Found 360 entries in 0.106 seconds.
Questioner
In the first three Mistborn books, and Elantris and Warbreaker, you focus a lot on sort of gods and religion, is there a particular reason for that?
Brandon Sanderson
Why do I focus on gods and religion in my books. Well there's a couple of reasons. The main one is the kind of overarching story of the cosmere, which all my books are connected, there is some divine force named Adonalsium that was broken apart long ago and the scions of that-- people who have that power are showing up and causing problems and things on planets. So that's kind of the hidden epic behind the scenes, and so because of that religion is a very big part of what happens there.
I'm also a religious person. For those who don't know, I'm Mormon, I'm LDS. And so religion is important to me and whatever I'm fascinated by works it's way into my books. Now I'm generally the type of writer who doesn't feel like I should go into a book with a theme, I should explore what the characters are passionate and let the theme manifest naturally. And so I do that a lot, I don't go in saying "Oh I'm going to teach people this" I say "Who is this character, what are they passionate about" But the things I'm interested in you see. That's why you end up with stories about a god who doesn't believe in his own religion, from Warbreaker. Or you end up with these different things, with Kelsier founding a religion to use it, or having people with different types of faith. And I really think that part of the point of fiction is to, for me, to explore different ideas from different angles and try to just tackle them. And so you'll see me coming back to some of the same concepts again and again, because I want to try them from a new angle, see how this person thinks, see how this character deals with it. Because that's just really interesting to me.
Questioner
With the Shards and them kind of splitting pre-Adonalsium, was it really Shattered on Yolen or is there a different place?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, it gets a little sticky for various reasons, but you can assume that that's a yes, that what it appears to be is correct. Dragonsteel and the story of Hoid takes place on Yolen but it gets messy, because there's some weirdness about the planet.
Questioner
Sazed's obviously Harmony now, if he connected with the other Shards would he become the original Adonalsium 'cause all the intents are morphing, or would he--
Brandon Sanderson
There are theories that would happen, there are theories it would destroy him.
Arithered
Would it be correct to view pre-Shattered Adonalsium as either a perfect God or perfect power of creation?
Brandon Sanderson
That would be one way of viewing things. Depends on your perspective.
Arithered
So basically, RAFO??
Brandon Sanderson
Not TOTALLY a RAFO. More a “That works. But some would not agree.”
Rider of Storms
Did Adonalsium (or its Vessel) leave a Cognitive Shadow behind? If so, where is it?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Chaos
You have once said, with regard to a question about Shards being the most powerful thing in the cosmere, that some would say that other "subtle forces" are being manifest. Are these subtle forces related to Adonalsium's opposition?
Brandon Sanderson
There is belief in a God who is not one of the Shards.
Volratho
Was there life in the cosmere before Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
unknown
Is it possible to make an artificial shard? And not in an easy manner but if one had the resources and time could they make one?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not sure what an artificial shard would be. You'd be using the power from Adonalsium to do it--so it wouldn't be 'artificial,' by cosmere terms. You'd just be collecting power. The question becomes if you gather enough of it, would it combine back together--which is a RAFO in the world. Nobody knows.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Someone else asked if Adonalsium had been self-aware.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Brandon said he couldn't answer that yet.
Brandon Sanderson
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Adonalsium
Wouldn't you like to know what that is? Maybe you will, eventually. Not in this book though. [Editor's note: If you see it spelled “Adonasium” anywhere, that is an unfortunate typographical error.]
Kahlani
Did Adonalsium have a gemheart?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, good question.
Brandon Sanderson
Let's see... *reading written question aloud* "Can you tell me anything new about the force that opposed Adonalsium?"
*writes* "I would count groups of people as a force."
Okay? So, I'm not saying that that's what it is, but when people ask that question and leave a lot of wiggle room... because I would count groups of people as a force that opposed him. So, I have not confirmed it's a group or anything like that. The question has a lot of wiggle room.
Questioner
Is Adonalsium's God Metal aluminum?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
I know that with Harmony, he has difficulty interacting because he holds two Shards. Did Adonalsium, since he had all these other personality traits, also have issues directly interfering?
Brandon Sanderson
A RAFO! Good question. I've never been asked that question before.
claytonphillips
Before Adonalsium shattered, was it consciously opposed by something, be it people or another cosmic force? Is whatever opposed it still around?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Yes.
