So... we have Era 5?

[Dofurion]

I was recently looking through Coppermind and came across the possibility that the book Brandon had planned as "Mistborn Cyberpunk" may also become an Era of its own just like Mistborn Western (aka Alloy of Law) did.

Beyond how Brandon plans to approach a genre like Cyberpunk that is clearly a dystopia right before a Space Opera, something that has me intrigued.

One I have is what about the protagonist? After all, we already had a more or less clear outline of how this topic was planned to be approached.

1st Era, Mistborn protagonist. This being the epitome of the system (not counting Fullborn).

2nd Era, a Twinborn with asymmetrical powers (Iron[F] and Steel[A]) that addresses the novelty of Twinborn and explores a bit how to manage with disparate powers.

3rd Era, with a protagonist of Terris descent, and Nicrosil Allomancy. The subject of her ancestry has always made me think that Sanderson plans to make her a Nicrosil Bornble, it would be the perfect way to work with compounding and for the reader to see it more constantly.

And finally the 4th Era with Hoid as protagonist (I think there is no need to explain more here).

 

Ok, so now we would have to include a new set of books between Era 3 and what we now consider Era 4. What could we see there?

My bet is that Brandon is going to take up the "SWAT team and the hunt for the Mistborn" plot for those books, and that the protagonist will become a Hemalurgist that they will have hired thinking that the serial killer they are looking for was a Hemalurgic construct and they will end up finding out that he is an authentic Mistborn.

Edited October 28, 2024 by Dofurion

[Treamayne]

Cyberpunk Scadrial WoBs:

Spoiler

Quote

HungryAntman

Assuming I don’t add anything else, like a Mistborn cyberpunk between eras three and four

I didn't know how much I needed this in my life until you mentioned it. Even if it was just a small one off. This would be peak awesome.

Brandon Sanderson

We'll have to see. I would like to do something here, but it's going to depend on a lot of different factors.

Stay_Beautiful_

Even just a short story or novella to provide a little window into that era to bridge the gap before Era 4 would make me unbelievably happy

Brandon Sanderson

I'm sure we will need something. A novella at the least makes sense.

General Reddit 2019 (Dec. 19, 2019)

Quote

Star Share Gaming

Would you ever consider writing a cyberpunk Era 4 for Mistborn? Or are you gonna be doing just the four Eras?

Brandon Sanderson

I would consider, and I've talked about before liking that idea. Once I did the Wax and Wayne novels, it became a natural thing to ask if there is a step between the 1980s and the science fiction era. And a cyberpunk-type era would make a lot of sense. The caveat to that is I have a lot on my plate in finishing the Cosmere already, and so I can't make any promises. But it does seem like it would be a natural fit to do.

Original Mistborn series was each between 200,000 and 250,000 words. For a frame of reference, Way of Kings books tend to be between 400,000 and 450,000. And the Wax and Wayne books tend to be between 100,000 and 110,000. So, having another 100,000 to 110,000 word, faster-paced shorter series (shorter in total word count) would make a lot of sense. Because Era 3, the 1980s era, is going to go back to the 250,000 to 250,000 word sized books.

YouTube Livestream 3 (Jan. 25, 2020)

Quote

Weirdo122

Is there gonna be a cyberpunk Mistborn trilogy?

Brandon Sanderson

I have toyed with it. It's gonna depend if I'm ahead enough on things. If I am ahead enough on things, I will do an era between the 1980s and the future era. Those are cornerstones that I can't get rid of. I could or could not do a cyberpunk, a near-future science fiction. It's gonna depend on how things are looking once I'm around working on the back five Stormlight books.

Travis Gafford Interview (Nov. 12, 2020)

Quote

Johansj

Do you know which book is gonna be the Final book released in the Cosmere? Chronological/Release Date

Brandon Sanderson

Almost 100% certain it will be the final book of the space-age Mistborn trilogy. (Right now, that is Era Four--but it's not impossible that I'll slip another smaller era, like the W&W era books, in as a Mistborn cyberpunk story while working on the back five Stormlight books.)

General Reddit 2021 (May 27, 2021)

Quote

Vodid

If you have caffeine, can you store that as wakefulness in a bronzemind?

Brandon Sanderson

I think that you can, but I think when you tap it out, you will have kind of the same effects, right. Like, you will feel like you are not quite as awake. Like that feeling you get, I think you guys know what I'm talking about. I think that you can, I think that you can hack the system with some things like that. That's my guess... That's my answer right now, but that's one pretty mutable, as we go forward.

