The people that criticize the way Kaladin remains depressive despite all his successes and the things he’s built just don’t understand depression. It doesn’t go away. It’s a struggle that remains with you all your life. I love that Sanderson didn’t make the Stormlight wash away Kaladin’s pain and struggle, it just helps him cope with it. Which is all any of us can ever do. Find a way to cope.

@legrandliseurtri7495

Жыл бұрын

Yes, but also...Maybe it's not necessary to have so many pages of him reminding us that he has depression. Or maybe there just shouldn't be so many chapters from Kaladin's pov. I'm glad that he actively started taking steps to improve his mental health in rhythm of war. It's a relief after three books of the same thing over and over and over.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

@@legrandliseurtri7495 I mean.. to be fair...depression isn't particularly convenient, in reality, either though? (Sometimes not even when someone _is_ taking active measures to try and improve it.)

@legrandliseurtri7495

Жыл бұрын

@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 That's not really an argument. Having to go to the toilet every few hours isn't convenient either, yet most books choose to not depict most of these occurrences because it's boring.

@cepahreinholt8710

Жыл бұрын

@@legrandliseurtri7495 the argument is that it's portraying accuratly the struggle and making it relatable. Not just making you confortable. Some like it other don't but it's still a valid choice.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

@@legrandliseurtri7495 No, it wasn't really meant as an argument, either; it was just an observation. The fact that it was inconvenient may have actually been the point of it? Who knows! (I don't know, because I'm not in Brandon Sanderson's mind, so I have no idea what his reasons were or weren't for making his particular writing choices. Lol) Most books also choose not to depict depression at all. By that logic-is an argument that is relevant to books which _don't_ depict depression really all that relevant to a book which DOES depict specifically depression[ and in particular a character dealing with the rest of the plot specifically whilst also fighting through depression no less]? Different books are going to choose to spend more or less time focusing on just about anything, all depending on exactly what that book actually is or isn't about, and depending on individual writer preference or style[ & such]. (( But I actually doubt that most authors choose not to depict mundane things like bathroom breaks "because it's boring"-it's probably much more because it's not usually relevant in any way to developing the characters and/or progressing the plot. ))

Speaking of Sanderson saturation, I went to my local Renaissance festival this year. I have, on my back bumper, the bumpersticker from the WOK kickstarter that says Journey Before Destination. When I got back to my car at the end of the day, someone had stuck a piece of paper in my windshield that said, Life Before Death. I drove home with the biggest smile on my face, knowing there was another fan there, whom I never met, but we had this thing in common. It's such a fuzzy, wonderful feeling.

@faultier1158

Жыл бұрын

that's so wholesome!

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

Awww

@towb0at

Жыл бұрын

That's so cool, this made me grin for a few minutes ngl

@Limonada_RC

Жыл бұрын

Oh AMAZING ❤️

@raquelmarcalsantos

Жыл бұрын

I feel kinda stupid that I got emotional over this lol But I’m from Brazil and he’s not that famous here, unfortunately, so if that happened to me I’d freak out hahaha

I really love the way Sanderson writes trauma. His characters react realistically to the things happening to them. It make me happy to see representation of the way the human mind works when presented with a traumatic event.

@tiagodagostini

Жыл бұрын

I like that he does, but he sometimes overdo it and becomes mono dimensional. Shalam was great in way of kings but became too exaggerated in the following books, her multiple personality disorder almost a caricature of the real problem.

@7Seraphem7

Жыл бұрын

@@tiagodagostini Shallan was handled very poorly, true, but it's more a unique case of how he went about it with her then any kind of overall flaw in his writing. She was never meant to have actual DID or even any actual, IRL mental disorder like most of the damaged characters have. From what I understand, she was an experiment in how a person's trauma might interact with the unique powers characters in the Cosmere can get and develop into all knew forms of issues. It's just it ended up being so close to DID while also so far off in other ways that many people saw it as just a really, really bad attempt at portraying DID, and Sando being someone that doesn't want to offend people and cares about being a decent person decided to shift her into having a more standard and accurate representation of DID, hence why how her issues manifest and work changes so much between OB and RoW. But that also meant having to give it a lot of focus to act as damage control and establish the new way this all works... Yeah, overall he does AMAZING at handling trauma, Shallan was just the rare case where he dropped the ball and it become a mess of a plotline for a number of reasons.

@tomtommerson6320

Жыл бұрын

Something I really appreciate just from how much knowledge I lack about it. So I'll be enjoying a character and their gimmick when suddenly, "hey wait a second. This isnt a gimmick. This is multipersonality disorder"

@lorathien8522

Жыл бұрын

@@7Seraphem7 I must disagree with you and express support for Tiago's point. The characters in Stormlight are extremely mono-dimensional. Kaladin IS depression. Shallan IS DID. Beyond their immediate concern and their one personality trait, there is little to no nuance to any of these characters. This has paid him back dividends and he is widely popular, no doubt there, but his prose and characterization is pretty bare bones. If he applied that constructive criticism to his work, I am certain he would be one of the most beloved authors of all time, truly.

@7Seraphem7

Жыл бұрын

@@lorathien8522 There is far more to all the characters, even Shallan, as poorly as I enjoyed that plotline by RoW, then you are claiming, yeah those are major points of who they are that do warp and influence much of everything about them, like any major mental issue of the magnitude they have would effect nearly all of a person's life. As to his prose.... it does exactly what is needed, tells the story. Okay, you want more, clearly that is not a universal sentiment. And most of the talk about how he needs to be more artsy comes off like art house movie buffs decrying how the movies people actually go and see in large numbers and enjoy need to be more like the art house films they like but very few show up for.

