Could Rithmatist be happening a couple millenia after Steelheart?

[kroen]

Just had the weirdest theory: What if something that happens in the end of the Rockoners series splits the US and some of Canada into the Rithmatist's 60 United Isles? And something even crazier: What if the Master is a gifter Epic?

[Kelek's Breath]

Sorry, I don't want to be 'that guy' but this is in the wrong forum (...pssst...you're in the Cosmere).

[kroen]

Oops, sorry, forgot the theories section is just for cosmere... if a mod can move to Rithmatist forum would be great.

[king of nowhere]

impossible.

the hystory of the rithmatist world is that korea conquered the world, a bit after england. that does not fit with a post-apocalypse. it would require all people inamerica to die, so it can be discovered again, just for start.

[WeiryWriter]

I'd say this is a definitive no, since Rithmatist takes place in a version of the early 20th Century (i.e. before Reckoners).  So unless all of human history repeated itself, which is just implausible to say the least, I'd say it's just impossible.

 

Also keep in mind that the Rithmatist-Earth is physically smaller than ours, Brandon shrunk it.

 

And I'm moving this.

[kroen]

I know I'm reaching at staws here, but maybe a very strong Epic (possibly Calamity himself) shrunk the world for some reason. I mean, they do love to do dramatic big scale stuff, like turning a city to steel, or shroud it in darkness, or submerge it in water. I can imagine one wanting to split the US for some reason and possibly even shrinking the world.

 

And I always imagined the year in Rithmatist is a new count. Like in Steelheart they count the years AC (After Calamity) so maybe in Rithmatist they count after another event?

 

Has Brandon confirmed that Rithmatist is taking place in an alternate-history Earth?

Edited July 11, 2015 by kroen

[WeiryWriter]

There's zero reason to think that the Rithmatist world uses a different calender than the Gregorian one we use.  Rithmatist takes place in 1908 (roughly, given the date on the map) and setting aside the weird gearpunk stuff they are at a more or less early 1900's tech level.  And from what bits we get of the history, the parts where it doesn't diverge match up reasonably well to the real world.

 

Also the "Master" is just their name for the Christian God, because the Church of the Monarch is a Christian sect, based on a sect that does exist in the real world.

 

This theory is just not the case.  I'm sorry.

[Ookla the Absent]

Also keep in mind that the Rithmatist-Earth is physically smaller than ours, Brandon shrunk it.

Wait, what?

Where does it say that?

And are the continents smaller, or did he rub out Australia?

[WeiryWriter]

Wait, what?

Where does it say that?

And are the continents smaller, or did he rub out Australia?

 

It's not mentioned in-book (because there's no way for them to know) but Brandon has mentioned it a handful of times, such as here:

 

Questioner

I love that book [The Rithmatist], the world, I'm looking forward to those…

Brandon Sanderson

The sequel is going to be very fun, it's called The Aztlanian, it's taking place in South America.

Questioner

Where in South America?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, I've rebuilt South America so it's kind of weird. The Aztek empire, which is the main name the Northerners have for it, they call it something else. The problem is I shrunk the planet, so I had to smash South America and Central America a little bit into each other so the islands that they are is it South America? Central America? What is it?

 

(source)

[Ookla the Absent]

Ah. Thank you. I had no idea.

So, why?

[EMPtheCat]

it's possible that it takes place in alternate reality.

 

[Retrac]

I hate to be the bringer of bad news but... This theory doesn't really have any evidence supporting it. And all the world of evidence disclaiming it. Sorry. But interesting theory.

[Weltall]

This topic was also five years dead.

[I Am A Fish]

Most impressive

*Runs of laughing maniacally*

[Retrac]

On 3/27/2020 at 9:26 AM, Weltall said:

This topic was also five years dead.

Haha I didn't see that. Guess my powers of observation are dimming.

[Adolinalsium]

Is it just me or isn't rithmatist not in the cosmere

Edited June 15, 2020 by Adolinalsium

[Use the Falchion]

On 6/16/2020 at 5:07 AM, Adolinalsium said:

Is it just me or isn't rithmatist not in the cosmere

It's not. It's most likely (if not actually confirmed to be) in a multiverse with Sanderson's YA books. During Dan Wells' reading of the book in February, the main character talks about different worlds, with one, "Hona, that's mostly the same as the world you know, but instead of continents it's all islands. Even Idaho is an island in a giant North American Archipelago. Crazy, huh?"

That definition fits perfectly the world of The Rithmatist, where we spend the first book in The United Isles (and Idaho is indeed an island). Combine this with the fact that The Apocalypse Guard was intended as a sequel series to Steelheart* and connect the Cytoverse and the Reckoners trillogy**, and voila, you've got ANOTHER shared universe by Brandon. 

 

*Sanderson's real sequel will be a book focused on Mizzy and the power she gained...assuming Brandon can find the time to write it. Steven Bohls was tapped to do some audio original sequel novellas as well, but I haven't heard anything since he said that in November...although to be fair, I haven't looked it up past that; I've been assuming any news would make it down the grapevine...

**This may not be the case by the time The Apocalypse Guard comes out, but we'll have to see. 

[Guest Somebody from Scadrial]

On 6/16/2020 at 7:14 PM, Use the Falchion said:

It's not. It's most likely (if not actually confirmed to be) in a multiverse with Sanderson's YA books. During Dan Wells' reading of the book in February, the main character talks about different worlds, with one, "Hona, that's mostly the same as the world you know, but instead of continents it's all islands. Even Idaho is an island in a giant North American Archipelago. Crazy, huh?"

That definition fits perfectly the world of The Rithmatist, where we spend the first book in The United Isles (and Idaho is indeed an island). Combine this with the fact that The Apocalypse Guard was intended as a sequel series to Steelheart* and connect the Cytoverse and the Reckoners trillogy**, and voila, you've got ANOTHER shared universe by Brandon. 

