The book title that we lost.

[ChetLee]

I remember seeing the YouTube video Sanderson made about the title of Stormlight 5. Sanderson had said he was originally considering naming the book "The Book of Endless Pages." His editors made him reconsider because it didn't make sense to name the book that, solely because it does not, in fact, have endless pages. This got me a little hot and bothered. Does his editors think the fans are going to be confused because the book has a finite amount of pages? Like we are all going to say "tHaT boOK iS nOt EndLeSs!" It has really got me storming because I think "The Book of Endless Pages" is a great title. Come on Brandon, don't let your brain dead editors push you around.

Sorry, this topic is more of just me venting my frustrations, but there's got to be more fans feeling this way. I kinda hate the title that was chosen. It doesn't even sound like a complete title. "Wind and Truth" really? 

I would like to point out that this title choice in no way discourages me from being excited about getting my hands on "Wind and Truth." I think it's going be storming awesome. It just could have had a better title, is all.

[Treamayne]

9 hours ago, ChetLee said:

I remember seeing the YouTube video Sanderson made about the title of Stormlight 5. Sanderson had said he was originally considering naming the book "The Book of Endless Pages." His editors made him reconsider because it didn't make sense to name the book that, solely because it does not, in fact, have endless pages. This got me a little hot and bothered. Does his editors think the fans are going to be confused because the book has a finite amount of pages? Like we are all going to say "tHaT boOK iS nOt EndLeSs!" It has really got me storming because I think "The Book of Endless Pages" is a great title. Come on Brandon, don't let your brain dead editors push you around.

I think that whatever you are referencing had their story a bit. . . off. The Book of Endless Pages was the Working Title for Words of Radiance. The original Working Title for the Szeth-focused book was Stones Unhallowed (back when it should have been book 3). Neither of them were changed "because it didn't make sense to name the book that". I could describe why they changed, but since we have Words of Brandon stating the reasons, I will let those answer "why."

Spoiler

Quote

Questioner

Who’s going to be the focus for the next Way of Kings?

Brandon Sanderson

I spent a long time deliberating this, and eventually, in my plotting, I came upon one of those moments where you’re “Ah, this is what I need to do”, so it is going to be Shallan. So the focus for the next book is Shallan, and half of you want it to be Dalinar, and half of you want it to be Shallan, Dalinar will get his book, Shallan will get her book, but there’s a funny story here. In my original outline, I named many of the books, like Dalinar’s is named Highprince of War. Shallan’s book was actually named after the book that Jasnah gives her, which is very thematically important to her. But then I started telling it to people, and they started laughing, because the book that Jasnah gave her is called the Book of Endless Pages.

So, I thought that was a really cool title, but apparently, that’s going to give the reviewers too much fuel. So you can pretend in your head that it’s called that, but I’ll come up with a different name.

Alloy of Law release party (Nov. 7, 2011)

Quote

XFER

And I saw on facebook about the discussion about the name of the second book. This is more like a request, please, keep the name of it being The Book Of Endless Pages. That title is awesome! Oh and another suggestion, please, keep making huge books! Now, after reading your books, I expect books to be at least 600 pages, so you can see I get disappointed quite often lol

Brandon Sanderson

I will keep the books, in this series at least, long. It's what the story demands. As for title...it does have a certain charm, but I worry that it just feels wrong to too many people. Three out of four laugh when I mention it. That doesn't bode well...

17th Shard Forum Q&A (Sept. 28, 2012)

Spoiler

Questioner (paraphrased)

Sixteenth - there's a rumor about a second Elantris book.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes, that's coming someday, but Stormlight is the priority. Current schedule: Firefight is done, Rithmatist 2 is next, Stormlight 3 after that (working title might still be Stones Unhallowed if he can get it out before Rothfuss finishes Doors of Stone)

Words of Radiance Portland signing (March 7, 2014)

Quote

Questioner

What's your working title for the third book [of The Stormlight Archive]?

Brandon Sanderson

It has two. The original working title was Stones Unhallowed. However, [Patrick] Rothfuss is using Doors of Stone, and I kind of feel like I might want to do something different, so my interim title is Skybreaker, but it has to be an in-world book. The in-world book for book 3 is kind of a different one, so I can do a lot with it, but Stones Unhallowed is easier.

Questioner

I was gonna ask if this was gonna be a trend for the whole series--

Brandon Sanderson

It is going to be a trend.

Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing (March 21, 2014)

Quote

Gatechap

If he was gonna break it [the title ketek], then Stones Unhallowed was a cooler working title [for Stormlight Five].

Brandon Sanderson

Problem is, it no longer works for this book. As Szeth is no longer walking on stones. It's the only book where he isn't.

General Reddit 2023 (Dec. 19, 2023)

 

Hope that helps

9 hours ago, ChetLee said:

I kinda hate the title that was chosen.

Ditto. Once the plan became to abandon the title "ketek" I wish Brandon would have reverted to Stoned Unhallowed (since the conflict issue is past) rather than a truncated half-title that will always feel like a half-measure. Unfortunately, what made the title fit when Szeth's book was book 3, Brandon feels no longer applies at book 5.

