Steris Appreciation Thread

[Jondesu he/him]

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

Couldn't Brandon work on this in between drafts on SA 3? These are shorter, easier books perhaps 2017 is still possible? He wrote Shadows of self and Bands of Morning swiftly last year...

Last December, Brandon said:

Quote

I have one more book to do in the Wax and Wayne series, and I’m planning to write it sometime between Stormlight books three and four.

He certainly changes things at times and seems to just "accidentally" write novels on occasion (no idea how he can do that), but I wouldn't expect it before 2018. Let it be a pleasant surprise if it comes out next year somehow.

[Ammanas]

4 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

He certainly changes things at times and seems to just "accidentally" write novels on occasion (no idea how he can do that), but I wouldn't expect it before 2018. Let it be a pleasant surprise if it comes out next year somehow.

It has only been within the last 6 months that I've really paid attention to his writing methods. Do you know if he usually works on other peojects in between drafts of stormlight? I couldn't find anything about that in the last State of Sanderson.

[Jondesu he/him]

5 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

It has only been within the last 6 months that I've really paid attention to his writing methods. Do you know if he usually works on other peojects in between drafts of stormlight? I couldn't find anything about that in the last State of Sanderson.

I think that's very typical, but he wouldn't necessarily plan on getting those somewhat larger books done. Novellas sometimes just spring out fully formed, but the Mistborn books he'll want to run through the team and make sure the science and continuity is all there, so it's a process even once he's written most of the book.

[Ammanas]

16 minutes ago, Jondesu said:

I think that's very typical, but he wouldn't necessarily plan on getting those somewhat larger books done. Novellas sometimes just spring out fully formed, but the Mistborn books he'll want to run through the team and make sure the science and continuity is all there, so it's a process even once he's written most of the book.

Cool. Thanks!

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

He has several books planned (I think they are

Spoiler

Alcatraz 6

 Rithmatist 2, Apocalypse Guard, and TLM.) He also has to revise SA3 before release. And TOR will probably want SA3 released first, and that is set for late 2017. So I think early 2018 (January/February) is most likely.

Spoiler

 

 

 

Alcatraz 6 will probably be the first in between book and may actually be released before SA3 (children's books being done by a different part of the company and also being shorter. Also aimed at a very different audience.) Maybe in the Summer?

 

I suspect Rithmatist will be the last released as it takes the most research and is basically a non-cosmere cosmere book in many ways. (I believe Brandon originally conceived it as part of the cosmere and then changed his mind.)

So my guesses are: 

Spoiler

Alcatraz 6 being released in mid to late Summer.

SA3 being released in mid to late Fall; TLM being released in early 2018; Apocalypse guard being released in Summer of 2018; and Rithmatist 2 in the Autumn of 2018. Then a break until SA4 in late 2019.

[Rao-seeker]

After treating myself for Christmas to 7 of Brandon's books, at last I found time for Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning.

Oh, yeah. I'm not going to start into the EPIC proportions the Cosmere is getting. I came here to talk about love.

I'm a woman but I never liked what are called "romance stories" much (or at all). I like action, and I like romance within the action, and friendship, and brotherly-sisterly-fatherly-motherly emotions, and epics... inside the action. Those feelings are part of life, not the whole of life itself, and I can't stand a story where romance is everything. I can't stand a protagonist for which romance is everything: I needed to pass exams, find jobs, pay for things, go out with friends... I had a crush, but if it was a bad idea, I could wait until I was over it. Love was not ALL of life. It was a part of life, and art that does not focus in all parts of life is limited... and boring.

Plus, romance stories or movies, or especially TV series, were based in the fact that the lovers to be were idiots with ZERO ability to communicate, talk to each other and explain what the problem was. Those stories demanded from me the following of an idiotic plot, or to respect or care for characters that were acting stupidly. I wanted to scream: "TELL HIM!" or "TELL HER!" Booooring... the reason why the most enjoyable romances appeared in action or adventure movies and series is that they didn't have as much time to make the plot stupid and have the characters hide info from one another so they could be separated forcefully.

Not to mention the fact that all those stories are about sexual tension or falling in love. It's rare to find a love story. It's easy to find a story about falling in love. Most instances are about unresolved sexual tension. But, love? It's rare. The best love story in a screen I've ever seen is in the first 15 minutes of UP! Wall-E's and EVE's is beautiful, but again, it's a story about falling in love, not about love (unless you count love for life, which is another type). Love goes beyond the falling, beyond the fascination, beyond the magic bubble. Falling is looking at each other in awe: love is looking together in the same direction. When you have a crush, you are on a high when the other person is in the room. When you love, the other person is like your arm or your leg: you are not fascinated by them, but you start feeling bad if s/he's not close. It's a completely different feeling, and it's hard to express or to describe or narrate, and hard to find. Sexual tension is much easier to sell.

