Koloss Head-Munching Day, State of the Sanderson 2017, & DSRA Podcast

It’s finally happened. I’m famous! You can see half of my arm and an entire foot behind the Szeth cosplayer in that picture!

Was it just me or was this the first State of Sanderson where Brandon looked...mortal. Don't get me wrong he has still had a great output and looks like he will be busy next year, but not as much as in past years. I guess I am just spoiled I guess, because he still has more output than the average writer. 

18 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

Was it just me or was this the first State of Sanderson where Brandon looked...mortal. Don't get me wrong he has still had a great output and looks like he will be busy next year, but not as much as in past years. I guess I am just spoiled I guess, because he still has more output than the average writer. 

Lol, and he admitted his age. Wow,  I didn't realize that he aged!

OK, so if Brandon is 42 as of December 2017, and Stormlight 4 is published in 2020, then that makes our beloved Creator of the Cosmere 45 years old (give or take 3 months) at the publication of Stormlight 4.

Brandon has 6 Stormlight books to go, and they are taking about 3 years to produce (without allowing for a break in between the first 5 Stormlight books and the last 5). That makes Brandon 63 years old (even without a break). I'm starting to worry that much of the Cosmere won't be completed. After all, we have all of these left...

• Stormlight #4 & #5
• Stormlight #6 - #10
• Mistborn era 3
• Mistborn era 4 (?)
• Warbreaker 2
• Elantris 2
• Silence Divine
• Threnody novel
• Aether of Night
• Sixth of the Dusk 2
• Dragonsteel

Now we learn that Brandon is writing two other non-cosmere trilogies (i.e. Skyward & Apocalypse Guard) plus Dark One and Alcatraz 2. I'm sure these will be great, but I just want to finish the story of the Cosmere before Brandon (or myself) dies.

I liked the Reckoners series well enough, but I would have much preferred to have received The Lost Metal (Wax & Wayne #4) sooner. Will any others join with me in hopes that Sanderson will drop (at least) Apocalypse Guard in favor of something from the list above?

16 hours ago, Ammanas said:

Was it just me or was this the first State of Sanderson where Brandon looked...mortal. Don't get me wrong he has still had a great output and looks like he will be busy next year, but not as much as in past years. I guess I am just spoiled I guess, because he still has more output than the average writer. 

I felt the same way too.  Brandon seems like an incredible guy, Invested with tons of writing and storytelling power, but he is still a human being.  I'd personally like to see him cut back on the random non-cosmere stories (especially in committing to trilogies!), but I understand that this is part of the "I make my living off of being a writer, so I also have to produce content consistently enough to survive" aspect of Brandon's humanity.

I wonder if he's dealing with commitments he made in the past, prior to becoming (at least in my estimation) really successful with his work.  Perhaps these commitments are less "man, I'll just keep writing more and more things because I have nothing else to write!" and more "I wasn't sure how successful my work would be, so I signed [multiple] contracts to write things for INSERT PUBLISHER HERE so I could guarantee my livelihood, so now I have to do so."  I could be wrong, but this seems like a reality professional writers could face.

I'd like to see him take a couple of years to bounce between books specifically within his cosmere.  Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the Reckoners more than I thought I would, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Alcatraz when I finally decide to read it.  I know Brandon has said this "bouncing between projects" is part of his creative process (and my goodness, it seems to be working!), but the longer I've been a Sandersonian, the more the fan in me feels like he's spreading himself really thin.

Seeing The Lost Metal pushed back so far was a let down for me.  I agree with @Ammanas - we've been spoiled.  In the back of my mind, I was thinking "Brandon is going to release Oathbringer and then reveal that he's secretly been writing COSMERE BOOK A and COSMERE BOOK B, to be released in the spring of 2018!"  That's an absolutely nonsense thought (and unfair to Brandon), but to be fair to we fans, he's DONE IT BEFORE (that crafty cremling!).  And, it's not like he ISN'T doing this now - it's just that his other books aren't cosmere.

Again, who are we to tell the master artist what to paint, right?  The last thing I want Brandon to feel from me is disappointment, especially after the incredible universe he's built for me as a fan, which pulled me into the fantasy genre, reinvigorated my love of actual reading as an adult, and which continues to provide me a fun community of people on the shard and in my personal life.

We, unfortunately, don't have any Atium, so while I'd love to believe that Brandon spends his time storing up youth, he's a human being.  I'll grow old with Brandon and enjoy his books as he releases them.  It's funny that he finished the Wheel of Time, because my friends who first introduced me to Brandon Sanderson LOVED this series grew up and grew old with Robert Jordan.

Here's to many, MANY more years of health and joy for you and your family Brandon!  =)

On ‎12‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 4:54 PM, Shadowmancer said:

Lol, and he admitted his age. Wow,  I didn't realize that he aged!

He does age, but he's like Frost and functionally immortal. 

It was funny hearing you guys on DSRA. I am the brother that Kyle mentioned. Hope you had fun and thanks for lending your expertise!