Questioner
Will we be seeing more of Spensa's mom?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, you will.
Will we be seeing more of Spensa's mom?
Yes, you will.
Will Jorgen keep the callsign "Jerkface?"
He hopes not.
Is there a romance planned?
You'll have to wait and see! This is an action/adventure story first and a character study second. So know that if there's romance, it won't be a focus.
From all your characters, to whom you relate the most? Personality wise.
Hmm. I'd like to think I'm most like Sazed, but I'm actually the most like Alcatraz. Both in bad ways and good.
You previously confirmed Kaladin has a depression. What about other two characters? Does Shallan has split personality disorder? And Dalinar has PTSD?
I don't know that I'd say Shallan has straight up DID--and that is a controversial topic even under the more current terminology. More, Shallan is certainly disassociating herself, but the result is something I consider very individual to her. (Unlike Kaladin's fairly textbook chemical depression.)
Dalinar has had some PTSD, though you'll see more of the traditional symptoms in Kaladin, and is a recovering alcoholic--and a few other things.
Does Dalinar's "unite them" thing has something to do with Adonalsium?
RAFO, I'm afraid.
Venli is going to be a main character in Stormlight 4? With big focus like previous flashback characters had? I wanted to read more of Dalinar considering how Oathbringer ended with massive cliffhanger (sorta) for him.
Dalinar will get more in 5 than in 4. Eshonai will have the flashbacks in 4, though Venli will be featured in them.
How does Connection to a Shard actually work? 16 random people took 16 Shards in the past, I don't think all of them had special Connection to a certain Shard each of them picked. We even know that Ati, Ruin's Vessel, was a kind, generous man, direct opposition to Ruin's Intent.
However, in Mistborn we find out that you must gain certain amount of Connection to become a Shard Vessel. Kelsier wasn't Connected to Preservation well enough (he's more of Ruin), Sazed was somehow Connected to both Preservation and Ruin? So, should you be Connected to a Shard to Ascend? Why was it different in the past?
Also, what would happen if, theoretically Dalinar, a good, honorable man, kill Odium's Vessel and take a Shard for himself? Will he change Shard's Intent to something...let's say less destructive or Odium's intent will just devour his personality and he'll act just like Odium's current Vessel?
That's pretty big RAFO territory, I'm afraid. I'll just say that this is something I do intend to delve into in the books.
Will Dalinar get Shardplate once he swears his Fourth Ideal? Or Bondsmiths don’t have Plates?
RAFO. :)
I was surprised to find out Skyward trilogy is not a trilogy anymore, but four books. How did this happen? You have more stories in this world or book 3 is growing too big, so you decided to split it in two smaller books?
My normal mode for a series is to write the first book, make sure it works and that I have a good feel for the characters, then sit down and really hammer out the outline for the series.
When I did that for this book (sometime in early July) the outline that worked best was four books instead of three because of where the breaks and climactic moments were.
During a reread of The Way of Kings, I noticed Kaladin mentions a light eyes by the name of Katarotam. Will we ever find out more about this light eyes? (For some context, Katarotam is listed along side Roshone and Amaram as a light eyes that Kaladin believes to be corrupt).
RAFO. (This is possible, but not likely, in a Kaladin flashback.)
Ever considered a novella set in the Silver Kingdoms or during another ancient Rosharan era?
I have considered earlier-era Rosharan novellas, but I don't think one is likely in the near future.
Was Hoid a worldhopper before the Shattering?
Though there are some RAFOy things that I can't exactly say, I CAN say that I don't think most would consider Hoid a worldhopper before the Shattering.
Is Iyatil left-handed?
RAFO
The one thing that impressed me the most [about Skyward] are the awesomely vivid and thrilling dogfight scenes. How did you come up with these dogfighting techniques? Any particular inspiration that you can share with us? Thank you!
So, one of the things I try to do in combat situations is define a few rules that are different from the way our world works, nudging the combat to be more fantastical. This (hopefully) allows even those who are familiar with the situation to better suspend disbelief--since the rules of combat are different, then battles can theoretically play out in (plausible) ways that I decide and present, rather than running into real-world situations.
For Skyward, I started with studying real-world dogfights, then added a couple big changes. One was some anti-gravity, the other was nudging the battles more toward the way they might work in a vacuum by removing some of the air resistance. The final piece was the light-lances, further pushing the combat into a direction where pilot maneuverability was enhanced. (And the battlefield could be different each time, allowing more variety.)
That all together gave me the way I went about these battles. But I will say this--watching what some fighter pilots can do with their jets was enormously impressive. I had no idea, honestly, the things they are capable of doing.
I'm wondering if Shai could create a stamp that would turn someone into an Allomancer. Or, alternatively, create a stamp that would break a bond between a Radiant and their Spren?
This is possible--but likely beyond Shai's ability. It would require large amounts of investiture. The second would be easier.
