Underbelly
As a man of many projects, you seem very good about compartmentalizing your workload to be able to complete or advance a project independently while midway through even larger commitments. That being said, even authors such as Stephen King have viewed a certain project as their 'life work'. Would you consider The Stormlight Archive to be this to you (or at least your early life's work-being as young as you are) or rather does your ability to compartmentalize extend to your accomplishments as well as your workload in that you can view your achievements independently?
Brandon Sanderson
I consider the Cosmere sequence to be my life work—of which the Stormlight Archive is a major part, but it's not the only part. Compartmentalizing projects is the nature of how I work, to keep myself fresh, but the interconnection of the cosmere means it's not entirely compartmentalized.
JeremyG
How is Kaladin able to consistently recognize Syl, even when she's in different forms?
Brandon Sanderson
This has to do with their bond.
Michael Pye
One thing I've noticed around the release of Words of Radiance was you pointing out that The Stormlight Archive is really two series of 5 books each. Was that something you wanted to make clear so as not to be daunting to perspective readers or just more about how the story has developed since you began?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a mixture of both, honestly. I do want to be wary of not being too daunting to readers who are jumping into this thing and have been reading The Wheel of Time. They might think, "The Wheel of Time was 'promised' to be six books and it ended up at fourteen. If you promise six, how long is this one going to be?"
But it's also because I want to start preparing readers for the break that's going to happen at book five. I'm going to stop writing the series for a few years, and then the "back five" (as I'm calling it) will focus on some different characters than the front five. So I have a lot of good reasons to be preparing people for what's going to happen there. Our expectations are a very big part of our enjoyment of all different kinds of entertainment mediums.
BlackYeti
Can I ask you about the body of a Shard in the Physical Realm? About the different states of matter. What determines the state of matter that they are in? Because I've been reading the bits very carefully, and I haven't noticed much in terms of temperature difference.
Brandon Sanderson
The idea for me working on this was that they transcend-- They permeate everything, right? They permeate all life on all the Realms. And that there are manifestations of them that leak out, and it's kind of like they make-- they appear there in the various states but-- When you say that you've got the gas, you've got the liquid, you've got the solid: but you've also got inside of you, and inside of that plant, and like-- they're everywhere. And so what determines it? In my head it's just like when some of that power permeates, some of it distills, just like water. There's some water in the air, there's some that freezes: that's temperature. But it's not always temperature whether it's in the air, or whether it's falling. Imagine a Spiritual version of humidity, that is influenced by what's happening on the Spiritual Realm and the Cognitive, and that's what you'll get.
BlackYeti
In Words of Radiance, we have Vasher showing up... One of his aliases on Nalthis is Kalad, which is very similar to the name of one of the Heralds on Roshar. So I was wondering how far back this connection between him and Roshar goes.
Brandon Sanderson
It goes pretty far back, in fact when I wrote Way of Kings, the 2002 version; he was a main character and was Kaladin's swordmaster. I wrote Warbreaker to jump back and write out his backstory, Vasher's. So to me Warbreaker actually came after Way of Kings. But the connection goes back pretty far, further than you would first guess.
BlackYeti
Did he actually come from Nalthis and not Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not going to actually answer that one-- Well I can answer that: yes he does come from Nalthis. It's pretty obvious that the way that the Breath's working, the reason he moved is because it's easier to get Stormlight than Breaths, and Stormlight can fuel being a Returned like him. And so yes, he was born on Nalthis. Becoming Returned without being born on Nalthis would be really hard.
ChocolateRob
(paraphrased)
What does the Stormfather think of Cultivation?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He thinks the same as Honor thinks.
Necarion
The compounding trick that the Lord Ruler performed. When you're storing Investiture, are you storing your "Mistborn-ness" or all the powers individually?
Brandon Sanderson
All of the powers individually.
Necarion
Oh okay!
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, the compounding trick. Really what's happening is you're fueling Feruchemy with the power of Allomancy, but you're filtering it through you, and then you're storing it.