My favorite thing about Sanderson is that he REALLY understands how to write satisfying payoffs and climactic moments. His worldbuilding is always deliberate and serves to make those big memorable moments hit even harder. I’ve cheered out loud while reading several of his books and that’s a fun feeling.

@jaredpoulter6762

Жыл бұрын

This is my favorite thing about Sanderson as well. The end of Mistborn Era 1 is probably my favorite ending to a fantasy series that I have read.

@gabygibson4708

Жыл бұрын

I agree. Don’t want to dig on other fantasies. But Name of the Wind was kind of disappointing for me for this very reason. The theory videos on KZread have actually made the kingkiller books more interesting rather than them just being engaging on their own.

@Holy_Discourses

Жыл бұрын

@@jaredpoulter6762 Idk I definitely felt that the Ruins “body” reveal was super contrived.

@azurekutella3812

Жыл бұрын

As soon as one plot line is finished, another one starts, and there’s always 2 or 3 mysteries going on. I love that technique.

I used to read and write 10years ago, before joining the corporate world. I was so burned out and I dont know what to do with life. Then I discovered mistborn, and that ignited my desire to read and write again. Thank you Sanderson

@austinsinger7565

Жыл бұрын

The mistborn series is so good!

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

@@austinsinger7565 😁😁😁

@MetalGildarts

Жыл бұрын

Never too late!

@haughtyturtle5702

Жыл бұрын

I had a similar reawakening with the way of kings back in 2015. He rekindled my love for books and reading.

@Nassaldromus

11 ай бұрын

I know it's subjective, so I'll say that for me, Elantris was more enjoyable.

Heard that "Better than anyone faster than him, faster than anyone better than him" is a good way to describe his appeal. He might not be the most skilled author , but his output is consistent and still pretty decent

@skeezixcodejedi

Жыл бұрын

Thats a pretty good summary; I enjoyed some ofhis work, but I found it something off.. I really like Kaladin to start with and the bridgerunning, and for sure he's very creative with his magic systems .. but his actual writing seems lessened. All excitement all the time, lesser use of fancy dialog, not so much nuance, or _something_. Nothing wrong with his approach, its obviously great, and perfect to tap into millions of people.. but I found it off; great to start, but couldn't keep me interested. Wish I could, but I couldn't.

@Speckhuggarn

Жыл бұрын

About the "fast" part - doesn't he have team? I would assume that helps with writing faster

@kauswekazilimani3736

Жыл бұрын

@@Speckhuggarn Even Stephen King on coke didn't have this output.

@Derploop

Жыл бұрын

Who's actually better than him? There are people better at prosaic style writing, but none better at writing a plot and none better at portraying authentic characters, that I know of. The latest couple of novels from Stormlight definitely dragged a bit heavy through the middle, but for my mind, that was more an issue of over emphasising characters in extremely depressed mental states. Rothfuss writes granularly better reads, but I'm not sure that if book 3 is ever released, it'll actually sum up to be retrospectively greater than Sanderson's cosmere body of works. The depth in them is incredible. I'm fairly confident in saying that when Sanderson finishes up the Cosmere, everything within that was introduced will be explored, and that the overall quality will remain high throughout. Most other series of a similar vein have 1/2 or less the depth and never more than scratch the surface of the little mysteries that readers might want explored. Basically, there are definitely people who are better at specifics, but it's hard to find an author and say 'this person is wholistically better'. If you like the specifics of a certain author, they'll be better to you, but if you're looking at the average of all elements, Sanderson ranks at absolute #1 in several aspects and even in the aspects he's most criticised in, is perfectly functional to good. With that said, I really do think he could have stood to advance Shallan and Kaladin's plot faster in Stormlight 4. It read well, but it wasn't good reading. Kaladin's depression, for example, was the most accurate portrayal I've ever read. It was also absolutely draggin after 1000 chapters and maybe could have been written in a better way through him finding small fulfilment through helping others, then having his great realisation and triumphant moment. It probably would have been more realistic and enjoyably readable that way. With that said, I'm confident that Wax and Wayne 4 will not have those same issues, because they're not those types of books.

@lewstherintelescope

Жыл бұрын

​@@Speckhuggarn Yeah, as I understand it his team handles a lot of revision things like continuity checking with previous books, trying to work out how to make maps or timelines work, hammering out the math for the magic, etc, as well as things like coordinating with publishers and artists or handling his social media promotion, which lets him focus more on outlining and writing full time in a way other authors without as many resources can't always do. Though he's also just a bit crazy lol, several things like the Wax and Wayne books or the four secret novels come from him getting burnt out on writing from something heavy like Stormlight and _writing more books_ as a solution. But his team enables him to actually _do_ this rather than being tied up in other things he would be less productive with.

"He felt good lots of days. Trouble was, on the bad days, that was hard to remember. At those times, for some reason, he felt like he had always been in darkness, and always would be. Why was it so hard to remember? Did he have to keep slipping back down? Why couldn't he stay up here in the sunlight, where everyone else lived?"

@debrachambers1304

Жыл бұрын

That's a really good excerpt, it makes me interested in reading his work

@embern3372

Жыл бұрын

@@debrachambers1304 You should, he deeply explores mental trauma and disorders in a real and authentic way that's loyal to people who actually have those issues.

@docstockandbarrel

Ай бұрын

This tells you he knows of clinical depression v. situational.

My favorite thing about Sanderson is his willingness to help and teach others. I'm currently trying to write my fourth book and his self deprecation is a big motivation boost. 13 books before published, his Sanderson's Laws where each law is literally mistakes he made and fessed up to, and just admitting he sucks at spelling. It puts an inspiring writer at ease, and his free courses where he loves how others are learning and creating just adds to why I like him.

