As a fantasy enthusiast, I’m always on the search for new and interesting worlds to immerse myself in. I was initially attracted by the richness and intricacy of Sanderson’s magic systems and the completely realized worlds he builds when I first read his books. The books in the Brandon Sanderson Series are always a treat to read, from the sweeping epics of the Mistborn trilogy to the subtle political intrigue of the Stormlight Archive. I admire how he fleshes out his characters, giving them depth and motive, and how he keeps me wondering with his clever story twists. Let us begin by getting to know the works of the Brandon Sanderson Series…
All You Need To Know About Brandon Sanderson Series & Him
Brandon is a fantasy and science fiction author from the United States. He is married and has four children. He resides in Utah with his wife.
He is best known for his novel series “Mistborn,” as well as for concluding Robert Jordan’s trilogy “The Wheel of Time” upon Jordan’s demise.
Sanderson, a self-proclaimed “hardcore outliner,” meticulously plans his novels before beginning to write. He is well known for “Sanderson’s First Law of Magic,” which states that “an author’s ability to resolve conflict using magic is directly proportional to how successfully such magic is comprehended by the reader.”
Sanderson has a passionate massive fan base known as “the Coppermind,” (Ahem… just like you and me I guess. :>) who actively discuss and analyze his works on the internet. He is also a comic book writer, having written numerous issues of “Steelheart,” a comic based on his “Reckoners” series, which is one of the prominent works of the Brandon Sanderson Series.
His Hobbies & Interests Include:
Sanderson is a skilled metalsmith with a penchant for designing jewelry in addition to his literary job.
He also enjoys tabletop gaming and has created many games, notably “Dragonsteel,” a card game based on his “Stormlight Archive” series.
His Early life:
In 1975, Sanderson was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was raised in a Mormon household with six siblings. Sanderson’s fascination with science fiction and fantasy began in elementary school, and he began writing his own stories while still in elementary school.
He majored in chemistry and creative writing at Brigham Young University before returning to get his Master’s degree in creative writing. After graduating from college and working as a school teacher and a part-time bookshop operator.
Sanderson continued to produce and publish his own work. With the release of his debut novel, “Elantris,” in 2006, he catapulted to notoriety and has since gone on to become one of the most recognized and successful fantasy authors.
How many books has Brandon Sanderson written??
He has written nearly 40 books as well as novellas and short stories within the Brandon Sanderson Series, including “Mistborn,” “Stormlight Archive,” and “Reckoners” amongst his most acclaimed pieces.
The Brandon Sanderson Series is well known for his meticulous world-building (Cosmere, Cytoverse) and the intricate magic systems he creates in the Brandon Sanderson Series of novels.
He is also well-known for his excellent character development and ability to write complex, compelling storylines in the Brandon Sanderson Series of novels.
Sanderson is presently working on various projects, including a new “Stormlight Archive” novel and a new “Skyward” trilogy.
He performs extensive outlining and preparation before beginning to write, and he has stated that he spends more time outlining his stories than actually writing them.
Sanderson is fascinated by science and weaves it into his magical systems, usually leveraging it as the cornerstone for how magic works in the Brandon Sanderson Series of books.
Awards and recognition:
Among the accolades and honors he has earned are:
- The Hugo Award for Best Novella for “The Emperor’s Soul” (2013)
- The David Gemmell Legend Award for “The Way of Kings” (2012)
- The Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy for “The Way of Kings” (2010)
- The Whitney Award for “Elantris” (2007)
- The Gemmell Morningstar Award for “Steelheart” (2014)
Some other Brandon Sanderson Series of works have also been nominated for several other categories, including the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the Audie Award. He has also received recognition from the science fiction and fantasy communities for his contributions to the field as well as his devotion to mentoring aspiring writers.
His faith and the impact:
Sanderson is an adherent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his faith has a significant effect on his work. He is prominent for blending parts of his Mormon faith into his writing.
Sanderson has stated that his faith is an essential aspect of his life and that he strives to explore and express his views via his work.
Sanderson has mentioned how his faith has inspired the themes and characters in his books, as well as his style of the narrative, in talks. However, it’s worth noting that the Brandon Sanderson Series of works are ultimately aimed at a broad readership, and not all of his works are directly about Mormon themes or doctrines.
