yeah but what does mercantile ecosystem mean? Are people on Scadrial shipping goods off-world? if yes who and what? (metals most likely) and did the Lord Ruler know?
RAFO--but we should get into these things eventually.
The whole Radiant/Light motif fits naming their Sprenblades 'Dawnshards'.
The term 'Shards' in-world have almost exclusively been in the context of Shardblades or Shardplate. I don't see why they would name a fabrial something in a way that breaks the pattern.
Y'know, if I'm right this wouldn't even really be a spoiler for Brandon to confirm. Maybe the main man u/mistborn could weigh in?
The nature of the Dawnshards will become (slightly) more clear as the series progresses. For now, RAFO.
Hmmm, I just read this timetable update then went back and read State of the Sanderson 2016. I think there is a decent chance that the novella between The Apocalypse Guard 2 and 3 could be Silverlight. Could we be so lucky, /u/mistborn?
There's a decent chance. I've also got several on First of the Sun plotted, which are possibilities--and even a Threnody story I want to do. However, there's also a non-cosmere "minority report" style thriller I want to write, and a more thoughtful story about a world where big data predicts all of our choices. So...who knows.
Do you have any thoughts on a short story set on Nalthis? It's the only major Shardworld we haven't yet revisited.
I haven't been able to get any shorts on Nalthis to work so far. Maybe eventually.
I really hope /u/mistborn explores the issues a safehand causes like he did women using the One Power in his ending to WoT (ie, it is all arbitrary).
It's not exactly arbitrary, but it is completely sexist. See it as you would something like foot-binding on Earth--something that grew, over time, partially to mark/distinguish/hamper women with enough means to be "refined" enough to do something this wildly impractical. There's a reason darkeyed women (and a lot of lower lighteyed women) wear gloves.
Could any type of spren bond with a person (even if the results wouldn't be a Knight Radiant)? Or only the ones associated with a branch of the Knights?
Ooh, that's an excellent question. This is something theoretically possible for a lesser spren to achieve.
Is Hoid drawn to novel-worthy plots? Or does he ever just show up in a completely "normal" time/place, with no ramifications on the cosmere, Shards, etc.?
He is drawn to places specifically because of what's happening in those worlds. He is there and he is meddling.
In The Way of Kings, when Shallan zones out and draws a picture of a dead noble at a dinner table, was she drawing her own father after she killed him with her Shardblade?
Ooh, good question! You will want to read Words of Radiance, where her flashbacks may indeed involve this scene that she drew.
Finally, and most importantly, if all your protagonists had an epic all out brawl, who would win?
Some of them are immortal, but that would kind of be cheating. If you let people who are immortal participate, it's going to very much favor someone like Hoid, who is really, really, really hard to kill. Of course, he would not be very good at offing anyone either, because of certain things in his past. It would be really futile when it got down to the last two. But if we take that out.
You'd have to set ground rules. Do they get access to their magic? Where is it taking place? If we take away all magic and we just say people are beating up on each other, who's going to win? It's probably Kelsier because he'll fight dirty. Vasher fights really dirty, too. If Kelsier and Vasher gang up on the rest, and then it depends who's still not in pieces at the end. It'd be Kelsier or Vasher probably.
And, if the convention of printing books disappeared tomorrow and every one began reading ebooks only do you think the way you write books would change (i.e. being able to disregard wordcounts or even being able to consider serialising a book)?
I think that would offer some very interesting opportunities. I think I would be unwise not to try to take advantage of them, if such a thing did happen. In fact, it's possible to try right now. I've got thoughts in my head about how I would do this. Because the form of the story is a very important thing to me, if you can't tell from the way I was talking about everything before. The form of the book, looking at the book and saying, what am I doing with this actual thing? What is the shape of it? Elantris had a specific shape, with the chapter triads that were happening at the same time as one another. These things are interesting to me, and I want to do things like this with e-books also. But there are other things we would lose. Just like if you go and you can compare, a great example of this is the US cover of Words of Radiance, which was hand painted in oil by Michael Whelan. It has a certain feel to it.
In fact, you can see the oil. You can see the brush strokes if you look very closely at the painting. You look at the gorgeous digital painting that Stephan Martiniere did for the US edition of Elantris. But if you look at these different covers, one is digital only, and has this interesting use of digital light, and the other has texture and feel. Those are two different forms for creating art, and they both have awesome things to them. I think if we lost the book as a form, we might lose some of that idea—the book as a texture, and what it feels like to hold it goes away. I'd be sad to lose that. But I can't tell right now if that would be the sadness of someone watching an antiquated technology that no longer really matters in life go away, or if it would be losing something that will very much negatively impact society. We will just have to see. Time will tell.
Someone from Earth is about to be sent off to the cosmere. They've read your first Stormlight book, but they've never really taken time to really dig deep and find out about how it sits in the overall "cosmere", so they're totally unprepared. What basic concepts regarding shards, magic systems and world hopping do you think are most important?