Necarion
So it's not that you're a more powerful mistborn when you've tapped [investiture]
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question.
Necarion
Is Taldain orbiting at a Lagrangian point? *Brandon laughs* It would make the orbits work.
Brandon Sanderson
*long pause* I'm not sure the implications, I have to think through implications before answering questions.
Necarion
The situation I'm thinking of, it would orbit the big star but at the same period as the smaller star.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, well, I'll just say "yes", but I want to make sure I'm not saying "yes", without...well, yes that's how it has to work.
Necarion
Right.
Brandon Sanderson
Because [Taldain] I want to be not like Roshar where we have unstable orbits and things. Uh, but I… I'm saying yes, but I hope that doesn't get me into trouble scientifically.
Necarion
Could a double-nicrosil Twinborn compound Breath or Stormlight?
Brandon Sanderson
Uh, you’re getting a RAFO card on that. You're getting SUCH a RAFO card on that!
Necarion
One other speed bubble question. Is the speed of light the same inside and outside a speed bubble?
Brandon Sanderson
Um, yes. The speed of light is the same. Good question, you're trying to figure out the FTL.
Necarion
Also, it would eliminate the redshift if the speed of light…
Brandon Sanderson
If the speed of light were similar. That's one thing we considered, but it felt too unintuitive, plus it's just not how I imagined things working. So, no it is not, but that's a good question. It is something we considered.
Questioner
Now, do things actually move unpredictable at the edge [of a speed bubble] or do they refract out? Is it just that geometry is hard?
Brandon Sanderson
No, I have a level of unpredictability, I mean we're Chaos Theory. The idea being, you could predict if you had a perfect closed system and things like this, but it's unfeasible for most technology and minds to be able to predict.
Questioner
So my quick question: Can you use Identity (I love the speed bubbles!) to anchor speed bubbles to yourself?
Brandon Sanderson
Uh, this is possible. That's less a matter of Identity. What’s gonna happen there, like, the more someone uses the powers, the more familiar and intermingled with their soul the powers become, and they are able to accomplish things that others can't. This would be like a Mistborn learning to hover a coin, right, which they can do, but most think you can't. That's the sort of level we're going with.
Necarion
So a savant could?
Brandon Sanderson
A savant could totally do that. The problem is, things moving in and out of a speed bubble, there's a transference of energy. This is how we keep speed bubbles from irradiating people when light moves through them, right, red shift. And so there's a transfer of energy directly from the Spiritual Realm, which means that moving with a speed bubble, you're gonna run into that, and it's gonna be, it's gonna cause all kinds of problems, but it would be possible.
Necarion
Would a Mistborn have to worry about accidentally burning her copper IUD?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes she would, absolutely *laughs*
Necarion
Would a soulstamp carved from a gemstone and infused with Stormlight be more likely to Take?
Brandon Sanderson
No it would not.
Necarion
Do Vessels have any flexibility in expressing the intent of a Shard, particularly if the intent is open to many interpretations?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes they do. So, the Vessel's mind and how they perceive is going to have a large influence on how things are expressed and I think all of them have some wiggle room. But there are some deterministic things that are also going to push them. You know, holding Ruin, Harmony may not go down the same path that happened to Ati.
Necarion
So Sadeas would express Honor differently than Tanavast?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes he would.
Questioner
What happened to Vivenna?
Brandon Sanderson
This will be answered very soon.
Questioner
Is Lift going to be in the next book?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
I really appreciate the fact that Steris is a character who is there.
Brandon Sanderson
Steris is my favorite character of the new generation of Mistborn. She is a delight to write about.
Weltall
(paraphrased)
That gave me the opportunity to ask one last question, about Feruchemical chromium and whether storing fortune would cause you to risk experiencing really improbable things, like the entropy curse in The Dresden Files.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He said he wasn't going to answer questions about fortune, that the MAG shouldn't be taken as gospel on this point (I don't remember how it works there and didn't mention it, he brought it up on his own) and that he's planning something different than we might be thinking, for how that mechanic will function.
