[Commonmind]

Debasing Jordan is fruitless. He's a successful writer, with an avid fan-base and while his stories may borrow elements from other works of literature, there's scents of that throughout quite a bit of the genre. The Dark Lord concept is archetypal and has been done many times; it's difficult to get away from this cliche whenever you're attempting to create an antagonist that is not flesh-and-blood. Beyond those familar elements, the themes and plot of his story differ to a very great degree. And while I might agree that his later works are all quite sloggish, I can't, in my right mind, discredit him as a writer. His style is different. It isn't that he's not capable or that he's an amateur at his craft, it's that he's chosen to take a different approach to telling his story. Though many of us dislike this route, it's a bit unfair to belittle his work based on our differing tastes.

Jordan is Jordan, Martin is Martin, it's that simple. Comparing the two or making jests about their work is pretentious; considering how much work either of them have put into their respective worlds and the level of dedication it takes to bring that world to an audience. Jordan was literally dying and still working his fingers to the bone during those few moments of lucidity he was gifted. Martin has tolerated an extremely demanding schedule and continues to devote himself to writing as much as possible. Any one of us that feels the need to take stabs at either writer, should first consider that our preferences and tastes do not decide the skill of a writer we do not like.