Argent
(paraphrased)
Is Cultivation's Shardholder still alive.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question, what do you think?
Argent
(paraphrased)
I want to say, but that's based on my knowledge before I read Lift's interlude from Words of Radiance. Now I am leaning towards no. Based on that interlude, it looks like spren have essence from both Honor and Cultivation. It's almost like they exist in a spectrum, on one end of which is Honor, and on the other - Cultivation; so there are spren that are, for the lack of better example, 90% Honor and 10% Cultivation, and there are spren that are 15% Honor and 85% Cultivation.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
That's a very astute observation!
Argent
(paraphrased)
And since we know that Honor is Splintered, then it might be the case that Cultivation is also Splintered, and their Splinters form the spren.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Is there any other canonical way to refer to a set of Shardplate and a Shardblade other than Shards, so as to not confuse them with the Shards of Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
They call them just Shard(s). It is a little confusing, because there are other Shards, but they don't know about them. I call them a set, but there is no canonical way to refer to them.
Argent
(paraphrased)
If a Dakhor (Dilaf) could erase a symbol written by an Elantrian (Raoden), could an Elantrian erase/heal a Dhakor bone-symbol?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
This is a theoretical possibility, but not a specialization of AonDor.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Fabrials replicate Soulcasting abilities. Is it possible for fabrials to replicate all such Surgebinding abilities?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, good question! Fabrials can replicate all of the Surgebinding abilities.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Are Renarin and Adolin Dalinar's legitimate children?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question! Yes, they are both legitimate. Though Renarin didn't get as much of the hair, which is probably what people are asking about.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Are all of the Heralds who gave up their Honorblades still alive?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question! RAFO.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Do the Spiritual and Physical Realms have names, like Shadesmar is the Cognitive Realm?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Kind of, but not really. Shadesmar is just a rough translation of "Cognitive Realm" in the language of whoever first found out about it. Other people, planets, and worlds wouldn't call it Shadesmar - they would call it whatever their words for "Cognitive Realm" are. This applies to the Physical and Spiritual as well.
Argent
(paraphrased)
If Ati had somehow managed to give up Ruin and returned to being a regular person, would his mind have gradually reverted from its corruption by Ruin's intent, or would he always be determined to destroy?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Over time Ruin's influence would fade, but Ati would remain a Sliver, so there would be some permanent effects.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Could a Seeker who was properly trained and experienced detect AonDor or Awakening? Similarly, does a Coppercloud block an Awakener's life sense?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
A Seeker could sense somebody else using magic not native Scadrial. RAFO on the Coppercloud blocking similar magic.
Argent
(paraphrased)
How do you spell "Lyss" the woman Jasnah meets with in the WoR prologue?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Not sure, but I think it's Lyss.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Aside from the Greater Roshar system, are there any other multiple shardworld systems?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes. You have not necessarily seen them though.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Feruchemy is the "balance" between Ruin and Preservation. Would any combination of Shards create a "balance" magic, so to speak, or are only certain Shards compatible?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Feruchemy ended up being a balance system, because of how polar Ruin and Preservation were. Any world with at least two Shards will result in a similar phenomenon.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Like Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Like Roshar. There is something like that going on there.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Was Calamity and its appearance in Steelheart just kind of an ad hoc? We know that it showed up about a year before the Epics started showing up, so people naturally assume one was the cause and one was the effect, but was that really the case and are both of them just the effects of something else?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question! I will say that this is something I've done before, so my fans will kind of expect it. I am aware of this expectation too, and I am careful about repeating myself.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Was Hemalurgy inspired by your time in Asia, and more specifically - acupuncture?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes. A lot of the stuff in my books that looks like it came from Asia really did come from my time there.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Anything you can tell us about Steelheart's sequel, Firefight?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
It starts off in Chicago, but then moves to New York. It will show off an... interesting version of Manhattan, similarly to how Steelheart's showed off an interesting version of Chicago. It will also introduce three new Epics.
Argent
(paraphrased)
Pat Rothfuss recently worked with the folks from Albino Dragon to create a Kickstarted Name of the Wind deck of cards in which each face card features a character from the book. All those designs were discussed with Pat, and the final result is shaping up to be pretty spectacular. Are there plans, or if not - are you open to planning, - to do something like this for one or more of your own worlds?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I know about Pat's deck, it's really awesome stuff! I can only say that I do have plans to do something similar, but you will have to wait for Words of Radiance to find out more about it.
otomo
(paraphrased)
I asked to confirm whether after Sazed's Ascension if there were any more atium or malatium Mistings.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
There are no more, in that way...