Questioner
Did the Shattering of Adonalsium have a chance of a breakdown of the magic system on the planet of its creation?
Brandon Sanderson
There was an effect. Breakdown might not be the exact right phrase, but it could fit, but there was definitely an effect.
Questioner
Who invited Rayse to the Adonalsium-Shattering party?
Brandon Sanderson
Hehe, you will have to see. That is definitely a RAFO.
Questioner
So, is Adonalsium limited to the cosmere galaxy? I don't think he created the universe?
Brandon Sanderson
That is a RAFO. But the cosmere is a dwarf galaxy... They don't know about that.
Questioner
Will they?
Brandon Sanderson
Maybe.
grampipon
Is Adonalsium taken from the Hebrew words for God, Adonai?
Brandon Sanderson
It is.
Questioner
I had a question regarding the sixteen Shards... If they are, or when they are reformed to Adonalsium, will it have to be one person holding all sixteen Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO. I'm gonna RAFO that partially because there's not even-- who knows if it can all be recombined.
imriel452
Tell me something about the cosmere that has not been previously mentioned.
Brandon Sanderson
Long ago there was a plot to destroy Adonalsium. It failed.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
What you can tell me about Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
That is the word for someone or something which has gained a portion of the magic of Adonalsium, so the original whatever-it-is. Like a Shardblade is an Invested object, and people if they draw in the Stormlight, they're drawing in the magic--they're Invested.
Arcanist Lupus
(paraphrased)
Was Adonalsium shattered intentionally, and if so, was the intention malevolent?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes and RAFO
Letters Words
In Tress, Hoid says, “I’ve said those words. The words that proclaim, in bald-faced arrogance, ‘I don’t trust you to make your own decisions.’ I said them with sixteen other people, in fact.” Hoid seems to be implying here that only seventeen total people were directly involved in the Shattering of Adonalsium: himself and the sixteen original Vessels. Is this accurate? If so, does that mean three of the original Vessels held the other Dawnshards that Hoid didn’t have?
Brandon Sanderson
That’s an excellent question that I have to RAFO.
Miyabi
(paraphrased)
While talking with EUOL today I had asked about Hoid being Midius from Partinel.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He said he had many names, but avoided a yes or no answer.
Miyabi
(paraphrased)
I then asked if Hoid was a shard.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He said no and then said something about how no one has read the end of Partinel due to its not being written well and the plethora of spoilers it contains. . . .
He then told me that Hoid was there when Adonalsium was shattered.
Questioner
Adonalsium, did he have his own world before?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that world is the book Dragonsteel, which will be written as Hoid's backstory. That's a ways off, but it will still come. Chronologically it's first, but I'm going to write it right before I write the last Mistborn series, which is Mistborn Era 4.
Zas678
(paraphrased)
How about a confirmation one? We have a secondhand report from Miyabi actually, that says that Hoid was at the Shattering of Adonalsium. Was he there?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes he was.
XMikethetrikeX
Is aluminum the godmetal of Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO
Lars Vegas
Was Adonalsium bound by any intentions like the Vessels of the different Shards are, or did they have free will, a the intentions balanced each other out?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, how about that? We will hold off on that one, answers pending perhaps in Dragonsteel when I write it.
Eric
If Adonalsium Shattered with intent, would he always Shatter with the same Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
It is plausible that it could've gone a different way.
Eric
So it could've been different Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that's plausible.
Nikleas
Since you established that all the worlds you created in your books are linked, any chance to see in the (very) distant future a book/series that delves into this overarching story/universe/rules more directly? Possibly with a crossover of characters from your different stories, specifically characters that became "immortal" or at least achieve a "different" state: Sazed, Kelsier, Raoden. Is that something you would even be interested in doing?
Or will you stick to placing subtle hints in your different books/series about the overall system?
Brandon Sanderson
VERY distant future is correct. I will confirm that I do have stories planned that delve into what is going on behind the scenes. There will be short stories dealing with Hoid, most likely posted to my website.
Some of these stories are novel length, and I can't say what I'll do with them. Perhaps I'll write them out in novel form and release them in bookstores, but I have a feeling that most of my readers would be completely confused by them. So perhaps these will all just be on my website only. (If they are released that way, they'll most likely be free for download and reading.)
