Reading the BoM Ch. 2 preview, would "welch on a promise" be an idiom in a universe without Wales? Is Earth in the Cosmere?
All cosmere books are to be read as if translated to our language. The translation often uses our idioms to convey ideas.
Usually, you should assume if we didn't translate it directly, it's something that wouldn't work too well in English.
For instance, using the name of a city in the Roughs where people are thought to be like that.
Very clever, solves a lot of problems. BTW, what would the Scadrial version be? Roughsmen are less trustworthy, roughed?
I often consider using something in-world, but you have to be careful about how much jargon you use. It can be off-putting.
Is asking for an Aonic version of my name (Eugene also works) as the leatherbound Elantris personalization too much work?
I wanted to check before I put the order in. If it is, I'll do something more standard.
I can totally do that. EnE is an Aon. (Sarene's Aon, of wit.) You'd probably just be Evene.
Would the Arelish write that like in Hangul? If so, would each Aon represent a single sound, or its full name?
They would write the ENE as a single Aon, and the Ev in their equivalent of hangul, where each letter is a single sound.
But those are not available in the book? I was aiming for 100% in-world version of my name, but this looks hard now...
The Aonic Alphabet is not something I ever designed, I'm afraid. This was before I had Isaac.
I name my computers and smartphones after spren. But I am out of names. Is there a name you wouldn't mind revealing?
Well, do you need good spren? Or is the occasional evil spren acceptable?
Your call! And evil spren would be fantastic for my new phone.
Ulim. (Also, the Unmade count as spren. You could look those up.)
I didn't think spren could be good or evil??
Most spren are neither. Sapient spren (capable of making choices) can be either one.
I'm absolutely obsessed with this Faultline character in Steelheart is there anyway there might be a spin off about her?
I've toyed with doing something about her. We shall see. It's not outside the realm of possibility.
In the original outline there was a part where they take down Faultline. Brandon took it out before he wrote up to that far in.
If you went to Shadesmar on Scadrial would there be spren there?
"Spren" is a term for things on Roshar. So yes, there are a few, but they're from Roshar originally.
Do Allomancers smell or taste different due to the metal in their system?
Most do not.
Is there a unique symbol that represents Allomancy? Instead of just the individual metals?
We usually use tin as the official symbol, just because we like how it looks.
Talking about physics and cosmere... Is the gravity on each planet the same as on Earth? It shouldn't.
And if it isn't? How does the changes affect things like Coinshoting or Surges out of Scadrial/Roshar?
They are not all the same. And you'll have to wait and see on how that affects things. :)
Could you make a Lifeless out of someone killed with a Shardblade?
Shardblades sever the soul from the body, but Awakening makes a "fake" soul for a body, so how the soul left doesn't matter.
The Lord Ruler with all 16 metals vs Rand al'Thor. Who wins?
Rand. The one power is far stronger than even compounding metals.
The question is where does the Chasm line go on new Aons? The bottom right, away from the Aon?
http://brandonsanderson.com/beta/wp-content/gallery/elantris-illustrations/arelon_map_10yr_color_ebook.jpg The chasm line is under the bottom of the square, right of the center dot.
On the Rao it's above the bottom circle, just to the right of the small vertical line.
Ahh, ok. So would it be going down and away from the line (which is the road, right?) in a SE direction?
Yes, the same angle as the chasm in the picture I linked to.
Though of course, Raoden drew it ending by the road rather than starting by the road. (Stroke direction.)
Thanks Peter! Does this imply that stroke direction/order doesn't matter as long as the end result is right?
I can't remember what it says in the text—but you certainly won't go wrong if you draw it like Raoden did, since that obviously works
Shadows of Self - What an awesome story, and what a gut-punch of an ending! Was that planned when you wrote Alloy of Law?
Once I finished Alloy, I wrote the scene with Bloody Tan and Wax, intending it for Book 2. That was when I built this plot.
We eventually moved the scene to the start of book one, and I revised with the new perspective on Lessie.
So it was there by the time Alloy came out, but was not part of the first draft. Advice from [Dan Wells] caused it.
You have my sincere apologies
When does the Wax and Wayne series take place compared to The Stormlight Archive?
Just after.
Thank you! So after Stormlight 10, then comes The Alloy of Law? I have noticed a change in Hoid in these books since.
