Recent entries

Questioner

Do lemons exist on Scadrial?

Brandon Sanderson

Probably, yeah.

Questioner

A friend of mine wanted me to ask: Was the cataclysm that rocked Ashyn and forced its inhabitants into the flying cities Investiture-based, and if it was was it Shardic in nature?

Brandon Sanderson

The same cataclysm that the-- did you finish [Oathbringer]?

Questioner

Yes.

Brandon Sanderson

The same cataclysm that they were fleeing, that they caused, is the one that forced people into the skies...

Questioner

How did you design the mistcloak cloaks?

Brandon Sanderson

Because it looks cool, obviously!

Questioner

It is highly impractical!

Brandon Sanderson

Not if you're Mistborn! The only trouble we really had is stepping on the tassels. 

Questioner

And getting tangled up in them.

Brandon Sanderson

Well, a lot of the tassels, a lot of the ones for mistcloaks we've made, use thicker material in them, and they lie straighter, and they don't tangle nearly as much. As long as you don't make them too long, 'cause if you do, you step on them, particularly on stairs... We've got some costume persons that work-- you'll find, if you use a thicker, stronger material-- yeah.

Questioner

Are we gonna see more of Alcatraz?

Brandon Sanderson

Probably not until after Stormlight Five.

Questioner

I want to ask you a question about Pattern. Could you speak to anything about where your idea for...

Brandon Sanderson

I wanted different spren to look drastically different. And, as I was building-- Like, I wanted a lot of the spren of a lot of the Orders of Knights Radiant to kind of have an internal, natural conflict. Like, that's one of the division lines between a spren that's not sapient, and spren that is. For instance, Windrunner, honorspren, right? Honor is about rigidity in a lot of ways, and Syl is the embodiment of a lot of the opposite of that. And Pattern, who is so interested in lies, is a mathematical fractal-- a mathematical equation. This sort of thing, like naming the inkspren Ivory is just-- I want that internal, natural contrast to be part of them. And Pattern, I really wanted a spren that wasn't just another ball of light. 'Cause Syl is basically a ball of light. And a lot of the others are basically balls of light. And I'm like, I need something that's different, I want something that looks different, that feels different. That's where I went.

Questioner

I just have been noticing this, and it's not exclusive to any author, it's just this kind of theme that simply tires me. Main characters, they die, and then they come back to life. or they just don't die. And it makes it so much less exciting for me. So, I wanted to ask you what you think about that?

Brandon Sanderson

So, here's the thing. Because fiction isn't real, death is meaningless in fiction. The only real things in fiction are the emotions we make you feel, and different stories try to do that in different ways with different themes. For instance, I don't think Lord of the Rings is ruined by the fact that Gandalf has a resurrection, because of the emotions you feel, and then the other emotions you feel, and things like this-- and there's something universal about it. And so, I don't think I'm as big on it as that, because deaths-- maybe it's because I'm a writer, everything feels arbitrary in books, except the emotion that I put upon it, if that makes sense? And I always find that what the characters are going through is the more interesting than an abrupt end, but I guess that's just kinda me.

If you say that, then books can't have resurrection as a theme, or rebirth, which is, like, one of the most interesting themes in existence. But everyone has different tastes, there's no wrong. Not liking it is not wrong. I mean, plot armor also has this thing where we tend to not kill characters arbitrarily, we tend to do it at dramatic moments, and things like this, because the story is better that way, right? And there are some people, like George Martin, who just try to throw this out the window, to tell a different story by doing that. But, of course, resurrection is a huge theme in those books.

Questioner

Why pancakes?

Brandon Sanderson

My kids love pancakes, I thought Lift would really like pancakes. And pancakes are pretty universal, like, most cultures come up with a pancake-type thing. Now they aren't always the sweet pancakes, fluffy ones that we imagine. But, like, almost every culture, pancakes are a thing. Some weird batter with stuff in it you pour onto a hot skillet.

Questioner

How exactly do you make kandra blessings using Hemalurgy?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that for now. Even they don't quite know, right? They were provided by the Lord Ruler for them, and they didn't create them themselves. So, we'll RAFO that.

Questioner

Could a Threnody Shade survive on another world?

Brandon Sanderson

Theoretically, yes. But they are highly Invested, and leaving a world where you're highly Invested behind when you have that Investiture is difficult, as Kelsier discovered, and as most spren discover.

Questioner

Hoid seems to know things that are not explained. He'll show up places, when the Herald showed up, or when Jasnah comes back. Is that something that's just not been explained yet? Or is that something that's a part of some magic system that we've heard about? Or is that something different?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, so, he has access to things that other people do not. It is explainable, but it has not been explained yet. He can be places he needs to be, but if you watch, he doesn't always know why he needs to be there. He's really good at covering that part up. But he does-- he knows he needs to be somewhere, and so he gets there.

Questioner

I was wondering if you were planning on doing another collaboration with your fellow podcasters, like you did with--

Brandon Sanderson

Shadows Beneath? Yes, there will be something more like that eventually.