Adam Horne

I'd be curious to see what you could do with that in Era 3, because pharmaceuticals will exist.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes well, you're already getting into the fact that you could replicate a lot of things, with... once they figure how to change types of Investiture and whatnot, then suddenly you've got some wacky things going on. Which is why a Mistborn cyberpunk would be so much fun, because metallurgic wetware would be fun. But no promises on that—I already have too many things to write. It's just that if I do write it, and I make it a trilogy, then we have sixteen books in the Mistborn series.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 2 (June 3, 2021)

Quote

Questioner

Considering that Mistborn Era 2 is four books, and Secret History is canonically in Era 1, have you considered adding either a novel or a Secret History to each Era to total sixteen books?

Brandon Sanderson

I get this on occasion. The other option is doing the cyberpunk series in between Eras 3 and 4, basically turning it into 5 Eras, which also would get us to sixteen books. It seems like a pretty good idea to go to sixteen books, but I don't know if we should count Secret History as one of those or not. But I would like to get to sixteen books, but I have a lot on my plate.

YouTube Spoiler Stream 4 (June 16, 2022)

 

So, possible if he can find the time. Unlikely to be a full trilogy. And that one WoB give a hint:

Spoiler

Which is why a Mistborn cyberpunk would be so much fun, because metallurgic wetware would be fun.

Hope that helps.

[Trusk'our he/him]

On 10/28/2024 at 4:28 PM, Dofurion said:

I was recently looking through Coppermind and came across the possibility that the book Brandon had planned as "Mistborn Cyberpunk" may also become an Era of its own just like Mistborn Western (aka Alloy of Law) did.

Beyond how Brandon plans to approach a genre like Cyberpunk that is clearly a dystopia right before a Space Opera, something that has me intrigued.

One I have is what about the protagonist? After all, we already had a more or less clear outline of how this topic was planned to be approached.

1st Era, Mistborn protagonist. This being the epitome of the system (not counting Fullborn).

2nd Era, a Twinborn with asymmetrical powers (Iron[F] and Steel[A]) that addresses the novelty of Twinborn and explores a bit how to manage with disparate powers.

3rd Era, with a protagonist of Terris descent, and Nicrosil Allomancy. The subject of her ancestry has always made me think that Sanderson plans to make her a Nicrosil Bornble, it would be the perfect way to work with compounding and for the reader to see it more constantly.

And finally the 4th Era with Hoid as protagonist (I think there is no need to explain more here).

 

Ok, so now we would have to include a new set of books between Era 3 and what we now consider Era 4. What could we see there?

My bet is that Brandon is going to take up the "SWAT team and the hunt for the Mistborn" plot for those books, and that the protagonist will become a Hemalurgist that they will have hired thinking that the serial killer they are looking for was a Hemalurgic construct and they will end up finding out that he is an authentic Mistborn.

We don't have a lot of info on it right now other than the fact that 5 eras are now planned as of April 2024.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/535-c2e2-2024/#e16580

Questioner

In anticipation of the [Mistborn] Ghostbloods era that you're writing, you've mentioned that you also want to write a space age series, obviously after that. You mentioned at one point, briefly, entertaining the idea of doing a cyberpunk series in between that. And I just wanna ask: what is the status of that?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm pretty much, in my head, committed to doing that, that we're gonna have all five eras, now. So that gives us epic fantasy, steampunk, modern-day urban fantasy, cyberpunk, and space opera. So that is currently the plan. Now, here's the thing. I don't want to promise too many sequels, because there's only so much writing time.

I think you're right that Hoid will also play a significant roll in Era 5 (previously Era 4, as given in this WoB) as well. Dragonsteel is supposed to be written first, likely to fully flesh out his character's background before giving him a larger spotlight. That in mind, I think it's likely he won't be the main character, though his roll will surely be far more significant than previously. 

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/355-idaho-falls-signing/#e10688

Questioner

Is it still the plan to write Dragonsteel last?

Brandon Sanderson

Next-to-last. Mistborn final Era will be... yeah, Mistborn 4 will be last.

It's also worth noting that Era 5 will be sort of a knot-tying series, with significant Cosmere relevance and not just Scadrial.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/4-calamity-seattle-signing/#e5142

Questioner

So, one of the things I know, you have your own universe that you've produced, and it's fantastic. what's the series you're gonna create or have created that's the cornerstone, that will have the largest impact on the universe.

Brandon Sanderson

I would say Mistborn going all the way through is probably the most impact. Stormlight is gonna have a decent one, so is the Elantris world.

Questioner

Is there gonna be a union book or series?

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, the final Mistborn series.

 

Edited October 31, 2024 by Trusk'our