Recent entries

Jamester86

Will all 3 of the Skyward books take place one right after the other? (vs having a significant time gap between books)

Brandon Sanderson

The books shouldn't have significant time gaps between them.

mraize7

Can [Kelsier] and [Hoid] be friends or companions or allies?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, anything CAN happen--but for now, I'll let their interaction on screen speak for itself.

But feel free to imagine anything you would like, for yourself. It will be a while before I can get back to this particular interaction.

Phantine

Let's say some kid ended up with Szeth's Oathstone and tried to pull an Aladdin by destroying it and freeing him.

Szeth doesn't seem like he'd actually let himself be freed, but with the Oathstone destroyed, what does he do next (designate a new rock?)

Brandon Sanderson

Use the pieces and try to glue them back together, I'd say. If you actually completely destroyed it, it kind of depends. He might transfer the devotion to the object used to destroy it, or he might try to get another one assigned to him by his homeland--though he would have trouble convincing himself to go back.

 

NightWillReign

So you said that you’ve moved Szeth and Kaladin’s fight from book 3 to Words of Radiance. Did you make any changes like this on your outline for Oathbringer?

Brandon Sanderson

There was a lot of general restructuring of Oathbringer after book two was written, but there's no one "big" sequence that was moved into the book.

NotOJebus

Hey Brandon!

Here's a quote from Oathbringer:

She willed steps to Soulcast beneath her feet. Individual axi of air lined up and packed next to each other, then Soulcast into stone—though in spite of the realms being linked, this was difficult.

Hey Brandon, what's an axi?

Brandon Sanderson

It is the word for an atom in the cosmere, coming from one of the original magics used on Yolen pre-shattering. To some, it's a theoretical smallest division of matter. But others use it scientifically to mean simply an atom.

MoriWillow

If there only existed a single atom in the cosmere, would that atom have a Cognitive aspect?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, it probably would.

MoriWillow

When a Steelrunner taps speed, does it work by breaking the laws of motion, letting their speed be higher than it should be when considering their kinetic energy during movement or the force they impart upon impact with something (and inversely while storing)?

Brandon Sanderson

A lot of [Feruchemy] breaks the laws of thermodynamics, and this is indeed an example.

MoriWillow

I've noticed a sort-of pattern in some of your work of human/non-human partnerships (spren, Aviar, Seons, etc, and now spaceships). Is this a concept you're consciously interested in? (It's actually probably one of my favorite parts of the relevant works.)

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, it's something I'm very interested in. It happens to be a theme of the cosmere, so you'll see it a lot. One reason for this is that I think a purpose of SF/F is to explore things that don't exist to our current knowledge (things that are intelligent, but not human) but which it's very plausible humanity will some day deal with. Another reason is that I like the idea of looking at the things we do from the outside--and the perspective of something like a spren or a machine is very interesting for me to try to wrap my head around.

Kidpen

So what do Harrier's Lenses do?

Brandon Sanderson

Harrier's Lenses magnify the pain of someone you focus on.

They aren't terribly nice things.

dvoraen

Is the core principle of Voidbinding consumption and reconstitution? If so, is that what Enlightening does, therefore making it a fundamental if not the first level of Voidbinding?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

dvoraen

"To see the future originates with the Unmade..." "Voidbinding is a dark and evil thing, and the soul of it was to try to divine the future." Is it therefore safe to say that Voidbinding, by extension, also originates with the Unmade?

Brandon Sanderson

Not always. But usually.

dvoraen

Is Renarin technically Enlightening his visions into precognitive ones?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

dvoraen

Dai-Gonarthis is speculated by Mythica's author Hessi to be the cause of Aimia's destruction. Does this have relevance to the Night of Sorrows?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

dvoraen

In the Midnight Essence vision Dalinar has in The Way of Kings, the female Radiant was wondering "who released it". Shouldn't the Radiants have known then that it was Re-Shephir that was the general source of Midnight Essence?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but Midnight Essence can be extracted and used independently.

dvoraen

Does Ba-Ado-Mishram have similar traits to a Borg Queen? In other words, does she consume individuality itself?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

dvoraen

When Dalinar teleports away from Vedenar back to Urithiru, the Thrill immediately comes to him even though he just went a very large distance away. Was this due to Odium talking to him directly at that point, or did Odium move Nergaoul there to maintain the effect of the Thrill, or was Dalinar already Connected to/consumed by Nergaoul and the distance effectively didn't matter because Spiritual Realm Things(tm)?

Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar's feelings are not always the Thrill. A part of him legitimately feels these emotions--and there are other things happening as well. (Either way, Odium did not move Negaoul in that scene.)

dvoraen

Excluding Midnight Essence from Re-Shephir, have we seen at least two examples of the Unmade creating spren that people dismiss as normal, uncorrupted spren? (One type in The Way of Kings, one in Oathbringer, specifically.)

Brandon Sanderson

Humans are not terribly good at determining whether a spren has been touched by Re-Shephir. (That's a yes.)

Blightsong

Did you mean Sja-Anat or can that Unmade also affect Spren in a similar, if not the same, manner?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, that was just me typing too fast.

dvoraen

What are the titles/bynames/epithets for Moelach, Nergaoul and Ba-Ado-Mishram?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

dvoraen

During the course of Oathbringer, and not counting what happens towards the end of the book, are all nine [Unmade] active in the world again (no longer imprisoned)?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

ImASpaceLawyer

Have we seen the Night of Sorrows yet?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

mraize7

What caused the Sel earthquake? Could it be the fall of a Shard? Ambition? Will we see the Ire again?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO on all!

NotOJebus

We've spoken before about how you don't usually read Cosmere fan fiction, and I was wondering, what about other things people create? Like artwork or podcasts and such.

Brandon Sanderson

I barely have time to get to the books written by my friends, or the ones in the industry I feel I should be reading to keep an eye on it. I look at fanart, certainly, and post a lot of it--but I don't listen to any of the podcasts.

BoldFontOfYouth

On The Orville, the enemy space aliens are called the Krill - any connection there?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe? The word Krell is one of those ones that pops up in SF now and then, as an homage to The Forbidden Planet. (Which is why I chose it.)

I can see a network being more worried about using the actual name, and making the creators go with something similar but not the same. You'd have to ask them.

Oversleep

Can [singers] maintain their form indefinitely long or do they need to change it every so often or at least supply it with Stormlight by coming out in the highstorm?

Brandon Sanderson

[Singers] can maintain their form indefinitely.

Oversleep

Can Nightblood be Soothed or Rioted? Or influenced by Nergaoul or Ashertmarn, for that case?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO!

brightladyCasta

Does Hoid play the piano? :)

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, Hoid can play the piano.

brightladyCasta

I've heard it is possible to be a Radiant of two orders - it would depend on spren and ideals, and may be difficult to handle, but is theoretically possible. How about being a Willshaper and an Edgedancer at the same time? Could that work?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll have to RAFO that, I'm afraid.

Coltonx9

Why do the gems in Jasnah's Soulcaster break when she is using her own ability in the first book?

Brandon Sanderson

Jasnah is very good at fooling people.

Extesian

Simple, harmless, totally non-contro one. Can a spren unilaterally sever a Nahel bond (i.e. where the Radiant doesn't agree and hasn't technically, according to spren and Radiant, broken an oath)?

Brandon Sanderson

Yup, no controversy here at all.

This is possible. But I'm not going to go into the mechanics.

WeiryWriter

Hemalurgic spikes lose power unless they are in a person’s body (or immersed in blood), does that body need to be living, or would a corpse suffice? If so, at what point in the decomposition process would the spikes cease to be protected? When they are no longer encased in flesh, before, after?

Brandon Sanderson

I haven't put a specific number or date on it, but I'd say as long as the blood itself would be viable if moved to a living body, it will work.

Straw17

Would Spensa get along with Vin?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I think she would.

SquishyMouth

Godmetal alloys in Era 1 feel a bit like an unfulfilled promise, can you tell us about the attribute stored in a metalmind made out of any atium/lerasium alloy?

Brandon Sanderson

No, not yet. (This is something I intended to get to in Era 3, and am saving for it.)

SquishyMouth

How would you say Skyward compares to, say, Mistborn in terms of completion? By the end of The Final Empire you give us enough answers to leave us satisfied with just the first book, but the trilogy as a whole works without feeling like the story is stitched together - will the Skyward series have the same feel, or will the ending of book one immediately call for the next book?

Brandon Sanderson

The ending of Mistborn is one of the standards (in terms of how stand-alone the book feels, yet with promises of where we're going) that I try to achieve. I'd say that Skyward doesn't quite feel as stand-alone by the end as Mistborn or Steelheart, but more so than TWoK did.

Miss_Silver

Probably a RAFO, I noticed that there's a similarity between what's described for futuresight abilities to Nightform as with Renarin's. Is there a similarity between Glys and the spren that would make Nightform?

Brandon Sanderson

Yup, RAFO.

