There seems to be some confusion about Mirror Worlds and Parallel Worlds and their relation to the Wheel from what I’ve read around the web. We are told Mirror Worlds are infinite past, present and future reflections of events that branch off of Real Events. As for Parallel Worlds, we are not told much beyond that they are other worlds akin to the Real World, where creatures/people (that have souls) live, such as the Ogier and Finn. Robert Jordan has said that Mirror Worlds and Parallel Worlds are different, so here are some crazy thoughts I had:

We know real flesh and blood people/creatures with souls inhabit Parallel Worlds and that they can travel to Randland (such as with the Ogier.) What about Mirror World inhabitants? Do they have souls? Can they travel to (or be brought back) and live and survive and propagate in a Real World (the Seanchan animals were said to have come from a Parallel World…yet via Portal Stones, something that makes this very confusing)? In the same way, maybe a more simple example, can a Real person visit a Mirror World, dig up a plant native to that Mirror World and bring it back to the Real World and plant it and grow that Mirror World plant in the Real World? Or even more fun, can a Real World person impregnate a Mirror World person or vice versa? And one last thought about Parallel Worlds and Mirror Worlds, we know that Jordan said that Portal Stones lead to Mirror Worlds. However, were there any Portal Stones created on any Parallel Worlds to connect that Parallel World to its own Mirror Worlds?

Also, Lanfear implied to Loial that one could visit a Mirror World and meet oneself? However, we see Rand and his company become themselves in a myriad of lives when Rand traveled to Toman Head via Portal Stone (which took months if I recall correctly.) Was Lanfear wrong? Or was Lanfear talking about “meeting” oneself as in, becoming oneself? If Rand traveled directly to a Mirror World where his Mirror Self existed, would he become himself and be trapped there? If he became himself in that instance, when he died, would the Real Rand die too? Or would he return to the Real World at a Portal Stone having lost a little time in the Real World? And in this same line of thoughts, in what way is Rand connected to his Mirror World reflections? Is each Mirror World variation of oneself connected by the soul, such as a soul ID or some such mechanism for the Wheel to connect them together? In other words, how was Rand paired with his own Mirror lives?

Okay, going more nuts here, but I hope I don’t lose you!

If someone visits a Mirror World, and they know how to enter the Tower of Ghenjei, upon entering where would they go? Would they be transported to the actual Parallel Worlds/Crossroad of the Finn? Or would they be transported to the Mirror World variation of the Finn Worlds/Crossroads? And about Travel, is it possible to use the One Power to open a gateway from a Mirror World back to the Real World as we see is possible to do in and out of Tel’aran’rhiod?

Ok…I’ll stop now.

I don’t have a book-specific question, though I am wondering if it’s been difficult either from a professional or a personal standpoint to put your own work aside -or at the least, delay it- in order to finish The Wheel of Time.

We all know that the WoT fan in you is dedicated to finishing the series and the rest of the WoT fandom is forever grateful, but I believe it has taken significantly longer than you expected. Considering the impressive number of books you HAVE published since taking up RJ’s mantle, I just wonder what impact the WoT has had on your own work & if it’s slowed you down at all.

Thanks, and have a good time at the Con!

Alternative question: Besides using allomancy, how else could you figure out that someone has been replaced by a Kandra? I suppose you could try to make them kill someone..

Another question: I’ve noticed we’ve got 3 main female characters now all with ‘S’ names, Siri, Sarene, and Shalan (forgive any mis-spellings I listen to the audiobooks). Do you just like S names for female characters or does it go any deeper than that? Note, with 95% of authors I’d just assume it was that they like S names but with Brandon… you never know…

@Gwendolyn By the time you reach the end of Way of Kings your question about Kaladin and Dalinar will be answered.