Quiver he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 I figured this would be a fun thread; what are messages, morals or meanings you can invent from Brandon's books, which clearly weren't what he intended. For example: The Mistborn trilogy is a condemnation of piercings and youth culture. Vin begins the books as a child, symbolised by her brass earring; her earring (and the piercings the Inquisitors have) is the method by which Ruin (a metaphorical devil) controls and influences them, and it is at the end of the book when she removes the piercings that she is able to ascend and become a truly "angelic" entity and combat evil. Any other insane theories of what these books really mean? 12
Bort he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 The Stormlight Archive tells you that being a slave is fine, because it will give you superpowers. Having an abusive family is fine, because you get superpowers. 7
Guest Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Warbreaker is a vindication of Satanism and Arranged Marriage. The God King represents the friendly, soul eating Devil, and the arranged marriage... well, that represents arranged marriage.
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Steelheart is a scathing denunciation of the American political system. Steelheart, perhaps the most powerful Epic in North America—if not the world—represents the President of the United States. His massive size represents the unprecedented political power the president wields; his wind manipulation represents the president's power over the Air Force; his invulnerability and super strength represent the way the Secret Service keeps the president safe from all harm; his energy beams represent the president's ability to rain nuclear missiles down upon anyone who stands in his way; the way he turns nonliving matter into steel when he is angry represents the way the media freezes up when it comes to reporting scandals on a president they happen to like. Under Steelheart, Newcago becomes a cesspool of scum and villainy, similar to the state of modern Washington, DC. Epics prowl the streets with the power to kill anyone who looks at them funny, much the same way politicians are able to casually ruin the personal lives and businesses of those who cross them. Even the tiny band of freedom fighters, the Reckoners, are afraid to assassinate the most powerful Epics, just as most grassroots political movements focus on one issue unrelated to the presidency rather than on bringing down the president himself. That is, of course, until David convinces the Reckoners to change their strategy after taking down Fortuity, perhaps analogous to the way some hope one brave soul will call the president on the carpet to answer for his wrongs. I'm not entirely sure which politician Fortuity—a precog whose hobbies include gambling, beating and terrorizing beautiful women, and murdering random citizens so he can use their entrails to foretell the future—represents, but that's probably for the best. 12
ccstat he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) I disagree, Twi. You have took take into account the younger age of the target audience for the Reckoners. Brandon wrote it as an indictment of our current educational system. Unsatisfied with the career he would be forced into by society, David works hard to hide his own aptitude and intelligence, preferring the satisfaction of a hands-on trade in the Factory to a more affluent desk job among the privileged. Yet, even with his love for study about the wider world and his efforts to avoid the strictures of post-graduate training, David's education is terribly over specialized. Over and over again his understanding of basic, general concepts is demonstrated to be lacking, most poignantly in his recurrent failed metaphors, itself a metaphor for his failure to relate to others. In the end he only knows two things: firearms and vulnerability analysis. With no other skills, all he can do is destroy, and the damage he wreaks (first in Newcago then in Babilar) rivals that caused by the Epics, who personify the supposedly intractible problems of the day. Edited June 26, 2015 by ccstat 6
Peng the Just he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 The Stormlight Archive tells you that being a slave is fine, because it will give you superpowers. Having an abusive family is fine, because you get superpowers. That reminded me of this: https://youtu.be/nWqW3HWJsr8?t=39 1
Left he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) Cosmere wide, Brandon clearly marks good people and bad people by the severity of their language. Being good means you can only use minor earth swears and planet ones like "storms" or "rust", but if you're bad or bad ish, then you use those a ton plus you use far worse cusses. Case and point, Adolin Kholin clearly uses "shat", and later in the book turns much darker and assassinates, in cold blood, a high prince. Clean tongues equals clean souls. Edited June 26, 2015 by LeftInch 3
Kobold King he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) Cosmere wide, Brandon clearly marks good people and bad people by the severity of their language. Being good means you can only use minor earth swears and planet ones like "storms" or "rust", but if you're bad or bad ish, then you use those a ton plus you use far worse cusses. Case and point, Adolin Kholin clearly uses "shat", and later in the book turns much darker and assassinates, in cold blood, a high prince. Clean tongues equals clean souls. Friendly reminder, please place spoilers for WoR in appropriate spoiler boxes. Just because the book's been around a while doesn't mean everyone you're talking to has read it. I can name at least one person in this conversation who's still in the middle of the book, in fact. EDIT: The white text is a step up, but it still doesn't provide protection from the spoiler as everyone on the site knows to highlight text. Spoiler boxes are better. Edited June 26, 2015 by Kobold King 1
Guest Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Mistborn 1: a group of racist homegrown terrorists succeed in a plot to assassinate the Pope.
Bort he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 That's not misunderstood, it's true. Elantris: Being true to your religion gives you reasons to massecure countries. But isn't that 'misunderstanding' true too, Winter? People have used religion to start many wars in our history. 1
Redbird he/him Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Mistborn 1: a group of racist homegrown terrorists succeed in a plot to assassinate the Pope. Like how Wax says that if Miles has been alive then, he would have been a hero. It depends of viewpoints. And they were led by a psychopath.
Mistrunner Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Mistborn 1: a group of racist homegrown terrorists succeed in a plot to assassinate the Pope. I... never really thought about it like that... Could be considered minor spoilers for WoK, I guess. Very minor. Well, from Szeth's Oathstone to Vin's metals to Alcatraz' smelted sand to Rithmatists' chalk (a form of limestone), we can conclude that rocks shape your destiny. 6
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Well, from Szeth's Oathstone to Vin's metals to Alcatraz' smelted sand to Rithmatists' chalk (a form of limestone), we can conclude that rocks shape your destiny. Which makes this comic right here rather poignant. 10
Delightful Posted June 27, 2015 Posted June 27, 2015 Mistborn: swallowing strange substances after being tortured will make you awesome. 8
Slater he/him Posted June 27, 2015 Posted June 27, 2015 Well of Ascension teaches us to end any and all love triangles by killing the **** outta one of the participants so you can move on with the real plot. 7
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 27, 2015 Posted June 27, 2015 Mistborn: swallowing strange substances after being tortured will make you awesome. If a strange man in a diner tells you to drink something, do it! It'll unlock awesome superpowers! 6
+Slowswift Posted June 27, 2015 Posted June 27, 2015 Well of Ascension teaches us to end any and all love triangles by killing the **** outta one of the participants so you can move on with the real plot. I'm sorry. This made me laugh probably harder than I should've... 3
Redbird he/him Posted June 28, 2015 Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) Stormlight: Money is power. Similar to that Mistborn: Money is a weapon Edit: I just remembered that the Mythbusters modified a rifle to shoot pennies, so that's kind of true anyways. Edited June 28, 2015 by Redbird 1
Guest Posted June 28, 2015 Posted June 28, 2015 WoR: Abusive parents (or at least abusive dad) do it for your own good.
Guest Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 The Stormlight Archive taught us many good lessons about how one should treat emotions. One should always tamp down on useless emotions, as all they do is give other people a visible indication of how you feel, giving them more unnecessary control over you.
Titan Arum Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 (edited) Stormlight Archive: Genocide is a justifiable response if your friends aren't trustworthy. [Edit, since I can't spell "Stormlight" and because of general update to moral] Edited July 7, 2015 by Titan Arum 1
Guest Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 Elantris: helping those most in need will ultimately wind up hurting them, as they will become totally dependant on your charity and unable to become self sufficient. AoL: never ignore a woman. (Actually, that's pretty good advice.)
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 Alcatraz: The sappier the romance novel, the more evil it contains. (Which isn't too far from the truth. ) 4
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