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Brandon Sanderson

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Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson signing.
Brandon Sanderson signing.
Born (1975-12-19) December 19, 1975 (age 48)
Nebraska
OccupationWriter, creative writing instructor
NationalityUSA
Period2005 - present
GenreFantasy, science fiction
Notable worksElantris
Mistborn series
Warbreaker
The Way of Kings
final 3 books in The Wheel of Time series
Website
http://www.brandonsanderson.com

Brandon Sanderson (born December 19, 1975) is an American writer. He is best known for his Mistborn series and his work in finishing Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

Sanderson worked as an editor for the semi-professional magazine Leading Edge while attending school at Brigham Young University, where he now periodically teaches creative writing. In 2008 Sanderson started a podcast with authors Dan Wells and Howard Tayler called Writing Excuses, involving topics about creating and producing genre writing and webcomics.

Biography

A Nebraska native,[1][2] Sanderson currently resides in American Fork, Utah. He earned his Master's degree in Creative Writing in 2005 from Brigham Young University,[3] where he was on the staff of Leading Edge, a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine published by the university. He was a college roommate of Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings.[4][5]

Sanderson was married on July 7, 2006.[6] He has two children.[7] He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[2] and served as a missionary in Seoul, Korea.[8] He currently teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University, in addition to working on his own writing.

He is a participant in the weekly podcast Writing Excuses with authors Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and web cartoonist Howard Tayler.

Writing

Sanderson published his first novel, Elantris, through Tor Books on April 21, 2005, to generally positive reviews.[9][10] Elantris tells the story of the cursed inhabitants of a once-great city who once wielded powerful magic. This was followed in 2006 by Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first book in his Mistborn fantasy trilogy. The Mistborn are "allomancers", or people who have the ability to "burn" various metals and alloys after ingesting them in order to enhance senses and allow control over powerful supernatural forces. He followed up in 2007 with a sequel, Mistborn: The Well of Ascension, which continues the story and delves into the origins of the mysterious and all-pervasive mist which enshrouds everything at night and even sometimes during the day.

His next work was the young adult novel Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, about a boy named Alcatraz who has a unique gift: he's very good at breaking things. He also has a group of evil librarians who are bent on taking over the world. In 2008, Sanderson released two science fiction short works, Firstborn and Defending Elysium, as well as the final book in the Mistborn trilogy (Mistborn: The Hero of Ages) and an Alcatraz sequel (Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones).

Tor Books published Sanderson's Warbreaker in 2009. He originally published it on his website a chapter at a time while writing the novel from 2006 to 2009, with the final version being what was published through Tor. The novel was released under a Creative Commons license and is available either printed from Tor or as a free download from Sanderson's site. The same year saw a third Alcatraz book, Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia, which follows Alcatraz as he and his companions continue their fight against the cult of evil librarians.

After Robert Jordan's September 2007 death, Sanderson was selected by Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan's widow), to complete the final book in Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. McDougal asked him to complete the series after being deeply impressed by Mistborn: The Final Empire.[11] Tor Books made the announcement December 7, 2007.[12] After reviewing what needed to be done to wrap up the series, Sanderson and Tor announced on March 30, 2009 there would be a final three books instead of just one. The first of these, The Gathering Storm, was published October 27, 2009, and reached the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction.[13][14]

Sanderson then released the first novel, The Way of Kings, in a planned ten-novel epic fantasy series titled The Stormlight Archive. It reached number seven on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list,[15] and it remained on the list for an additional three weeks.[16][17][18] Towers of Midnight, the second-to-last Wheel of Time book, was released just over a year after The Gathering Storm on November 2, 2010, also debuting at number one on the bestseller list.[19] The fourth Alcatraz novel, Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens, was released a month later on December 1.

In October 2011, he released a novella ebook, Infinity Blade: Awakening, based on the action role-playing iOS video game Infinity Blade developed by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games,[20] A stand alone sequel to the Mistborn trilogy, Mistborn: The Alloy of Law, was released in November 2011, where it debuted at #7 on the bestseller list.

On August 31, 2012, Sanderson released a science fiction novella entitled Legion. Another short work, The Emperor's Soul, was published in October, 2012.

A standalone YA/middle grade novel, The Rithmatist, was released on May 14, 2013.

A Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time series, was released January 8, 2013.[21] In autumn 2013, Sanderson will publish Steelheart, the first book in a new young adult series, through Delacorte Press in the United States and through Gollancz in the United Kingdom.[22][23]

Sanderson's Laws

Sanderson's First Law is the first law developed by Sanderson for use in designing settings for genre writers. While originally created as a rule for magic systems in fantasy novels, Sanderson has specified that this law need not apply just to fantasy, but is applicable to science fiction as well.[24]

Sanderson's First Law: An author's ability to solve conflict satisfactorily with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic. This Law was originally defined in Sanderson's essay, "Sanderson's First Law" located on his website.[24] In the essay he qualifies the two extremes1 of design as being:

  1. Magic/technology has well defined rules that the audience understands. As a result, one can use this to solve conflict more easily as the capabilities are cleanly defined. Sanderson classifies this as "Hard Magic". C.L. Wilson in her essay "Worldbuilding 101 - Making Magic"[25] advocated this method of creation, stating, "...create your rules, then follow them."
  2. Magic/technology has unclear or vague rules, or none at all. This allows for a greater sense of wonder to be attained for the reader, but the ability to solve problems without resorting to deus ex machina decreases. Sanderson classifies this as "Soft Magic". Lawrence Watt-Evans specifically advised "The trick is to be a benevolent and consistent deity, not one who pulls miracles out of a hat as needed"[26]

Sanderson's Second Law: Limits > Powers.[24] It was initially set down in Episode 14 of the podcast Writing Excuses.[27]2 John Brown, likewise looked to Sanderson's work in his own essay involving magic systems, noting "What are the ramifications and conflicts of using it?"[28] Patricia Wrede likewise noted several issues on this topic ranging from magic suppressing other technologies, to how a magic might affect farming.[29][30]

In explaining the second law, Sanderson references the magic system of Superman, claiming that Superman's powers aren't what make him interesting, but his limits, specifically his vulnerability to kryptonite and the code of ethics he received from his parents.

Sanderson's Third Law: A good magic system is interconnected with the world around it. Sanderson points out that magic does not take place in a vacuum. It is related to the ecology, religion, economics, warfare, and politics of the world it inhabits. The job of the author is to think farther than the reader about the ramifications of the magic system. If magic can turn mud into diamonds, that has an effect on the value of diamonds. Sanderson states that readers of genre fiction are interested not just in the magic system but how the world and characters will be different because of the magic. [31]

Bibliography

Short works

  • Firstborn (2008)
  • Defending Elysium (2008)
  • Infinity Blade: Awakening (novella) (2011)
  • Infinity Blade: Redemption (forthcoming Sept. 9, 2013)
  • Heuristic Algorithm and Reasoning Response Engine coauthored with Ethan Skarstedt, released in ARMORED Anthology (April 2012)
  • Legion (novella) (2012)
  • The Emperor's Soul (novella) (2012), takes place in the same world as Elantris, though in a very different region, with only a few ties to the novel[32]

Stand-alone novels

  • Elantris (2005, ISBN 978-0-7653-5037-4)
  • Warbreaker (2009, ISBN 978-0-7653-2030-8) - Warbreaker was published in hardcover format in June 2009 by Tor/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan USA. Sanderson released several rewrites of this title under a Creative Commons license, one chapter at a time.[33] Older drafts of the various chapters are also available.

Alcatraz

Mistborn

Reckoners trilogy

  • Steelheart (forthcoming September 24, 2013)[22]
  • Firefight (forthcoming)[35]
  • Calamity (forthcoming)[35]

Rithmatist series

The Stormlight Archive

The Wheel of Time

The books below are the final books of the Wheel of Time series originally written by Robert Jordan, who died before being able to finish his series. Sanderson was chosen by the widow (who was also the editor) of the original author to finish the series according to the notes left behind by her husband. Sanderson has the same publisher for most of his works, Tor, as the Wheel of Time series.[43]

Selected awards and honors

See Writing Excuses for additional awards and nominations.

See also

Notes

1.^ In the essay, Sanderson clarifies, "Most writers are somewhere in the middle between these two extremes."
2.^ From the same episode, this law is also called Tayler's First Law. "If the energy you are getting from your magic is cheaper than letting a donkey do it, your medieval economy just fell apart."