Love requires frankness, and lots of communication, and negotiation, and admitting the quirks of the other, and learning from the other, and even, whenever possible, looking at the world through the eyes of the other person and see beauty and wonder where you would never have even considered to look for it.

I love the action, the magic, the politics and everything that the Cosmere offers. But after finishing The Bands of Mourning, I have also been immersed in one of the best love stories (not the crush, not the falling, not the sexual tension: love) I have ever had the pleasure to live. THIS was love. For real. As it really is, as it really grows, as it needs to be nurtured, as it changes people so they grow closer to one another, as they make little concessions to one another's quirks, as they accept each other's flaws and traits, yet try to learn from each other and become better people. I've rarely seen love in art so well portrayed.

And I just had to tell someone.

Edited February 7, 2017 by Rao-seeker
Changed "girl" for "woman". I'm not young.

[Releaser12 he/him]

Steris is by far my favorite character, she's a wonderful portrayal of Aspergers and she is not at all Tsundere. She isn't cold, she just can't express herself regularly.

On 6/16/2013 at 8:32 PM, Cheese Ninja said:

Steris: "Let's get engaged now, it wouldn't be a big deal anymore since you saved me and stuff, not that we have to, if you don't want to...?"

Heeheehee, that's so perfect, and yeah, a good example of her un-Tsundere-ness.

[Rao-seeker]

21 hours ago, Releaser12 said:

Steris is by far my favorite character, she's a wonderful portrayal of Aspergers and she is not at all Tsundere. She isn't cold, she just can't express herself regularly.

I felt so identified with her when she explains that her lists of pre-made sentences don't get her too far, because people notice how "alien" she is. Good Lord, I've been there so many times... and she's forced to socialize, too. No wonder she asks Wax for help.

I just love her. Mind you, I love most of the characters of the novels. Wax is great, Marasi is awesome, and Wayne... OK, I want to punch Wayne half the time (you despise Steris? Do you think you have the right to despise anyone? YOU?), but he can be real fun and real competent, just a real chull too. But I started to love Steris the moment she was introduced, and she's just being getting better during the novels. It's possibly one of the characters I feel most identified with. I've never read a character say so many things I could sign.
And... I don't see the tsundere anywhere, either. She's just... alien. She cannot connect with other people normally, but that doesn't stop her from feeling alone. I just adore her. So much that at the end of Bands of Mourning I was wondering whether Sanderson wanted to make her that adorable, or if it's just me and a few of us who find her so. In any case, she's a delightful character and it was a pleasure to to see her grow.

 

EDIT: A real "chull"? I remember writing something different. As in, possibly a bit inappropriate.

 

Edited February 7, 2017 by Rao-seeker
Addition.

[Landis963 he/him]

On Monday, February 06, 2017 at 7:36 PM, Rao-seeker said:

EDIT: A real "chull"? I remember writing something different. As in, possibly a bit inappropriate.

That's normal.  Swear words are (for the most part) replaced by equivalents throughout the Cosmere.  So the beast of burden that people occasionally ride on is not a 3-letter donkey, but, on Roshar, is instead a 5-letter crab thing.  It's like an easter egg hunt.  

[The Technovore he/him]

On 2/20/2017 at 8:47 PM, Landis963 said:

That's normal.  Swear words are (for the most part) replaced by equivalents throughout the Cosmere.  So the beast of burden that people occasionally ride on is not a 3-letter donkey, but, on Roshar, is instead a 5-letter crab thing.  It's like an easter egg hunt.  

Really? That's awesome! *Desperately resists urge to test this 'feature' out* 

[Slider he/him]

Streris is great without her Wax would probably get destroyed at any if not all of the party's they go to

[Landis963 he/him]

2 hours ago, Slider said:

Streris is great without her Wax would probably get destroyed at any if not all of the party's they go to

Actually, I'm fairly certain she saved Wax's life at least twice with her preparations (To wit: the thing on the train with the extra metal vial, and at the party with the smuggled-in gun).  Not to mention Allik's life, and by extension the lives of every Southerner to survive to that point with the extra heat medallion.  

Edited February 25, 2017 by Landis963

[Alfa he/him]

On 7.2.2017 at 1:36 AM, Rao-seeker said:

And... I don't see the tsundere anywhere, either. She's just... alien. She cannot connect with other people normally, but that doesn't stop her from feeling alone.

Might it be that she is a Ferring who stores connection unconciously?

[Farnsworth]

She is very close with Wax and Marsai though. I'm not sir if that's it.

