time he spends on his blog
b) how much time he works on the novel each day and what the particular challenges are in writing a novel that will satisfy him and the readers.
c) what the rest of his life situation is that requires him to meet ALL of his responsibilities and obligations which include paying his bills.

I'm just sayin, we don't know the man. Books don't come out in a vacuum and, though I don't know Rothfuss and have never communicated with the man, I would feel safe in wagering that he is not exactly cackling with glee over every day he can sucker readers into waiting for the next book and string them along and potentially turn them off.

If I had to guess, I would guess that Pat Rothfuss would rather the novel be ready to go now.

Joe Sherry: I couldn't agree more. No writer wants to lose readers by releasing a book later. That is the reality of the situation; the longer Pat doesn't publish, the more readers he loses.

I don't know how Pat spends his days, but needless to say the man would never screw over the readers. If Wise Man's Fear is late, it's because the book will be better for it.

By the way, I feel the same way about George RR Martin. Pissing on the very craft that delivered such great books is sad and speaks of low character by some of Martin's readers who rage rather than think.

First of all, what a sad news.

I read "The Name of the Wind" which is one of the best books I red so far in 2008. I can't wait to read "The Wise Man's Fear.

But I don't condemn Patrick Rothfuss because I don't know him
and I'm not a writer.

I know it's disappointing but from my point of view blaming authors
isn't helpful.

I wait for George R.R. Martin and so I also will wait for Patrick Rothfuss BECAUSE I really like their books.

In the meantime I discover and read
other books like "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks.

So be patient and use your time till release of "The Wise Man's Fear" to read other interesting books.

Man, I'm glad I haven't read the first volume yet.

Well, it is sad, but I think I can manage the wait. I believe that the reading will be so much better, because of the waiting :)

another GRRM typus

Let's take this blog post of his, for example:

http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/2008/10/psa-why-you-shouldnt-vote.html

To directly quote him:

"If you're still reading this, I'm sorry. It's way longer than it should be, and has cost me a whole night's work on the book."

He admits in interviews that he is a notorious procrastinator, even though writing is his full time job.

I'm just disappointed.

I haven't read the first yet (although I plan to), but I don't usually care all that much when there's delays like this. It's not as if there's nothing else to read or do. People who get all worked up about it are kind of amusing. If it helps them though, maybe they should think of it this way: anticipating something can be more fun than the emptiness that happens afterwards. I spent how many years after 1983 hoping for and imagining more Star Wars movies ... and now what ...? That's a chunk of pleasant anticipation and daydreaming I'd sure like to have restored. If Rothfuss is that good, enjoy the wait (I don't mean that sarcastically at all). It's not like it's never going to happen now; it's just a delay.

I don't blame the author. Like others have said, we don't understand his situation. Shit happens. However, this will make it less likely that I'll read his follow up books. As it is,I read tNotW over a year ago and my memory is foggy about the story already. And I hate going back and re-reading books. Maybe this will teach me not to run out read the first book in the series shortly after it comes out.

Speaking of authors taking too long with follow ups where the hell is Scott Lynch? The man disappears from the internet for over a year and his book still gets pushed back.

I think this is why Brandon Sanderson is my current top fantasy author. He not only writes great books, he brings out two of them per year--if you include his Alcatraz series, which I do, because they rock. He's not even letting A Memory of Light break up his publication schedule (partly because he's working well ahead of himself).

I'll rush to the store to snag Wise Man's Fear when it does come out. But I'll probably rush to the store at least a couple more time for Sanderson's sake before that happens.

It's more disappointing, really, because of the claims that book 2 was already done when the first was published. I don't mind waiting for a book at all, but when we're told that it's ready and it's not (whether this is the publisher's fault or the author I don't know) it's more galling.

Still, I'm looking forward to when it does appear.

I'd rather wait and get a better book, I guess, but there is always the danger of just waiting too long. Did anybody ever read JV Jones' Sword of Shadows series? I loved that first book so much, but it seemed like 10 years before it ever came back.

That said, I know that Rothfuss is also a college professor in Wisconsin, so he's not just writing all the time. Also, I think I remember reading that it took him like 10 years to get the first one finished, so I imagine he's feeling some pressure to even get anything done at all.

The problem is that we were told that the entire trilogy was already written, so DAW books could promise us that there would be No Long Waits between books. You see, the fact that books two and three were already complete when book one was published was used as a marketing tool, a selling point. Now we find out that they lied to us about not having to wait.