The first, most important thing to say to the person who's being sent there is to enjoy the story you're in. All of the cosmere stuff, the interconnection between my books and all these wonderful little things, are right now mostly Easter eggs. Which means that if you spend the whole book only worried about that, you're going to miss the beauty and fun that is the book that you're part of. I often say to people, don't worry if you read them "out of order," because it's all Easter eggs right now. Don't worry and stress if you miss something about the cosmere, because while someday that might be important, you first need to enjoy the book that you're part of. But the primer I'd give to this person is that the worlds are connected. If you show up on a planet and there's a guy named Hoid around, then be very afraid, because you're someplace very dangerous.
Can you tell me something about the cosmere that you haven't told anyone before?
There are inhabited planets in the cosmere that don't have any Shards there. There may be inhabited planets that only have a Splinter of a Shard. There are 10 core cosmere planets, which tell the overarching story of the cosmere.
Are all the cosmere books so far set on these 10 core worlds?
Yes.
Are there any of the 10 core worlds without a Shard?
All 10 core worlds have significant Shardic influence.
How many Heralds appear in The Way of Kings
More than you might expect. Some have appeared, some have been mentioned but not appeared.
You have said previously that The Stormlight Archive will include Lightweaving. Is that still the plan?
Yes.
Have we seen a Roshar native in The Way of Kings who can use Lightweaving?
Yes, we have seen someone who has potential.
Is Shallan's memory a Surge?
I want to wait for the right opportunity before revealing more surges.
You have said before that all the planets had their names before the arrival of the Shards. Is Roshar the planet's name before the Shards arrived?
Yes.
What is the definition of Investiture?
RAFO. Investiture is off the table as far as questions go.
Could a Feruchemist hide from Lifesense by storing and which metals?
So Lifesense on Nalthis, someone storing, what now, Investiture? Could they hide from Lifesense? Um, yeah that would work.
And which metals would they need to store, Investiture, Connection…
That would probably be Investiture, that’s theoretically plausible, hiding your entire sense, a little bit easier with a copper cloud, which is how you would normally go about it, but you could make your Investiture vanish to the point that… yeah I think that’s theoretically possible.
So Lifesense works on Connection?
Lifesense works by sensing… life, so it’s not necessarily just Connection because you can go off-world from Nalthis and still sense the life to which you are not Connected.
Would someone with enough knowledge be able to use Autonomy’s Investiture if Taldain’s star was seen from his world?
So I’m on a world and I see Taldain’s star, what you're asking if someone could use the Investiture? Oh, OK I see. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. That’s good! You stumped me. I haven’t gotten that question before. I would say yes, if the light particles are reaching you. I mean technically you could use the light from one of those stars to power a solar sail so…
I know it’s a RAFO but, are the Ones Above [Scadrians]?
RAFO.
I just wanted to make sure.
Can spren - like Syl - be pierced by hemalurgic spike? Will it give some effect?
Yes. A spren can be pierced by Invested metal…
Could it be spiked?
Could a spike be used to give abilities to spren? That’s not going to work really well.
Could you steal from a spren?
Yes, you could steal the Investiture of a spren. Any Investiture can be used in a spike if you know what you’re doing. It’s actually not that hard to use one on a spren.
Because I thought you said Hemalurgy needs moving blood.
It needs, uh, yeah… there are places where spren have more physical form, more tangible form.
Roshar?
No, no, no, not Roshar.
The Cognitive Realm on Roshar?
Yeah, if you go to the Cognitive Realm on Roshar the spren act differently than they do.
So you could spike in the Cognitive Realm?
Yeah I’ll leave a RAFO with you on that. That’s your fifth one. So there are ways to get any Investiture into Hemalurgy if you know what you’re doing. But yeah this is not something that would be a common use for Hemalurgy. Let’s just say that.
We do not concern ourselves with common uses.
Yes, I know you don’t. But yeah Hemalurgy, when you’re spiking into somebody you… you’ll see when we get around to it.
Have you ever considered giving your brain - when you die in a hundred years, [having] written thousand books, have you considered giving your brain to scientists?
Did you know that there's an app for Einstein's brain? You can download an app that has a diagram of his brain cause he did donate his to science and was dissected.
Are you planning to do that?
Not right now but I'm an organ donor so maybe... I don't think they donate the brain to people.
Did Hoid use the bead of lerasium to rewrite his spiritual DNA or Web in a way other than just giving himself Allomantic powers?
His goal was to become an Allomancer.
And did he use it to create other powers than Allomancy?
It could not give powers other than Allomancy.
Because it’s lerasium?
Yes.
So he did burn it and become a Mistborn, right?
You have seen him use Allomancy…
Yes, because it’s creating a lot of <misunderstandings>.
You have actually seen him use Allomancy.
Is gravity a physical aspect of the spiritual bond Connecting objects to the planet?
Gravity, like all laws of physics in the cosmere, works like it does here with an additional aspect in that mass and energy can become Investiture. So while you are Connected to the planet gravity is not a manifestation of that. But Investiture can override it because Investiture, energy, mass are all the same thing.
So can Connectors alter it, store it?
RAFO. You know I’m going to RAFO all that stuff.
