Jofwu

I noticed "dance" in the "see spren dance" practice is spelled DANSE. Is that final E correct? I mean, as Pagerunner pointed out, it's technically a bit of a hack to write in one language with a script intended for another. But my philosophy would be to focus on spelling English words as they sound rather than replacing letters one to one. So "dance" would be DANS. But perhaps I'm the only one who thinks this way? Or perhaps the official examples we have of women's script English work the way you have it there?

@Pagerunner, nobody's claiming that Alethi speak English. I'm pretty sure Peter has confirmed earlier in the thread that the women's script decryption is correct. Your Greek alphabet comparison is a good one. But I do think you underestimate how much we do know about the script. We have a good list of Alethi words and names on hand, which tells a lot about what phonemes are used and how commonly they occur. And we've got some commentary from Brandon on how they pronounce different things. @Harakeke, is it possible that there are any letter's missing Or has Peter confirmed that we have the full "alphabet" figured out? The "kk" gutteral stop is a feature of eastern (Azish) languages. There's no evidence I can think of that the sound exists in Vorin languages. They would render it awkwardly in women's script (like we do with English) and probably pronounce it wrong.

@mattstocum: We know all the moons cross the sky in the same direction. (west to east, I think) They do pass relatively close to Roshar, but I don't think you can assume the AU chart is to scale. It doesn't even get the shape of the orbits right (they're all a little off, but Roshar is clearly not at the focus of Mishim's ellipse). They're sort of like Phobos around Mars, but highly eccentric. You don't need to worry about them colliding or anything like that just because they're on the same plane. They have the same orbital periods, so if they don't collide (or just get too close) on one orbit then they're not going to have issues on the next. @The Sovereign: Somewhere on 17S there's a post working out the orbital parameters of these moons. I'm pretty sure Peter has explained that the orbits are pretty unstable. I mean, you've got three moons in really eccentric synchronous orbits. Maintaining that alone a stretch, but easy to wave away. But then you also have all three of them experiencing the same apsidal precession, keeping them in sync with Roshar's year. And on top of this throw in ten gas giants and two other planets. Also, unless AU changed the number (don't have it handy to check), I think you mean The Rosharan year is 1.1 "standard years". @kari-no-sugata: It would be interesting to check that 1 year = 1 orbit, though I think it's a pretty safe assumption. An astronomical year makes sense because of the stars. You don't need seasons to measure your progress around the sun. And I always get the impression that they seem to think the Weeping and year length are in sync with one another--not that the Weeping itself defines the new year. Anyways, my own thoughts on the topic... I do feel like the moons and planets are connected to the highstorms. I definitely think they're "natural", meaning there's not some sentient being who decides when they will happen. Partly because of the way they existed before the Shards' arrival and partly because they can be predicted mathematically. This means there must be some kind of mechanism that sets them off. It's got to be simple enough that humans can mostly work it out with pen and paper (so not some kind of intricate climate model) but complex enough that there are still unexplained discrepancies. As far as I can think, the moons and planets are the only thing regular and yet complex enough to be connected. The strangest thing to me about this idea is that I can't see what the mechanism is. Presumably it has something to do with the gravitational field, but it's weird to suggest that minute changes in the gravitational field cause highstorms. I think it's much more likely that there's a investiture/realmatic explanation... But without more data on the moons/planets it's impossible to say what. I seem to think somebody wondered if the gas giants are actually giant gemstones and Brandon shot it down. So it's not that simple. I'm not sure about multiple storms versus one, though I don't think it matters much either way. I don't think Stormfather is part of the equation. It seems to me that he can be in two places at once. That's a little unusual for something cognitive, but not unbelievable. And doesn't he talk to Dalinar pretty much out of a clear sky? Could be one persistent storm that just has to build up strength again after crossing Roshar. Maybe the rate at which is builds up again is variable (due to moons/planets/whatever), and that's why it doesn't come with perfect regularity. Or maybe it dies out and the variability comes with how long it takes to start up a new one. You can make the same explanations with multiple storms, though I'm skeptical that multiple are necessary for the explanation. The idea that the storm essentially moves counter to Roshar's rotation is an interesting one. I always thought it was odd how stormwardens all over Roshar can predict the exact time of the storm (within an hour at least, right?). Having to adjust for "time zones" seemed a little strange to me. But this removes the reason for that. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely to me because the wind speeds would be tremendous. The Earth spins at nearly 1000 mph at the equator. If Roshar has the same day length (I think it's shorter, which makes the numbers worse) and is half of Earth's diameter (do we know what it is? can't remember) that means the storm must be moving at 500 mph. That's REALLY fast if it translates to wind speed.