 

*Sanderson's real sequel will be a book focused on Mizzy and the power she gained...assuming Brandon can find the time to write it. Steven Bohls was tapped to do some audio original sequel novellas as well, but I haven't heard anything since he said that in November...although to be fair, I haven't looked it up past that; I've been assuming any news would make it down the grapevine...

**This may not be the case by the time The Apocalypse Guard comes out, but we'll have to see. 

They are all different universes except apocalypse guard and skyward which is the cytoverse reckoners, rithmatist and skyward are all different universes sorry to tell you

[Use the Falchion]

43 minutes ago, Somebody from Sel said:

They are all different universes except apocalypse guard and skyward which is the cytoverse reckoners, rithmatist and skyward are all different universes sorry to tell you

Can you rephrase that? I don't want to misread and misinterpret your message or intent. Are you saying that The Apocalypse Guard and the Cytoverse are the only ones connected? Or are you saying that The Apocalypse Guard, the Reckoners trilogy, and the Cytoverse are connected? 

Also, I said multiverse, not universe. They can each have their own universe and share a multiverse. It's not uncommon in Sci-fi or superhero stuff. (Although if you're attaching to my "shared universe" quote, your confusion is understandable. I mean multiverse. Sorry about that.)

As per Word of Brandon (LTUE 2020)

Quote

Questioner

Calamity from the Reckoners series–is there any connection between him and the delvers from Starsight?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Very, very loose connection, but there is a connection. 

Questioner

Okay, because I was like, "They both come from the dark nowhere, quiet, they hate people and everything. There is a connection."

Brandon Sanderson

There is a connection. And Apocalypse Guard was kind of supposed to bridge between these things, but it didn't end up coming out, and it may not even be a bridge when we finally revise it because we have to make the book good, rather than worrying about that. But it was supposed to kind of do that. It's gonna work well if I can fix the ending. I've just gotta fix the ending.

 

So, if The Apocalypse Guard has the ending fixed and is released (not a guarantee, but certainly a possibility), we'll have three YA book series connected: The Apocalypse Guard, the Cytoverse, and the Reckoners trilogy. 

My points were 1) The Rithmatist is not Cosmere, and 2) that it may be in this universe. 

At LTUE 2020, Dan read part of the first chapter of The Apocalypse Guard, and one of the definitions of the planets matched up with what we know of The Ritmatist's geography. Maybe it was just an Easter Egg, maybe it was a connection. We don't know either way, but it wouldn't be surprising if it did turn out true. 

Quote

Remember how I'm only sort of from <Idaho>? I've lived there since I was two, but I was born in a place called <Ard>, which is basically like a different version of <Idaho>, but in an alternate reality? And if you're reading this, you need to know about alternate realities. There's Earth. And then there's an infinite number of different worlds that are kind of like Earth, but also different. Sometimes a little, and sometimes a lot. Like there's one called <Hona> that's mostly the same as the world you know, except instead of continents it's all islands. Even <Idaho> is an island in a giant North American archipelago. Crazy, huh? So there's <Hona>, and there's Terra, and there's <Erodan> and <Pangaea>, and a bunch of others.

 

[Guest Somebody from Scadrial]

58 minutes ago, Use the Falchion said:

Can you rephrase that? I don't want to misread and misinterpret your message or intent. Are you saying that The Apocalypse Guard and the Cytoverse are the only ones connected? Or are you saying that The Apocalypse Guard, the Reckoners trilogy, and the Cytoverse are connected? 

Also, I said multiverse, not universe. They can each have their own universe and share a multiverse. It's not uncommon in Sci-fi or superhero stuff. (Although if you're attaching to my "shared universe" quote, your confusion is understandable. I mean multiverse. Sorry about that.)

As per Word of Brandon (LTUE 2020)

So, if The Apocalypse Guard has the ending fixed and is released (not a guarantee, but certainly a possibility), we'll have three YA book series connected: The Apocalypse Guard, the Cytoverse, and the Reckoners trilogy. 

My points were 1) The Rithmatist is not Cosmere, and 2) that it may be in this universe. 

At LTUE 2020, Dan read part of the first chapter of The Apocalypse Guard, and one of the definitions of the planets matched up with what we know of The Ritmatist's geography. Maybe it was just an Easter Egg, maybe it was a connection. We don't know either way, but it wouldn't be surprising if it did turn out true. 

 

Oh I forgot about that WoB but I have read although I am preeeeeeetty sure rithmatist isn't a part of that universe or even multiverse cytonics and the super powers from reckoners are slightly similar but rithmatist seem very different

[Use the Falchion]

8 minutes ago, Somebody from Sel said:

Oh I forgot about that WoB but I have read although I am preeeeeeetty sure rithmatist isn't a part of that universe or even multiverse cytonics and the super powers from reckoners are slightly similar but rithmatist seem very different

Honestly Cytonics and the powers granted in the Reckoners universe don't seem that similar to me. Unlimited ammo, water manipulation, and reality warping vs hyper-speed travel, life-sensing, and mind blades...Cytonics seem too...focused, if that makes sense, to me at the moment. Like they're the middle ground between the chalk magic of The Rithmatist (generic but everyone who is chosen* has the same abilities) and Reckoners (super diverse and each person has their own abilities and drawbacks). But that's besides the point.

The Rithmatist may be a part of this multiverse, it may not. We may never know. Right now I'm fine waiting until Cytoverse 3, The Atzlanian, and The Apocalypse Guard all come out before we find an answer. Although, seeing Joel and Melody become this multiverse's equivalent of world-hoppers (Dimension Travellers?) and using chalk magic to save worlds would be pretty cool....meh, not worth thinking about at the moment.