Another aspect of Brandon's writing that I think broadens his reach is that his books are filled with hope in the face of staggering odds and it may be hard fought but the good guys win. This is in direct contrast to the movement of morally ambiguous heroes and dark fantasy and being "realistic." People from this movement might dislike what he does, but I think a lot of people want to see the good guys win so that they can have hope in their lives.

@ttt5020

Жыл бұрын

Yeah! And somehow, the good guys beating the staggering odds always manages to feel earned, or at least lucky, rather than forced narrativly.

@RespectTheSourceMaterial

Жыл бұрын

bro we had stories where the good guys win against impossible odds since the 60s. even today the biggest franchises in the world are doing exactly that like marvel and dc. If anything the dark fantasy stories are few and far between. I don't know why people think the biggest trope in the world is somehow a counter movement to something.

@drachefly

Жыл бұрын

@@RespectTheSourceMaterial TTT's addendum that *it feels earned*, is very important. It's never deus ex machina. When it gets anywhere NEAR the Power Of Friendship Beats All, then it's because of specific critical personal choices that you know exactly why that mechanically matters in this context, and why that choice would be difficult to make, and yet why they'd make it anyway… AND the storytelling is laid out such that it didn't need to go that way, because there was still room for it to get worse, so the stakes were real.

@RespectTheSourceMaterial

Жыл бұрын

@@drachefly but really?. Bridge four didn't survive because of their choices and that's why there weren't any stakes. They survived because of kaladins convenient power to draw arrows to himself so that they weren't hurt. You're literally talking about a different series. How does that feel earned? The only reason bridge 4 starts to trust him is because he took the place of rock to the front and because of his power arrows couldn't hurt him. Then he was hunged during a storm but was fine because of his power. The crew didn't survive because of their choices, intelligence or skills but only because kaladins Deus ex machina powers. Let's be real.

@drachefly

Жыл бұрын

​@@RespectTheSourceMaterial A) 'You're literally talking about a different series' I didn't mention any series in particular? B) That's not the final conflict of the story, though - that's the middle, where things are being introduced so as to set up the final conflict. In that middle phase, discovering capabilities is fair. C) It's much more Kaladin's story than the story of the rest of Bridge 4 at that point in the story, so it's even less of a DeM because it isn't about them (yet).

it's funny how most of the criticisms you described, are actually why I love him so much hahahah I love that he has a straightforward prose and doesn't focus on flowery writing, I love that that with his worldbuilding he doesn't spend an entire page describing the roof of a building but focuses on what we need to know and I love that I know for sure that the end of each book is going to be so much fun, and stressful, to read because of all the reaveals and the epic action scenes

@shanecavanaugh4679

Жыл бұрын

Same, sometimes when I try to read fantasy it’s a slog because the author spends so much time talking about and describing things I don’t care about. I love how Sanderson just gets straight to it and keeps the book moving.

@SpiceWeazel

Жыл бұрын

I agree! I think that a lot of fantasy authors and readers mistake flowery writing for compelling writing. I'm a huge fan of beautiful prose, and I read a lot of classical literature because of it. But so many fantasy authors think good prose is made by simply adding more adjectives to a sentence.

English is not my first language. My language doesn't produced fantasy books. I tried LOTR, Wot. I couldn't get into them despite trying hard. But Brandon is accessible. I got to experience this great Worlds because him.

@gouravpareek3635

Жыл бұрын

I understand you pain

@stuchatterton6550

Жыл бұрын

You should also keep in mind that LOTR was written something like 70 years ago by a very scholarly, older man. A lot of the books of that era have become more difficult to read and sometimes display attitudes not really palatable today. I tried reading some books to my son I had loved as a child. They were clunky at best. Science fiction is another genre affected by this where heroes were at best wooden, and women were merely window dressing to make them look good. Simplification I know, but may explain some of the difficulties with accessibility.

@manisekarkarthickraja4928

Жыл бұрын

It was quite the opposite for me. I started with Kingkiller chronicles and Wot, loved both of them. Now three books into Stromlight archive, not loving it much. I like it enough, but it doesn't excite me like wot or first law did

@eclipse12822

Жыл бұрын

as a native english speaker, i agree too haha what I love about Sanderson is how clearly and efficiently he can describe whats going on. Especially in action scenes, its like i can see them playing out. With other authors my eyes can just glaze over when they try to write action cause i get so confused

@prasenjeetbanerjee2867

Жыл бұрын

Dude we have Mahabharat

I love Sanderson so much as a person I think that makes me a fan. Like his book are amazing yes, but I feel like he respects his readers so much. His yearly update was the first thing I found about him before reading his book and it blew my mind. now i listen to his weekly podcast with Dan Wells and i just love this human HAHAHA

Interesting point about Sanderson not making his worlds more than what the plot needs. That is actually why I love his worldbuilding so much. I find that I really like stories where all the elements are geared towards having a specific theme and characters, and when the world is made solely for that purpose it cuts out all unnecessary side plots and prevents the story from dragging

@robmack519

Жыл бұрын

I agree with your points entirely. Maybe there's some literary merit to expounding on the world with flowery descriptions of everything, but I actually find that pulls me out of the world because I'm impatient. His style of world building allows for higher tempo story telling, and I appreciate that.

@e443productions9

Жыл бұрын

@@robmack519 Exactly! Honestly the flowery and over description trying to make the world feel expansive is the precise reason why I am struggling so much with the middle of Wheel of Time currently. Even when Sanderson does extra descriptions and details (e.g. Interludes in Stormlight), those are always made with the intention of building a mystery around the world. That is interesting!