That was my first instinct as well, but I actually don't think it's necessarily issue. Let's say it takes Brandon another 25 years to finish Stormlight. That's 3 years per book plus a 4 year break. (He's averaged 3.5 years/book I believe, and says he wants to pick that pace up a bit) And let's say the first movie doesn't come out for another 5 years. This means they need to drag the movies out over the course of 20 years. If they want to release 1 movie per book at a rate of 1 movie per year then that's a problem. But they could do 1 movie/book every 2 years and the books and movies would wrap up at the same time. Alternatively (and preferably) they could do 2 movies per book and release every year. If they need to stall a little bit, that's not a problem. Stretch the release dates and/or slow the average pace just a little bit. And if the movies take about 20 years then aging isn't a problem. You'd pick actors in their mid-20s to play Kaladin/Shallan/etc.When the first half is wrapping up 10 years later they're mid-30s. It's totally feasible for someone that age to play a 20-year-old character, especially one who has been through a lot as our heroes will. Makeup is magical. And it's the same story for the second half, thanks to the 10 year (or so) in-world break. The aging problem is manageable. You severely overestimate Brandon's popularity or fantasy book popularity or both. SUPERSTAR sci-fi/fantasy authors reach into the 100s of millions. We're talking JK Rowling, Stephen King, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Stephanie Meyer (barely). Authors with a highly popular series can get up pretty high in the 10s of millions. That's Robert Jordan, GRR Martin (who may break 100M one day, thanks to the TV show), Pratchett, Christopher Paolini, Suzanne Collins. Sanderson is fairly popular among fantasy readers. But he hasn't broken into a HIGH level of popularity among the fantasy community, and he certainly hasn't broken into a more mainstream audience. He does have a lot of writing left in him. Between Stormlight and Mistborn he'll probably get up pretty high one day. Mistborn (era 1) is the only particularly notable finished thing he brings to the table right now. Of course a successful movie would help a lot. The book industry is small potatoes compared to the movie industry.

I'm skeptical that she's preferred by a majority of readers. In most of my online interactions I get the sense that Aviendha is the crowd favorite. But I see what you're saying. And I 100% agree on her story arc. It would be an easy thing to fix. Have her reading books a lot. Have her ask philosophical questions here and there. Have her be the one who suggests the school idea to Rand. Little things like this. And have her start making small, helpful observations in the prophecies sooner. Preferably tie it in to her Viewings, so that those seem less shoehorned. Like maybe she sees images that help her make connections to some prophecies that others wouldn't be able to make.

Absolutely, but that's only part of the equation. There are more non-powerful women who make you roll your eyes than there are men. The problem transcends social class. I'd also probably disagree with you on your point about men vs. women in powerful positions. For most of the western nations I agree that men and women are equally awful in leadership positions. But I don't think the Borderlanders get a free pass. The men are much more likeable than the women (see Tenobia). The same goes for the Aiel; humble, honest clan chiefs... manipulative, controlling Wise Ones. Again, I don't mean to plaint it as black and white. Both genders have a mix of nice people and jerks. And the differences aren't tremendous. But I do think women are portrayed more negatively with how they treat other people, on average. (regardless of social class)

