Recent entries

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9904 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Hoid was once offered a Shard, but he refused it, right?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes.

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Was it right after the Shattering?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes. It was during the events. I wouldn't necessarily say "right after", it was during this process. I would say this is a RAFO before I finish writing at that time. (Not sure if I understood the last sentence right, but I think that's what he said)

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    And who took this Shard instead?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    RAFO.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9905 Copy

    Questioner

    In Warbreaker: the magic system is really visual, and when heightened people are around, the colours get really saturated and I was wondering about blind people or colour blind people. How can they percieve the effects of Investiture?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Their minds would interpret it in a way that works for them. Their brain would come up with some way to interpret the sensory they're getting. And so the colour blind... The colours are still going to saturate, but saturate in a way that they can tell. Not being colour blind it is really hard for me to describe. But I read about it, and at least that's the rule I have for myself in the head. For an actual blind person this is going to be a magic system that's harder to use. Just having a disability, unfortunatly. But it also gives perfect pitch, and I think that partially their auditory senses would compensate to a degree, but it's going to be a harder magic system to use. I'm sure they could find a way to work around it.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9906 Copy

    Questioner

    (...) like Hoid saying he got his life as words on a page.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It can be taken both ways, but it is actually literal. I'm not sure how much I can say about this, but... Let's say that it's referencing where he got his nickname/pseudonym.

    Questioner

    I thought he maybe stole a character from a book and (hid himself? indistinctive...)

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is something like that. People think it's like a big wink breaking the 4th wall, but at the time I was just looking back at his past and wanted something I could say that is esoteric and referenced his past.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9907 Copy

    Questioner

    There's a scene where you can see from the perspective of Nan Balat, Shallan's brother, where he's maiming an insect. It's described as soothing his aches. Is that in any way related to how Kaladin feels depressed and down during the Weeping even in his early childhood?

    Brandon Sanderson

    What's happening to Nan Balat is magically enhanced. What's happening to Kaladin is mostly just chemical depression. Be he is really too young to be diagnosed with depression during some of these events, but he's got the seeds in there. So Kaladin is not magically depressed. Kaladin is just legitimatly a person with depression. Nan Balat... What's up with him is... ah... being exaggerated by certain forces moving in on Roshar. (last bit is a bit indistinctive)

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9912 Copy

    Questioner

    You said that there were some things in the Cosmere that happened accidentally. What was one of them?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Shard pools is a good example. So when I started writing Elantris I knew I would have these concentrations of power. But I didn't know how I'm going to use them exactly. Like what's the connection... This was way at the beginning. By the time I had Mistborn, I knew all this. I knew I had a well of power there. What does it do? Shardpools are a good example of writing into the story and figuring out how the magic works bei actually playing with it.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9914 Copy

    Questioner

    You have this technical approach to Allomantic powers. But Feruchemy seems to me very different. So it's not very logical that you can store up health. What is health?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well. I feel that it is. But it has its own definitions. In the Cosmere perception - I don't know if you know...

    Questioner

    Yeah.

    Brandon Sanderson

    ... it really affects... It's kind of more like a concept of heallth. The idea of your body's ability to recuperate quickly. The magic system translates to your body's ability to match your spiritual self. When that is depleted, your body in the Cosmere starts to stray (? a bit indistinctive in the recording). Foreign things can get into it, diseases get into you, and your spirit can get a little more corrupted. Your body getting corrupted, your spirit's not getting corrupted. You get it, and it makes you extra connected to your spiritual sense. Your body moves to match it closely and better.

    Questioner

    So the same about speed and ...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Those are a little different. But each has their little behind the scenes explanation for myself. The problem is... The physics of it is very Cosmere-physics for Feruchemy, whereas for Allomancy it's a lot more out world physics with a different power source. We're changing that. But the physics do work for me. But obviously it's magic, so I'm breaking them anyway.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9918 Copy

    Questioner

    Glys, Renarin's Spren, is he a Cultivation Spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Questioner

    Could you say that he is equally bonded to a different entitiy/to a different Shard like Sylphrena is bonded to Honor?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You're asking... Is his like the windspren?

    Questioner

    I mean allegion to his aspect.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Are you still talking about Glys?

    Questioner

    Yes. Sylphrena is like 100% of Honor. Is Glys like 100% anything?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9919 Copy

    Questioner

    When Adolin snapped, I noticed your wording. Those... The term snapping...

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. Good question. He did not gain Allomantic abilities.

    Questioner

    Well - Spren bonding abilities...?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well no. That was not used magically.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9921 Copy

    Questioner

    Could you spike a Hordeling?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Spike means getting something out, Spike means get(ting?) something in? I think that both is viable. I think you can, yeah.

