The Mandela Effect & The Bands of Mourning

[Goatbringer he/him]

Morning everyone. 

So something weird happened to me today. I've been re-reading The Bands of Mourning this past week in heated anticipation for The Lost Metal later this year. I think the last time I read it was the day it came out, so it's been about five years since I read it and I only remembered some snippets of it - it was like reading the whole book over again. However, from my first read there were some pretty potent memories - just flashes of important scenes I remember: Wax at a party and running into Khriss, Steris and Wax falling in love, discovering that Kelsier lived, an ancient temple, Wax crushed and nearly dead, and a bruised, battered Wax towing a huge airship by a rope through a snow-covered valley. 

Before going into my re-read, these were the only scenes I remembered from the book. I finished the book last night but - that last scene wasn't there. The closest instance to that is where Wax uses allomancy from the Bands to pull the floating airship out of the sky once he had beaten Edwarn. But no rope, no Wax on the floor of the valley with the ship floating, no battered and bruised face... none of that. It was one of the most potent memories I had from my first readthrough, and I remember thinking "hell, Wax is a tank" in that scene, realising that Brandon had bigger plans for him.  There were a lot of things that I straight up forgot happened, like I didn't remember Telsin featuring whatsoever, I didn't remember that the Bands were concealed in the spearhead, I didn't remember going to New Seran, etc. But I definitely remembered that scene with Wax, a rope, and the airship. 

What's happened to me? Was there an earlier draft of The Bands of Mourning that had some scene like this and was cut, like Szeth's death in Words of Radiance? Have I completely fabricated a memory? Or are we dealing with the Mandela Effect here? Does anyone else remember a scene like that? 

I guess... there's always another secret.  

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

I had a weird experience with this book, too. I've read it twice, I think, but right now I can barely remember any of the major plot points. I remember that in the period of time before my first and second reads I remembered even less. Like you, I didn't remember the spearhead plot twist, and a few of the other things. The fact that I have trouble remembering many of the mechanics that are revealed in this book is why I'm somewhat hazy when it comes to theorizing about the Southern Scadrians and Medallion technology.

(I have a copy of this book now, I seriously need to just go read it again.)

I do vaguely remember the scene you're describing, but I don't know if it's an actual memory or my brain making up something to fit the missing scene you're describing. I definitely remember Wax getting very beaten to a pulp, but I can't say for absolute certain whether or not I remember him ever towing an airship with a rope. 

Because my plot details of this book are very hazy, I can't really confirm or deny whether this is an actual scene or a weird brain trick. Sorry.

I think it's very weird that I can barely remember many of the plot points of this book. The real answer is probably that I just need to go read it again. I'll look for a scene like the one you're describing when I do, though!

[dannnex male]

I've read that book multiple times and know it very well, I have never even considered a scene like that

pretty sure ur just insane :thumbs_up: 

[Returned he/him]

I've had this happen to me, and it seems (in my case, at least) to be a pretty standard case of merging details that seem similar. Once they're combined my brain reinforces the supposed connection and it becomes what I "remember". Nothing mystical or even unusual, just memory being imperfect (and sometimes really imperfect).

If it were my fuzzy memory I would imagine somemthing like a blended recollection of Wax moving the lifeboat (he holds onto straps attached to the floor while using Allomancy to move it), or the description of how the airship might have been transported to the Set's facility where it was researched, to combine with his using Allomancy to keep the Set's ship from escaping.

[Stefano]

On 3/5/2022 at 8:47 AM, Goatbringer said:

Morning everyone. 

 

Before going into my re-read, these were the only scenes I remembered from the book. I finished the book last night but - that last scene wasn't there. The closest instance to that is where Wax uses allomancy from the Bands to pull the floating airship out of the sky once he had beaten Edwarn. But no rope, no Wax on the floor of the valley with the ship floating, no battered and bruised face... none of that. It was one of the most potent memories I had from my first readthrough, and I remember thinking "hell, Wax is a tank" in that scene, realising that Brandon had bigger plans for him.  There were a lot of things that I straight up forgot happened, like I didn't remember Telsin featuring whatsoever, I didn't remember that the Bands were concealed in the spearhead, I didn't remember going to New Seran, etc. But I definitely remembered that scene with Wax, a rope, and the airship. 

I guess... there's always another secret.  

I remember him pulling the ship with allomancy, but no rope

 

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

you probably misremembered the allomancy as a rope.