otomo
(paraphrased)
In that way, huh?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*ominous look*
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Someone asked a really good question about inspiration of Sazed's crisis of faith and religion.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Brandon really opened up nicely here saying that he does a lot of research so that he can tap into how people really feel about their religions, and therefore not just argue his characters' religions from a token perspective, but hold something that feels a little more real. He said he often hits up forums for different religious beliefs and surfs there, because people tend to be very honest and passionate on forums, which gives him a nice basis to write from.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
He was asked how many contracts he's had and has.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He started to talk about the story where he had a contract for Dragonsteel and another book, which became Rithmatist. He said the first book of Dragonsteel didn't turn out well, and that he wasn't ready to write that series, which ties in all of his universes as a prequel. And said he'd be avoiding more series where you have to really have read everything to get it until further down the line. Confirmed that the next several books are going to be Stormlight related, along with the in between Wax and Wayne books, Steelheart books and Rithmatist.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Is there going to be any more Alcatraz.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He did say something interesting about that in that he was going to write it on spec and would likely post it up for free until he found a publisher for it once that was done.
Octavia
I know the second book in the series isn't due out until next year, but can you tell us how many books there will be total in the series?
Brandon Sanderson
A trilogy. As for it being open-ended, I can't reveal the ending of the third book, or anything about it, while the first book is just barely out! So, you'll have to wait and see.
Octavia
If Calamity did come (and most of us did not turn evil), what power would you want? Would you be a hero? Villain? Switzerland?
Brandon Sanderson
What power I would choose depends on how rational my brain is that day. It makes the most sense to have Wolverine's regenerative powers. At the same time, it's not like I'm jumping off cliffs or getting into fights. So I probably wouldn't do much with this power.
But in the back of my mind, there's a part of me that says, "Boy, would I really love to be able to fly!" Which is why a lot of the magic systems in my books wind up dealing with people having powers that let them soar in the air.
Honestly, I want to think I'd be a hero, but as I've mentioned, the reason I wrote Steelheart was because of a moment where I had intense anger toward someone else. And that moment of me imagining myself destroying someone else because of a minor annoyance is part of why I wrote this book. I was frightened of myself. I'd like to think that I'd be a hero. I'm worried that I wouldn't be.
Octavia
Steelheart makes you feel a few pretty intense emotions. Were there any scenes in particular that you found difficult to write, because of these intense moments?
Brandon Sanderson
One of the very first scenes I imagined for Steelheart is where the main character David is trapped and pinned down. Certain things have led him to that moment and the events that happen right after that. (I'm not giving any spoilers, but those of you who have read the book will know what I'm talking about. It happens right after the motorcycle chase.) When I'm developing a book, I often go for a walk or walk on the treadmill and listen to cool music, my eyes closed, and ask myself, "What is the emotional resonance of this book? What's it going to feel like to read it? What scenes will make that happen?" This was one of those scenes. For me, it was the most important scene of the entire novel, so getting to it was a pleasure, but it was also an emotional and powerful scene to write because I'd been planning it for so long and wanted badly for it to turn out well. That can be really difficult for a writer when you've got something in your head and you worry. Can I make it turn out on the page?
Octavia
Newcago was a HUGE surprise for me. I expected to see Chicago, but roughed up in a dystopian way. Instead you took a major city we all know, and made it completely new and interactive. The catacombs, in particular were really interesting to me. Did you base Newcago's catacombs off of a "real" place?
Brandon Sanderson
Newcago's catacombs were actually based more off of mid-eighties cyberpunk stories where you've often got this sort of techie underground, and I love that visual. I intentionally didn't want to take Steelheart in a dystopian direction, even though it technically is a dystopia. I just feel that the whole "wasted world" dystopia has been done so well by so many writers that I wanted to have something that felt new and different.
When I gave Steelheart this sort of Midas power to turn Chicago into metal, I thought it would be cool to have these catacombs dug underneath it because the visual was so different and cool. The catacombs I've visited in various cities are, of course, awesome, but really I'm looking back at those cyberpunk books.
Octavia
With Steelheart, every superhero I've worshiped as a kid was pretty much blown to bits and replaced with the scariest bunch of "supers" I've ever seen. How did you come up with the idea to take superheroes (and even today's, not even close to epic level, villains) and make them so amazingly evil?
Brandon Sanderson
I was on book tour, driving a rental car up through West Virginia when someone aggressively cut me off in traffic. I got very annoyed at this person, which is not something I normally do. I'm usually pretty easygoing, but this time I thought to myself, "Well, random person, it's a good thing I don't have super powers—because if I did, I'd totally blow your car off the road." Then I thought: "That's horrifying that I would even think of doing that to a random stranger!"
Any time that I get horrified like that makes me realize that there's a story there somewhere. So I spent the rest of the drive thinking about what would really happen if I had super powers. Would I go out and be a hero, or would I just start doing whatever I wanted to? Would it be a good thing or a bad thing?
lunarubato
Do Wayne and Ranette have last names?
