WeiryWriter Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 So does anyone else remember in the State of the Sanderson when Brandon mentioned he would be releasing a Steelheart novella by the end of the year? Well, its coming next Tuesday, December 3! It is called Mitosis and is a stand alone story between the first two books. And according to Brandon's comments on Reddit it includes "some really bad power ballad lyrics by yours truly." Mitosis on Amazon.com Mitosis on BarnesandNoble.com 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted November 30, 2013 Report Share Posted November 30, 2013 Right with Dangerous Women Double Sanderson Shorts on the same weekday! Good thing I'm a fast reader... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted November 30, 2013 Report Share Posted November 30, 2013 I DID NOT KNOW THIS THING EXISTED. I AM NOW HAPPY. LIKE, CAPS LOCK HAPPY. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted December 1, 2013 Report Share Posted December 1, 2013 I'm not going to lie, I really thought the whole forum was going to be much more excited about this. I mean, a new Sanderson piece. Sure, it's short and not cosmere, but did you miss the Sanderson? I'm almost as excited about this as I am for Dangerous Women, just because I know this shall be hilarious like this world hath never seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyring Posted December 2, 2013 Report Share Posted December 2, 2013 I am trying to not remember it, as I have a paper I must deliver whensday, and a short presentation tuesday. Both requiring some effort;). getting a new book does not help those;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Pshaw! It's only 9k words, a pittance . Yeah, I got those school blues. Finals in a few weeks, and I really should be studying. Emphasis on "should". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mailliw73 Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Just read it. I read it so fast I was a sled going down a slick hill. Or a flash of lightning, whichever suits your preference. I have to say, mitosis has some of my favorite Epic powers yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 'Twas awesome, indeed. I loved the buildup to the hotdog, and another serving of bad metaphors. It felt like the climax of Steelheart, yet all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepene Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) Spoiler alert for the story. “So awful,” one of them said, a sneer on his lips. “Jason couldn’t write a riff to save his life. The same four chords, over and over and over. “Trained classically,” Mitosis said. “I was the only one in that band who knew his way around an instrument. I wrote song after song, and what did we play? Those stupid, stupid riffs. The same chords. Every damnation song.” Something about this tweaked a part of my brain, like a piece of popcorn on fire because it cooked too long. “Yeah,” I said, looking out the window. “Mitosis’s weakness was his own music.”“Coincidence.”“Hell of a coincidence. The clear implication is that the secret of the epic's weaknesses is connected to their past lives. They experienced some emotion or event (probably relating to evil) and gained their powers. We can guess what the cause is. I have two theories as to what it could be. His magic systems are normally logical and predictable. As such, I would guess there is some consistent system to how Epics get weaknesses and someone smart with a knowledge of an Epic's history could guess their weakness, and this will probably come into play in a future book. Here are my guesses as to what those systems could be. 1. They do some evil deed and whatever opposes them is their weakness. Mitosis would have attacked his band members, Fortuity would have abused someone who was horny for him, Nightwielder would have stolen something from someone in the dark and be found out by powerful lights, Refractory did some evil deed and was found out by the smoke. Besides, I’ve never heard of an Epic whose weakness was being shot by a specific caliber of bullet or make of gun.” This would be because those who were shot by guns were dead. there were some Epics who, if they saw a specific pattern, lost their powers for a few... Others were weakened by thinking certain thoughts, not eating certain foods, or eating the wrong foods. The weaknesses were more varied than the powers themselves. These would be related to their histories. These objects would have opposed them during some evil deed. It’s very rare for an Epic’s weakness to be influenced just by proximity to something mundane,” As most mundane objects don't oppose you during crimes, most wouldn't be weaknesses. For Steelheart, I'd guess that at sometime in his past someone fearless stopped him doing some crime, or opposed him by this theory. Or 2. Some object that they hate becomes their weakness. Mitosis hates his band members, Nightwielder might hate sunlight (night person) Steelheart hates fearless people perhaps. Those are my theories. I think, based on the implications of the story (assuming Brandon isn't misleading us), it is clear that objects which a person dislikes in some way become a weakness. Mitosis dislikes the band music therefore he is weak. I don't think we have enough evidence to say why these objects become a weakness, but with this framework we should be better able to interpret the next story. Edited December 4, 2013 by Nepene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junior Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 A fun, if short, read. And Abraham! Say it ain't so! How can you not like a dog! Spoiler alert for the story. The clear implication is that the secret of the epic's weaknesses is connected to their past lives. Prof's responses to David's questions about weaknesses at the end of the novella seem a bit misdirecting and cagey. It seemed to me as if on some level Prof actually has realized where weaknesses come from, but is unwilling to admit it even to himself. On another note... Megan... Think she left after Steelheart died? Or is she hiding somewhere in the city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyring Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I was thinking something simular, but I wonder if it goes beyond that. I was going to wonder if wanting something really bad, or disliking something really bad might influence becoming an epic, but then I figured david would have become one:p Stil mitosis power does seem to fit with him being able to be the whole band. Prof´s power if suspiciously well aimed at proteciting, for example a school being razed by another epic, and indeed clearing away rubble to get people out. Propably nothing. Still, there are a few coincidences there. But propably not enough info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepene Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I was thinking something simular, but I wonder if it goes beyond that. I was going to wonder if wanting something really bad, or disliking