References

  1. ^ "Profile for Brandon Sanderson". Writertopia. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  2. ^ a b "Famous Mormon Writers and Authors". Archived from the original on August 15, 2006. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  3. ^ "Winter 2006 Alumni Profiles Update". BYU Magazine. Retrieved January 17, 2007.
  4. ^ "Ken Jennings - Blog". December 11, 2007.
  5. ^ Wenger, Kaimi (June 11, 2007). "MWS: Brandon Sanderson". Times & Seasons. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
  6. ^ "Newsletter, July 2006". Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  7. ^ "Newsletter, February 2010". Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  8. ^ "Brandon Sanderson: About". Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  9. ^ "Review by Orson Scott Card". Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  10. ^ "Review blurbs on Sanderson's site". Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  11. ^ "An interview with Brandon Sanderson". December 8, 2007.
  12. ^ "Tor announces that the final novel in bestselling Robert Jordan's legendary Wheel of Time fantasy series will be completed by author Brandon Sanderson". Tor-Forge.com. December 7, 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
  13. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. November 5, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
  14. ^ "The Gathering Storm coming sooner than expected". Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  15. ^ "The Way of Kings is a New York Times Bestseller". Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  16. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. September 26, 2010.
  17. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. October 3, 2010.
  18. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. October 10, 2010.
  19. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. November 21, 2010.
  20. ^ Michael McWhertor (November 2, 2010). "The First Epic iPhone Game Is Now 'Infinity Blade'". Kotaku. Gawker Media.
  21. ^ "The Release Date for A Memory of Light Has Been Set". Tor.com. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Delacorte Press Acquires Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson". SFScope.com. June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  23. ^ "Gollancz acquires new Brandon Sanderson series – STEELHEART is coming!". Gollancz. June 13, 2012. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  24. ^ a b c Sanderson, Brandon. "Sanderson's First Law". Retrieved February 10, 2011. Cite error: The named reference "SFL" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  25. ^ Wilson, C.L. "Worldbuilding 101 - Making Magic". Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  26. ^ Watt-Evans, Lawrence. "Deus ex Machina and Writing Fantasy". Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  27. ^ Sanderson, Brandon; Howard Tayler, Dan Wells (May 18, 2008). "Writing Excuses Episode 15: Costs and Ramifications of Magic". www.writingexcuses.com (Podcast). Retrieved February 10, 2011.{{cite podcast}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Brown, John. "Inventing Magic". Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  29. ^ Wrede, Patricia. "Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Daily Life". Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  30. ^ Wrede, Patricia. "Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: Commerce, Trade, and Public Life". Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  31. ^ Sanderson, Brandon. "2013 Brandon Sanderson - Lecture 3: Limitations Are More Interesting (7/7)". Retrieved 8/3/2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  32. ^ "Brandon Sanderson: The Emperors Soul". BrandonSanderson.com. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  33. ^ "Warbreaker". BrandonSanderson.com. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  34. ^ "Shadows of Self (Misborn #5)". Goodreads. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  35. ^ a b "State of the Sanderson". BrandonSanderson.com. July 24, 2013.
  36. ^ a b Sanderson, Brandon (February 28, 2013). "The Rithmatist". Tor Books.
  37. ^ Sanderson, Brandon. "Q&A with Brandon Sanderson". 17th Shard. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  38. ^ a b "Another Long-Winded Explanation of Various Things". BrandonSanderson.com. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  39. ^ "Brandon Sanderson Blog: DONE". July 7, 2009.
  40. ^ Sanderson, Brandon (February 28, 2013). "The Title for Brandon Sanderson's Second Stormlight Archive Book Has Been Revealed". Tor.com.
  41. ^ "Updates for this week". Brandon Sanderson. July 1, 2013.
  42. ^ "Words of Radiance Release Date has Moved". Tor.com. July 30, 2013.
  43. ^ Jones, Alexis (January 6, 2013). "Utah author Brandon Sanderson set to release final installment of much-loved Wheel of Time series". Deseret News.
  44. ^ "Tor Fall 2010 Hardcovers and Trade Paperbacks" (PDF).
  45. ^ "2005 RT Award Nominees & Winners". rtbookreviews.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  46. ^ "2006 RT Award Nominees & Winners". rtbookreviews.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  47. ^ "2007 RT Award Nominees & Winners". rtbookreviews.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  48. ^ "Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya". www.upc.edu. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  49. ^ "Whitney Awards 2007 Finalists". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  50. ^ "Whitney Awards 2007 Finalists". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  51. ^ "2008 RT Award Nominees & Winners". rtbookreviews.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  52. ^ "Whitney Awards 2008 Winners". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  53. ^ "Whitney Awards 2009 Finalists". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  54. ^ "Whitney Awards 2010 Winners". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  55. ^ "Whitney Awards 2010 Winners". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  56. ^ "The David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy Previous Winners". gemmellaward.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  57. ^ "Whitney Awards 2011 Winners". whitneyawards.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  58. ^ "The Hugo Award 2013 Hugo Awards". thehugoawards.org. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  59. ^ ""The World Fantasy Awards 2013". worldfantasy.org. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
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