    Questioner

    If you would spike something in, would the whole Aimian get maybe an Allomantic ability?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Mostly, this would probably change the Hordeling. And they may lose contact to it. It could fiddle with the connection to the point that they can no longer link. That's gonna be my answer right now, that spiking a Hordeling would separate it from the group mind.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9922 Copy

    Questioner

    You recently compared the Aon Dor to a programming language of some sorts. Could you actually go one step further and build something like a curcuit board?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The difficultiy with all of that is that you have got to remember that the magic as they understand it right now only works based on Elantrian intention and activation. There were basically these sorts of things, but the switch has to be flipped by an Elantrian. Those things existed in Elantris.

    Questioner

    It's just that I think that Elantris itself could be some sort of a really big circuit board.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That may be a little too far for what Elantris is, but there are places in Elantris which are just what you are describing.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9923 Copy

    Questioner

    I think I am one of the few people who really like Elhokar. He's a king who actually asks a lowly Darkeyes two times how to be a good ruler. What's your opinion on him?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I think Elhokar is maligned by a lot of people. He was put in a hard situation, inheriting from a really great king and having a really domineering uncle. He is a little arrogant, a little full of himself, but thats natural for his position. And I am very fond of Elhokar.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9924 Copy

    Questioner

    The visions Dalinar gets in WoK always struck me as odd - you don't just look at the past, you are able to act within this experience. Now we know that Gavilar was also on the way to being a Bondsmith - was he acting in a different way? Were the visions only basically the same but different in the end depending on the personal reactions? Is this something like a test?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He did see the same visions. They were the same thing. But... I will say that his reaction to them were very different from Dalinar's reactions to them. Anyway it was difficult for the Stormfather without a bond to determine/to tell the difference between very easily. When Spren are bonded, they gain a lot more ability to understand the world around then, so you'll find out soon more stuff about this in the third book.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9925 Copy

    Questioner

    At the end of “Alloy of Law” Marsh tells Marasi he is giving the diary to Wax because “.. he does my brother's work”. At this time it was a reminder of Kelsier, but with Secret History and the third book out why does Marsh think we need someone to do his brother's work? Isn't Kelsier doing that himself?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well. (laughs) Marsh is of multiple minds on what's happening with Kelsier at this time. When he's referencing his brother's work, he's specifically tells Marasi speaking to the lore of the Survivor. Like he's specifically talking to somebody, and he does believe this. He may not think that Kelsier is doing Kelsier's work anymore. But that depends on... You will see interaction between Marsh and Kelsier in the future.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9929 Copy

    Questioner

    And there's one last question if I may: I'm really into swords and such. I couldn't help but notice king Elhokar's Blade. It's just... All the others are ornamented, and they may have some glyphs, but it is the only one where it is explicitly it is told that there are ten fundamental glyphs on it which are the glyphs of the orders. I read some of the chapters from Dalinar from Unfettered II, and I know how he got it for Elhokar. Is there also some more backstory to this Blade?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There's a backstory to every Blade and every one of them is special, that's the problem. But I will be exploring the origins of some of the Blades. Eventually. Not a ton, but a little bit.

    Questioner

    As it is ornamented in such a way... Could it be related to a Bondsmith?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Bondsmiths didn't have Blades.

    Questioner

    All of them? It's just... Maybe it was just the Stormfather...

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. That's a really good guess. Really good guess. I'm gonna RAFO Bondsmiths because you gonna learn a lot about them in the next book because it's the Bondsmith's book. That's a really good theory, but it's not true. 

    Questioner

    But maybe there is at least something to it.

    Brandon Sanderson

    But there's a reason to it, why it has all the 10 orders.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9931 Copy

    Questioner

    Another “physics” question: We have the Surges of Cohesion and Tension. And I'm really not sure what the difference is in that.

    Brandon Sanderson

    You'll see when I do this. It's a RAFO. And I play with them anyway a little differently in each order anyway. So what they do... I'll let you figure it out.

    Questioner

    It's just like when you enhance the tension of a water surface... (..)

    Brandon Sanderson

    Surface tension is what you're talking about. I'm gonna RAFO. But you're theorizing in correct directions.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9932 Copy

    Questioner

    The Division Surge: does it actually split atoms or does it split the bonds of molecules?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It splits the bonds of molecules, it does not split atoms.

    Questioner

    That would be completely overpowered.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I have done an atom splitting magic originally in Dragonsteel. And wooow it was overpowered. So really, this is fiddling... You'll see what it does when I use it, but we'll not be splitting atoms. We're not creating nuclear reactio... or fission, so.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9933 Copy

    Questioner

    I'm looking for a Nightblood drawing for a tattoo but i can't find any official artwork.