The subtle hints will continue until then. Mostly, I want the stories to be enjoyable and self-contained. I don't want anyone to HAVE to know any of the behind the scenes, regarding Hoid, Adonalsium, and the rest. (Yes, there is more.) Those are there for the readers who want to dig, and who want to see the greater story. But I don't want them to overshadow the stories of the books themselves. At least not yet.
Questioner
What can you tell us about what magic was like in the cosmere before Adonalsium was Shattered?
Brandon Sanderson
Magic was...
Questioner
Was it very different or...
Brandon Sanderson
It was-- I mean-- It was similar, different in some fundamental ways but the things that were done you’ll be able to see other-- You'll be able to see the pieces.
Aesicar
Was aluminum around before Adonalsium was Shattered?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
KingSloth
Is Odium's method of smothering shards inspired at all by the way Adonalsium was originally shattered? Or of his own devising?
Brandon Sanderson
It is not obvious to other Shards. But there are relationships.
Questioner
Is the God Beyond, or the Unknown God, one of the Adonalsium Shardholders or is it another godlike entity?
Brandon Sanderson
You got [a RAFO card].
Questioner
Are the people from Mistborn the people that came to The Stormlight Archive?
Brandon Sanderson
Are they the people that what?
Questioner
In The Stormlight Archive, they discover that the people are not... that humans are not the people that [came to land?]. Are they the people from Mistborn?
Brandon Sanderson
No, they're not. They're from a different planet. The people from Mistborn, though, were based on them, in part. See, there's some people that predate what we call the Shattering of Adonalsium, where God was split to all these pieces, and humans predate that. The humans that were on Scadrial were created as an imitation of those.
Paladin Brewer
(paraphrased)
Did the original 16 break Adonalsium with the intent to gain the shards and the power, or was that a happy/unhappy side effect?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO
Questioner
Was Adonalsium the one who created the cosmere universe as a whole?
Brandon Sanderson
That is widely assumed to be the case.
AndyGranny
(paraphrased)
If Hoid were to acquire all the powers from each shard would it not create a demi version of Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO.
Were there any people present at the Shattering of Adonalsium other than Hoid and the 16?
RAFO.
So was Adonalsium a divine being or a pure force/essence of creation?
RAFO
Volratho
Did Adonalsium have a god metal?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
stormlightfan70
We know it has been stated that adonalsium could have been shattered into 16 different intents. We also know there is a force out there opposing adanalsium. Did it shatter into those 16 intents because it believed that was the best way to defend against this said force?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Aaronator17
Adonalsium was 'killed' and split by the 16 who would eventually become shards, so that means there was an original holder of the power, and could their name have been Adonal?
Brandon Sanderson
This is a good question...that will be covered in the Dragonsteel series, when I get to it. (Sorry.)
Paladin Brewer
(paraphrased)
Was aluminum used in the Shattering of Adonalsium in any way?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO
Questioner
So is there an opposing force to Adonalsium.
Brandon Sanderson
Good question, which has been asked before and i haven't answered it so I'm going to RAFO you as well.
I think that I have occasionally said 'yes' with the caveat that, obviously somebody opposed him because he was Shattered. I haven't confirmed if there is like a 'Devil' or something like that if that's what you're looking for.
Questioner
In regards to the title of Dragonsteel, is Adonalsium a dragon?
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question though, excellent question. But they do live on the planet.
Questioner
For Adonalsium to create the universe, therefore he must have infinite power to create an infinitely sized universe. Therefore, infinity divided by sixteen is equal to infinity. Therefore, why don't the Shards have infinite power, which they clearly don't, because they can be killed?
Brandon Sanderson
The power can't be killed. The entity controlling the power can. Infinite power existing and being able to access the infinite power are different things, and a finite mind, even added to a very powerful sense of power, isn't necessarily able to tap all of that.
Questioner
What about Ruin and Preservation in Well of Ascension? We hear about Ruin using some of its power. Therefore, it must not have infinite power, because if you minus something from infinity, it's still infinity...
Brandon Sanderson
So, infinite power is changing forms. It's not going anywhere, right? So, the Investiture, the power, is becoming energy, which is doing work, which is being released back into the system. Nothing's growing or shrinking. It is simply changing forms, and potential energy is becoming kinetic.
Chaos
Is Adonalsium and the "power of creation" synonymous?
Brandon Sanderson
In some people's usage.
atiumplayer
Does Dalinar's "unite them" thing has something to do with Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO, I'm afraid.