Martin, Lynch, and now Pat Rothfuss too? Im heartbroken. But hey, next fall is shaping up to be pretty amazing, with all these delays and Memory of Light as well, and maybe the 9th Malazan book..

But still, I loved TNotW, so this sucks.

I agree with Icarus. Rothfuss knows he's a slow writer but adds to that his habit of procarstinating while in the meantime his readers are told thet the delay from April 08 to April 09 was because of some fine-tuning to the manuscript. Bald-faced lies.

fao - Calibandar

Maybe check your facts next time.. it has been well documented (by Rothfuss himself, even) that the major reason for the initial delay of the second book was the death of his mother and serious illness of his father.

I'm as disappointed as everyone else, as I was really looking forward to reading Wise Man's Fear, but it's ready when it's ready - end of story. To paraphrase GRRM, you can't put a deadline on art and Rothfuss should only ever let the book go out when *he* feels it's ready.

Besides, there's plenty of wonderful books to read in the meantime.

Before people post here they probably should read Pat's Unhappy Announcement blog post, particularly the bits about how the whole trilogy was already written and what he's done to speed up the process.

One poster here mentioned that Pat's a college professor. It's true that he was teaching at the college (although not as a professor) but he quit that job in order to work on the book.

Does he dick around on his blog, play video games, spend time with his girlfriend, hang out with friends, visit his family, etc? Sure, who doesn't? But does he also do those things a lot less than he'd like to because of the book? Yes.

As far as the story being finished, I view that as Daw being a little too aggressive or risky in their marketing. (A marketing department over-promising and under-delivering? Shocking! Unheard of! Burn their offices!!! They have destroyed your precious innocence and trust of corporate America!)) Yeah, the story is laid out. If Pat got run over by a bus tomorrow someone could finish the books and be very close to Pat's intended vision. But the story still needs some work before publication and real life gets in the way sometimes. Take the "story being finished" as a guarantee that you will eventually know Kvothe's story no matter what happens rather than a guarantee of specific dates for book releases.

this is a load of bull considering he wrote all three books already, he had originally planned to publish them as one large tome but the publishers convinced him to split the book up so as to make more money and generate bigger hype, also not everyone would look at an over thousand page book and want to read it right away

I am a writer and, though he may have written the books a while ago, writing is a strange process, and you can never really know how the publishers will respond. Also, you have to consider the impact or releasing a book. When others in the genre, especially other great writers, are releasing around the same time, ie: Scott Lynch, George RR Martin, et al, it is sometimes smart to stagger the releases. This is a big year for a lot of series, so publishers have to make sure they can reach a maximum audience. The book will come, and we will all be sated!

i can't believe that the book is delay another 2 seasons from april 2009 to fall 2009

i know. fuck. waiting sucks

btw andyb makes a really good point. waiting still sucks

I hate waiting for books to come out, but I love reading new authors. With new authors you get fresh ideas and takes on old ideas but one of the drawbacks is waiting for the next book in a series.

As much as I loved this book (and this book shot straight into my top 10. Time will tell if it can crack the top 5) I wish I hadn't read it when it first came out. If I had waited then the wait for the new book would be easier.

He is going to lose a lot of custumers...

Just think if Rowlings had done this with Potter...

Now I know how people felt about the black tower series...

The Name of the Wind was one of the best books i have ever read. If it takes longer to release the second one im sure its because he wishes to keep up the good work and not disappoint his readers. We just have to keep ourselves occupied until it is released. Maybe all the books have been written but editing them in order to make them better might be a reason for the delay ontop of his personal problems.

We can all certainly understand about procrastinating. Even I'm guilty as ever.

Read the first book from a random pick of books while finishing my tour in the desert. Thanked Pat for his new fantasy contribution to the world... to which he kindly replied within a day or so --surprising me.

Back at home station now and eagerly awaiting Day 2. So, truly sorry to have to wait longer. In the meantime, I'll see if I can re-read the first novel to get back into the suspense and the curiosity. (And see if my newly discovered fascination for the redhead is still valid... hee-hee.)

Thanks Pat... and please don't make us wait longer than Fall'09... if you can avoid it!

Yes, the wait is not what we all want but complaining doesn't help anything really. He may be a procrastinator and misleading with the trilogy seeming already complete if it was even his fault. But it's his life and if he wants to take things slow who cares.