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Can multiple-timeline possibilities exist in the Cosmere, and could this explain any possible discrepancies?

Feruchemist

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Feruchemist

Feruchemist

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In many fictional settings, there exist multiple timelines during which the stories take place.  Although it is merely conjecture, I believe that the possibility of multiple timelines in the Cosmere may be considerable.  Such a multiple-timeline system would explain possible discrepancies in the timeline, and would likely arise from Investiture-powered time-travel techniques.  It may be simply idle conjecture, but could this be justified by any existing evidence of temporal weirdness in the Cosmere?

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Feruchemist

Feruchemist

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1 minute ago, Weltall said:

We don't really have any evidence of temporal weirdness so far. There was a time when we weren't sure whether Elantris or Whie Sand happens first but that's simply because the God Beyond whose secret name is Brandon Sanderson hadn't nailed it down yet, rather than an in-universe discrepency. And by His Divine Fiat, other inconsistencies are sometimes changed via the magic known as 'revised editions'. :D

We know of time-travel existing in the sense that relativistic travel is technically travel through time albeit strictly in one direction. I suspect that Brandon's going to confine any and all alternate timeline ideas to the multiverse that Reckoners, Apocalypse Guard and Snapshot are part of, given that alternate universes is one of the core elements of that 'verse but it sounds like the possibility isn't completely ruled out in the Cosmere just yet.

Hmm, you're probably right.  But alternate timelines for stories in the Cosmere still intrigue me.

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Ripheus23

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Questioner (paraphrased)

Is there time travel in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

We haven't seen time travel into the past, but we have seen it into the future in Alloy of Law.

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Questioner

Will time travel ever be part of the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Time travel is already part of the cosmere. Wayne... You mean, will people be able to travel backward in time? Nobody in the cosmere has yet figured out how to go backward at time. So, I will leave it at that.

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Only ones I've found so far.

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Gasper

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Actually, Wayne being a time traveler would explain his behavior. Since magic seems to have a negative effect on a person's mind, using it to time travel it might cause insanity like we see in Wayne. Time travel would most likely cost a massive amount investiture, levels only seen in people and objects such and Rashek, Nightblood, Dalinar when summoning a perpendiculary, the Godking, or the City of Elantris. I can easily see that amount of magic warping a time travelers mind.

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RShara

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Wayne time travels in that he can make speed bubbles where he lives in an accelerated time compared to the rest of the universe. There is definitely not going to be time travel into the past.

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Xluxaeternax

Is the chronology through the whole cosmere fairly linear, or are there some Interstellar-relativity timey-wimey stuff at play?

Brandon Sanderson

Relativity is in play for sure, but I am not allowing time travel into the past in the cosmere. So while you might find places that move at slower/faster speeds, and while foreseeing future timelines is in play for sure, nobody will not be pulling serious time travel shenanigans.

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Feruchemist

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2 hours ago, Yata said:

I am unsure. Of what kind of discrepancies you refer to ?

None which I can give reference to.  This was merely idle speculation.

However, by "discrepancies", I intend to refer to possible alternate timelines during which novels may take place.

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Scion of the Mists

Scion of the Mists

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18 hours ago, Gasper said:

Actually, Wayne being a time traveler would explain his behavior. Since magic seems to have a negative effect on a person's mind, using it to time travel it might cause insanity like we see in Wayne. Time travel would most likely cost a massive amount investiture, levels only seen in people and objects such and Rashek, Nightblood, Dalinar when summoning a perpendiculary, the Godking, or the City of Elantris. I can easily see that amount of magic warping a time travelers mind.

I don't think that there's any indication that Wayne is insane.  

I'm assuming that Marasi is who Brandon is referring to there - she travels forward in time when she burns Cadmium.  

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Weltall

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On 11/17/2018 at 10:59 AM, Feruchemist said:

It may be simply idle conjecture, but could this be justified by any existing evidence of temporal weirdness in the Cosmere?