I don't know if that's entirely fair. She did have her "scholar" thing. You could argue it was just to help Rand, which is true. But surely part of her was doing it for the sake of the world in general, so her purpose was bigger than Rand. My complaint would just be that Jordan didn't play up this role enough. Especially considering her strange talent, it would have been really cool to see Min dive into the prophecies and become a competent scholar who makes some notable discoveries and interpretations that help Rand (and others) succeed. That would have been a great place for her in the story. So, in line with my original question, I suppose it would be great if the television show gave Min something more to DO besides being Rand's clingy girlfriend. This is a really good point. There are plenty of women who DON'T drop everything for a man. There's nothing wrong with a man or woman choosing to let themselves fall in another's shadow. That's their decision. I think it's good to include characters on both sides of that decision. Literature or fantasy may need fewer "damsels" in general, but WoT certainly doesn't. I definitely don't like Min above the other girls. But I do like her most as a partner for Rand. She's the only one who spends enough time with him to make their relationship believable to me. My opinion is unpopular among fans I think, but I partially disagree with what you're saying here. I do think Jordan was trying to do what you say, but I DON'T think he was very good at writing women. I could go on and on, but for the sake of staying succinct my biggest piece of evidence is the way women treat one another. People naturally complain about the gender battle in WoT. The women tend to stereotype men in negative ways, so perhaps it's just easy to jump on that. But the real problem is much deeper, because the women are just as awful to one another most of the time. Every woman in WoT is trying to scheme against and manipulate everyone else. Even their friends, half the time. They're practically incapable of just being nice to one another. And no. In typical, traditional fiction I don't think that male characters get a free pass on this kind of behavior. Take something as one sided as Lord of the Rings, with like... two or three notable females? You'd argue that all (or just most) of these characters act the same way as the WoT women? And the reader is expected to ignore it? I wholeheartedly disagree. I'm not saying the WoT girls are unlikable. I'm just saying that Jordan fumbled on the point he was trying to make. He wasn't very good at writing strong women. The idea of them, at their core, is fantastic. And the execution isn't all bad. But the dislike is understandable. People don't dislike them because they're sexist. People don't dislike them because they're uncomfortable with a flip in gender stereotypes. People dislike like them because half the time they come across as petty, squabbling children if you don't learn to put a filter over it in your mind. I love these books and the girls. If my criticism sounds harsh, it's just because I'm trying to make a point. It sounds like you're looking for more solid information about how the project is progressing. I didn't post any sources, because there was already at least one other thread about the announcement. The show could absolutely be scrapped at any moment for all we know. Nobody is claiming that it will be filming by the end of the year. I had intended this post to be a just-for-fun discussion of what changes you would make from the books. Either because of something you don't like in the books or in order to suit the different format.

Now that we've FINALLY (one year later?) gotten a bit more news about the WoT television series I'm curious what people think about this... If you were in charge of adapting Wheel of Time for TV, what would you change? SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS

My expectations are low. A LOT of things have to go the right way for this to be done well. GoT did great, yeah. But I don't think Wheel of Time will translate to modern television as easily as got ASoIaF did. And I don't think the source material appeals as broadly. GoT is practically House of Cards with swords and dragons. It's got sexualized nudity in every episode. Every other character is as morally gray as Walter White. It's got shock factor moments cranked to 11. People eat this stuff up. Wheel of Time is much more traditional. There are gray characters, but the overall story is about black and white good versus evil. There's actually quite a bit of nudity, but 90% of it is women baring their breasts at girls-only meetings. The action and story relies heavily on magic, which won't be cheap or easy to portray. Not to mention all of the fantastical creatures. The story itself gets critiqued even among fans. Yes, I'm being hard. Maybe exaggerating. But my point is that WoT isn't GoT. Just because GoT proved there's a market for fantasy, it doesn't mean you can just throw money at WoT and expect it to do well. And so far I've only questioned what the show will be able to do if everything else goes well. That is ASSUMING they get the necessary budget, that the writers do a good job adapting the books, that the executives don't break things that they don't understand, etc. We'll see what happens. I'd rather have low expectations and be pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be something I'm excited to share with others. And if the low expectations turn out to be accurate, I can still enjoy it for what it is until it gets cancelled. Hopefully my skepticism is misguided.

Do we know Jordan had big plans for this? Reading this series for the first time when I was younger, I constantly felt like Jordan actively avoided giving me what I wanted in this area. His characters will be in the same room and STILL find ways to avoid each other and communicate poorly. I would never have expected Jordan to give the main characters very meaningful reunions. If anything, I'd suspect Sanderson gave us more than we would have received otherwise.