@robmack519

Жыл бұрын

@@e443productions9 I feel your pain with WoT. My struggle with that one was more the sheer number of names of people and places to keep straight. Plus I was listening to the audiobook and didn't look at a map until book 6 or 7. Despite that, I did listen again when the show came out and it was WAY better the second time since I knew who/where everyone was.

@e443productions9

Жыл бұрын

@@robmack519 Oh yeah I'm reading it for the first time and on Audiobook format too. I finished Lord of Chaos this past summer but haven't had the opportunity/motivation to start "the slog" because it was already getting hard to keep track for me

@HurricaneDDragon

Жыл бұрын

You’re all about the destination, not the journey.

The accessibility is the reason imo he's a unique beast. Mistborn was my reintroduction to fantasy. It's been my reccomendation to non reader friends, who don't have experience readi g these 600+ page fantasy epics. You can simy pick Sanderson up and get reading. And not to even talk about the fact that all of his books are atleast 7s or above. Hes not an author who'll put out two 10s and then five 2s. He has a reliable quality track record. And that matters when I'm making a veeeeery long term commitment to a fantasy series

@Jaasau

Жыл бұрын

Really great points.

@pressfinchat

Жыл бұрын

I’d say all of his books were at least 8.5+ for me, but 7+ is not a rating I would see one give to a lot of authors nowadays, even some of the more notable ones on Sanderson’s level

This video convinced me to pick up Mistborn. I haven’t read a fantasy book since Harry Potter over twenty years ago. As a slow reader, a 700 page book is insanely daunting. Currently halfway through it and it’s the first time I’ve felt compelled each day to pick it up and read a chapter (or two). This may not sound like much to an avid reader, but to me this is an astounding achievement that Sanderson has accomplished. Thanks for the recommendation.

@docstockandbarrel

Ай бұрын

My intro to Sanderson was the Wheel of Time, so I did like big books. I started Way of Kings at the recommendation of my sister in law. Halfway through I was like, "Seriously? Where does it get going?" She told me to keep reading, and sure enough it had a fantastic payoff.

What I always appreciate about Brandon Sanderson is that he’s incredibly open about the process and is incredibly consistent with the quality and speed with which he releases his books. There really is no one else that does it like him.

Sanderson is a passionate, skilled writer with an entrepreneurial mindset. The first makes his books great, the second makes his legacy great.

@AleksandarIvanov69

Жыл бұрын

Compare that to GRRM. Books great, legacy tarnished. Why? Because wanted the money from a TV show more than to please his readers... That's not entrepreneurial at all

@jonasquinn7977

Жыл бұрын

@Aleksandar Ivanov that feels pretty unfair, say what you want about GRRM but the average person is probably more aware of him than Sanderson

@TheRedHaze3

Жыл бұрын

@@jonasquinn7977 Yeah but that doesn't mean his legacy isn't tarnished. The TV show had a horrific ending that almost everyone hated, and the books probably won't be finished given his age, how long it's taking him to write Winds of Winter, and the fact that there's an additional book to be written that will most likely take at least as long as Winds of Winter, if not longer. A lot of people are very unhappy with GRRM.

@jonasquinn7977

Жыл бұрын

@@TheRedHaze3 Firstly you can’t really blame GRRM for the ending of Game of Thrones since that was the stuff that’s as implicitly nit based in his work anymore and the people making it actively chose to rush things just so they could stop working on it. Not to mention that the success of HotD which he was much more involved with has erased any stigma that there may have been for a lot of people It also feels kind of entitled to say that him dying before he can finish a book is bad business sense

@TheRedHaze3

Жыл бұрын

@@jonasquinn7977 I'm not *blaming* GRRM for how the show ended, but you can't say he has a good legacy when his magnum opus doesn't have a (good) ending. HoTD may have erased the stigma or GoT, but I don't think GRRM is a fantasy author who will be talked much about in the future like Tolkien or Robert Jordan is, unless people are talking about wasted potential.

Sanderson's BYU lectures here on KZread are a great resource for writers starting out. (So is Merphy's 'Dear Authors' series, while we're at it.)

One of my favorite things about Brandon is what he’s been doing for representation of mental illness and neurodivergence. Kaladin’s depression, Vin’s paranoia, multiple portrayals of addiction, they all feel real, and authors need to be writing about this type of thing. He does his homework when it comes to writing experiences he doesn’t personally have, like all the digging he did in order to create Steris. (And by the way, Steris is probably the first confirmed autistic character that i’ve read and gone “hey, it’s me!”) Merphy made a great point about something like depression being all-encompassing because sometimes, it can really feel like that.

@Feeeeeeenix

Жыл бұрын

he also asked how paraplegic people managed their days when writing the dawnshard novella (stormlight archive 3.5)

@Bushwhacker-so4yk

Жыл бұрын

@@Feeeeeeenix For Rysn, I’m assuming.

@canedavenport687

Жыл бұрын

He did much homework for Fort's deafness in Tress too. He always does a fantastic job.

@Erick-tv8oq

Жыл бұрын

I also love the way he writes romantic subplots. He always make sure the couples have a good ammount of chemistry, and conflicts within the relationship are always solved through communication, empathy and respect. Vin makes the decision to stay with Elend because he clearly trusted her above all else. Shallan stays with Adolin because he can identify her idiosyncrasies, the little things that makes her herself, even when she can’t, and shows empathy for her struggles like no one else.

@kre4ture218

Жыл бұрын

As someone who‘s interested in addiction and how it works, could you point me to who you mean exactly I can only think of a certain someone’s father in Mistborn, but that’s really short-lived, so not a really deep portrayal

English is my second language, so I really appreciate his prose. His books were the first ones I read in English and it really helped me to improve in the language because of his direct way of writing. So I completely agree on the accessibility point you mentioned. I'm also a biiiiig fan of worldbuilding, connected universes and magic systems so I love his takes on that and when I pick up one of his book, I know I'll get some complex worlds no matter what.