Does titles of the five books from the first arc create a ketek?
No. I actually considered it but it’s just too confusing so I actually tossed that out before I even started the first book. But I did consider it. It just was too confusing.
You told me - when we were interviewing you on Friday to tell the 17th Shard to tell them you told us how the Cosmere ends and...
And I totally did, right! The answer is it ends well.
They wanted me to tell you that they were like mindblown!
Is it possible to bring Adonalsium together again and was it the reason the Ire was on Scadrial?
This is a RAFO. There are people who believe it's possible and others who believe it's impossible. It’s one of the big questions of the series.
Is there going to be more Lift in the next book?
No, you’ll see some of her, she's reserved... most of her you'll see in the book 6 and on but you'll see little glimpses of her in the other ones. The stuff she has in Oathbringer is a riot, it's very fun.
In all your books, who's your favorite character?
You know, I usually cheat on that question and I say "whoever I'm writing right now", cause I like them all, they're my children...
Okay, but you have to pick one.
Probably Dalinar, probably but...
My favorite is Steris.
Steris is a lot of fun.
Will there be a second part of Warbringer [Warbreaker]?
Some day. I can’t promise when, it will be a side project, but it will happen.
Can you make TenSoon puppies? Like, plushies?
We thought about it, it's so hard to do. So hard. We thought about it, maybe, it's not impossible, but very hard.
If Vasher is Zahel, in Stormlight Archive? Will <inaudible>
That's a RAFO.
You know what that means? That means "Read And Find Out". It means I'm not gonna answer right now because it will give you a spoiler... but read and find out.
Do you plan to kill Shallan and do you think she’s an awful person?
I do not think she’s an awful person, because she is a person, who has done the best she can in some very bad situations and we will see what happens, I can’t tell you whether or not she will live.
Have you ever created a character, that you will then thought is too powerful?
No, I've never had that problem, I have written my characters in a problems that it was hard to get them out of. But usually I get together my friends and I brainstorm, and so far so good, but no, I have never got into that specific problem yet, because everybody's got a weakness.
In Mistborn, Ruin could talk to you when you were Hemalurgically spiked, and Preservation could hear you. Do other Shards have different abilities?
It varies, but yes. But that was related to the way they created people.
If I spoke the words <inaudible>
If you spoke the words it would depend on the spren to choose, but I think so!
So, can I try?
Sure, go for it!
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
So just waiting for the spren to appear.
*completely serious*
These words are accepted.
Can Parshendi bond with an honorspren? I mean, spren <inaudible>
They would have to choose, it's never happened before. On Roshar they would say it’s impossible. That doesn’t mean it actually is.
Will Dalinar punish Adolin for murdering Sadeas?
He doesn’t know. Nobody knows… If he knew, he’d probably will.
Comic book. Will there be more?
Yes. This is three parts, so we'll at least get that done.
Are you planning to resurrect Kelsier?
Well, how far have you read in this book?
I have read it all.
So he's not really dead.
Well, it depends on what you count as Cognitive Shadow. So resurrect… no… but…
There was this quote about the kite that was without a string.
Yes, he’s looking for a string. He’s indeed looking for a string, so what’s actually going to happen is RAFO.
Is next Elantris any closer plans?
Not really unfortunately, I just have to get as much Stormlight done as I can, before I can do other things. It’s still probably after Stormlight Five.
I have a question about Wayne, are his skills of taking another personality, is it his trait, or something magical?
It is not magical, he’s just really good at it.
Do you have any idea when you’ll finish this series?
So there’ll be two five-book groups, first five should finish fairly soon. But then there’ll be a break while I write something else and then I’ll come back to the back five, so i’m not sure, but the first five will have their own arc.
Do you know when <inaudible> be published?
I can't promise. I'm not a 100% sure. Probably between Stormlight 5 and 6, it would be my guess.
Will we find out if Vivenna became a worldhopper like Vasher?
Keep your eyes open, you might see some more Vivenna in the near future.
So Dragonsteel after Stormlight? So that would be 20 years?
Yes. Unfortunately.
It will be the next to last, because last is the final Mistborn series.
Which one of the ten abilities on Roshar <inaudible> it depends on spren?
Which of the Orders?
Of the abilities on Roshar.
Oh, the abilities of the Knights Radiant?
So, this depends on which spren indeed. Each spren can give two of the abilities, and they're slightly different for each Order.
If you could have one, which one would it be?
Probably Windrunners, cause I would want to fly.
I would prefer Regrowth it's very much for growing plants.
That would be very convenient.
How do you come up with all these names?
I do the language first and then I build names that fit. There’s no science to it, just instinct.
Could you tell me something about Cosmere, that we don't know?
Oooh boy, that is so hard, people ask this all the time and I keep running out of things... Was there anything I haven't added recently... There are Shards whose Shardpools are not on a planet they currently inhabit. At least one.
What’s your favourite game?
Probably Dark Souls, lately, I really like those.
Are they going to be Graphic Audio audiobooks for all books or just...?
Eventually, yes.