    Brandon Sanderson

    We don't have any official artwork. Ben McSweeny may have made some sketches of his own, so if you contact him on reddit he is 'Inkthinker'. He does a lot of the sketchbook pages. If you look in this for the one who did Shallan's sketchbook he might have one that he's done on his own, tell him he can send it to you if he has one, I think he might have one but we don't have an official yet.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9934 Copy

    Questioner

    How would - just really generally - the Ghostbloods react if they found or met Hoid?

    Brandon Sanderson

    (laughs) They... Some people among them know of him.

    Questioner

    So they know he's around.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Some of them do, not everybody. But they are aware of his existence. At least in lore, they don't always... Not all of them have connected the King's Wit to this person's lore, does that make sense? So what would they know? They'd probably want to get him and interrogate him. They would want to know what he knows, but he is really slippery and it's hard to get out of him what he knows.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9935 Copy

    Questioner

    I was wondering if the Chasmfiends have... like their own Gemhearts...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Questioner

    It's probably not a coincidence that emeralds that can hold most of the Stormlight. So are Chasmfiends, do they take energy from Stormlight?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes, yes, yes. That's part.

    Questioner

    So there is a huge energy source there, they can supply it with eating so...

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is actually most beneficial during their metamorphisis, as you'll notice that the chrysalises are not as big as they get, and so yeah. They depend on the Stormlight and they depend on the Spren that they are bonded to keep them from crushing themselves. So Chasmfiends couldn't exist off world for multiple reasons.

    Questioner

    I'm guessing that for Chasmfiends the absorption of Stormlight is different because there is a whole shell thing that is thick.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yup, yup.

    Leipzig Book Fair ()
    #9936 Copy

    Questioner

    I was wondering: Stormlight doesn't cross walls, because people put their spheres outside. But it crosses the glass of the spheres. Is that material dependent or...

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's thickness dependent. In the third book there's actually a little place where it's mentioned. Some people put it right inside a little, kind of thin rock portion and the Stormlight can still reach it. So I did that quite intentionally.

    Sofia signing ()
    #9943 Copy

    Questioner

    So, is she [Rysn] going to get a novella maybe?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Rysn is probably not going to get a novella but Rysn is a character who's going to have a nice novelette in each story, in the interludes. Maybe not quite to novelette length on each of them but she, in each of the first five books you will get a scene from Rysn.

    Questioner

    I think she's a very interesting character because in a way she epitomizes what you just said about being exposed to different cultures and--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, that's kind of her thing, is she goes and visits the different cultures of Roshar.

    Questioner

    And then we get to visit them too. 

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. She's got a potted plant, she's got some grass actually, there's some grass that doesn't respond to the storm. So she's one of my favorites, I intend her to be in each of the interludes and have her own kind of little story running through the books.

    Questioner

    So now we know, when you think about--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Absolutely, there is a Rysn point of view in Oathbringer.

    Sofia signing ()
    #9944 Copy

    Questioner

    Do any of the worldhoppers that we've met so far-- Do they all just use this sort of perpendicularity to travel?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Perpendicularity is the primary way to get between planets.

    Questioner

    But are we going to get a conventional inter-planetary travel, like based on Allomancy maybe?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You have seen conventional inter-planetary travel in Arcanum Unbounded, in the story Sixth of the Dusk, which takes place many hundreds of years after most of the stories in the cosmere. So yes. 

    Questioner

    Ok so that's where it's--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah there's actually space travel involved in that story but not from the main characters, they just reference them, but yes.

    Sofia signing ()
    #9946 Copy

    dragonssleepinfire

    In Words of Radiance--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes?

    dragonssleepinfire

    After Eshonai bonds the stormspren, she starts hearing this screaming voice in her head.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes?

    dragonssleepinfire

    Is that her voice?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, um… It is a combination of her voice and something that is happening with Roshar, and at the end of the next book you'll get a big clue.

    Supanova 2017 - Sydney ()
    #9947 Copy

    Darkness (paraphrased)

    What does antiseptic look like in the Cognitive and would it frighten away any rotspren or grinders there?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Mmm… no it would look like a bead unfortunately. You could manifest it, like how you see Kelsier doing with stuff but really… no. Maybe if you got some antiseptic in [into the Cognitive Realm], the rotspren might recognize it but just the soul of it, no.

    Supanova 2017 - Sydney ()
    #9950 Copy

    Darkness (paraphrased)

    Did the person Sigzil tried to kill actually die, and then afterward become not dead?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    We'll RAFO that, mostly because I intend to dig into Sigzil's past more.

    Darkness (paraphrased)

    Ok so you're probably going to RAFO who it was?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yeah… mmhmm… but we do get a Sigzil viewpoint in this next book so…

    Darkness (paraphrased)

    Good! I like Sigzil.