We don't really have any evidence of temporal weirdness so far. There was a time when we weren't sure whether Elantris or Whie Sand happens first but that's simply because the God Beyond whose secret name is Brandon Sanderson hadn't nailed it down yet, rather than an in-universe discrepency. And by His Divine Fiat, other inconsistencies are sometimes changed via the magic known as 'revised editions'. :D

We know of time-travel existing in the sense that relativistic travel is technically travel through time albeit strictly in one direction. I suspect that Brandon's going to confine any and all alternate timeline ideas to the multiverse that Reckoners, Apocalypse Guard and Snapshot are part of, given that alternate universes is one of the core elements of that 'verse but it sounds like the possibility isn't completely ruled out in the Cosmere just yet.

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Yata

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7 hours ago, Weltall said:

We don't really have any evidence of temporal weirdness so far. There was a time when we weren't sure whether Elantris or Whie Sand happens first but that's simply because the God Beyond whose secret name is Brandon Sanderson hadn't nailed it down yet, rather than an in-universe discrepency. And by His Divine Fiat, other inconsistencies are sometimes changed via the magic known as 'revised editions'. :D

We know of time-travel existing in the sense that relativistic travel is technically travel through time albeit strictly in one direction. I suspect that Brandon's going to confine any and all alternate timeline ideas to the multiverse that Reckoners, Apocalypse Guard and Snapshot are part of, given that alternate universes is one of the core elements of that 'verse but it sounds like the possibility isn't completely ruled out in the Cosmere just yet.

He stated that White sand is before quite clearly.

And no I don't think there would ever be any alternative timeline in the Cosmere

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Weltall

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2 hours ago, Yata said:

He stated that White sand is before quite clearly.

I know he's clarified that more recently and I didn't mean it as an example of an actual discrepency, just a tongue in cheek joke that there was uncertainty out-of-universe for a while as to where those two stood in relation to one another. For an example of the uncertainty:

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Questioner

What time period do [cosmere books] all fit in, do they all fit in time--at the same time?

Brandon Sanderson

No, like for instance, Way of Kings and Alloy of Law are pretty close to one another, but Elantris is fairly far before them. So far I’ve written them chronologically basically, except I’ve skipped certain stories, like there’s a series called White Sand which is in the middle there somewhere which will actually be a jump back in time when I end up doing it and some things like that. And Dragonsteel is like way at the beginning which I’ll eventually do, but I’ve done them chronologically so far.

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And while finding that one on Arcanum I noticed that you were the one who got the chronology nailed down for us. :D

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Jruesch2

Jruesch2

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On 11/19/2018 at 9:01 AM, Gasper said:

Have you seen Wayne? He is at least a little crazy.

You're definitely right. If he wasn't crazy, he wouldn't be able to be Invested. Every Misting is crazy, even in little ways, so you may just be thinking Wayne is crazier than the others.

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Weltall

Weltall

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Found a new WoB that seems to nix the idea of multiple timelines in the Cosmere

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kdt05b

Can Megan manifest a Cosmere reality? The Reckoners is not part of the Cosmere, but one of they main character's power is reaching into alternate dimensions. I want to see some epics on Roshar!

Brandon Sanderson

I wanted to avoid multi-verse theory type things in the Cosmere, in part because the Wheel of Time delved into these concepts, and even before working on the WoT was looking for ways to keep the Cosmere distinctive from it.

Beyond that, multiverses (along with time travel) really play havoc with continuity. I felt the cosmere was stronger if I kept to the three Realms--that's complex enough. Assume that in the cosmere, while different possible futures/pasts do branch (and can be seen) things like Allomantic Gold are NOT looking at other realities--and there is only one reality, once events actually occur.

This does mean that time travel into the past is not going to be a factor in the Cosmere.

This separation does let me divide these concepts off and play with them in other realms (like the Reckoners) where they're 'quarantined' so to speak.

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Feruchemist

Feruchemist

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3 hours ago, Jruesch2 said:

Also, if what you mean by "multiple timelines" is do the books take place at different times, then I think this document that was recently shared with me answers that: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JJtJhHwpKdow01n2-bsT3scVvqJd6lZh4uvpNwcslv8/edit#gid=0. It is a timeline of all the books in the Cosmere.

Thank you @Jruesch2, but this is not what I meant.

I know when the books take place in relation to each other.

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