Questioner

In Herdazian, is there no personal pronoun, and that's why Lopen always refers to himself as "The Lopen"?

Brandon Sanderson

No, that is his personal thing. In Rock's language, most nouns are gendered, masculine, which is why you always see him flipping-- screwing that up. But Lopen, just his thing. Just his thing.

Questioner

Glyphpairs, or glyphs, for the specific Surges. Are they supposed to be slightly different? Or are they perfectly symmetrical?

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on who paints them and how. Most of them are supposed to be symmetrical.

Questioner

Because I got the Progression tattoo, and my tattoo artist noticed that it was slightly different on both sides, where there was a curve instead of having a square. And he said, is it not supposed to be perfectly squared off? Because then it would be--

Brandon Sanderson

Some people draw them that way, depends on what they're writing, and things like that. So, I would ask Isaac. Write an email to isaac@brandonsanderson.com and ask him about it, because he designs all those. I just give him general directions, he's the one that can actually write them.

Questioner

Cultivation *inaudible* Nightwatcher?

Brandon Sanderson

No, but good question, they are separate and you'll find out in [Oathbringer], kind of, in what ways.

Questioner

If Nightblood was to be used by a Scadrian, would that person have to be an Investiture ferring?

Brandon Sanderson

No, you could be burning any metal, and Nightblood would co-opt it and feed off that.

Brandon Sanderson

Title of the next Stormlight book? I have decided I'm not gonna answer that yet. Still working on it.

Questioner

Is the Warbreaker sequel gonna have Susebron and Siri?

Brandon Sanderson

It's Vivenna and Vasher. And new characters. You'll get an update in it, if I ever do it, what's going on, but it won't be focused on them.

Questioner

What is your favorite magic system that you made?

Brandon Sanderson

Allomancy.

Questioner

How big are the beads from Shadesmar?

Brandon Sanderson

...Bean-size, not as big as spheres.

Questioner

Spheres are the size of your thumbnail, right?

Brandon Sanderson

Spheres are a little bigger than that. They're like a big marble. Not quite as big as a shooter.

Questioner

Would all the different powers, or magic. Would they all work on the other--

Brandon Sanderson

Almost all of them will. AonDor, and the ones from Sel, are very hard to get to work elsewhere, because of certain things, but others are much easier. For instance, if you can get Breaths to another world, you can just use them, you don't need to do anything special.

Questioner 1

The drawers with the infused gemstones. Is that the Stormlight Archive?

Brandon Sanderson

No. That is not the Stormlight Archive.

Questioner 2

Is there a Stormlight Archive?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. But... it means the books. The archive of books that are all named after in-world books. The Archive is a pun on archived collection of books.

Questioner

Syl asks Kaladin if he had <problems> *inaudible*. Is that just a phrase she picked up? Or is it something connected *inaudible*?

Brandon Sanderson

Um... there is nothing special you're supposed to read into that other than Syl personality and interactions and stuff.

Questioner

Which creature is your favorite from any of your series?

Brandon Sanderson

Which creature? Chasmfiend.

Questioner

For Jasnah, it seems like maybe a couple times it's been hinted that maybe she prefers women *inaudible*

Brandon Sanderson

Let's just have you Read on And Find Out on that one. There is-- Her book isn't 'til, like-- at the earliest, Book Eight. So, we've got a long ways to go before we're digging into Jasnah some more.

Questioner

Why are [Cognitive] Shadows so much more prevalent on Threnody?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a good question. Which is a RAFO. Sorry.

Questioner

I know that Dalinar's story is definitely one you were looking forward to, but of the remaining Stormlight Archive books, whose story are you looking the most forward to?

Brandon Sanderson

Umm... Taln's.

Questioner

Are there historical figures that were inspirations for Elhokar?

Brandon Sanderson

Dalinar is based very slightly on Subutai, the great Mongol general. Elhokar, no one specific. I thought of him when I was a kid, when I was, like, fourteen, I wanted to do a story about a weak king and his uncle who's a really strong figure, and that interplay, and that's where he came from.

Questioner

If a kandra were a Parshendi, would he be able to take the forms?

Brandon Sanderson

The Forms? The actual-- To an extent, yes. To an extent, yes, but part of that is the spren bond. You're not gonna get everything. You could look like one, but there'll be certain things you won't be able to do, even with the Form. You couldn't take a form of power... You could pass.

Questioner

Does any of the Sixteen actually like Hoid anymore?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

Someone told me that after the signing last night you said that Soulcast blood has DNA... The question is who?

Brandon Sanderson

That's a good question. That's a RAFO. So, here's... the premises I'm working on. Soulcast blood can be used for transfusion, alright? I'm not saying much more than that. At least I'm not canonizing much more than that right now. And as my understanding, it has blood type, it has-- things. When someone asked me tonight "does that mean it's human blood?" Well, that depends on the definition.

Calderis

Biochromatic Breath. The reason that it avoids Snapping, is that because it's so heavily in the Physical Realm, or is there something more to that?

