Recent entries

Questioner

Hoid was at the Shattering of Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

He was there, yes.

Questioner

Was he Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

He was not. Good question.

Questioner

Are these old Radiants?

Brandon Sanderson

Those are Heralds. That's Ash, who you'll see that the very end of this [Oathbringer]. That's Jezrien who's also near the end. You haven't met her [Vedel] yet. Ishar, you have heard about. And it's identified in this book who he is. But those are artist interpretations of them, in-world. They're like the Sistine Chapel versions of the Heralds. They might not look exactly like that, but that is an in-world interpretation of them by an artist.

Questioner

Now that Wax is a major part of society, are people trying to copy his coat?

Brandon Sanderson

That, you will see in the next book! You'll have to wait and see!

Questioner

I thought with that one, I wouldn't get that!

Brandon Sanderson

Wax has had an effect on the fashion industry.

Questioner

Is Wit a remnant of Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

No. Good question.

Questioner

I thought I had it figured out! I figured he was going around collecting himself. Getting all the different *inaudible*.

Brandon Sanderson

No, he is not a remnant of Adonalsium. Good question, though.

Questioner

I want to know what Sazed's robes look like.

Brandon Sanderson

Sazed's robes are long, and they've got a V pattern.

Questioner

Is it sewn in or is it stitched in? *inaudible* 

Brandon Sanderson

It is sewn into it. The V pattern is just sewn into it like that. Of alternating colors. Not alternating, various colors. Kind of a rainbow look.

Questioner

Is there a lady in the future for Kaladin?

Brandon Sanderson

That is a Read and Find Out. Let's just say Kaladin is historically not that great on relationships but he has not given up on trying.

RiyriaMistborn

My question is a follow up to what you answered in my Well of Ascension. I asked if Hoid had any love interests, and you said, "Several". My follow up question is, have we seen any of those <interests> or are they all gonna show up in Dragonsteel? 

Brandon Sanderson

They will show up in various books but you have not seen them yet. They're across a long span of time, so. 

Questioner

*Inaudible*

Brandon Sanderson

Cultivation and Honor were with the Parshendi, Odium came with the humans. And there was a bit of a reversal happened there.

Questioner

Have we seen Hemalurgy used anywhere other than Scadrial?

Brandon Sanderson

I believe you have. Let's do that as a, "I believe you have."

Questioner

Does Hoid have a way of checking if people are Invested or not?

Brandon Sanderson

He has a way of detecting whether Investiture is being used.

Questioner

In Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, they use silver to fight Shades. I'm wondering if that's actual silver or they just call it silver and it's a mysterious metal that's known to fall from the sky.

Brandon Sanderson

It's a good question. I have it as actual silver.

Questioner

Would it be effective, at fighting...if you wanted to harm a spren or seon or other types of Cognitive Shadow?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Questioner

There is Ironpulling and Steelpushing. And then there's also the Surge of a Windrunner that changes their center of gravity. Are those combined somehow?

Brandon Sanderson

Combined, no, but trying to deal with different facets of the same idea, yes.

Questioner

When did Shallan take the first oath?

Brandon Sanderson

That's been quite a while. She's been on this path longer than almost anybody. Jasnah's been going for a while. If you look at the timeline, I think Jasnah beats her. But she's been on this path for years.

Questioner

Do we get to find out when she took that first oath?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I'm planning to delve into that. It's supposed to be a "Wait, What?" I'd have to look exactly at the timeline, Jasnah beats her. Jasnah definitely beats her. Well, maybe not. I'd have to look at the timelines. This is why I have Karen, to keep my timeline for me!

Questioner

What is your favorite Italian dish?

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on my mood. There are some times where I just want a comfortable spaghetti and meatballs. But sometimes carbonara. I would probably in a vacuum choose the carbonara. Probably. But it just really depends.

Stormlightning

Do the Natan people live longer than normal humans, because they have Aimian blood?

Brandon Sanderson

*Hesitant* Yes...Let's say, you are theorizing in a good direction.

Stormlightning

You told someone that Nan Balat likes to hurt things. Like, a supernatural tendency to hurt things.

Brandon Sanderson

It's more along the lines of, "He has suffered some...enhancement of a psychological issue through supernatural effects."

Stormlightning

It's not an Unmade thing?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO! Good question! That's basically a confirmation, isn't it? *teasing laugh*

Stormlightning

If Hoid could have picked to join any order of the Knights Radiant, regardless of the oaths he had to swear, just the powers, would he have picked Lightweaver?

Brandon Sanderson

He would have.

Stormlightning

Tell me more!

Brandon Sanderson

Lightweaving matches him very well, he's quite familiar with it and experienced with it. He's very good at using it and he likes it.

It's the fulfillment of a long, long quest of his to finally get full access to Lightweaving.

Stormlightning

Even though he had some sort of Lightweaving?

Brandon Sanderson

He did have some sort of, yes. He's a very very happy Hoid.

Questioner

How did Marsh survive? When everybody was hiding in the caves, you never explained where he went. Do you know?

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, I do know. He has his ways.

