Recent entries

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4003 Copy

    Questioner

    The way Sazed describes the people group [of Trell] in the first time he explains it and later on in Hero of Ages seems fairly different. Is that because of different perspective on religion, or how the religion is?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Let's just say that is intentional.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4005 Copy
    Skyward_Felt.jpg

    Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

    *written* Is Felt and agent of Harmony? If not, is he a member of a secret society that we have seen?

    Brandon Sanderson

    *written* Felt is different in his allegiance depending on the part of his life.

    *spoken* Felt's allegiance has changed at various times during-- yeah, we'll just say that. His allegiance has changed over the years. There are times he's been a rogue agent.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4006 Copy

    Questioner

    The lighteyes-- Do their eyes actually glow or is it just blue or green?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. It's a very pale blue or green though. You can tell pretty easily looking at them who's lighteyed and who's dark. They don't glow. So--

    Questioner

    It's otherworldly?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Some of them would look-- You would say otherworldly, but not impossibly. You can find people on Earth who have eyes the shade that they are. Not all of them, right? Because some of them are yellows and things like that that we don't have. But if you looked at them and they were here, you might wonder if they were wearing contacts but it wouldn't be unusual to find out they weren't.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4007 Copy

    Questioner

    Is Shallan's truth, "I am hap-- It's okay that I can be happy?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm going to dig into that, but this is a big part of it. Let me RAFO that because I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to express it as it goes along, but that sentiment is a huge part of what's going on with Shallan.

    Questioner

    I was expecting her to manifest Shardplate in the middle of her wedding because she had spoken such a core truth of her identity.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Let's just say that I'm being very careful about how I show off the first manifestations of Shardplate for narrative reasons.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4008 Copy

    Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

    So were the Dawncities, the ones based on cymatic patterns, created using a supercharged combinations of the Surges of Cohesion and Illumination? Using Cohesion to make the ground liquid and using Illumination to create the frequency.

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are theorizing in the right direction.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4013 Copy

    Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

    If a Dysian Aimian had the Elsecaller honorblade, could just a single hordeling transition to the Cognitive Realm? 'Cause I think I've heard that a person couldn't just transition a single part of their body.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They could transition a single hordeling, but as it works right now, they would probably lose contact with the host and would become broken-off and no longer part of the hive. It's not truly a hive. But it would be like of your finger got cut off and sent to-- something like that. It would start acting independently.

    Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

    So would you have to have the preponderance of the Dysian Aimian transition to the Cognitive Realm? And the ones that stayed in the Physical Realm would be cut off?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. It would be bad for half-and-half to go. Let's say that, one thing that they would love to be able to do is to have a little more versatility there. Let's just say that.

    Skyward San Diego signing ()
    #4015 Copy

    Questioner

    Is the crem--is it natural--are the highstorms magically created and that's why--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah the crem is there to keep the continent from washing away. So I had to add a magical element that, if it were not in the cosmere with magic, this would not work.

    Questioner

    Is that why the Weepings don't have crem, is that's a natural storm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is because I didn't want there to be too much crem at that point. These are all story structure things, instead. World-wise, I would say a little more natural, sort of blow off steam, there.

    Skyward San Diego signing ()
    #4016 Copy

    Questioner

    Is the reason that the Fused have access to unlimited voidlight is because Odium's alive, and the Radiants have that access that limited access to Stormlight because Honor is dead?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Not exactly... They do not have access to unlimited voidlight, how about that.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4019 Copy

    Questioner

    In The Stormlight Archive, you've got the actual book The Way of Kings, are you planning to write it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, I am not. I feel like it would be an exercise that would take a lot of effort for very little value to the community or to myself. I like it also being open-ended so I can be like, "Oh, this should be in there," and then be like "Hey, here is a new quote from The Way of Kings".

    Skyward release party ()
    #4020 Copy

    Questioner

    If you had to pick actors to play Kaladin, Lopen, Skar, Dalinar, and Rock, who would you pick?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm not sure if I could pick them all. I really like Dave Bautista for Dalinar, he is somebody that I think would do a really good job. I can give you that one; I'm not sure about the others.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4021 Copy

    Questioner

    [Their question is] Why do you hurt Kaladin so? They're really sad by that. And why can't he be happy? And who the heck is Wit?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I hurt Kaladin because I tell the stories and the characters put themselves in the situations. Why can't he be happy? Kaladin has a hard time with happiness. He is working on it.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4026 Copy

    Questioner

    Who is Trell?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Trell? Depends on who you ask.

    Questioner

    He is the god that Wax... *inaudible*

    Brandon Sanderson

    Or a random person on Taldain, or someone referenced in Era 2, there are lots of different things that Trell could be.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4030 Copy

    Questioner

    You used the Julia Set as a basis for the map of Roshar; Is there any meaning beyond it, using the Julia Set? Or is more, "This is striking to me-"

    Brandon Sanderson

    The meaning is my fascination as a layman with fractals and equations. It is supposed to mean something in world; that Roshar was grown with a mathematical equation.