In a talk with DESERT NEWS he opened up about it; here is the detailed report:
A talk with desert news:
DESERT NEWS: Many times in the past when you’ve been interviewed, people have asked you how being LDS (a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has influenced your writing. I would like to ask the inverse: how has the experiences of being a successful fantasy writer influenced your faith?
SANDERSON: That’s a great question. One of the things I consider the mandate of a writer is to get inside the heads of people other than yourself and present them accurately, on the page, in a way that people who have that belief system or that philosophy on life would read it and say “yes, you got it right, that is how I believe.”
… I get really, really annoyed when I read a book and the only person who has a faith like mine in the book exists to (show) how stupid they are. That is my biggest pet peeve.
I love reading books where people have a different philosophy on life than me, I have no problem with that, but if you put in a character who is like me, and that is the only character who exists to be shown how stupid they are, or if you just get it wrong, horribly wrong; we’ve all read that where we pick up the book and it’s like “oh no, there is an LDS person. Oh, yup, they’re talking about their horse and buggy.” Nope, they meant Amish. Things like that drive me crazy, and I never want to be doing that to someone else.
So one of the things that being a writer has done and has influenced and informed my faith is by making me — driving me — to go look at how different people see the world; look at different belief systems, study them, ask myself “why do we believe what we believe?”; ask myself what the nature of belief is (and) why do I believe. These sorts of things have been a really great experience, forcing yourself to dig down in your soul and ask yourself these hard questions.
When I write a character, I’m going to say, “OK, I’m going to write an atheist,” one of which is in “Oathbringer,” who speaks and makes the arguments that actual atheists make, not strawman arguments. I want people to read this, and when they read that character, say “oh, Brandon must be an atheist.” And then when they read another character they think “he must be a theist,” or read another character and think “oh, Brandon must be a socialist, oh no Brandon must be a monarchist,” depending on who they’re reading.
… So looking at these different characters — maybe again, this is me over-inflating the importance of a writer — but I think it’s part of the purpose of fiction. We read these books, we see people through different eyes. … You can argue ’til you’re blue in the face with someone, but if they read a story with somebody who sees the world differently than themselves, I think that helps a lot more with just kind of saying, “oh, this is a real person. This is why they believe. I still don’t agree with them, but I can see now.”
That’s one of the points of writing, one of the purposes of writing fiction. So that has certainly had a big effect on me, asking myself “what do I believe?”
His Social media Presence And Interaction with his Fans
Many Brandon Sanderson fans(the Copperminds) partake in online forums and communities that allow them to debate and analyze the novels, create fan works, and interact with other fans. Some Sanderson fans also visit conventions and book festivals when he appears, or they join fan organizations or online communities dedicated to his books.
Brandon Sanderson’s following is vibrant and involved, with many fans anxiously anticipating the release of his new novels and taking part in fan activities and events.
He is well-known for his strong social media presence and engagement with fans; he also maintains a personal blog and YouTube channel where he describes his writing process, answers fan questions, and provides writing tips.
Brandon Sanderson Books Kickstarter
The Brandon Sanderson books Kickstarter endeavor shattered the bookish internet! The “Skyward” project of the Brandon Sanderson Series was a crowdsourcing drive for a boxed set comprising his best-selling fantasy novels, including the Mistborn trilogy, the Stormlight Archive, and the Way of Kings. The project’s purpose was to provide fans the opportunity to purchase a unique edition of all of his novels in one bundle.
The initiative immediately grew in popularity and went viral. Fans, both old and new, flocked to the project, and it raised more than $4.5 million, making it the most successful publishing Kickstarter ever. People from all across the world contributed to making this initiative a reality.
This project’s attractiveness to readers, as well as its substantial incentives, contributed to its success. The prizes included extra content such as signed copies, audiobooks, and other unique items. Furthermore, the initiative was well-organized and functioned efficiently, which attracted additional backers.
Overall, Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter campaign was a big success, leaving a lasting impression on the bookish internet. It has demonstrated that crowdsourcing can be a strong tool for getting projects off the ground, as well as a forum for authors and publishers to engage with their audience.
Read in more detail about the Brandon Sanderson Series of works here.