Questioner

If an Allomancer were to go to a different planet and burn the metals on that planet from that planet, it still works?

Brandon Sanderson

Still works.

Questioner 2

Same way, no differences?

Brandon Sanderson

No differences. The metal is more of a key to draw the magic out than it is providing any power itself.

Stormlightning

Is there a set number of them[Dawnshards]?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Stormlightning

Are you willing to say?

Brandon Sanderson

No.

Stormlightning

Are you willing to say if they originated in the Rosharan system?

Brandon Sanderson

I am not willing to say.

Questioner

Are we going to find out more about Hoid in the next book?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but only little bits and pieces until a little later. The further we get along, the more comfortable I will be giving you Hoid stuff. Particularly in Stormlight. So yes, but it's a tentative yes.

ReticentBondsmith

If you infused a ruby and split it into three or more pieces, would you be able to create a groupchat spanreed?

Brandon Sanderson

This has been attempted so far unsuccessfully. Good question! It is very plausible in the magic system.

ReticentBondsmith

I've always felt this was related to quantum entanglement. Is that part of where you got the idea from?

Brandon Sanderson

Absolutely. I mean, I know that's not how quantum entanglement actually works. But the magic systems all in the Stormlight Archive grew out of my interest in the fundamental forces. We are several magical steps removed from the actual science in each of these cases, but that was the origin for all those magics. The quantum entanglement fascinates me, particularly the way that we think things should work and find out they don't. I love that stuff.

Questioner

Is Hoid the only one of his kind that we've met in the Cosmere books?

Brandon Sanderson

What do you mean by his kind?

Questioner

Is he the only one from the planet he's originally from that we've met?

Brandon Sanderson

No. Because Ati and Leras, the Ruin and Preservation, were both from that same planet.

[...]

All of the Shards of Adonalsium were from that planet.

Questioner

How would an Awakened with Breath piece of cloth react if it got hit with a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

A Shardblade would probably be able to cut it, but it depends on how much Breath we're talking about.

Questioner

So if it had enough, it might be able to block it.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

Approximately how much Breath would it take to Invest a regular object enough to that a Shardblade couldn't cut it?

Brandon Sanderson

I would have to look at the notes. One of the things we're doing right now is, we're unifying the actual unit of Investiture. So, I'm not going to answer that until I have that codified, but it is one of the projects we're working on right now. I'll have some answers for you more...we'll just get a unit of measurement that we can use, probably based on that.

Questioner

Has Hoid just collected--like he does--the spren, or...?

Brandon Sanderson

He has legitimately bonded the spren. Let's just say, he has given up on trying to cheat some of the systems and has decided to try to play by the rules.

Questioner

Do you already have the Ideals figured out for all the other orders?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but I don't always stick to 100% the wording. I got the sentiment and a sample phrase. But for a lot of them, they vary based on the individual. So there's some flexibility. I don't tell people what they are, generally, because I need the freedom to change just in case I decide to.

Questioner

If someone was a good enough writer, would you ever consider letting someone else write in the Cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

It is a possibility. I'd be very wary of doing it, but right now, Isaac, who's my illustrator, wants to do it, and he's been a friend for many years. So I've said, "If you really want to you can." So I'm open to the idea. You probably want to be a professional writer first, and have your own things published.

Questioner

When you were writing Elantris, did you think of the artwork for all the symbols and stuff as you were writing?

Brandon Sanderson

I did, I drew them myself. Those are the only ones that I did the symbols for. After that book, I went and got somebody who knew what they were doing, so they look a little pedestrian compared to the other ones, but I did them all myself.

Questioner

Is there any possibility of a Legion television show?

Brandon Sanderson

There is, we have sold the rights to a company called Cinaflex in Canada, they are trying to develop one right now. Hopefully, it turns out alright. We probably have to change the title because there is a Marvel Legion series, we would probably just call it Leeds.

Questioner

That would be awesome. What about Snapshot?

Brandon Sanderson

Snapshot's at MGM, they have a really sharp screenplay that I love. Best screenplay based on my work that anyone's ever turned in. I'm really, really excited and hopeful for that one but there is no greenlight yet so who knows.

Questioner

How far are you into the Cosmere stuff, like how much more can we expect?

Brandon Sanderson

There are 10 books of Stormlight, around 12 Mistborn, 3 Elantris, 2 Warbreaker, 1 Threnody, 3 Dragonsteel.

Timsama

Is finding out what the deal was with Mare, is that an Era 2 thing we're going find out or is that...

Brandon Sanderson

No, unfortunately it is to be left, probably, as a mystery. It is a minor secret that I do not consider a major Cosmere thing, more of a backstory thing. I might eventually get around to it. The chances of it factoring in are very, very slim. I stay closed lipped about it because there is a part of me that thinks I will work it into Secret History 2, sort of like flash-backing material, but I'm not 100% sure I will.

Questioner

Is there a reason Kaladin is always talking about the Survivor.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. The Survivor? No. You're trying to get me to slip up on something; no. He does not know Kelsier, nice try.