Alloy is somewhere after Stormlight 5.
Do Returned have a bond with their divine Breath that would give them powers on Roshar? Or are they different to seons?
They are Highly Invested beings, but the Investiture is not sapient.
Would Steris make a good/great Lightweaver, considering her near superhuman self-awareness?
Problem is she might be too honest with herself.
I sent out the October Brandon Sanderson newsletter yesterday. If you're subscribed, check your spam filter.
The story in the newsletter, I am guessing Inception and Men In Black
Good guess. It was actually Inception and Tron.
Can you tell us how Sazed knows about radio?
Certain natural phenomenon became visible to him when he ascended, and he could logic the rest.
He also has some vague prediction abilities.
What if an Epic in the [Reckoners] universe feared losing a loved one? Or feared becoming evil?
Both would be intriguing starts to a weakness. You could get rid of their powers, for example, [by] threatening a loved one.
I think they'd lock said love one away in total isolation then murder anyone else who knew about them b/c of corrupt power.
Yup. Fun times!
Your book, Shadows of Self, just released today. What do you think will shock fans the most?
I have a feeling that the ending will be the most shocking part, followed closely by how magnificently Wayne butchers our language.
No spoilers now! Why did you decide to focus on Waxillium Ladrian in this book?
Brandon Sanderson
Wax is the heart of these books, though it has been tough to get past his rough exterior. I wanted to really dig into who he is.
I gotta know if I'm going to see Rlain interludes or (please!) a book of his perspective.
You will get a scene from his viewpoint soon.
Does Vasher go to Roshar before or after the events of Warbreaker?
After
Now I love [The Stormlight Archive] as much as the next person, but I see a hole that just gets under my skin no matter what!
?
SKYEELS! They would have been discovered first and called Eels. It's always bugged me, unless you can offer a reason that is
The hound question is what you should be asking. Roshar has regular water eels, so skyeel isn't nearly as odd as axehound.
Ahhh but that's my point exactly. shouldn't it be eels and water eels? Not skyeels and eels. Watereels discovered second.
The answers are there in the books. They will be made clear soon, but I suspect many have guessed already.
Is it possible to be a full Feruchemist and a Misting or vice versa, like a lopsided Twinborn?
Possible, yes. Highly unlikely, but possible.
In the "Dark One" novel you're planning, will that character be the dark one for the entire cosmere or just that world?
That world.
I wonder if creationspren pop up when people are getting busy...
There's a different spren for that.
Only one chapter left to write in Dalinar's flashbacks. This one will answer many questions you might have had about his past.
Were there any surprises for you as you wrote about his past? I know you like to discovery-write your characters
After writing Dalinar in book one, I had settled most of this. But yes, there were still some surprises.
Since Jasnah has been "out and about," should we be watching for cameos in your other books?
Problem is, no books are currently happening right at the same time as Stormlight. And Jasnah hasn't gone far afield.
Are there any chances we are going to revisit Vin and Reen's story? They are such fascinating characters! '-'
Not much of a chance, I'm afraid. I don't love prequels. But anything is possible.
Finished Firefight the other day! Epic, as always. Have you seen the real-life Spyril? :D https://t.co/T0HZiHIzKu
That is where I got the idea. :)
Is there a connection between Sak's talent and Allomantic electrum? If so, what is it?
Yes. Reading a person's spiritual connections and possibilities. Similar powers, as is atium.
Was much of the Shattered Plains inspired by the beach?
A lot of the life on Roshar is inspired by tide pools.
What is a half beard. A short beard or are nobles in Luthadel walking around with one side of their face smooth.?
Their term for goatee.
Does Kai's name (Perfect State) rhyme with the letter A or I?
I can't remember. It might appear in a video of Brandon's reading from his recent tour.
He says it like "hey" but I realized that might be like an informal "K". Like a Jason might be J.
Nah, it's not a K. So that means that's how you pronounce it. Brandon is usually more likely to say ai as A than I (as I would).
Same with Shai?
Yes.
Would you be able to tell us the location of the Velding (Elantris) for the wiki page?
From the context, it's like a mixture of the Kremlin and the Vatican (or Saint Basil's Cathedral). So, too small for the map.
The Unmade were "made" or are Unmade because they have never been made? It would be 2 different words in Spanish. Thank you.