I like the fact that he puts so much effort in fan interaction, even though he must be very busy. Lifestreams, podcasts, etc. Aside from that, I think his content is very educational about his craft. I've never read anything of his, but I enjoy his youtube and have watched his lectures several times.

@joecoffee7750

Жыл бұрын

Pick up Mistborn, it’s great and one of his early works, and he only gets better from there.

@hillary6563

Жыл бұрын

I can't get past this without hearing that you've never read anything of his. Come back when you feel that you've read something in order to represent an accurate representation of him regardless of what others are saying. 😬

@SonofSethoitae

3 ай бұрын

​@@hillary6563Kind of uncool to be telling people what to do

His lectures saved me with my own book I’m writing. Even the intro is so motivating. I still can’t say anything about his actual books as they are still on my TBR. But planning on starting MistBorn in December. Can’t wait.

To say "Sanderson is overrated" is not the same as saying "Sanderson is bad." I see him in similar terms as Stephen King, which is that he is very good to excellent at what he does well, but yes, has his weaknesses, and people tend to overstate both sides, especially in the social media era. I will not call him the greatest at anything, but I personally love his work, flaws and all.

@Derploop

Жыл бұрын

Name a better plot writer; someone more capable of making everything they put in the pages matter and tie up every loose end.

@masonguthrie1257

Жыл бұрын

while I can agree with that I honestly cannot. think of a better magic writer than him.

@Derploop

Жыл бұрын

@@masonguthrie1257 ok but answer the question. I'm part genuinely curious and part thinking you can't. All I can think of would be Malazan, but I don't think that even comes close to the completeness Sanderson seems to go for. Every little thread woven back into the tapestry.

@masonguthrie1257

Жыл бұрын

@@Derploop Personally I love his plots and the way he writes. Though to be fair I think he is much more known for his Magic Systems than his plots, not to say that those are not great as well in my opinion.

@mrlaforgephysics

Жыл бұрын

I don’t think overrated is correct though. Every Sanderson fan I know is clear about the shortcomings and would acknowledge them freely. We aren’t declaring him the greatest writer of all time but he is so easy to recommend and he will always be a huge commercial success for that reason.

All I can say is that I am so grateful that you introduced me to Brandon Sanderson.

His prose is the only thing that gets to me and it's exactly as you said. I find myself thinking, "Yeah, man, I get it. You don't have to spell it out."

2:35 - The future is now! He said at the launch event at Dragonsteel that he had been reluctant to force new readers to catch up to enjoy new books, but that he has come to the decision to lean into the interconnectivity that makes his stories unique and that, starting with The Lost Metal, everything is going to start converging a lot more.

@ThePhantomFail

Жыл бұрын

I believe it. The references to other books in Lost Metal are frequent from the ~1/3 I've read so far.

@plaecholder

Жыл бұрын

Now at this point you have several different start points where you really don't need to pay attention to interconnectivity. Even if you need to read 20 books to understand the next release, you'll always have mistborn to recommend for someone who doesn't want to dive THaT deep.

@stevenhedge2850

Жыл бұрын

yeah. but it does help that there are SO many books and series now that you can hop in anywhere from his past books and still enjoy them. it just means, after 15 years, its time to move on and learn more about the cosmere

The passion and care with which he constructs his worlds, characters and magic systems is fascinating to me

Thank you for actually having a respectful discussion about an author rather than just selling your opinion as the only answer. I'm so tired of seeing people just hate on authors and not bring forth the light and positive aspects of their writing. I will always listen to your discussions ❤️

about a quarter through the hero of ages, and i think its safe to say this was the series that reignited my love of reading

@atharvadeshpande4749

Жыл бұрын

One of Us, One of Us, One of us. Welcome to the Sandercult.

@noname3609

Жыл бұрын

Hoa was pretty good but stormlight is on other level. 😍

@ninnusridhar

Жыл бұрын

This was exactly my experience. I read Mistborn some 2 years ago, and i haven't stopped reading since. Some 250+ books later, i still consider Sanderson to be my Godfather of fantasy

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

This video was posted at the perfect time!

This is like a Brandon Sanderson tutorial. I love it

For me, it's really very simple. He finishes his stories and clearly tells us when and how. I will take good finished stories over great unfinished ones any day. The prose doesn't bother me as I don't read him for that. He scratches a very specific itch for me and he does it really well. So, while, of course he has his flaws just like any other author, the good far outweighs the mediocre for me.

I tried so hard not to let him be my favorite author, but he Keeps doing amazing things! It’s exciting to be part of the discussion even though I knew pretty much everything in this video. Merph, your deep dive into Sanderson is spot on!

Themes Merphy, the way that Brandon writes themes is masterful.

His work ethic and ability to FINISH what he starts is what wins major points from me… waiting decades for books pulls the rug out from under otherwise fantastic series’. I’m looking at you SoIAF and Kingkiller.

“A world that is bigger than the pages of the book.” That is an amazing description of what I look for in fantasy as well. Thank you for that excellent description.

@Florfilm

Жыл бұрын

For me though that’s exactly what Sanderson does.

@beebsman4331

Жыл бұрын

@@Florfilm he does in a sense, but I’d say reading Sanderson feels more like a set path story. Whereas a “bigger than the pages of the book” feels more like playing an open world video game.

@corbanbausch9049

Жыл бұрын

@@Florfilm He does, but rather than "bigger than the pages of the book", its "bigger than the pages of the book, _for now_ ". Its less about the sense of wonder of something you'll never understand fully, and more about trying to figure it out like a puzzle.

