Connection of Multiverses?

[Ookla the Interstellar]

Spoilers for The Frugal Wizard's Handbook and the Reckoners series.

The plot of The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England (tFWHfSME?) is based on the premise of a multiverse. If you've read the book, you should have at least some understanding of it's mechanics, which I'm not going to go into.

We also know that the Reckoners series happens in some kind of multiverse. Megan is able to access these other dimensions to some degree. Also, more interestingly, Calamity is some kind of being from another dimension that views the normal aspects of human life in a negative light. The Apocalypse Guard was supposed to be set in this same multiverse.

Is there a possibility that these multiverses are one and the same?

The justification is simply this: multiverses are big. Basically infinite. They mention that in The Handbook (I think that's a more appropriate abbreviation), stating that they've purchased basically a small portion of the spectrum of possible universes. There's still plenty of room for the Reckoners Multiverse and any other universes connected to that. (I think I heard somewhere that the Cytoverse might be connected.) 

Another point in favor of the theory that these are the same multiverse is the existence of higher beings that are somehow able to travel between them; namely beings like Calamity, and beings like Thokk/Logna. Though there are definitely differences between them, they do seem to be of the same caliber; godlike beings making their way through the multiverse.

The only thing I can think of that would prove they aren't connected is the nature in which one traverses them. It says somewhere in the in-world Handbook that you can't hop laterally from dimension to dimension: you have to go back "upstream", so to speak, to the point where dimensions branch, then go "downstream" to a different dimension. It builds the idea that the multiverse is like a branching tree of probability; the whole Schrodinger's Cat thing and whatnot.

The Reckoner's multiverse doesn't seem to have that problem; Megan can easily access these other dimensions that, by the Handbook's definition, seem to be laterally positioned to her own.

This isn't an immediate shootdown of the theory; it's possible Megan can bypass whatever boundary keeps those with the Frugal Wizard's tech from jumping from stream to stream. She does seem to have trouble accessing dimensions that are very far removed from her own, if I remember correctly, so that would make sense, and would still in some ways fit the branching probability idea of a multiverse.

But I digress. What do you think? Do you think Brandon would consider putting a bunch of his non-Cosmere works in the same connected multiverse? Let me know.

Edited April 2 by The Bookwyrm

[Werewolff Studios]

19 hours ago, The Bookwyrm said:

 

I really like this connection, and it could certainly make for some cool crossovers in the future. I don't reckon we'll ever see anything Cytoverse crossing into it, but Reckoners? Makes sense. As you mentioned, it's kind of baked in. 

However, I feel that if Brandon pursues it, the connections/ references would be minor at best. One massively connected series of books is hard enough, let alone two. 

[Elegy]

Sadly, that's not his plan right now:

Quote

sodapoptheelf

"Medical nanites" are mentioned. Does Secret Project Two take place in the same continuity as The Original?

Brandon Sanderson

I do not have it in the same continuity right now. Now, whether The Original happens on a dimension that's analogous, then you start getting into, "Well, anything could be connected once you're going to interdimensional travel and things." I would say that the only conscious thing that I'm doing to connect to anything else I've written is using Cecil's name, and even that's a little tongue-in-cheek.

Peter Ahlstrom

Could this be connected to Apocalypse Guard?

Brandon Sanderson

I am doing another book series that has interdimensional stuff. There's a decent chance that when I revise Apocalypse Guard I will be like "You know what, I should only have one interdimensional travel series," and I might intentionally connect those. But for right now, the only intentional connection I have made is using Cecil's name. And saying it's the same personality, the same Cecil.

Secret Project #2 Reveal and Livestream (March 15, 2022)