Can a Parshendi/Singer/nonhuman-humanoid become a Sliver?
Yes.
Is Trell (Era 2) and/or Austre related to a Shard? Like are they one, or working for one, or an avatar of one?
Yes, Trell is related to a Shard.
Is Ishnah a kandra? Mraize said that she was just an assistant(maybe the original), but she seems to have a lot of practical experience and knowledge.. Seems like a kandra thing to be good spies :D
RAFO.
SKYWARD QUESTION! I've just read the prologue, did you do anything special to get in to the mind of a 7 yr old girl? Any inspirations for Spensa?
This one took a few tries--you can probably find earlier readings of it where the age was different, and the speech style was different. As with most things, it's a matter of trying something out, then looking for feedback.
Generally when do you think the next time you will write a book set on a new, never gotten a book, Cosmere shardworld?
Does Threnody count? It got a short story. It's most likely, and could happen in the space between Stormlight 5 and 6 (though that is a busy time period for me--I've put a lot of books in there potentially.
I think the chances of seeing a new world in a novella is much more likely.
When you tap the nicrosil portion of a medallion, will it run out over time? Or is it like a coppermind, where something discrete is taken, used, and returned?
Good question! Like a coppermind.
Khriss says there was Investiture on Threnody prior to Odium and Ambition's battle. Was that Investiture of Ambition?
RAFO!
Are the Aethers from one of the Shards that we know? Or are they of a Shard we haven't learned about?
Right now they are pre-Shattering.
But I will probably change that.
Can you hint at a form of Selish magic we haven't seen yet?
It is about patterns...
It's not that the glyphs use Thaylen graphemes. It's that they ultimately derive from the same source.
Did the Reod coincide with the Recreance?
These two are not at the same time, but good question.
Skyward: Is Rodge a hat tip to Anne McCaffrey?
Yup, he is! The White Dragon is one of my inspirations here.
Looking more closely at the [Steel Alphabet] font, it looks like we're missing some information. Note that the tin symbol for 'e' and 'i' are slightly different: the dot is in a different location. I suppose that the dots are diacritical marks, then.
Any other diacritical information we should know about the Steel Alphabet (or Alethi, for that matter), Peter?
Moving the dot to distinguish vowels is a modern innovation, within the last 100 years by ALLOY OF LAW. I suspect that dots may be gone entirely (except for the two changed vowels, and maybe "capital" letters) in many fonts by the time you get to the second trilogy. Numbers might get a moved dot too. The placement of the dots in the original symbology has to do with Allomancy, but they're largely superfluous in writing.
The Feruchemical symbols (which are in the RPG) are evolved from the same root (the ancient symbols you can see in MISTBORN 3), but I don't know about their use in modern writing. It could be something like the hiragana/katakana distinction. But that's just speculation right now.
Silver is not Allomantically inert the way aluminum is. In that annotation, Brandon just meant that silver didn't do anything if you swallowed it and tried to burn it. It can be Pushed and Pulled. Years after Brandon wrote that annotation, what he means by "Allomantically inert" has changed.
Does Nightblood think when he's on his own, or is it only when he's next-
He does think when he's on his own.
Okay. I thought that maybe he was like the Spren.
There might be a connection, but he does think on his own.
Theory: Imperial KKell power is the power to control the other KKell powers.
While considering the no relatives problem and what happened if the emperor died with no heir I thought "well the priests could just adopt someone into the imperial family like they tried with kkeris". This naturally led to the question, "Where do the priests get the power to adopt/unadopt people." With the logical conclusion that it is the imperial kkell power. Either the priests take a kkell oath or they adopt themselves into the imperial family.
That is actually correct as far as I know, but it never comes out in the chapters that were written. Though there may have been more than that.
Brandon cannibalized the magic system and at least one character from Aether of Night into Liar of Partinel. But that book didn't work and he hasn't decided if it will stay cannibalized into the Dragonsteel series or if he will separate it out again (when he gets around to rewriting Liar of Partinel from scratch).
Some aspects of Aether of Night were also put into the Mistborn series. Decay in that book is Ruin. Obviously Ruin would not show up in a different Shard book now. Aether is the trunk novel with the most overt Shard presence. Also, it was never intended to be a standalone, especially with the blatant sequel setup at the end. None of Brandon's trunk Shard novels were meant as standalones, unless you count Elantris with its non-immediate sequel.
Nobody except Brandon has ever read all of Liar of Partinel. His writing group got about 75% of it, and those people are not going to talk.
And rightfully so, if Adonalsium was Shattered at its ending.
As I understand it, that does not happen at the end of that book.
I found out today that the official name is the Cosmere.
I asked Brandon about Susebron's tongue, and he said that it would not have been possible for him to regrow it anytime he wanted to. Brandon will be exploring the limits of the self-image modification of Returned in the sequel.
No elves or goblins in Dragonsteel either.
Jerick used to be an elf when Brandon was 14.