Brandon Sanderson

Something more.

Questioner

Yes or no: will the Stick ever come back?

Brandon Sanderson

The Stick? The Stick is omnipresent in all books, but I think the Stick has had so much screentime already that it would be distracting from other characters.

Questioner

Why can't Rock see Renarin's spren?

Brandon Sanderson

That will be answered in [Oathbringer].

Questioner

I know that, in the last book, we saw the Heralds twice. So are they gonna play a big part in Oathbringer?

Brandon Sanderson

They will play a bigger part than they have in previous books, but most Herald stuff is being saved for the second set of five.

Questioner

*inaudible* find yourself foreshadowing in any of your books.

Brandon Sanderson

All the time. Like, the thing I love to do the most.

Questioner

Anything you found that we haven't found yet?

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, yeah. But they can't really find it yet because the foreshadowing is for books way in the future. One thing I've mentioned that you can keep an eye on is the shapes the spren sometimes take, sometimes unconsciously, is related to certain connections that are going on.

Questioner

Are there ever gonna be dragons in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

There are dragons.

Questioner

*gasps* Wait. Are we supposed to know and I haven't read it?

Brandon Sanderson

No. But the-- Hoid calls someone a reptile. The "you old reptile..." That is-- yeah, one of them.

classicalkhlennium

Could a Shard like Harmony create new elemental metals, like harmonium, or is that unconscious--

Brandon Sanderson

So, unconscious isn't the right word, but a manifestation of his will being the same as manifestation of the laws of physics in the world, if that makes sense. It's not like a choice, it's not, like, not a choice either, to create others, it is theoretically possible, but what has happened is more in line with the laws of his realm.

Questioner

So we know that spren come about through interactions? Could there be other things that situation could create?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

'Cause a read about the *inaudible*

Brandon Sanderson

Um, same thing, yes.

Questioner

I was wondering if *inaudible* spren were created by *inaudible*?

Brandon Sanderson

This is possible.

Questioner

I'm not very good understanding how the cosmere works. So, any tips on how to get to that? Like, get the little hints that are--

Brandon Sanderson

Just watch out for Hoid and watch out for people who use the wrong words. Like if they use the word "coin" or "dirt" or things like that just aren't on Roshar. That's a pretty big clue that they're not one hundred percent on the up and up.

Questioner

So is Lopen able to regrow his arm because he didn't identify as being a one-armed Herdazian, even though he made all those jokes?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah.

Questioner

If I get the Oaths tattooed on my body am I gonna regret it 'cause you're gonna put in a plot twist makes them actually evil?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, I will say that the evilness of the Knights Radiant are gonna depend on your perspective, but I don't think you would ever feel really sad because they're ideals. I mean good ideals.

Questioner

Hemalurgically, do you stab? ...Could you steal the Connection that *inaudible* magic systems. Or is it just whatever...

Brandon Sanderson

It is possible that you could steal a variety of different things. But, not all things can be spiked.

Questioner

So, filter that the Shard's power-- Investiture, I guess? Is it that-- So on Roshar, does it count as three Shards stacked on top of each other, next to each other, that's forming different magic systems.

Brandon Sanderson

It definitely is influencing it. But, not-- perhaps not as much as you might think. I mean, it is, though.

Questioner

Is a drab able to, on Roshar *inaudible*

Brandon Sanderson

Re-invest? It won't do exactly the same thing, but they could *inaudible*

Questioner

Tien's interest in rocks. Is that just because he likes rocks, or is there something to it?

Brandon Sanderson

Not really. There'll be some metaphorical relationships that I'm underpinning it with, but really the answer is, no, he just really likes rocks.

Questioner

So, is Adonalsium limited to the cosmere galaxy? I don't think he created the universe?

Brandon Sanderson

That is a RAFO. But the cosmere is a dwarf galaxy... They don't know about that.

Questioner

Will they?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe.

Questioner

Is Hoid an avatar from Autonomy?

Brandon Sanderson

No. Good question. He is independent.

Questioner

He's human, but he's more than human? He's changed from all the places he's been?

Brandon Sanderson

Even before that he's not exactly one hundred percent human anymore. But he's his own agent. He's not an avatar of somebody.

Questioner

Can you tell me *inaudible*?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, I'm gonna RAFO that. We've got multiple books before I'm gonna canonize this.

Questioner

I'm asking why they have chickens.

Brandon Sanderson

...They were carried with them.

Questioner

So is Earth...

Brandon Sanderson

Earth is not. There are several Earth analogues. I go with a default, we're gonna make it easy on myself. Those planets have, kinda, Earth analogue for plants and animals. And then you can assume that they have Earth creatures until I start doing ecology really quite weirdly.

Questioner

When Wax dies, he sees a red cloud haze. What is that?

Brandon Sanderson

That is the effects of another Shard trying to do something.

Questioner

Who is that?

Brandon Sanderson

Mmm, that part's a RAFO.