Brandon Sanderson
Wayne, no. Wayne doesn’t care about a last name. Ranette does, and I’m trying to remember what her last name is. It’s in my notes. If you ask, we can get it for you.
Questioner
So if you burn duralumin at the same time as the metal that speeds up time, meaning stuff flows faster outside, would you basically warp into the future a long ways?
Brandon Sanderson
That's an excellent question.
lunarubato
I'm so sure! I'm so sure…
Brandon Sanderson
And I am not going to answer that question yet, because I don't... Because you are asking questions that they are going to be trying to answer in like five more books. So telling you right now would give spoilers for books way too far ahead in the future.
swamp-spirit
Does it take longer for spheres to charge on the western side of the continent?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, because of the… No it doesn't, but that's an excellent question. The highstorms are a little weaker, but that's more of a… Of it's been blunted from the-- It's not an-- Like if the continent, the mountains weren't there, they wouldn’t be weaker.
lunarubato
So alternatively, is Shinovar the way it is as a result of Cultivation's influence in any way?
Brandon Sanderson
You will find out answers to why Shinovar is the way it is.
swamp-spirit
Is the Old Magic in Shinovar, and is this a result of something to do with Cultivation?
Brandon Sanderson
The Old Magic is at The Valley, which is not in Shinovar, which is… If you've got a book, I'll show you where it is.... Let's see where Issac's wonderful map is, the first big one… Right here. So the Valley's right there. So that's where you go in order to visit the Old Magic.
Kogiopsis
Are chasmfiends naturally aggressive?
Brandon Sanderson
Chasmfiends are… Depending on where you find them in their life cycle, can be naturally aggressive.
Kogiopsis
Kind of along the same lines, I just want to confirm something. If someone from Earth saw an Alethi, what ethnicity would they assume they were?
Brandon Sanderson
It would-- The model I use are actually for the half-Hawaiian, half-Asians that are kind of common in Hawaii. That's the model I've used; I actually have one of their faces for Kaladin. So it would depend on what your perspective is, you might say-- some people might say Arab, but the model I'm using is kind of more Hawaiian/Asian mix is what you'd get. The only ones that would look Caucasian to you straight-up would probably be the Shin, though if you get someone who has Horneater blood-- The Horneaters might look-- they just-- they're gonna look like bizarre… redhead… things, but they might look Caucasian to you.
swamp-spirit
So would Shallan also be more towards that?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, Shallan has lighter skin. But she still has the epicanthic fold, and so she maybe would look to you like a Caucasian/Asian mix? With red hair? So… Anyway, she would look fairly Caucasian.
swamp-spirit
I will attempt to send you excited fanart.
Kogiopsis
I've been picturing the Alethi as Indian, myself.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, yeah. Yeah, yeah, like East India? That’s a pretty good picture on them. That would work very well.
Kogiopsis
Are we going to see Native Americans in the Rithmatist series?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes you will. The Native Americans have mostly moved to South America, but there's a Native American main character in the second book.
Kogiopsis
Yes!
Brandon Sanderson
What happened is the– a lot of them got pushed into South America, where the Aztec Empire is alive and well and strong. And so their perspective on what's going on is very different from the perspective happening in Joel's school, so you will see a different perspective on things.
Kogiopsis
Excellent.
Brandon Sanderson
It was already dangerous though, what I'm doing, and I realize this, for those very reasons. Very sensitive issues. Like when I used the Mary Rowlandson account, which is kind of a controversial account as it is, I understood that I was potentially opening a can of worms.
swamp-spirit
But I mean, I really– I just want to say this, that I really appreciate as a reader that you go into diversity because I know it is a risk, and it means so much to readers to have you writing a different set of characters and people people can relate to.
lunarubato
Was Spook still alive when they figured out the Allomantic properties of cadmium and bendalloy and that sort of thing?
Brandon Sanderson
Yyyes.
lunarubato
Okay. Follow-up, did he learn how to use them and travel into the future?
Brandon Sanderson
*laughter* You will find more out about Spook's fate, how about that?
lunarubato
That'll work.
Brandon Sanderson
It has not been– There is more coming about Spook.
lunarubato
Is Desolation a Shard?
Brandon Sanderson
Is Desolation a Shard? No, but good question.
lunarubato
Because in the [Words of Radiance Lift] Interlude, Darkness refers to it in a sort of first-person-ish sounding way.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
komekoro
Wayne mentions a nervous habit that gets cut off, can you tell us what that nervous habit is?
lunarubato
Please.
Brandon Sanderson
Alright, give me the full context of this please...
lunarubato
It was after the battle on the train, and Wax basically… Wax basically says "There's worse things than being genuine. Why, before blah blah blah, before Wayne would, Wayne used to basically get so nervous that he'd start…" And then Wayne cuts him off.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, okay. Yeah, Wayne had a really, really, deep stutter when he was younger, and that, I believe, is what I was referencing.
lunarubato
Yay.