Sorry if this has been asked before; I haven't been able to find a direct answer anywhere. It came up while playing the Mistborn Adventure Game (which has been very fun, btw!).
A Feruchemist can easily determine whether any metal is a metalmind, regardless of whether it's theirs, simply by touching it. And a Ferring can definitely determine the same, but for their own metal.
But, a question came up: can a Ferring also—perhaps with practice—tell whether any piece of metal has been stored in/is a metalmind? Would this be easier for certain kinds of Ferrings? (Ones that are more directly in tune with Investiture, perhaps?) And, if they can determine that a piece of metal is Invested, would they feel something similar to what Vin did when she was examining Sazed's metalmind? Would they be able to tell what the metal it is based on how that power feels? (That last bit might be infringing on what skilled/savant bronze Mistings might be able to do).
So, bronze Mistings are really good at reading investiture that is being used--it's harder to simply "detect investiture" as all things are made out of investiture in the cosmere. That said, I could see your game allowing this, as it's a natural extrapolation of the magic--and it could make for some good gameplay. Don't be afraid to extrapolate the magic for your own uses, even if it doesn't fall right in line with the way I do things.
I'd love to hear what some of your inspirations were for Skyward. I know you've listed How To Train Your Dragon and The Last Starfighter, but I'm curious if there are any books or movies that inspired you for the sci-fi worldbuilding and starfighter combat? As someone who loves pretty much anything starfighter, from Wing Commander to Stackpole's Rogue Squadron books, I'd love to hear how you approached it or if you have any reccos I'm not aware of!
I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching interviews and videos about what it's actually like to fly or take G-forces. Tom Scott did a nice one on centrifuges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMKcO-T5Y4o
As for starfighter books, there really aren't a ton are there? Most everything in books focuses on the Lost Fleet/Honor Harrington/Vorkosigan style large ship combat. Stackpole is great, but you've already read him. A Fire Upon the Deep is great, but again, not a lot of starfighter battles. I'll have to think about it more--I don't have any that were specific inspirations for this series.
I've noticed that in the Listener songs there are two different, semi-conflicting stanzas between the song of histories and the song of secrets when it comes to Smokeform. The latter song also seems to be more consistently critical and fearful of Odium and the forms of power. Am I noticing something relevant here, and if so could you elaborate on why?
Yes, you are noticing something real.
Note that Listener history is...fraught. And while the rhythms are standardized, the words are applied to them have a lot more cultural influence and interpretation.
Did Hoid play a part in introducing Stormlight to humanity as told in The Girl Who Looked Up?
RAFO, I'm afraid.
Did Honor and Cultivation interact with Odium when he first came in a neutral way or was it immediately an all out conflict?
RAFO.
Has anyone in the history of Roshar ever had Lift’s special physiology? Or is she like a whole new human
You could say anyone that has their DNA or spiritweb meddled with by the Nightwatcher is something new--that said, Lift is an experiment that hasn't been tried before.
What's the incentive of alloying lerasium and becoming a misting when you could just burn it normal and be a Mistborn?
My guess is that you'd presumably you'd use less of it? Also, arguably, not every way of using a magic is going to be the most optimal way.
It's probably just a way that lerasium can work. If you alloy it or somehow mix it with things from other systems, it's quite possible you'd end up getting those magics instead, because it'd Connect you more strongly to a different Shard.
The replies to this are correct.
I love every book of yours I've read. However, I'm a sucker for grim, dark and/or mature fantasy tales (Malazan, Black Company, The First Law, etc). Have you ever considered going right down that route? Have you any stories that you think would fall into more mature/darker territory? Or do you feel that you have no need to go there? (obviously, Stormlight Archive has some quite dark and mature moments but not quite to the level of the aforementioned series)
If you're answer is No, could you explain why?
The Threnody novel, if I find time with it, would probably be the closest you'll see from me. I've read and enjoyed each of the authors you listed above, though my own writing tends to not lean that direction. One reason is that I tried (when trying to break in) to make my style more gritty to see, since GRRM-like was what everyone was searching for. It just didn't feel true to my own voice.
Is the world of Perfect State a culmination of the technology we saw in the final Legion story?
I'll leave this to interpretation.
Could cannibals steal Investiture?
Not normally.
The mushrooms on Threnody... What's up with them? They were described as glowing in a similar way to the rat skulls if I recall correctly? Is this some form of Investiture or am I reading into 1 line too much?
RAFO.
If you could be a character in any book, who would it be and why?
A boring side character writer, left alone to tell stories, and who isn't required to go save the world--because I'd be terrible at it.
The Third Bondsmith Ideal that Dalinar swears in the end of Oathbringer. About taking responsibilities and becoming a better man. Is it the basic Ideal for ALL Bondsmith or this is Dalinar’s personal interpretation of the Ideal?
This is Dalinar's personal interpretation, but ideals for a given order do have similar themes person to person.