Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

What’s the favorite title from my books?

Oh, I would say brightlord is my favorite. I really like how brightlord works.

Brandon on writing

Do worldhoppers in the cosmere teleport between planets, or physically travel the space between?

Both are possible.

worldhoppers

Can I tell you when you will see Cohesion and Tension Surges? Will, will you see it in Stormlight 3?

You are unlikely to see very much of it at Stormlight 3. That is dealing more with characters on the, in the back five, but you will probably see a little bit of it.

Stormlight Archive

In transitioning from Merin to Kaladin, was there any plot sacrifices that were particularly difficult for me?

No. I had been disappointed enough in the way that Merin turned out in the original draft of The Way of Kings, that transitioning to someone more vibrant and more interesting in Kaladin really didn’t feel like a sacrifice to me.

Kaladin

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Brandon on writing

Can kandra absorb living matter, non-organic matter?

They do absorb living matter, but it’s more what can they eat. So, chasmfiend carapaces, they probably couldn’t digest.

kandra

What happens if a kandra eats Nightblood?

That would be bad for them.

kandra

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Nightblood

Does the Iriali religion relate to the Shattering?

I’m going to RAFO that.

Iriali

What can we expect from Dark One, specifically what kind of magic system?

Jason, the magic systems in Dark One, focus on, right now, on a person who can steal people’s souls and use them to make magic objects, mixed with an electricity type world, where the ground is electrified, and animals, plants and animals, have an, a symbiosis with electricity, like you’ll see a tree that has a Jacob’s ladder going up it, or you’ll see ah, a beast that uses spittle like a taser, that should be the next book that I work on for Random House after the Steelheart trilogy, so we will see. [Note: Jacob’s ladder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark_gap#Visual_entertainment]

Dark One

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future books

Is there a formula on Nalthis for Breath consumption per Awakening? For example, how many Breaths does it take Vivi to Awaken a scarf?

Yeah, I have that in my notes, it’s been a long time since I’ve written on that book, yes, there was a formula for me and I will use it when I write the sequel. [Note: Vivi was an abbreviation for Vivienna because there was a limit on the question length.]

breaths

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awakening

Besides the confirmed Knights of Radiant at the end of Words of Radiance have we seen any characters that share the same orders with the current knights?

Oh boy, you’re putting me on the spot. N-n-n-n-n-n-n-yes you have. Yes. You’ve seen, I think you’ve seen several actually, but, yeah.

Knights Radiant

Does First of the Sun have a Shard or a Splinter?

First of the Sun does not have a Shard. First of the Sun is one of these planets that was created, in the cosmere I’m considering a low magic planet, not under the direct influence of any Shard.

First of the Sun

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cosmere

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shards

Will White Sand still be considered an adaptation, or will it be considered canon, the canon version of its content?

Andrew, right now I’m declaring the White Sand graphic novel to be the canon version of its content. We will see how that goes, but that’s what I’m planning right now.

White Sand

Jordan asks, what’s the status on White Sand graphic novel?

It’s going very well, we have pages of it turned in, I don’t know I think it’s still a year away, but it’s, it’s looking really good.

White Sand

Does Allomancy work the same way when someone has left the planet?

Uhhhhhhhm, generally, Andrew, yes.

Allomancy

Do I have an ultimate ending in mind for the Cosmere?

Yes I do!

Cosmere

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future books

What is Perfect State about?

Well, Perfect State, is about, the question I had was, what if the best way to make the most people happy in the univ- in the world was to create for every person their own individualized simulation, so they basically could live a fantasy novel. You, you’d take them when they were a baby, put them in this simulation, it’s kind of like, you know, The Truman Show, where something like this, except the whole world is designed to be awesome, so that they could have a wonderful, cool life, and, what would that be like? Less you know, like, manipulating them, or, ruining their life, or you know, putting them into a simulation to, to control them, and more, here’s you get to be the most important person in the world and grow up that way. So yeah, that, that’s kind of the premise.

Perfect State

Was Perfect State something I left out of the State of the Sanderson on purpose, or is it something new that I’ve just written?

Andrios(?), no, I just accidentally left it out, I was working mostly on novels, and I forgot that I w- I had Perfect State, which I’d written actually written now two or three years ago, and we were planning to use for our con exclusive this year.

Perfect State

Are the character’s ages given in Stormlight Archive Rosharan years, or Earth years?

They’re Rosharan years. So, people are actually, it’s a little bit off from our, our world, a Rosharan year is 500 days, but the hour, the days are a little shorter, anyway they end being like when, when S- when Kaladin’s age is mentioned, in our world, he’d be a few years older.

Stormlight Archive

If you, Brandon Sanderson, as a person were able to be gifted just one set of powers from any of your book series what would you have and why? How would you use them? Save the world? Become a tyrant?

I would probably pick [slight pause] Channeling from the Wheel of Time. No, I’d just be Doctor Manhattan. Sorry, he’s like all powerful, right? How would I use them? I would hope that I would save the world, and not become a tyrant.

Brandon on magic systems

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hypotheticals

Can one give the Command, “divide and do thing X”, for Awakening? How many Breaths would it take to do something like a straw mannequin, how small could you get the pieces, how would you retrieve the Breath?

Uhm, Jason, I’m afraid I would have to pull out my notes. I mean I wrote that book a few- 2006, and so we’re nine years away from me writing that magic system. I, I have it all in the notes, but I can’t off the top of my head rattle it off for you. People use Awakening so infrequently now in the cosmere, it’s just on the one planet with the occasional worldhopper, that I just go to my notes and get it out when I need it.

breaths

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awakening

If Allomancy works once the planet is left, does that mean that the FTL travel will have the vessels carrying a portable Shard? How will the energy of that Shard affect things where they travel to?

You’re just going to have to get a real RAFO on that one, ‘cause that book is a long ways away.

Mistborn in Space

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future books

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allomancy

What’s the most dangerous non-Shard thing in the cosmere?

[Answering very slowly, lots of ‘uh’s] Nightblood’s up there, Hoid is up there, but not deadly dangerous, a different type of dangerous, yeah no, what we know of, right now, those, those are in the running. Chasmfiends, chasmfiends are pretty nasty. Whitespines are a little more nasty probably. The… the Unmade are pretty nasty. Yeah. There’s a couple of mercenary troops that you haven’t met yet that are really quite, quite dangerous, I would list them as well.

Cosmere power levels

Will Calamity be set in Atlanta?

Right now I am writing it in Atlanta, I mean, I am setting it in Atlanta, but I’ll change it if that doesn’t work.

Calamity

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Atlanta

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Ildithia

At this point, who do you think would win, Vin or Szeth?

[Makes funny expression, takes long time to answer] That’s a tough one. I’d, at the height of their power? Vin probably.

hypothetical duels

[Note: the question was likely “How do you pronounce Adonalsium?”]

Andrew, I pronounce it Ih-don-awl-sium.

Brandon on pronunciation

Can you do your best Nightblood impression?

[In a chipper voice] “Would you like to destroy some evil today?” It’s very eager.

Nightblood

When Szeth Surgebinds, frost forms on his clothing. Why?

Ehhh, I’ll get around to talking about that eventually.

Szeth

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surgebinding

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lashing