Kogiopsis
That's adorable.
Brandon Sanderson
So if you can imagine poor Wayne and his poor stutter.
komekoro
Is what Navani said about Dalinar's wife accurate?
Brandon Sanderson
What specifically?
Kogiopsis
She says that she thought they could have been friends.
swamp-spirit
And that she's kind of the unassuming personality, the sweetness…
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, yes. That is correct.
lunarubato
Correct objectively or correct in her opinion?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, definitely correct in her opinion. But yes. And Navani is something of a slightly untrustworthy narrator, but I would go with, in that case, the fact that she's saying it and not being angry and– Her natural instinct would be to hate this woman; that's how Navani is, and the fact that she doesn't probably means that in this case she's being pretty truthful.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, and I don't know why Kelsier didn't think of the coin in the mouth trick. Probably since I didn't think of it until this book–so, if the one who created the magic system can miss that little trick, then I figure Kelsier is allowed to.
Brandon Sanderson
If you didn't see the Zane/Kelsier comparison later, I bring it up here. In a way, Zane's purpose in this book is to represent things that Vin never really had an opportunity to choose.
She ended up with Elend. However, there is another option, and that was the option that Kelsier represented. The option that Zane represents. Despite her assurances to Elend that she didn't love Kelsier, there WAS something there. Kelsier had a magnetism about him, and since he died, Vin didn't ever have to choose between him and Elend.
Brandon Sanderson
This fight is for the Allomancy junkies. I don't think there's another one quite as technical as it is in the entire rest of the series.
I try to give variety to how my fight scenes are handled. The spar between Ham and Vin was quick and visual. This fight is all about pushes, pulls, and weight. I fear that it's pretty hard to imagine, and unless you're really into Allomancy, I suspect that many of you skimmed most of it.
Yet, writing a book is about putting in lots of things for lots of different people, I think. Allomancy is fun because of its versatility–I can to all kinds of things with it. This was just one of them.
So, if you really like how Allomancy works–with the pushes and pulls, the vectors, mass, acceleration, and all that, this is a present for you. A chapter really showing off what two Mistborn can do when expertly manipulating their powers.
Brandon Sanderson
One of the things I wanted to do with these books was to slowly transform characters so that their weaknesses became strengths. It's an odd little theme, hardly visible, I think–and not really that important. However, it's there. Vin is learning to be a scholar, despite how much she protests and fights against the transformation.
Brandon Sanderson
Chapter Seventeen
So, now the Watcher is named. I didn't originally intend him to remain mysterious for so long. In fact, in the original draft, I had a viewpoint from him fairly early on. That's been moved back in this version, to make things flow more quickly at the beginning, but also so that you could form your opinion of him externally first. He has a. . .particular way of seeing the world, and I felt it better to introduce that later, so that it wouldn't overshadow the other aspects of his personality quite as much.
Joshstormblessed
(paraphrased)
What is the stone that Gavilar gave to Szeth before he died?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question, there are clues to what it is. (I'm going to try to get this answer right) if you decode [Navani's notebook] in the beginning of The Way of Kings you will find some significant clues to what the stone is. The [notebook] has already been decoded over at the 17th shard but I've never confirmed that those clues are in fact there. So go tell the 17th shard I confirmed that and they will love you for it.
Joshstormblessed
(paraphrased)
I've noticed that in both Elantris and Roshar there are specific shapes to the cities and in both instances there are chasms. Is there a connection between the two worlds?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Oooo:) Yes there is definitely a connection there. As you know all of these worlds are part of a universe and my magic systems share basic rules. So you'll see similarities.
Joshstormblessed
(paraphrased)
And the chasms?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*smiles mischievously*
Joshstormblessed
(paraphrased)
Will we see Kaladin face Amaram?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I wouldn't put such a strong conflict as that without a purpose.
Joshstormblessed
(paraphrased)
Are we going to see more of Marsh?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*smiles* He'll be around ...
Mysty
(paraphrased)
Is Baxil's Mistress destroying statues of the Herald Shalash?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes. Actually in the prologue her statue is missing because Baxil's mistress came through.
Mysty
(paraphrased)
Is Baxil's mistress Shalash?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I'm not going to answer that.
Mysty
(paraphrased)
Will Shallan and Hoid meet and have a battle of wits?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question! I think you should read WoR and find out.
Mysty
(paraphrased)
Are Shallan's "memories" a form of Surgebinding?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Good question! Shallan has something besides pure physiology aiding her when taking a memory.
Mysty
(paraphrased)
Is the Nightwatcher Cultivation or of Cultivation somehow?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
That is strongly hinted in the book.