    Questioner

    But not specifically that one?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Not specifically the Julia Set. You can't learn much from the Julia Set.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4031 Copy

    Questioner

    Do we ever get to see more of Threnody?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You should, if I can figure out when to get the Threnody novel in, it's going to be a lot of fun.

    Questioner

    Like you said earlier you are trying to finish some things--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Before I start new things. You wouldn't see it until Stormlight 5 is done, for sure.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4032 Copy

    Questioner

    When you pictured Kelsier in the Mistborn Series, did you see him as a Christlike figure?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He sees himself that way, I do not.

    Questioner

    And the church that follows up after him, is that more like *inaudible*

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is hierarchical like some Christian churches are, but it is not meant to reference any specific church. I do not personally see Kelsier as... he has a more inflated opinion of himself than I think he should have.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4034 Copy

    Wetlander

    Do you have a single name that you use to refer to all the singers, and the listeners, and the Parshmen: that entire species?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, I usually use listener, but that's a cultural thing. So, I don't right now.

    Wetlander

    I keep struggling with what to call them as a species, and eeehhh are they all singers? I mean they aren't really all singers.

    Brandon Sanderson

    We'll settle on something eventually.

    Wetlander

    Okay, but we don't have anything right now.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah.

    Skyward San Diego signing ()
    #4036 Copy

    Questioner

    From what I understand, Ruin and Preservation create the world together, and they created humanity as copies of the original humankind. So how did they give Allomancy to Scadrial?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. So the magic systems are kind of built into the setting and the world. And there are certain natural pathways that exist, in the same way there are certain natural pathways for them to create life. Which is my explanation for why life is so similar on all the different planets, is that they're following natural pathways, and these magics are kind of the same way. For instance, Lightweaving predates the Shattering of Adonalsium. A lot of these other things are suggestive of magics that existed before that were built around Adonalsium. They weren't 100% created by the Shards, but they also do have the Shards' influence on them.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4038 Copy

    Questioner

    If you had an AI like M-Bot with subroutines that simulate emotions, if it was written well enough, could it attract a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I will RAFO that for now, I have been asked it a bunch. Let's just say, AI in the cosmere are going to be an interesting thing to explore. We will explore that.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4039 Copy

    Questioner

    Both the languages described in Warbreaker and The Stormlight Archive contain a letter or glyph called the shash. Is that a consequence of both languages originating from a common root language on Yolen or is there something more complicated going on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Less complicated.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4040 Copy

    Questioner

    Are the Unmade and the spheres that contain them only on Roshar or are they in other planets in the cosmere?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You need to rephrase that question a little bit. Ask me again, remembering there's a big difference between the Rosharan system and the rest of the cosmere. There's three planets in the Rosharan system.

    Questioner

    *Gestures* Particularly in these ones.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's possible that Unmade influence and existence would extend beyond Roshar.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4046 Copy

    JoyBlu

    Szeth Son-Son. When did his name change from Son to Son-Son.

    Brandon Sanderson

    When he was made Truthless.

    JoyBlu

    Do we know the time of when he was made Truthless? How long has he been Truthless since the [Prologue]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I know, but I'm not confident enough, because I rely on Karen so much to fact check my numbers.

    JoyBlu

    Is it like a couple of years or a lot of years. Recent?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would say recent, but that's also subjective and relative.

    JoyBlu

    Because if he's lived a thousand years, then a hundred years could...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, but he hasn't lived a thousand years.

    JoyBlu

    So, he's lived about thirty years...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Mmhmm.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4049 Copy

    JoyBlu

    An epoch, is that a standardized set of time or relative?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is not a standardized set of time.

    JoyBlu

    So it could be variable like, when dad gets home from work til when leaves from work.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, that's not going to be one, but yeah... The epochs were way better defined in the original Way of Kings. I let them be more squishy.

    JoyBlu

    In the original Way of Kings, like a first edition?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, in the Prime, that I read from.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4050 Copy

    Questioner

    God-King versus God-King. Susebron versus Rashek, who comes out on top?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Rashek, probably.

    Questioner

    By a lot or a little?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, here's the thing. I think Susebron is at the disadvantage in almost every situation.

    Questioner

    Okay. How so?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Rashek has been alive longer. Rashek knows what he's doing. Rashek has martial training. Rashek has killed a lot of people, Susebron never has. Fewer scruples. His magic is way more combat-oriented. He can get out of range a lot easier. He has power emotional Allomancy, which Susebron would *inaudible*.

    Granted, he's got so much investiture, he may be able to shrug that off. But still, I would put Rashek at the advantage.