Hey, sounds like Adolin could really use one of these poop medallions...

Don't have time to listen to the video. Any interesting WoBs?

Wait, is this saying that there's a chance there will be more than 16 allomantic metals?

Someone make sure to let Brandon know that we have all been thoroughly trolled by his Stormlight/Cosmere ending shenanigans.

@kotwq, there's two things at the top of my want-to-know list: 1. There was a theory a while back about how the reason Dalinar (and previously Gavilar) receives the visions from Stormfather is because reading The Way of Kings gave them some kind of Connection with Honor. I'm curious if there's substance to that. 2. Ever since the revelation about the Voidbinding chart, I'm curious to know more about voidbinding. Top question would be: Are the stormform listeners (at the end of WoR) voidbinding? And second: Is the creation of creatures like Thunderclasts and Midnight Essence voidbinding? Just my personal questions.

Hmm... This makes me really uncomfortable. Changing the end of WoR slightly was one thing. This would completely invalidate the canonicity of the graphic novels, and I strongly dislike the idea of him retconning something that significant. I would 100% prefer a weak Cosmere explanation over a perfectly Cosmere-consistent explanation that rewrites the canon.

I personally wish that Jasnah was positioned on top of the wall so that we can see over it. Aside from Jasnah herself, the best part of this image is the crazy lightning storm and the Thunderclast. The incredible scenes in the first two books were glorious. This one just shows us a stone wall. Boring. Let us see the full sky in all of it's terrifying, lightning-crossed glory. Let us see the army(?) on the other side, so that we care about the fact Jasnah's trying to fix it. Maybe a few more Thunderclasts way off in the distance? THAT would make an epic cover. Don't hate this one, but I definitely don't think it's as powerful as the first two. I don't know how well all of that fits the events in the book. Maybe she fixes the wall from the ground, maybe there's only one Thunderclast, maybe there's no army on the other side. But heck, it's not like he didn't take liberties just as big on the first two covers.

Intellectual equals? I mean, the guy knows a lot about a very specific trade (surgery). But I would absolutely not call Kaladin an intellectual.

Hadn't seen that one, thanks.

Has Brandon explicitly confirmed that Hoid is the Letter author? There's a theoryland quote where he basically implies it, but can't find anything to use as a source in the Coppermind article.

He does have the Szeth flashbacks written, so if Stones Unhallowed is next then that helps a lot probably. It all really boils down to how many other things he tries to juggle. If he finishes writing Lost Metal and any other planned books this year (pretty reasonable, I'd guess) Then he has all of 2018 to write book 4 and all of 2019 to polish it and release at the end of the year. An early 2020 book 4 release seems very possible.

I can't say I really share any of those fears. I think Brandon has the overall arc of Stormlight in his mind pretty well. He's not discovery writing the thing. At least not the major plot arcs and characters. And while long books CAN be filled with useless bouts, Stormlight has had none of that whatsoever. Some people complain about slow parts in Stormlight... As a WoT fan... I will never understand this. Stormlight is a roller coaster all the way through for me. If this book, or some other, starts to have sections that feel bland and pointless then let's talk. Until then, he has my trust. However, again as a WoT fan, my number one fear is that Brandon won't be able to finish this series before being unable to (morbid as that may be). He's got a long road ahead just for Stormlight, nevermind Dragonsteel and Mistborn. I'm increasingly worried that he's planning more things than he has time for. So I am slightly worried about increasing word counts. Each word in "this" book is one word that could be put towards the "next" book. Four Oathbringers is five WoRs. A piece of me definitely hopes that the word counts max out with Oathbringer; not because I'm afraid the content will suffer, but because a small piece of me is worried he won't be able to see the whole thing through at this pace.

We've started collecting them as best we can each month on reddit: /r/cosmere/wiki/archive (see "monthly WoB roundup")

Don't know if it means the date is "official", but Brandon's website also lists November 14 as the Oathbringer release date. (Hover over Oathbringer in the status list)

But these are similes... Well... Carry on!