Advanced Search

Shadow Guardian

If Calamity were a Shard in the Cosmere, what intent would he be?

Brandon Sanderson

Oh boy... Oh boy. Have you read this book?

Shadow Guardian

I have not read Calamity yet?

Brandon Sanderson

I don't want to spoil it. Um... *pause* Yeah, I don't really want to spoil it. But it's kind of-- it's like "Vindictiveness" would probably be a good match. This-- Or "Judgement". Maybe Judgement. Calamity's got this impression that people will destroy themselves if he lets them. Does that make sense?

Shadow Guardian

Yeah.

Brandon Sanderson

So it's not either one of those, but it's something close to that.

Sunbird

How old, in years, was Calamity during the events of the book, Calamity. Roughly.

Brandon Sanderson

Roughly 11 years old.

Questioner

With The Reckoners you had to make the decision not to put it into your cosmere cosmology, was that a difficult one?

Brandon Sanderson

It was not difficult once I realized I did not want Earth to be part of everything else.

Questioner

If it had been would Calamity have been a Shard of Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

That’s an interesting question.  Maybe.

Questioner

In Calamity, Calamity's part of a mysterious group or civilization, really weird motives, we don't find out much about them. Was that <pointed, in any way,> part of the plot from the start?

Brandon Sanderson

It was.

Questioner

Do you have a plan to explain that civilization?

Brandon Sanderson

I will someday  explain that. At the very least, if I just have to sit down and write an essay on it, to give the closure. Yes, I will. And I do apologize for that. Apocalypse Guard was going to delve into this, but then the book got cancelled. By me.

Questioner

Is Calamity a Shard?

Brandon Sanderson

Calamity is not, good question. I decided I would not put that in the cosmere, because there's certain rules in the cosmere it's breaking. 

Questioner

Is Calamity actually a worldhopper?

Brandon Sanderson

Calamity, I didn't write this as a part of the cosmere. The main distinction is I didn't want Earth to be in the cosmere, I want it to be distinct. Once I stick Earth in, the cosmology and things doesn't work. The cosmere is a dwarf cluster, and it's a dwarf galaxy, it's a cluster of stars. It's a specific place, and Earth's not part of it.

Questioner

Does Calamity have any relations to Shards, at all?

Brandon Sanderson

No. People see relationships, that's 'cause, it's just my writing style does tend to follow similar themes. I did not imagine Calamity as a Shard.

Questioner

Do we get to find out, what happens, where Calamity comes from?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Eventually, like the next trilogy I do will dig into that... You've gotta remember, in the teen books I’m not going to dig into lore as much, they're written as action novels. So in the next series I'll get you some of your answers, but that's not what the point of these books-- like The Stormlight Archive, the point is the lore. In these books, the point is “have fun”. So. So you will, but it's going to take a little bit longer.

Questioner

Calamity, it is just, because it talks about it always being in the sky. Is it hovering above North America or is that a global thing?

Brandon Sanderson

You will find out in the next book.

Questioner

If I remember correctly, [Calamity] was sent to destroy the world?

Brandon Sanderson

Kind of, yes. He was sent to make it destroy itself. Apocalypse Guard ties into that, with further explanations, if I can ever get the thing to work.

Questioner

So it's part of the same...?

Brandon Sanderson

Continuity, yes. She is from the same dimension Megan sees into, the main character is.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Was Calamity and its appearance in Steelheart just kind of an ad hoc? We know that it showed up about a year before the Epics started showing up, so people naturally assume one was the cause and one was the effect, but was that really the case and are both of them just the effects of something else?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Good question! I will say that this is something I've done before, so my fans will kind of expect it. I am aware of this expectation too, and I am careful about repeating myself.