@Berndr

Жыл бұрын

And yet even she has no clue what she means by that... She said Sanderson only writes about events, plots and characters that are in connection to the plot and the world ???? why would any writer write about characters, events or anything that is not important for the world-building or plot ... who does that? I would love an example ... even Tolkien with his massive world has never written anything that is not important or connected to the plot, culture, history, or the world itself ... She trying to be clever ... but I am not buying it

@beebsman4331

Жыл бұрын

@@Berndr come on now. You must be blind if you can’t see the clear difference between the intentional vastness of Tolkiens writing versus Sanderson. Sanderson does have vast and connecting worlds, but in the process of reading it feels very rigid. This isn’t a bad thing, it creates a very clean and direct story inside a great fantasy world. But reading Tolkien you feel every nuanced part of the world. Despite any given description you feel the weight and history of the worlds surroundings. Tolkien constantly references things that are part of the world, but have little to no direct impact on the story at hand. Whereas almost everything Sanderson writes has or will have a direct impact on the story at hand within that book.

I think his strengths definitely revolves around consistency as a writer and just having an enthusiasm and writing a lot of books. It really is admirable, as is his desire to pass the knowledge on. I'm also thankful that he finished WoT, which even if I find it not quite as strong as some of the earlier books it was a well-done task finishing somebody else's work. For me I think that the writing itself is not something I get hooked on; it was actually fine in the first series I read but after that it's like... hard to explain and possibly more due to the nature of that trilogy (first Mistborn), but I had my fill after that somehow. I just don't click with the style as much as I do with some others; I think it's a combination of the style itself and being overly explaining such that it actually doesn't stimulate my imagination as much, somehow. I will say that I also feel the heavy focus on magic systems (while they can be cool!) can be a detractor from the actual plot in a given book, instead of being part of it. Thinking on it, I feel like Stormlight is actually what I like least that I've read from him. I think it is because to me it's spread a little too thin, the project is a little too large or something like that, and I even find that understandable. One of my alltime favourite writers of worldbuilding is Steven Erikson, and you can see in his Malazan main series that it is uneven, even if the dips are smaller for me, in having decided ahead of time the format of the series more or less and then trying to make that fit. I think so far Sanderson has just done better when he has less of a mold to follow, instead of having to fit it into this type of long arc. All that said I mean, if you are a fan of Sanderson you really get a lot of stuff to read, it is quite the situation to be in if you enjoy it.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

Then again, from everything I've heard, it isn't supposed to be his writing that people get hooked on? It's meant to the story/characters/world/magic/whatever that his writing tells readers about? Unfortunately, there are as many people who actually _want_ to see those kinds of things color the writing or such[ or be colored by the writing] as there are people who enjoy simply having those things delivered to them uncolored and/or then coloring them in for themselves? I dunno-Maybe that's just me, grasping at straws here, though. Lol The only writing of Sanderson's that I've actually read is actually a short story he put up on his website that he wrote when he was younger. I can't remember if it was the first thing he ever wrote, or the first thing he ever submitted/published at all, but something along those lines. Lol I didn't hate it though-and I have the rest of his stuff on my TBR, so .. We'll see how I feel after I start reading his proper series and all! Lol

I don't say this lightly, or as a joke. Brandon Sanderson is the Taylor Swift of fantasy fiction. Quite literally. Incredibly popular, incredibly consistent, very accessible, has a unique style, everything they put out is good. Yet, not very experimental, doesn't take too many risks. I can say more, but i think i put the point across.

@annejia5382

Жыл бұрын

i have been saying this for a long time and both vice versa 😂 swiftie sandos represent!!! 👏

@annejia5382

Жыл бұрын

the speed they pump out their works

@mitchierainbow7353

Жыл бұрын

This makes so much sense

@Lizzyb1813

Жыл бұрын

The accuracy. 100% this.

@mosiah9205

Жыл бұрын

I’ve compared him to the MCU and I think it’s a fair comparison. He follows a formula and it works! It’s entertaining stuff that I enjoy, don’t need to think about too hard, and is accessible.

All I knew about him before this was that he was a very quick writer, lol. Thank you for explaining so well!

Brandon's accessible writing style plus compelling stories/universe made him the perfect author to get me back into reading after I had lost the hobby for most of my 20s. As soon as I started Mistborn on a friend's recommendation I was absolutely hooked- within the year I had consumed everything that existed for the Cosmere thus far. And he's just such a delightful person too; I love following his channel and seeing his updates. I have so much appreciation for him and his works!

Such a great video and it makes it great that you don't shy away from the rougher stuff. Like you, I can recognize some weaknesses but he's definitely a favorite author of mine as well

I would describe Brandon as someone who builds "theme parks". Every square inch is designed to be the best possible thing in the story of the "park", but once you see the fence, there's no way to unsee that you are within a curated experience. He is a master at his craft, but not much more beyond that.

I've read a lot of different authors from different generations, and he's ok, he's not great or terrible. He writes really well and I enjoyed the mistborn series, but everyone told me how groundbreaking it was and that I had to read it, it would change my world. Nah he's good, but nothing he's done hasn't been done a million times. About the only thing that was unique about his story was the magic system, never seen that before and I can appreciate that. but story wise, nothing unique, worlds, thousands of them from different authors. A unique world doesn't necessarily to mean make a good story or good characters.

@alexanderzaugg4484

Жыл бұрын

Out of curiosity, what other books have you read that did something similar to Sazed's plot throughout the three Mistborn books?