[ErikModi]

Just finished Bands of Mourning today, and I'm really liking Steris and her relationship with Wax.  I was strongly suspecting she fell somewhere on the Aspberger's/Autism scale, so it's nice to see confirmation that was the intent.  And I love that she is, in her own way, a strong female character who's existence isn't solely defined by her male romantic partner, without being a kickass awesome action girl.  Not that I have anything against kickass awesome action girls, but it's nice to see a character with more traditionally feminine interests who still manages to be important, competent, and proactive.

And it's really nice to see a romance develop between two characters realistically.  It's not love at first sight, it's not fate or destiny or raw sex drawing Wax and Steris together, it's how their personalities complement each other, how they grow to learn about each other and respect each other for who they are, not who they want each other to be.  It's a very mature kind of relationship, one we need to see a lot more often in fiction, in my opinion.

[Devout Pathian]

Okay I just found this thread, and I know it’s old, but I had to post on it, because Steris is awesome.

I love how in Bands of Morning she makes the list of all the things that could possibly go wrong and then gives it to the hotel lady.  Haha and there is even the potenial of Wax getting framed for murder.  Steris is just great.  I love how she plans and prepares for everything.  She absolutly is my favorite character from Mistborn Era 2.

[EC11 he/him]

Well I might as well say my piece. Our first introduction to Steris is through her looking at the marriage as a dispassionate business affair to raise the standing of her family in the world, as they have the money but no ancient family name and so can't run in the greater social circles. When we first meet her she is stiff, businesslike, and perhaps a little off putting. However, she grows wonderfully and we see how she came to be who she is now. Her father had an affair, which affected her deeply, and so she worries about becoming passionately involved with a man, and her own social awkwardness causes her to be brisk and businesslike in her interactions as a shield.

Over time we see her soften, become attached to Waxillium, and come out of her shell even if only a touch. For me it is a great story as I would have been disappointed had Wax chosen Marsai, as that would have been the most "emotional" thing he could do. In the end though, Steris proved herself willing to compromise and embrace Waxillium and his eccentricities, and Wax accepted hers.

A fairly decent love story that way.

[animalia]

As a person with Asperger’s Syndrome Bands Of Mourning is where I began to really appreciate Steris as I saw bits of myself in her. The bit where she asks everyone for advice in sex only to be frustrated because everyone gives her a vague and unhelpful “you’ll know” answer, the snarky “like that wouldn’t be embarrassing” to Wax when he suggests asking him. The fact that she is constantly being honest with herself and questioning herself, and being open  about her flaws.

I also laughed at how Wax was surprised when she showed enough logic to not follow him into a fortress full of people and started to act as if he was still arguing with her. Also in hindsight now that I realize that she has Asperger’s Syndrome that multiple page pre-nup from the first book makes sense. I am so used to having trouble explaining myself clearly that it often least to me pre-explain things and covering things in as much detail as possible to make sure nothing is left out. That pre-nup was foreshadowing.

Edited February 28, 2018 by animalia

[animalia]

Also for anyone unfamiliar with Asperger’s Syndrome as someone who has been CLINICALLY diagnosed I can vouch for the accuracy of this TVTropes page

 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome

Make a mental list for the traits you that you can cross off Steris having.

[Isilel]

14 hours ago, animalia said:

As a person with Asperger’s Syndrome Bands Of Mourning is where I began to really appreciate Steris as I saw bits of myself in her.

Yea, Steris is great. I kinda hope that she turns her über-planning ability and attention to detail towards figuring out what the Set may have done in addition to what our heroes have discovered so far, and what they may be intending to do now. Her experience with thinking of crazy contingencies could be invaluable there. I also can't help but think that a thorough financial investigation of some sort could provide important clues. That would nicely counter-act Wax's and Wayne's tendency towards tunnel-vision where their cases/nemesis are concerned.

I am of 2 minds concerning whether I want Steris to turn out to be an atium/atium alloy Misting. On the one hand, she certainly shares certain personality traits with Yomen from Era 1, which would count as a kind of foreshadowing. And the Set _did_ want to abduct her for some reason. Having just re-read BoM, it seems that the Set did have long-range  plans spanning at least a century (which are now moot, according to whatever overworldly entity they are working for), so it seems that the breeding program could indeed have been a feasible goal for them. And we now know that they must have killed lots of low-profile Metalborn via Hemalurgy without anybody noticing, so kidnapping those noblewomen for that purpose and unnecessarily drawing public attention would have been counter-productive. OTOH, frustratingly, nobody thought to check out whether the vanished women were secret Allomancers in the first place during the 6 months between SoS and BoM, nor took a closer look at their families (which may be connected to the Set). Wax was out of it, of course, but you'd think that Marasi would have followed up on things.

