Recent entries

    Fantasy Faction interview ()
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    Fantasy Faction

    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?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ooh, good question! You will want to read Words of Radiance, where her flashbacks may indeed involve this scene that she drew.

    Fantasy Faction interview ()
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    Fantasy Faction

    Finally, and most importantly, if all your protagonists had an epic all out brawl, who would win?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Fantasy Faction interview ()
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    Fantasy Faction

    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)?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Fantasy Faction interview ()
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    Fantasy Faction

    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?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Alloy of Law York signing ()
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    callumke (paraphrased)

    Can you tell me something about the cosmere that you haven't told anyone before?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    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.

    callumke (paraphrased)

    Are all the cosmere books so far set on these 10 core worlds?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes. 

    callumke (paraphrased)

    Are there any of the 10 core worlds without a Shard?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    All 10 core worlds have significant Shardic influence.

    Alloy of Law York signing ()
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    callumke (paraphrased)

    You have said previously that The Stormlight Archive will include Lightweaving. Is that still the plan?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes. 

    callumke (paraphrased)

    Have we seen a Roshar native in The Way of Kings who can use Lightweaving?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes, we have seen someone who has potential.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Oversleep

    Could a Feruchemist hide from Lifesense by storing and which metals?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So Lifesense on Nalthis, someone storing, what now, Investiture? Could they hide from Lifesense? Um, yeah that would work.

    Oversleep

    And which metals would they need to store, Investiture, Connection…

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Oversleep

    So Lifesense works on Connection?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    swieczq

    Would someone with enough knowledge be able to use Autonomy’s Investiture if Taldain’s star was seen from his world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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…

    Kraków signing ()
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    Mr. Suit

    Can spren - like Syl - be pierced by hemalurgic spike? Will it give some effect?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. A spren can be pierced by Invested metal…

    Oversleep

    Could it be spiked?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Could a spike be used to give abilities to spren? That’s not going to work really well.

    Oversleep

    Could you steal from a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Oversleep

    Because I thought you said Hemalurgy needs moving blood.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It needs, uh, yeah… there are places where spren have more physical form, more tangible form.

    Questioner

    Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, no, no, not Roshar.

    Questioner

    The Cognitive Realm on Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, if you go to the Cognitive Realm on Roshar the spren act differently than they do.

    Oversleep

    So you could spike in the Cognitive Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Oversleep

    We do not concern ourselves with common uses.

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    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?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Questioner

    Are you planning to do that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Not right now but I'm an organ donor so maybe... I don't think they donate the brain to people.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Did Hoid use the bead of lerasium to rewrite his spiritual DNA or Web in a way other than just giving himself Allomantic powers?

    Brandon Sanderson

    His goal was to become an Allomancer.

    Questioner

    And did he use it to create other powers than Allomancy?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It could not give powers other than Allomancy.

    Questioner

    Because it’s lerasium?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Oversleep

    So he did burn it and become a Mistborn, right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You have seen him use Allomancy…

    Oversleep

    Yes, because it’s creating a lot of <misunderstandings>.

    Brandon Sanderson

    You have actually seen him use Allomancy.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Oversleep

    Is gravity a physical aspect of the spiritual bond Connecting objects to the planet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Oversleep

    So can Connectors alter it, store it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. You know I’m going to RAFO all that stuff.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Oversleep

    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...

    Brandon Sanderson

    And I totally did, right! The answer is it ends well.

    Oversleep

    They wanted me to tell you that they were like mindblown!

    Kraków signing ()
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    Mr. Suit

    Is it possible to bring Adonalsium together again and was it the reason the Ire was on Scadrial?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Is there going to be more Lift in the next book?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    In all your books, who's your favorite character?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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...

    Questioner

    Okay, but you have to pick one.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Probably Dalinar, probably but...

    Translator

    My favorite is Steris.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Steris is a lot of fun.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Do you plan to kill Shallan and do you think she’s an awful person?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Have you ever created a character, that you will then thought is too powerful?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    In Mistborn, Ruin could talk to you when you were Hemalurgically spiked, and Preservation could hear you. Do other Shards have different abilities?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It varies, but yes. But that was related to the way they created people.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    If I spoke the words <inaudible>

    Brandon Sanderson

    If you spoke the words it would depend on the spren to choose, but I think so!

    Questioner

    So, can I try?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Sure, go for it!

    Questioner

    Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

    Translator

    So just waiting for the spren to appear.

    Brandon Sanderson

    *completely serious*

    These words are accepted.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Are you planning to resurrect Kelsier?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, how far have you read in this book?

    Questioner

    I have read it all.

    Translator

    So he's not really dead.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, it depends on what you count as Cognitive Shadow. So resurrect… no… but…

    Questioner

    There was this quote about the kite that was without a string.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, he’s looking for a string. He’s indeed looking for a string, so what’s actually going to happen is RAFO.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Is next Elantris any closer plans?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Do you have any idea when you’ll finish this series?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Which one of the ten abilities on Roshar <inaudible> it depends on spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Which of the Orders?

    Questioner

    Of the abilities on Roshar.

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Questioner

    If you could have one, which one would it be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Probably Windrunners, cause I would want to fly.

    Translator

    I would prefer Regrowth it's very much for growing plants.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That would be very convenient.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Questioner

    Could you tell me something about Cosmere, that we don't know?

    Brandon Sanderson

    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.

    Kraków signing ()
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    Oversleep

    What if a Connector tried to store his Connection to his time of birth? Because I understand that’s how spiritual age works.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, Connection to his time of birth. I’m not sure exactly how he would manage that.

    I don’t think that would work, I’m not sure how you would manage it. There are other ways to make, you’re along the right path, but that’s not exactly what, the terminology it's just not working right there.

    Oversleep

    By the way Shadows of Self was my favourite Mistborn book. That ending was just emotional trainwreck for me. It was awesome.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's weird because I think that the weakest Mistborn novel is actually Alloy of Law but I think Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning are among the strongest.