erica@mindspring.com (Erica Liebman Sadun) writes: |> |> 1. The whole "Robert Jordan came to our Dinner" simply did |> not happen. It was a HOAX, guys. We all fell for it, hook |> line and sinker. It was a *GREAT* hoax, but a hoax nonetheless.Seriously, here's what really happened.
Almost instantly someone responded, "Let's tell them that Robert Jordan himself showed up!" "Yeah, he was in town at a book signing and stopped by," added another. "We can say we invited him, on a lark, and were really surprised when he dropped by," suggested a third.
We spent another few minutes kicking the idea around. We decided that saying he came to town for a book signing would be recognized as a lie, since such things would have been publicized. We also noted that Patrick N-H could shoot down our story instantly, since he'd have an idea of what JR's schedule is, and since our story would involve him or someone else at Tor telling JR about our gathering. So we decided to ask him to go along with us, or at least not spoil our fun. He agreed.
And so it was. Email discussions flew back and forth during the next two days as the 6 of us decided exactly what sort of a sham to make. I concocted a semi-believable pretense for why Jordan would come to our party and wrote about a lot of things that he might actually say. We know from seeing him at book-signings, sending mail to him, etc. what sorts of things he might really say, so we knew how to add that air of verisimilitude.
Our goal from the beginning was to have fun shamming the readers of this group, get them to reread the books to hunt down bogus references we manufactured, let them start bizarre speculations to incorporate this "new information" from the author himself, and to generally have a good laugh while testing the group's collective gullibility.
Come to think of it, saying we met the author isn't all that big of a stretch, strictly speaking. Authors hold book signings, attend conventions, and do a number of other things that let their audience meet them.
Some of the first responses, though, were a hoot. I was literally falling off my chair when I read messages from some of the people who had fallen for our hoax hook, line, and sinker.
Yes, folks, the following (which most of you believed) are all nefarious fabrications:
We took to more-or-less direct hints. When people asked me for a text of my original summary, I sent it along with some fairly overt hints that it was a hoax. Judy got in contact with a few Jordanites via email and started hitting them over the head with clues, but still they didn't catch on until she practically told them what I'm telling you now.
So, after dozens of posts and about 10 direct email messages to non-hoaxers, only 2 people had figured it out. I thought that surely the cat was out of the bag when I^Hsomeone posted that anonymous article with copies of several of our messages to each other about the hoax. Reaction seemed muted, at best.
"We are talking joke of the decade...Well, anyone out there want to protest about how *utterly* gulled, deceived, befuddled, duped, suckered, baited, tricked, conned, defrauded, shammed, beguiled, deluded, and otherwise fooled you were? Hahaha, claim what you will, for I've kept your messages as proof of your own credulity! 'Forthwith shall I name you and evince your gullibility.' Mwahahahahha!!!
We are talking April, May, June, July, and August Fools'..."