[ChetLee]

I found the video and yeah you're right, It was about WOR. Brandon still admitted to letting the editor pushing him around. I also think "The Book of Endless Pages" is a better title then "Words of Radiance" but I'll admit to being a little stubborn at the moment. I'm going to predict the last book in the series that will focus on Jasnah will be named The Book of Endless Pages.

[Duxredux he/him]

16 hours ago, ChetLee said:

I remember seeing the YouTube video Sanderson made about the title of Stormlight 5. Sanderson had said he was originally considering naming the book "The Book of Endless Pages." His editors made him reconsider because it didn't make sense to name the book that, solely because it does not, in fact, have endless pages. This got me a little hot and bothered. Does his editors think the fans are going to be confused because the book has a finite amount of pages? Like we are all going to say "tHaT boOK iS nOt EndLeSs!" It has really got me storming because I think "The Book of Endless Pages" is a great title. Come on Brandon, don't let your brain dead editors push you around.

By my recollection, the title The Book of Endless Pages was planned for a massive tome over 400,000 words long - so big that the publisher, Tor, couldn't actually print the book with their existing equipment. They needed to upgrade their system to allow for printing and binding the book because it was the largest book they had ever had cause to print. Brandon's readership is now acclimitised to that, but Brandon still gets quips from people that they no longer can lie in bed and hold their book up to read it for fear of dropping it and breaking their nose. The Stormlight Archive was to be a flagship series, with commissioned art in the front cover, detailed sketches throughout, and I expect even back then Brandon had declared it to be a ten volume series. Four books in and we've already passed 1.5 million words. Add this into the series starting with not one, not two, but three prologues in WoK. Not every reader is ready or able to commit to that amount of time. Now imagine as a new reader, proud of reading the longest book you ever had, a bit worn out over the months, to pick up the next installment called The Book of Endless Pages and trying to get through Kaladin's depression dropping the tone of the story and nearly killing Syl. The title "Words of Radiance" with the cover featuring Kaladin glowing with Stormlight is a promise of Kaladin's triumph. "Book of Endless Pages" is a challenge and a threat to the protagonist suffering major depression. Even with cover art for other countries, the WoR is intriguing, triumphant, hints at previous secrets of the first book for any who have read it. The original title only makes sense after one has read it the book - which is likely to lose all of those who select a book to read by its cover among all of the neighboring covers in the bookstore.

Speaking as one who has tried to read Wheel of Time four different times over the course of fifteen years and bounced off by book 8 or 9 - I had serious reservations picking up WoK having heard it compared to WoT. I'm not sure if I would have started if the book on the shelf next to it was called The Book of Endless Pages even though Mistborn and Elantris were awesome. Yes, the original working title is an cool one, but I think they were wise to name SA 2 Words of Radiance. Even knowing the Brandon and the Stormlight Archive now, I don't know if naming any book more than 300,000 words that title would be wise - as I consistently burned out of reading WoT around 3/4 of the way through. A novella or a something the length of the Wax and Wayne series is less likely to invite irony. 

Edited September 25, 2024 by Duxredux

[Treamayne]

18 minutes ago, Duxredux said:

Speaking as one who has tried to read Wheel of Time four different times over the course of fifteen years and bounced off by book 8 or 9

Speaking of, you can do what a few people I know have done - read the Wiki summaries (wikipedia and/or tarvalon.net) of the middle slog and skip to the Sanderson books when they become readable again.

Note:

Spoiler

Sorry to all of the Jordan fans. The beginning was great, but then the plot and timing beame an unholy mess and I skipped the rest of the series until I heard Sanderson was going to finish it - giving me something to pull me through to the final three. The ending was mostly great though. 

I'm glad I have read it through - but it's not the kind of series and I can read and re-read (unlike some books and series I have read over a dozen times each)

 

[LewsTherinTelescope]

4 hours ago, ChetLee said:

I'm going to predict the last book in the series that will focus on Jasnah will be named The Book of Endless Pages.

I really hope so. It's associated with her just as much as Shallan, and thematically it could work well for a finale.

[Miyabi She/Her]

[Sincerity] I loved the concept of the title "The Book of Endless Pages."  Others have already explained the reason for title change.  If you haven't noticed each book has an in-world book with the title.  We already have an in-world book called "The Book of Endless Pages."  HOWEVER, we do have one difference here.  Every other book has the in-world book in the epigraphs.  [Curiosity] This could be cause for something new and interesting.  IF Jasnah's book got called "The Book of Endless Pages," that could mean it was written by Shallan and is now being read in the Epigraphs.  OR we're meant to THINK it was written by Shallan. 

For some of these same reasons I can understand "Stones Unhallowed," having been more appropriate at book 3.  The last part of this has VAGUE details about WaT previews, but if you have read even the synopsis of what it's supposed to be about you should be safe.

 

Spoiler

With Szeth going home and what the in-world book is about it makes way more sense to have this title.  I think if Szeth's book had been written before it would have been more mired with Szeth's dislike of his current situation and having it book 5 involves him going back home.  So, IMO it makes more sense.

[Resolve] That said, the fact that the in-world book being titled "Knights of Wind and Truth" gives us an implicit title for the actual novel.