To Prologue or Not to Prologue

[swan_tower]

Tor has a long-standing habit of releasing the Prologue to the next Wheel of Time book in advance of the book's actual pub date, as a teaser for what's to come. I read those from (I think) A Crown of Swords through Crossroads of Twilight, then stopped because I wasn't going to touch the series until the end was in sight. And when I came back, I just read the books themselves; no need to play teaser games with the Prologues.

But now, at last, I'm caught up, and the final book hasn't yet come out. So I put it to you, my blog readership:

[Poll #1883074]

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

You could write your own prologue, anticipating how you think the series ought to end? In your, y'know. Copious free time.

(Personally, I never touch sample chapters of books I know I'm going to read; I want the whole thing, not a taster. And I never touch sample chapters of books I don't know I'm going to read, because I might want to read on, and then I'm stranded; or else I might not want to, and then I've wasted time. I am ... not the ideal market, for the sampler industry.)

Pre-Release material

[namle84.livejournal.com]

Tor also released Chapter 1, audio of chapter 2, and part of chapter 11 (that doesn't spoil any of chapters 3-10) on its web site. I can post links to them here if you'd like, but I wouldn't recommend reading them unless you read the prologue first.

[iopgod.livejournal.com]

I have been suckered in to buying the prologue a couple of times... they have been disappointing, unnecessarily torture inducing, and, given that you get the *whole book* in a couple of weeks anyway, a waste of money.