Weltall
(paraphrased)
I asked what Hoid's favorite flavor of instant noodles is.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
At first I think he misheard me asking what his own favorite is ('spicy Korean ramen' apparently, though I don't remember the exact specifics) so I clarified. He said that Hoid is looking forward to instant noodles but they aren't Yolish and he knows about them via the same method that he knows where he needs to be in the cosmere.
Weltall
(paraphrased)
I asked if Nazh's knife didn't glow to Kelsier's eyes because the metal wasn't from Scadrial generally or whether it was a metal with some particular property.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO.
Weltall
(paraphrased)
I asked if someone who had a lot of Breath would have it weaken collectively, in the same way that the single Breaths of children are more vibrant than others and move one slightly closer to a Heightening, then weaken as they grow older (and contribute slightly less towards a Heightening).
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He said that it wouldn't be noticeable once you accumulate enough Breath and, for example, Hoid wouldn't find himself suddenly losing perfect pitch as a function of time.
Herald
(paraphrased)
What would have happened if Kelsier hasn't taken Preservation or later Sazed hasn't taken Ruin and Preservation powers? Would the earth have been destroyed due to so much raw power much before the actual destruction due to Ruin's actions?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes. Bad things would have happened.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Like Sel?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Not going to answer that. Just bad things would have happened.
Herald
(paraphrased)
What about Hemalurgy in other worlds other than Mistborn?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes.
Herald
(paraphrased)
I again asked with the exception of kandra, have seen Hemalurgy such as people who may have been spiked.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He repeated "You have seen Hemalurgy in other worlds."
Herald
(paraphrased)
Have we seen any of the system or the world that has end-negative magic system other than Hemalurgy?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes there is one more end-negative magic system and you have seen minor hints of it.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Is Vax present (lurking) in any of the star systems explained in Arcanum Unbounded? Personally I think there will be more star systems that would be discovered in the future and Vax might be part of them. Comment?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO for Vax. Yes, there might be more stars. The picture on the cover is the sight observed from one particular place.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Silverlight?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO. Let's just say that there are more planetary systems present in the existing star chart itself that you don't know yet.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Is Yolen present in the dragon constellation?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Do Ym, Stump belong to Edgedancer? Will we see Stump again in the future?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Ym is not an Edgedancer. You will see Stump in the future novels though you may not see Tashikki much again.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Is there more significance to the 10 other planets around the Rosharan star system and them being gaseous? We know that Roshar's moons have unnatural orbits; so there seems to be some astronomical manipulation in the system.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes there is significance of 16 in cosmere and 10 in Rosharan system.
Herald
(paraphrased)
The outer 10 gas giants in the Rosharan system suggest a tie to the number 10 that predates the arrival of the current Shards. Is the prominent numerology we see around the cosmere an inherent property of the planets, rather than the Shards who invest them?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Big RAFO.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Would Ashyn/Braize share the 10-centric numerology of Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes 10-centric is for the entire Rosharan planetary system...wait Braize is 9-centric.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Have we see [Bavadin's] influence on other worlds till now – like Austre in Nalthis or other religions which Sazed studied on Scadrial for example.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes you have seen her influence in other worlds other than Taldain. He wouldn't confirm if it is Nalthis or Scadrial or any other planet.
Herald
(paraphrased)
How do we pronounce Bavadin?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
ba-va-din (ba as in batman, va as in want, din as in dinner).
Herald
(paraphrased)
Is it possible to reliably deduce what a Shardworld's Cognitive realm will look like if we knew a lot about its Physical realm? For example, mists in Scadrial, spheres in Roshar etc.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, but it works in odd ways. So it may not work in the logical way that you think.
Herald
(paraphrased)
Why spheres on Roshar? Something related to the highstorms makes more sense, right?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes there is a reason for them being spheres. RAFO
Herald
(paraphrased)
Asked for a dedication from a resident of Yolen.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Got "May two worlds become one to you" He stressed that it's worlds not realms!!!