Questioner

But are they connected?

Brandon Sanderson

Only thematically.

Questioner

I have a question, because I really like Magic: the Gathering. What set are you collecting right now?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm always kind of collecting some of everything. Right now I'm building a Theros cube, so kinda working on that. It's just, I have all my old ones so I'm just like, "Eh, I'll build a cube out of these", so I've just been putting that together, and then I've been building this really weird one that's a commander cube. So I'm grabbing specific cards from here and there and putting them together.

Questioner

Do you relate more to Kaladin or to Dalinar?

Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar.

Questioner

I'm supposed to ask how Odium and Honor's Investiture could be so similar.

Brandon Sanderson

Odium and Honor, like a lot of the Shards, can be considered to have a similar theme. But that is very common among the Shards, in my opinion.

Questioner

What is the stylization of the symbol of the Faithful in the Reckoners series?

Brandon Sanderson

It's the Superman symbol, but I couldn't say that.

Questioner

So why does Rand bow to the Empress when the actual prophecy was that she was supposed to bend to him, it was changed by one of the...

Brandon Sanderson

So that was actually in Robert Jordan's notes, that this is what he was supposed to do. It was to fulfill that prophecy, and so I don't have an explanation to that other than he made sure to include "this needs to happen", so I did it.

Questioner

Even though the prophecy was not supposed to be that way?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah. That one was very clear in the notes; needs to happen.

Questioner

If you could choose to cast someone for Vin who would you pick?

Brandon Sanderson

Ellen Page from 10 years ago. Is that ok?

Questioner

*laughs* Yes.

Brandon Sanderson

I think she would've been very good.

Questioner

What's your favorite Magic card to use?

Brandon Sanderson

My favorite Magic card is Vesuvan Doppelganger, from the old days.

Questioner

I'm just curious, there are 16 Allomantic metals, 16 Feruchemical metals, there are 16 Shards of Adonalsium. Are there 16 surges?

Brandon Sanderson

No.

Questioner

So there's no correlation?

Brandon Sanderson

10 is an important number on Roshar.

Questioner

Where do you come up with your names for books?

Brandon Sanderson

It really depends on the book. Sometimes I'm using a real world culture's linguistics as inspiration, sometimes I'm building a linguistic trick for them, so it really depends. Listen to my podcast, Writing Excuses, look for the episode on, we're doing one on conlangs or naming. We've got some episodes on that.

Questioner

I want to know if Nightblood can be killed in the same way as a spren.

Brandon Sanderson

Well, that's a RAFO. Nightblood does not have the same spren bond, and so the renouncing of oaths is not going to affect him, but there are certain things that could.

Questioner

We know the Moon Scepter helps to change Identity and Investiture? So in the case of Raoden *inaudible* <not able> to use his magic as powerfully away from Elantris - Elantrians off-planet, would the Moon Scepter allow them to use their magic...

Brandon Sanderson

So the Moon Scepter is part of a key that they are trying to figure out how to do this. Because Elantrian magic can be really powerful. All of the Selish magics can be really powerful. Because they are drawing from the Dor the way that they do, you're basically hooked up to a giant battery.

So, none of the other Cosmere magics you've seen have that level going on. The closest you're going to get is when you've got a Bondsmith powering the magic for the Knights Radiant. Cracking how to make that work on other planets is a really important thing that people are trying to figure out.

Questioner

Is there a reason, with 16 being such an important number, that there are only 10 orders of Radiants?

Brandon Sanderson

That is relevant.

Questioner

Am I going to have to read and find out?

Brandon Sanderson

Let's just say 10 is a number that is relevant to Roshar and its inhabitants.

Questioner

And what's the significance of the number 10?

Brandon Sanderson

The significance is that it is very significant.

Questioner

Will we find out by reading it?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe, that's why you're getting a RAFO. Potentially.

Questioner

So, in Oathbringer, you said that Hoid still has a god worshipping him. Can you give some back story to that?

Brandon Sanderson

I cannot, I mean I can, but I'm not going to.

Questioner

It will be revealed later?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe. I plan to get all of this stuff eventually into his memoir when he writes it. Or when I write his memoir for him.

Brandon Sanderson

I have to post the Pattern deleted scene some time because, whenever I see someone dress up as Pattern, which doesn't happen that often, I wanna quote that scene but it's not in the book anymore, where Pattern talks about how famous he is. Yeah, so, I need to post that scene.

Questioner

I was wondering if an aluminum Feruchemist, if he stores up Spiritual Identity, could he survive a hit from a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that. Identity is not the right place to go for that. Exact mechanics are RAFO, but that's kinda along the wrong path.

Questioner

It sounds like Adolin's sword Maya might be able to be resurrected?

Brandon Sanderson

*presumably nods yes*

Questioner

Is it possible that other swords could be resurrected as well?

Brandon Sanderson

Hmmmm, the coveted RAFO card.

Questioner

Szeth has trained with all ten Surges, is he going to also help train new Radiants?

Brandon Sanderson

That is something you can expect has been an advantage to them in the intervening time, so yes.