I think the biggest criticism of Sanderson's magic systems is also their biggest strength: they are mechanical. A lot of people prefer magic in their books to be more full of wonder and Sanderson's magic systems are far too video game-y for their taste as a result. But I think that's just a taste thing as well-some people prefer soft magic, some people prefer hard magic, some people enjoy both.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

Yes! For me, the appeal of magic is the _fantasy_ of it-the ability to imagine that maybe, just maybe, it *could* actually be POSSIBLE to get out of situations sometimes that in reality you would never otherwise be able to get out of at all! ^--^ I love it when magic is treated more scientifically too, but I started to get bored of it after the first few times I encountered it and found myself wishing there was more of a mix of different approaches to magic in different things. ^-^ But that's just me! 😊

@onilink134

Жыл бұрын

His magic strikes a nice bit of balance for me. Like yeah, it's basically a science, but... well, as a certain very influential thief once said: There's always another secret.

@yes_head

Жыл бұрын

Video-game-y is a good way to describe it, but I'm guessing that's why it appeals to a lot of younger readers.

@MagnusItland

Жыл бұрын

When I read the first Mistborn book, I felt that his magic system would have been great for a superhero RPG. Ironically, I love superhero RPGs, and maybe this is why I kept feeling the dissonance all the time, like eating a hot dog with caramel sauce.

@pressfinchat

Жыл бұрын

Hard rules help the magic be grounded, prevents Brandon from making asspulls because the magic was too magical they became vague and no one knows what they do exactly anymore

He is consistent. That's it IMHO you can always pick up a book of his and know that you are in for a good time, not great, not amazing but a good time. And you see that he thinks and plans his books as well so you know that if you engage intellectually with a world you will be rewarded for that. In the age of interrupted series like Song of Ice and Fire or Dresden Files, where people invested a lot of time and are being left out to dry for years without explanation this just makes him a safe bet. He is the safe and comforting boyfriend that most for us settle in the end and are happy after a series of bad relaitonships.

@poojasampelli

Жыл бұрын

HAHA that last line made me laugh. I agree tho!

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

Wait.. Dresden Files has left fans hanging?? (I'm so out of the looop, because Dresden is on my TBR but I haven't started reading it yet!) Lol

@chazz30000

Жыл бұрын

@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 There was a 3-year hiatus between books after the author said he will be publishing books every 6 months and being pretty consistent before as well. Then radio silence for those said 3 years with no official information just gossip from unverified sources, now the series is kinda back on track (with a very messy double release Peace Talks/Battle Ground where the story feels chopped up bcs last minute the author decided to make it two books) but the overall quality has been falling IMHO since book 15 but now after the brake more evidently.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

@@chazz30000 Ah-I wonder what happened.🤔 Thanks for explaining 🙂

@masonguthrie1257

Жыл бұрын

I find this idea that you are only in for a good time to be a bit harsh in a way. I understand that people like super deep descriptive stories but I find that for me it falls flat and a bit preformative when authors try to too much to add depth and meaning. I guess it is up to personal preference but based on how large of a fan base he has made through his writting the you have to in a way credit him for making great books. of course I am not saying that you need to think they are great but from a general consensus and statistics it seems like they would fall into the category of great. just a thought though.

Sanderson's world building is precise, but sometimes it can feel mechanical, which is both a praise and a critcism depending on which part of worldbuilding you connect to. If you love having intentional mysteries and lore to discover yourself by piecing things together until that "AH HA !" moment, then it's a praise. If you prefer getting immersed in a world, and feeling like you're really there, then it's a criticism because his worlds can feel too focused at times. Not enough space to explore and make you want to go there

@masonguthrie1257

Жыл бұрын

I find this interesting because personally, I find that I can get very immersed in the world because he does not drone on with the descriptions. For instance, while I love the world Tolkien has created I cannot enjoy it by reading it in a story because it does the opposite and pulls me out of the story. of course this is only my opinion but I just found it interesting how people state that it is hard to get immersed in his world.

@jaredalexander3130

Жыл бұрын

@@masonguthrie1257 Agreed

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

@@masonguthrie1257 Just different kinds of "immersed" for different folks, I guess. Maybe. 🙂

@masonguthrie1257

Жыл бұрын

@@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 Most definitely I only commented this out of surprise at how common his world-building took people out of his story in a way for people.

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341

Жыл бұрын

@@masonguthrie1257 I figured so. 🙂 I was only commenting what I thought may be a possible reason why the same thing can have such a polar-opposite affect on different persons, for the sake of observation &/or the discussion[ in general].

Sanderson is my most favorite author ever. I can’t get enough of what he writes. Love him!

In the lost metal livestream, brandon actually gave a pretty cool speech to basically say that, from this book on, the gloves are off for big cosmere conectivity. So cosmere reading recomendation videos, beware 😄

Besides the topic at hand, in this video we can see you totally immersed in your passion for fantasy books. I could not help to let my thoughts wander off and think how so so so well done this video is. Thank you, Merphy.

Sanderson has talked about the importance of new writers. The importance of a new voice a new style. You can learn how to write or paint by the numbers but if you follow it to the letter what will make you stand a part. Most great artists or writers have a special voice. Their growth depends on them not losing that voice as they learn more and more techniques. Sanderson voice/style is present through out all his work. But he has grown much. I could not even get through the prolog of Mistborn. I could sense the young author trying eagerly proving to me how smart he was. While I was completely blown away by him in Stormlight by his setups and pay offs. His style has not changed he has simply has gain a deeper understanding of himself as a writer and writes with more true confidence and less bravado.