Mark Lindberg
(paraphrased)
Would emotion spren react in any way if a Rioter or Soother were operating in the area?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, you would be able to see that sort of change if you were paying attention.
Gary Singer
(paraphrased)
Could Lift convert food from other cosmere worlds into Stormlight?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes. Lift's Spiritweb has something changed about it to allow converting mass to Investiture directly.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Does Lift's shadow behave abnormally with respect to the sun or infused spheres?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, there is something going on with her shadow, but no specifics given.
Ted Herman
(paraphrased)
Why were the trees at the palace in Azir bronze? Soulcast?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Soulcast for decoration.
danimalod
I also just finished Shadows of Self and was thinking about what would happen if a kandra tried to eat a shade. If they don't have bones, it probably can't happen I guess. But maybe a shade that was a kandra could be pretty frightening.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, a kandra couldn't eat a Shade. And how scary the shade kandra would be depends entirely on the kandra, I'd figure...
senick67
(paraphrased)
My question was since Shardblades can sever your soul and turn it gray. In Warbreaker the priest who held Nightblood and lived his hands were gray. so does Nightblood consume your soul.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes since your soul is investiture.
PrncRny
(paraphrased)
Is the flute that Vin saw in the Lord Ruler's secret room in [Well of Ascension] the same flute that Hoid gives to Kaladin in [The Way of Kings]?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO. The origins of that flute will be revealed at some point.
PrncRny
(paraphrased)
Is an Snapped Allomancer more likely to pass on the Allomantic ability than an UnSnapped one?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Not necessarily.
PrncRny
(paraphrased)
I asked if it was pure genetics, then.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He initially said yes, then appended that with "not just genetics. there's a Spiritual aspect to it as well."
PrncRny
(paraphrased)
How much of Harmony's manipulation of Wax was Hoid aware of?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He knew what was going on. That's all I'm going to say.
PrncRny
(paraphrased)
Did Hoid have anything to do with Bavadin showing up on Sel?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO.
Dearius
(paraphrased)
We know that investiture physically affects and changes people's bodies, so aside from the chance of being born as a Misting, Feruchemist, ect. Can investiture physically or biologically affect the magic user's descendants, and if so then in what way?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
You are on to something there, but I can't give details without spoilers. He then elaborated that it plays a major part on Sel.
Dearius
(paraphrased)
In response I asked if the Alethi were descendants of the original Knights Radiant and if their descendants had light eyes due to their ancestor's use of Stormlight/Nahel Bond.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
He said I was on to something but to RAFO
Seonid
If Cultivation and Honor were romantically involved, why did Cultivation not help Honor against Odium?
Brandon Sanderson
She did.
Shawn M. Halversen
(paraphrased)
I asked him about the time between each of the original 99 desolations.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
It turns out that the number 99 in the stories was made up, and that there were much fewer of them. He also then stated that the cosmere runs along a 10,000 year gap and that Roshar falls right into the middle of the timeline. He ended with "That should give you a perspective of the timeline and events of the desolations".
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Hoid went through Cultivation's Shardpool to get to Roshar as opposed to Honor's. Yet, he notes he never got along well with Cultivation. Why did he choose her Shardpool rather than Honor's?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
You're making assumptions!
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Is it possible that it is Honor's?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
It's possible.
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Are the Unmade and the Stormfather the same "class" of being?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Technically no, but they are on a similar level. It is a good analogy.
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Graves claims that if he had succeeded in killing Elhokar (and done it more quickly), Dalinar would have become an ally of Taravangian. Is there any truth to this idea?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
They are predicting the future. There are people who firmly believe that that would be the case.
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Did Nalan's eyes change when he killed Ym? (And attempted to kill Lift)
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*thinks for a moment* No, I don't think so.
Khyrindor
(paraphrased)
Can someone accidentally Worldhop?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*thinks for a moment* Yes.
