Title Discussion

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

I don't know if this is something other people like to do, but whenever I finish a book, I sit for a few minutes and think about how fitting the title of the book is. Does it represent the work as a whole well? How can it be interpreted?

How does Words of Radiance fit as a title for the book, particularly when compared to The Book of Endless Pages?

I believe it fits pretty well. In-world, Words of Radiance is a book about the Knights Radiant and their characteristics, relationships, and history. In our WoR, we focus mainly on Kaladin and Shallan and their developing Surgebinding abilities, and at the end of the book, we witness a refounding of the organization in the form of Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, and Renarin. We also learn about Jasnah's Surgebinding a bit, and watch the development of several other Surgebinders: Lift, Ym, and Szeth. We learn much more about the nature of the Knights' abilities: the Nahel bond, the nature of Shardblades, how the spren view their Knights, etc.

This book is, at heart, a book about the Knights Radiant.

Thus, I feel that it is well titled. Our book's heart and souls matches that of the one in-world.

I don't feel that The Book of Endless Pages would have worked as well. Just didn't fit. Plus it was never even mentioned.

To expand the topic a bit, what do you think of Brandon's using in-world books as titles for SA? Too restricting?

[Elena she/her]

I think he probably changed the mentions to The Book of Endless Pages with mentions of Words of Radiance after the title was changed. He probably just added in the in-universe WoR with the last draft -- not that I'm complaining, it wasn't a big plot point anyway.

And as for the in-world-books-as-title naming scheme, that's going out of the window with Stones Unhallowed and Highprince of War, so I think it's kind of a moot point  

[Honor]

I think he probably changed the mentions to The Book of Endless Pages with mentions of Words of Radiance after the title was changed. He probably just added in the in-universe WoR with the last draft -- not that I'm complaining, it wasn't a big plot point anyway.

And as for the in-world-books-as-title naming scheme, that's going out of the window with Stones Unhallowed and Highprince of War, so I think it's kind of a moot point

You're assuming that Stones Unhallowed and Highprince of War aren't in world books.  Maybe they are, maybe they aren't but at this point it would be against the trend if they weren't in world ooks.

[Argent he/him]

Actually Brandon confirmed that all ten books will be named after in-world books. Thus The Stormlight Archive.

[Elena she/her]

Okay, this is weird. I'd assumed Highprince of War might be a book title, but Stones Unhallowed... who the heck calls a book that? (Except Brandon )
Really, really interesting title. Is it some sort of Shin religious text? Will we get to read excerpts from it?

Now I am driven to mad speculation.. thanks guys

[Awesomeness Summoned he/him]

Okay, this is weird. I'd assumed Highprince of War might be a book title, but Stones Unhallowed... who the heck calls a book that? (Except Brandon )

Really, really interesting title. Is it some sort of Shin religious text?

Actually that sounds like a very likely religious book title from the shin with their views on stone. With the next book being focused on Szeth, seems very probable.

[Lightflame he/him]

On page 549 of Words of Radiance, Shallan reads a book by a Shin writer who uses the phrase "Stones Unhallowed".

[Elena she/her]

On page 549 of Words of Radiance, Shallan reads a book by a Shin writer who uses the phrase "Stones Unhallowed".

 

So does Szeth, when thinking that the reason why he often goes to Urithiru is because its stones are unhallowed, whatever it's supposed to mean - likely some exception to the no-stonewalkers rule the Shin have. I'm not hundred percent sure about that, actually - but he does say something about the city and its stones.

 

ETA: quote

“Urithiru was the connection to all nations,” she read from the Shin writer’s work. “And, at times, our only path to the outside world, with its stones unhallowed.” She looked up at Pattern. “What does that mean to you?”

Edited March 24, 2014 by _Elena

[Jeckal he/him]

http://coppermind.net/wiki/The_Stormlight_Archive According to the wiki, Brandon has apparently said in a Q&A that he has changed the working title of Stormlight 3 from Stones Unhallowed to Skybreaker.