Miss_Silver

First on Nahel bonds and a bit of a darker question. We know from Syl that if their bonded person is killed in some way, the spren does not die like they do when one breaks their Oaths. However, would Oaths count as being broken if the Radiant committed suicide? Were there any Radiants during the Recreance who did in an effort to spare their spren?

Brandon Sanderson

This would be an individual case basis, but I would say that the baseline is no--this alone wouldn't count as breaking the oaths, but getting around the issue of that specific event wouldn't work.

Miss_Silver

Is there a market for decorative metalminds on Scadrial? (IE gemstone studded earrings or fancy engraved bracelets. A jeweler's gotta make a living somehow, y'know. d= )

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, there is a market for this--even among those who don't have specific talents themeslves.

Miss_Silver

Is there a maximum number of spikes a person can have? Would having more spikes eventually cause issues, be it mental or physical limitations?

Also do the benefits from spikes have some form of diminishing returns, or could some one have like, 200 bronze spikes and be able to sense a person burning metal through copper from 50 miles away?

Brandon Sanderson

1) Yes, it would cause big issues.

2) #1 interferes greatly with what you would like to do here, but there are other ways of magnifying the powers to the extent you postulate.

meramipopper

What would be Spensa's favorite food?

Brandon Sanderson

Her diet doesn't have a ton of variety, but I'd say she would pick anything that isn't algae paste or rat meat.

meramipopper

Obviously Spensa would love anything that isn't what she normally eats. However, if Spensa could afford food, what would be her favorite?

Brandon Sanderson

I think she'd SAY she wanted "warrior's food." She'd imagine that as big hunks of meat. In reality, most of what we find delicious, she would find so overly-spiced that she'd never be able to stand it. I think you'd find her finding simple, but flavorful, foods as her favorite. Rice and beans. Mashed potatoes. Something that doesn't have a lot of spice, but still has flavor. Crepes might completely overwhelm her.

Argent

Now that we have canon art of Ishar, Shalash, Jezrien, and Vedel, what Rosharan nationalities would you say they resemble the most?

Brandon Sanderson

Jezrien and Vedel would be seen as Alethi, most likely. Shalash would be seen as Azish, while Ishar would be seen as Shin, probably.

NightWillReign

Wait, but if Ishar looks like he’s from Shinovar, how did the Tukkari accept him as the God-Priest?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a RAFO--but is a question you're supposed to be asking.

R'Shara

Have you ever watched Farscape? How similar are the Skyward living ships to the Farscape ones?

Brandon Sanderson

I've seen some Farscape. It's not the same concept, as I recall, but it has been a long while.

Backslash330

Are Shards limited to one per perpendicularity? Can a non-Splintered Shard control where and how their perpendicularity manifests?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO, but yes on the second.

InsaneScotsman

On First of The Sun, does Silverlight have a permanent outpost on the Cognitive side or is it still too dangerous to hang around?

Lastly, any cool tidbits about First of The Sun or its people would be awesome, worldhoppers or the like?

Brandon Sanderson

This is actually a RAFO too--it would be relevant if I write a sequel to Sixth of the Dusk. The opening sequence would involve an expedition into Shadesmar...

InsaneScotsman

When Hoid Awakens, does he speak his native tongue (Yolish)?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Kyrroti

What’s the likelihood of Elantris or Warbreaker being narrated by Michael Kramer?

Brandon Sanderson

Not good, I'm afraid, as we've already done two versions of Warbreaker and the current Elantris reader is generally liked for the book.

LordRuller

Is Dalinar a Sliver?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Toaster Retribution

For Skyward, which character, apart from Spensa, was the most fun to write?

Brandon Sanderson

M-bot. Cobb had his moments too.

Secondskrull

Way of Kings epigraph:

"Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns (Odium)"

Words of Radiance back cover:

"The Bondsmith (Dalinar), born in blood and death, striving to rebuild what was destroyed."

Am I onto something?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Phantine

Actually, I have a question for /u/mistborn about that bit. The epigraphs were dictated, and honor's shattered pieces are in the highstorm. Is it "the broken one reigns", or "the broken one rains"?

Brandon Sanderson

It is reigns. (Though that is a cool possible interpretation.)

mithrilnova

Are all the kinds of intelligent spren seen in the Shadesmar chapters capable of forming Nahel bonds?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

mithrilnova

Does the positioning of a Hemalurgic spike matter on the donor, the recipient, or both?

Brandon Sanderson

Recipient.

zak55

Are you planning on any of the Stormlight exclusive characters becoming world-hoppers?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.