On the gripping hand , it would be nice to have a completely non-magical person be awesome and crucial for the series resolution despite that. Personally, I was a bit disappointed by Elend eventually turning into a Mistborn during the Era 1 trilogy, and a super-powerful one at that.

[animalia]

59 minutes ago, Isilel said:

Yea, Steris is great. I kinda hope that she turns her über-planning ability and attention to detail towards figuring out what the Set may have done in addition to what our heroes have discovered so far, and what they may be intending to do now. Her experience with thinking of crazy contingencies could be invaluable there. I also can't help but think that a thorough financial investigation of some sort could provide important clues. That would nicely counter-act Wax's and Wayne's tendency towards tunnel-vision where their cases/nemesis are concerned.

I am of 2 minds concerning whether I want Steris to turn out to be an atium/atium alloy Misting. On the one hand, she certainly shares certain personality traits with Yomen from Era 1, which would count as a kind of foreshadowing. And the Set _did_ want to abduct her for some reason. Having just re-read BoM, it seems that the Set did have long-range  plans spanning at least a century (which are now moot, according to whatever overworldly entity they are working for), so it seems that the breeding program could indeed have been a feasible goal for them. And we now know that they must have killed lots of low-profile Metalborn via Hemalurgy without anybody noticing, so kidnapping those noblewomen for that purpose and unnecessarily drawing public attention would have been counter-productive. OTOH, frustratingly, nobody thought to check out whether the vanished women were secret Allomancers in the first place during the 6 months between SoS and BoM, nor took a closer look at their families (which may be connected to the Set). Wax was out of it, of course, but you'd think that Marasi would have followed up on things.

On the gripping hand , it would be nice to have a completely non-magical person be awesome and crucial for the series resolution despite that. Personally, I was a bit disappointed by Elend eventually turning into a Mistborn during the Era 1 trilogy, and a super-powerful one at that.

On the other hand given the logical way Sanderson writes his magic system maybe if she puts her mind to it she will be the best suited to figure out a way to use “the lost metal” once she has enough time to prepare for it. 

It’s just a thought.

shrugs

[animalia]

One thing I would like to see is Steris pissed off. I can’t help but wonder if like other people with Asperger’s Syndrome she has a hidden berserk button.

One thing I can say about how anger affects me personally is it is like a summer storm. I may get angry quickly enough but it never stays around long. It comes as quickly as it goes. It never even lasts into the next day.

 

I guess I bring this up because I wonder if it would be similar for Steris if she ever got angry. 

Hey we don’t How snapping has changed maybe it just never happened to her before?

[Isilel]

44 minutes ago, animalia said:

On the other hand given the logical way Sanderson writes his magic system maybe if she puts her mind to it she will be the best suited to figure out a way to use “the lost metal” once she has enough time to prepare for it.

You are right. In particular, a creative, out-of-the-box non-combat application that solves some critical problem would be  much appreciated. So far, atium has been only used for fighting or as an anti-agatic - I can't help but think there should be so much more to it.

22 minutes ago, animalia said:

Hey we don’t How snapping has changed maybe it just never happened to her before?

Another excellent idea - it is very plausible that normal second Era snapping wouldn't work on her due to her neurological differences.

I am still torn between the desire for a completely non-magical  central/main character, who plays an integral role in the climax of a series and the unfortunate fact that _when_ it happens, it is almost always a female character who is put in that role, particularly if she is in a romantic relationship with one of the protagonists. I couldn't help but notice that all 4 of the Twinborn and the vast majority of the Metalborn using their abilities on-screen in the Mistborn Era 2 books are male.

[animalia]

this is just a theory but I read that in the initial type of snapping extreme emotions COULD cause it but it was very rare. Maybe Sazed changed things so that it was easier for emotions, specifically anger to cause snapping so that there would be less danger. Well here’s another quote from the TVTropes page on Asperger’s 

 

It's important to note that while Aspies can be very nice, open people, that doesn't mean they're all nice all the time, or that they're naive. ... Try to upset them deliberately and you'll rarely get the reaction you expected because the two most confusing emotions for Aspies are sorrow and anger. And while it depends on the individual, they may have a very unexpected Berserk Button.

 

Maybe her family tried an anger induced snapping in the past but it failed not because she lacked the potential but because it was something that she simply didn’t find anger-inducing. And so she has been dismissed as having no talent.  Maybe her berserk button just hasn’t been triggered yet. It seems to have gotten close a few times once she started to fall in love with Wax and Wayne tried to get her to call it off but nothing full blown. I can easily see her getting upset at people laughing at random cruelty, ESPECIALLY if Wax happens to be the victim or better yet gets caught in the crossfire trying to help the victims.

Edited March 1, 2018 by animalia
Spelling

[Branderson]

I'm still waiting for wax to teach Steris to shoot, I think its a logical step and its in character 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Branderson