Unpopular Brandon Sanderson Opinions

[Truthless of Shinovar]

23 minutes ago, Frustration said:

When did he advocate censorship?

Preventing the knowledge of how to make a Type IV from spreading across Nalthis, I believe.

[Use the Falchion]

I worry about his series endings. This is more of a confession than an unpopular opinion, but I still thinks it works here. 

We all joke about how productive Sanderson is, but if we look at the series he's written/worked on, at this point he's only finished FOUR: Mistborn Era 1, Legion, Reckoners, and Wheel of Time.* 

Of those four, three of those he left open for sequels; of those three finales, two are some of Sanderson's least popular works (Calamity and Legion: Lies of the Beholder). That doesn't mean Brandon can't end a series well. Again, Hero of Ages has one of the best endings out of anything I've ever read, watched, listened to, or played. But that's a 100, where the other two are 70s at best. It's still a B, but it's a weak B that won't have room to grow until 2022, when Skyward 4 and Wax & Wayne 4 come out. 

 

*Which is partial credit given how extensive Jordan's notes were, and how Jordan wrote the final chapter before his death. It won't be counted in the final tally since there isn't an overwhelming opinion on it. Many fans think he did a good job, or at least as good a job as someone NOT named Robert Jordan could do. Others think his books are the best in the series. And still more think that he ruined the entire series. 

[Karger]

Shallan is a good person trying to do her best in a highly dangerous situation despite being put through a tremendous amount of personal suffering and far too many people who dislike her are treading dangerously close to victim blaming(I know that last bit is inflammatory.  For the record I am not accusing anyone of anything and do recognize that people have perfectly legitimate reasons to dislike her.).

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, Truthless of Shinovar said:

Preventing the knowledge of how to make a Type IV from spreading across Nalthis, I believe.

Keeping secrets hardly counts.

13 minutes ago, Karger said:

Shallan is a good person trying to do her best in a highly dangerous situation despite being put through a tremendous amount of personal suffering and far too many people who dislike her are treading dangerously close to victim blaming(I know that last bit is inflammatory.  For the record I am not accusing anyone of anything and do recognize that people have perfectly legitimate reasons to dislike her.).

She was boring in WoK and is forced to bare the residual hate. At least I think that's why I hate her.

[Orlion Blight]

10 hours ago, Frustration said:

Unpopular fantasy opinion: Character development is overrated.

Unpopular Brandon opinion

Brandon's stories could improve by exploring softer magic. I know Nightwatchwer is sort of like that but Shards where pretty soft to begin with.

Some excellent opinions, if I do say so myself!

Another unpopular opinion that I don't think I shared but am too lazy to see if I did because it's related: If Brandon's idea of "soft" and "hard" magic were to catch on and become mainstream tropes, particularly in how he focuses on "hard" magic, it would ruin the fantasy genre. 

I feel that people focus more on the "ooo, hard magic is so much better for world-building etc." instead of the legitimate narrative purposes they serve in Brandon's writings (it heightens the mystery/makes the mystery more epic and organic to the story, heightens tension during action sequences, makes those same action sequences easier to write)

[Harbour]

Im not a fan of mental health problems being the key problems for SA characters.

At this point to me it feels like those problems has too much focus and relevancy. Just like in real life, yes, but in fiction stories they simply overshadow both Shallan and Kaladin personalities.

In case of Kaladin he has very solid portrayal to not be completely overshadowed by it, yet it heavily influence him preventing me from fully enjoying his personality.

In case of Shallan mental problems ARE basically her character and that sucks. In WoK and WoR she was more or less complete and fine enough, but in OB he became  so fractured that i lost her and lost interesting in reading about her. She doesnt feel like a real person or even fiction character. More like android with very different personalities and constant shifts in views. Probably very realistic depiction of person with such diagnosis but not a good book character.

[+Oltux72]

22 hours ago, Frustration said:

Keeping secrets hardly counts.

If we were talking about his own secrets. But we are not. His method of keeping research unpublished involves a sword.

[Frustration]

8 minutes ago, Oltux72 said:

If we were talking about his own secrets. But we are not. His method of keeping research unpublished involves a sword.

Which brings into question whether or not Nightblood counts as a living thing, or AI, and the morality of hiding how to make super weapons, if you want that conversation I suppose we could do that.

But he has told other people so there is that.

[Rorzikel]

10 minutes ago, Oltux72 said:

If we were talking about his own secrets. But we are not. His method of keeping research unpublished involves a sword.

I uh... don’t really see the hideous crime of not publishing research as a thing. Vasher’s experience with a III gen shardblade is freaking Nightblood. Y’know the most dangerous nonshardic being in the Cosmere? Shashara then states that she has the wonderful idea of mass producing the cosmere equivalent of the Tsar Bomba that thinks and is hungry for souls. Mate, if I was the only person who knew how to make a nuke or anthrax I sure as Braize wouldn’t be telling anyone. Academia can get stuffed when there’s entire planets of people that could be slaughtered by your actions. The only morally questionable thing Vasher did there was kill his wife instead of searching for another route, I couldn’t care less about it not ending in an academic journal.