That is a good question. I assumed they had never been made but it's possible it is the other.
Could a Surgebinder shut down Shardplate by cracking a piece and then consuming the Stormlight from the internal gems?
Yes, though getting the Stormlight out of those gems while they're already powering something is not easy.
We need to see a cosmere world with a more musical magic system!
I've thought of a few, but have trouble finding something that feels distinctive from other song-based magic systems.
But, I get the feeling you forgot about copperclouds making Smokers and mistborn immune to emotional allomancy. Didn't you?
They don't. Only the Smoker himself is made immune.
I am not suggesting otherwise. However, I remember Sanderson saying Zane used emotional Allomancy on Vin, and Vin using duralumin and brass successfully on Yomen's Smoker (and Tineye) at the ball. Among other instances I forget.
Duralumin beats copper. I'm not sure about the other instance.
Are [Jaddeth] & [Domi] the Shards Dominion & Devotion?
Domi is more Devotion and Jaddeth is more Dominion. But there is some mixing. The shard holders were Aona and Skai.
Were the Alethi made by some creator-figure and given the Thrill deliberately?
Roshar was inhabited before Honor and Cultivation arrived. The Thrill did not exist then.
So it's a response to the power of one of or both of them?
I didn't say that... :)
How come the base 8 abilities come in pairs by base metal & alloy, but the higher ability pairs are not related?
Which book are you on? Things change after the first book. They don't understand things as well as they think.
I've read all 4 several times. Ex: electrum is a gold alloy yet it is opposite of atium & malatium opposite gold...>
Alloys of atium can't be thought of as establishing any pattern.
@PeterAhlstrom there are alloyS (plural) of atium?! Any chance that atium or its alloys show up again in any of the upcoming novels?
RAFO :)
And were I minded to, could I kill Kaladin with a Hemalurgic spike and steal his Windrunning? (I don't want to kill Kaladin)
You can steal most things with Hemalugy, but Surgebindings are tricky because of the spren. Requires some non-standard workings.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Finally, Brandon RAFO'd me on my question about "the wicked thing of eminence" that Alice theorized about. I asked "Was the wicked thing of eminence an action of spren, of men, or both?" I didn't go into this with him in a line, but my theory is about the spren.
Nashan'Elin
(paraphrased)
Could Honor and Autonomy be considered opposites, like, Autonomy freeing from Honor's oaths?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, you could definitely think of it that way. Those two are more likely to be opposed than some others.
PallonianFire
(paraphrased)
Is Threnody named in memorial of someone/something?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
*big smile* Yes it is.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
The reading:
- He read this reading again (I was hoping for something new but only like??? 5 people in the audience had read Words of Radiance and the other excerpt he had prepared had WoR spoilers in it). It's young Dalinar at the feast.
- The only thing of note is in our reading he originally called Sadeas's wife "Ialai Sadeas", then he stopped, cleared his throat and corrected to "Ialai Torol" which would be an interesting naming convention, or his name really is Sadeas Torol and we've all be wrong this whole time.
Badger
(paraphrased)
What did you do while writing Wheel of Time?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Alternated between writing Wheel of Time books and Cosmere books.
Badger
(paraphrased)
What's the status of the video game (Birthright)?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
- It. Didn't work out.
- There was another author at the time trying to get something done with (if I recall correctly) the same company, and he didn't want to compete with them.
- They still have the game rights.
It's been delayed mostly until there's some sort of movie out because basically there's two ways they can do a video game. They can do a big AAA game that will be very very expensive and it could flop, or they could do a smaller indie game. Because there's not a huge established audience from a movie, they want to wait until then before producing a game.
- He wants the gameplay to be a bit like Infamous in design (if I recall correctly).
- Basically what's stopping them right now is it's just really really expensive.
Badger
(paraphrased)
What about The Apocalypse Guard?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
- It's set in the Reckoners era
- Basically the coffee girl intern of the Apocalypse Guard gets sucked into a different dimension or something and they have to go retrieve her.
- You can read more here: http://brandonsanderson.com/the-apocalypse-guard/
Badger
(paraphrased)
What will be in Arcanum Unbound?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
- All of the things.
- All of the short stories and novellas that are part of the Cosmere by the release date will be included in it, as well as the Lift novella.