something really bad might influence becoming an epic, but then I figured david would have become one:p Stil mitosis power does seem to fit with him being able to be the whole band. Prof´s power if suspiciously well aimed at proteciting, for example a school being razed by another epic, and indeed clearing away rubble to get people out. Propably nothing. Still, there are a few coincidences there. But propably not enough info. I didn't think of that. It seems plausible. I interpret most of Brandon's books in terms of realmatics (including non cosmere stuff) since that is a prominent representation of how he likes magic to work and something like could very well fit in with the powers. Your power supports your deepest darkest desire. To be better than everyone else and replace them, to protect those you love with violence. A cognitive effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilNuff Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Enjoyable story, very glad to have read it. However, it was pretty short and left me wanting more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I am now more convinced that the subjects of negative emotions end up being the Epics' weaknesses. Fear, hatred, embarrassment, anxiety... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevalion Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I was thinking the weakness was based on what they truely hated. It seems clear that Mitosis hated his bands music, Steelheart hated to not be feared and Fortuity hated women. The others are guesses though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 No, I wouldn't say Fortuity hates women. Nothing suggests that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mailliw73 Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Just the opposite, actually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Well, objectifies them. He clearly doesn't see them as actual people. But then again, Fortuity didn't really see other people as actual people, so it's hard to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argent Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 My comment was in response to Trevalion's hypothesis that the source of the Epics' weaknesses lies in what they hate. I am sticking with my original "something they have a negative association with" theory. Fortuity could've been dumped by a model sometime, and that could've broken his heart pretty badly. I should make a thread and attempt to explain all of the Epics' known weaknesses through this. I wonder if their strengths are similarly related... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyring Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 By the way, I assumed Mitosis is still alive, anyone disagrees? (or is there some solid evidence I´v missed?) I expect he had a few clones hidden away. one or a few in the safest locations he can find ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepene Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 By the way, I assumed Mitosis is still alive, anyone disagrees? (or is there some solid evidence I´v missed?) I expect he had a few clones hidden away. one or a few in the safest locations he can find ? The problem is that the clones had telepathy. They could all hear the song, so they may have all exploded. Even the hidden ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathEpic Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 I also assumed that Mitosis is still alive. My theory is that when enough of his clones heard the music he would have a "systemic" response where all the clones but the one furthest from the music dissolved. Since he probably left some clones outside the city he probably is miles away from Newcago at the end of the story. (Possibly Babylon Restored) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartbug Posted December 10, 2013 Report Share Posted December 10, 2013 Well.... Yeah. Unless he was really stupid... wait. He would've been that stupid, just because of how many clones he was creating. I guess it could be feasible either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oudeis Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Well.... Yeah. Unless he was really stupid... wait. He would've been that stupid, just because of how many clones he was creating. I guess it could be feasible either way. That theory was debunked, as well as several others were. The connection makes it a little dicey, and somewhat possible, for Mitosis to be dead. Maybe enough clones dying at once, or just enough of them hearing it at once, could kill off literally every clone (though as they say, clone's a bad word, cuz there's no primary one. Every instance? Every avatar?) On the other hand, maybe the ones really far away started to suffer the effects, but the music killed all the ones nearby before the ones far away could be slain, and if even one lived long enough to recover, he's good. On the other hand, he's now SO nerfed. Presumably, there's no reason for the Reckoners not to share this intel with the other Reckoner cells, if not everyone on the planet. Even other Epics, why not, they'll kill Mitosis for you if given the chance. And it's not like his weakness is hard to produce; finding someone who truly did not fear Steelheart was difficult even knowing what his weakness was, Mitosis's weakness can be hummed. I suppose he could deafen himself. Would that even protect him, or does his body simply have to be in the presence of the soundwaves of the song? Would writing out the lyrics work? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathEpic Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I suppose he could deafen himself. Would that even protect him, or does his body simply have to be in the presence of the soundwaves of the song? Would writing out the lyrics work? Now there's a thought. For those Epics whose weaknesses are triggered by something they see or hear, why don't they remove that sense from themselves? For some reason this reminds me of Achilles. Why didn't he go into battle with inch thick iron boots welded to his feet? I know that not every Epic would be willing to part with one of their primary ways of interacting with the world just to eliminate their weakness, but some of them would if they could. Is this just something we have not seen yet? Or perhaps if they tried to remove their weakness with surgery their weakness would change to something they could still experience. For example, suppose that I were an Epic and that my weakness was hearing the John Williams Superman theme. (For the sake of this hypothetical my Epic power is the ability to prepare food perfectly.) If I were to surgically remove my hearing would my weakness still be the music, or would I suddenly develop a new weakness? Perhaps I would loose my powers near even the faintest trace of nitrous oxide. I hope this is something we find out more about in the next couple books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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