[Spren of Kindness]

I think Lopen is funny.  I"m not sure if that's completely unpopular, but I do.

[Negative_Null]

I think Moash is cool. He's an excellent foil to Kaladin, has cool motivations and I want to see more of him.

My other unpopular opinion is that Brandon could do with relying on a few more tropes in some areas. Sometimes it feels like he does things entirely for the "gotcha" and not always because that makes the most sense

[Snorkel]

50 minutes ago, Spren of Kindness said:

I think Lopen is funny.  I"m not sure if that's completely unpopular, but I do.

I think not liking Lopen is the true unpopular opinion!  I felt quite annoyed with him for

Spoiler

inviting his entire family to Bridge 4 without asking anyone if it was OK

.  I didn't think it was OK!

</unpopular opinion>

[trav]

when Brandon tries to write witty character remarks they most often then not fall flat.

the exhange between Kelsier and Hoid was way too forced in Hoids favor.

[Gisaku75]

the development of the metal arts in the second era is lazy and superficial. Many of the new metals are called useless so Sanderson doesn't have to take them into account in the narrative.

[Raphaborn]

7 hours ago, Gisaku75 said:

the development of the metal arts in the second era is lazy and superficial. Many of the new metals are called useless so Sanderson doesn't have to take them into account in the narrative.

Only Cadmium is called useless, and it is poisonous and expensive.

[Gisaku75]

18 minutes ago, Raphaborn said:

Only Cadmium is called useless, and it is poisonous and expensive.

aluminum and duralumin are absolutely useless if you don't have other powers. Gold and Electrum are defined as useless by Miles, in 300 years no one has studied these two metals to discover their potential? Chromium and Nicrosil are useful only when they act on a very small part of the population. It seemed to me that Sanderson decided to make the effects of some metals so particular that he didn't have to worry about them in world building and storytelling. the same thing can be said for many metals in feruchemy. In 300 years, the Terrisian have not understood what they do, or the effect is so particular that it alone is useless.

[Frustration]

7 hours ago, Gisaku75 said:

aluminum and duralumin are absolutely useless if you don't have other powers. Gold and Electrum are defined as useless by Miles, in 300 years no one has studied these two metals to discover their potential? Chromium and Nicrosil are useful only when they act on a very small part of the population. It seemed to me that Sanderson decided to make the effects of some metals so particular that he didn't have to worry about them in world building and storytelling. the same thing can be said for many metals in feruchemy. In 300 years, the Terrisian have not understood what they do, or the effect is so particular that it alone is useless.

Feruchemy takes so long to use to it's full potential that it's not too much of a stretch.

[I Am A Fish]

Spoiler

 

*Sigh*

Pleasedon'tkillme

1. Moash can still be redeemed
2. I never hated Elhokar*
3. Roshone's trying to be a leader doesn't count as redemption
4. Gaz isn't a horrible person
5. Marasi and Wane still could work out

*Locking Kaladin up was uncool but...

The more of these I post the less, and less people are gonna like me, so...

Edited August 30, 2020 by I Used To Be A Fish

[Frustration]

5 minutes ago, I Used To Be A Fish said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

*Sigh*

Pleasedon'tkillme

1. Moash can still be redeemed
2. I never hated Elhokar*
3. Roshone's trying to be a leader doesn't count as redemption
4. Gaz isn't a horrible person
5. Marasi and Wane still could work out
6.  

 

The more of these I post the less, and less people are gonna like me, so...

Why the *?

[I Am A Fish]

2 minutes ago, Frustration said:

Why the *?

Forgot to add something

 

[Hen]

On 8/15/2020 at 4:41 PM, Snorkel said:

I think not liking Lopen is the true unpopular opinion!  I felt quite annoyed with him for

  Reveal hidden contents

inviting his entire family to Bridge 4 without asking anyone if it was OK

.  I didn't think it was OK!

</unpopular opinion>

Agree! Love Lopen but what did those cousins do to deserve bridge four? Huh? HUH? 

Only late join to bridge four I support is Renarin because he deserves the world. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

52 minutes ago, I Used To Be A Fish said:

  Hide contents

 

*Sigh*

Pleasedon'tkillme

1. Moash can still be redeemed
2. I never hated Elhokar*
3. Roshone's trying to be a leader doesn't count as redemption
4. Gaz isn't a horrible person
5. Marasi and Wane still could work out

*Locking Kaladin up was uncool but...

The more of these I post the less, and less people are gonna like me, so...

Bruh. I agree with all of that. 

[+Doomstick]

all but the last one

[Frustration]

Mistborn has a stupid premise, people eat metal for super powers, if anyone but Brandon did that it would be one of the dumbest things ever.

[I Am A Fish]

24 minutes ago, Frustration said:

Mistborn has a stupid premise, people eat metal for super powers, if anyone but Brandon did that it would be one of the dumbest things ever.

How is that unpopular?