[Awesomeness Summoned he/him]

I'm gonna make a bet that is just a working title until he can think of something new since the next book is focused on a Skybreaker. He's changing from Stones Unhallowed because it sounds too close to Rothfuss' Doors of Stone. Compared to The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, Skybreaker is pretty uninspired and doesn't really sound like a book so I would guess the third book has a better title by the time it's released.

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

Brandon has said that he may still use Stones Unhallowed if he gets the book out before Rothfuss's Doors of Stone. Also, he has said that Highprince War will most certainly not be the title of book 5.

edit: sort of ninja'd by Awesomeness. Which is really fun to say.

Edited March 24, 2014 by GreyPilgrim

[Elena she/her]

Also, he has said that Highprince War will most certainly not be the title of book 5.

Really? Was this at a recent signing? Pretty much everytime future books get mentioned, Highprince of War comes up as the most probable title for Dalinar's book.

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

From the release of WoR's title:

Stones Unhallowed, Szeth’s book, might change. Highprince of War, Dalinar’s book, most certainly will.

(source)

[Elena she/her]

From the release of WoR's title:

(source)

This is kinda old news, though. Wasn't it changed back? I'm pretty sure Tor.com had 'Highprince of War' as most-likely title for book five a month or so ago.

[Seloun]

I don't feel that The Book of Endless Pages would have worked as well. Just didn't fit. Plus it was never even mentioned.

 

Technically, it was, and the title change is arguably lampshaded:

 

 

The book Jasnah had given her, Words of Radiance, had been swallowed by the ocean. It seemed a greater loss than the other one Jasnah had given her, the Book of Endless Pages, which had strangely been blank. She didn’t understand the full significance of that yet.

 

 

To expand the topic a bit, what do you think of Brandon's using in-world books as titles for SA? Too restricting?

 

I don't think using in-world book names for the titles is particularly restrictive. The only real restriction (since obviously any necessary book can be written into the story) is that it can't make clearly fourth-wall breaking references. Even then, in most cases you can probably generate a false-friend type relationship (where the subject of the in-world book title is different from the subject of the title of the novel) without too much trouble.

[darkanimereal1]

Okay, this is weird. I'd assumed Highprince of War might be a book title, but Stones Unhallowed... who the heck calls a book that? (Except Brandon )

Really, really interesting title. Is it some sort of Shin religious text? Will we get to read excerpts from it?

Now I am driven to mad speculation.. thanks guys

 

So, I remember Brandon saying somewhere that "Stones Unhallowed" as an in-world book is a very different kind of book. He didn't say much else, but hinted that it wouldn't be like other in-world texts. Of course, now I have to try to remember where I heard that (I've been listening to a lot of his readings/general Q&As from signings in the last week). If I can find it, I'll post a link.

[Argent he/him]

Ot was in Chicago signing. I don't have on on record (phone ate some 15 minutes or so), but I remember it.

Titles of all the books are tentative at this point, no point discussing that particular topic.

[Swimmingly he/him]

I wonder if a listener song could count as a book?

[name_here]

Book Of Endless Pages made jokes about it being literally the longest book that could possibly be printed entirely too easy.

[Humph]

I wonder if a listener song could count as a book?

 

Hey!  A 1,000 page long musical score.  I can see it now ....

 

Kaladin with his Rambo headband banging on a set of drums with his spears as drum sticks.  Shallan will of course be playing the Symbols (when not trying to convert Kaladin's drumsticks to fire) with Hoid on Flute.  Jasnah won't be there as she has something against Jam sessions from her past.  And when Mraize puts his lips to his trombone and blows, man, he just kills.  Adolin and Renarin are in the choir of course, since Dalinar has instilled in them the desire to dress and act like Choir Boys; Adolin doesn't mind though as he can now wear that cool spiffy Azish choral uniform.  Szeth is playing the violin (he would have been bass viola, but seems to have thoroughly de-based himself by his actions).  Taravangian -- no surprise here -- is playing the Bells.

 

And the conductor?  With now two arms, who could it be other than Maestro Lopen?