"Few people have managed to imagine a world the way that Robert Jordan did," Wendy Bradley, editor of the science-fiction magazine Farthing told The Times. "That was a great strength of his writing. He was trying to tell a story on a heroic scale, and he was good -- he had the same grip on storytelling that J.K. Rowling has." More than 30 million copies of the books have been sold and the series has been translated into about two dozen languages, according to Tor, his New York publisher. By the 1990s, Rigney had come to dominate the fantasy genre spawned by J.R.R. Tolkien and "The Lord of the Rings."

The "Wheel" novels tell the story of Rand al'Thor, who heroically battles evil in a mythical land and was modeled on the Norse god of justice. The increasing popularity of the fantasy genre was reflected in reader fascination with the escapist tale, and fans at book signings could range in age from their early teens to their 80s. When asked to describe what fueled the series' incredibly complicated plot lines, Rigney often replied by saying, "What if somebody came up to this average person on the street and said, 'You are the savior of humanity.' What do you do with that?"

He had a secretary whose main job was to keep the facts straight in the elaborate world he created that spanned 11 books and almost 7,420 pages. Some critics questioned his wordiness, yet he could sum up the series' driving force in three words: "Life changes. Deal." The series has inspired a thriving online community with hundreds of Internet sites devoted to it. Among the largest is TarValon.net, which has several thousand members, said Melissa Craib, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles-based site. "An amazing community has been built around what he has created," Craib told The Times. "His thoughts and his ideas about honor and service and making it through difficult times are exceptionally inspiring to many people. It draws together people who want to embody these qualities."

On his personal blog at www.dragonmount.com, Rigney updated fans on his health and reassured them that he was working on "A Memory of Light," the 12th and last novel in the "Wheel" series. He reportedly left behind detailed notes on the novel and had shared the end of the story with his wife, Harriet, who was his editor, and a cousin. "I am quite confident that the series will be finished," Craib said. "This is important to his legacy."