The last book I had read was in my second year of high school because it was mandatory. That was 2008 or so? After that I just never did my book reading assignments and just got my grades up through other tests. Cue to a year or so ago when your video with Daniel randomly got recommended to me. Figured I'd give it a watch since "pick up reading" was one of those things that was always on my to do list but never got around to it. Mistborn is the first book recommended in that video. Instantly thought that the idea sounded dope and I ordered the book. Absolutely loved that book and was super into it from the start. At first I was reading 20-30 minutes a day. But by the end I got so invested that I probably finished the last 25% of the book in 1 sitting. Took a small break but I'm now reading the second mistborn.

From the author who brought us, "NO MATING," he has my loyal support

Love Sanderson and the Lost Metal is in route and will be here Saturday- thanks for the thoughtful discussion and I agree- love him for his complex worlds, magic and characters presented in an accessible way that makes even the villains known and therefore easy to support.

I’ve never read a Sanderson book but still heard great things about him because of how consistent he is when finishing his books. I love that about him as a fellow writer. His fan’s are rewarded as well. Cheers to him.

The third act problem is what killed it for me. I've read 4 Sanderson's books. The plot amazing, the magic systems mindblowing. Good characters and I do not find anything wrong with straighforward prose. BUT As I was starting the second book, it started with an action scene, then slow till the third act where like half of the stuff happens, and then again as I started the third book with the exact same pattern, it was killing my life. It is like he has a system that triggers dopamine and it is hacking my brain to like it or something. And it turned almost like a chore in a sense due to this. Probably did not help that read all that back-to-back-to-back. I see the love for what he does but in my case at least, I'm going to be taking it slowly to not get burned by that issue.

Thanks for this post. I agree with a lot of what you said. I do love the work. The interconnection of people and worlds.

A very good presentation. I think you've really hit on a lot of the key points of what has made him such an effective and successful writer. Very well considered and articulated.

I personally enjoy Sanderson's prose more than other authors specifically because of how non-flowery and straight to the point it is. It feels a little more scientific in a way which I appreciate. Since English is not my first or second language, sometimes overly flowery prose and metaphors go over my head and I end up confused, so precise straight to the point prose is exactly my cup of tea.

Sanderson, for me, is all about the characters. The magic system is a big part of my love but the characters are what keeps me reading

Excellent video, Merphy. Really enjoyed it.

Love the editing in this video

I’m new to Sanderson (only the first 2 Mistborn books so far) and your point about prose is my biggest struggle. There is nothing to read between the lines, and yes every character will explain/think their emotions to death and not require much of the reader. It makes the books feel targeted towards a much younger audience, which may be the case. The story is entertaining enough to keep going though!

I hope that these help some of you! Detailed time-stamps: FIRST PART: 0:00 - Intro! 0:11 to 0:13 - What this video is going to be about 0:19 - Context 0:41 - Awesome drawing! 0:49 - Things Sanderson is well-known for by fans/critics 3:39 - What Sanderson thrives in doing 3:56 - Weaknesses that people have noted 6:03 - Something important to know based on what types of world building you prefer 7:00 - Magic systems 8:09 - Something about his magic systems when characters are in a bad situation 9:39 - Criticisms 10:07 - Prose 10:35 - Criticisms about his prose 11:47 - Telling and not showing 12:36 - Characters 12:54 - Types of characters 13:28 - His strengths with characters 14:27 - Relatable characters 14:48 - Criticisms on character work/Still relatable 16:16 - Third Act! 16:30 - How he writes/plots 17:07 - Reveals in the Third Act 17:43 - Criticism SECOND PART: 18:52 - What makes him so POPULAR?! 19:37 - Three things that make him so popular 20:17 - Easy to transition from YA to his books 20:37 - Very good writer 22:06 to 22:10 - What tends to turn people away from his books 23:02 - About him as a person (I followed his channel recently. It is Brandon Sanderson.) 23:55 - His podcast 24:31 - Very good qualities 😊 24:51 - He is consistent with putting out books 25:34 - Cool qualities about things he does 26:33 - Merphy’s shelf 📚 26:30 - Conclusion 28:47 - Closing questions 29:11 - Discussion Announcement! 29:35 - Outro

@Florfilm

Жыл бұрын

Wow so awesome.

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

@@Florfilm Thank you!

This is the first video of yours I have seen, and I gotta say it was fantastic! What a fair and balanced way to approach Brandon Sandersons many strengths and weaknesses! New subscriber hyyyyype!

This is really thoughtful. I love this channel

I thinknit helps that he's super consistent about actually finishing books and they are very accessible while being well written. I personally think at least some of the criticism comes just because he's LDS

@fromheaventoearth5779

Жыл бұрын

I find him incredibly bland. I haven't been able to finish more than five chapters of any of his books. But what is "LDS" sorry if it's a silly question.

@AndreasSelzer

Жыл бұрын

Nothing wrong with being a Mormon. That it is like assuming all Muslims beat women.

@AndreasSelzer

Жыл бұрын

@@fromheaventoearth5779 Means he is a Mormon. So it is a weird argument to have unless one assumes all Mormons are bad.

@tiagodagostini

Жыл бұрын

I think most of the criticism comes from the same thing that allow him to keep finishing books so fast. His style if basically always the same. The tone of each book prose is basically the same, with exception of Warbreaker there is the same level and model of humor, same level and type of mistery, same level of mental issues on the characters. If he can keep the same mental state all the time while writting it will be easier for him to finish several books at same time, but after you have read all his books it starts to get less exciting.

@gauthamvignesh17

Жыл бұрын

@@fromheaventoearth5779 Well if you haven't read even a single book through your opinions aren't valid

Man. I got to page 30 of Mistborn, shelved it behind several piles of books and haven't felt compelled, impelled or drawn to it since. I really feel like I'm missing out on something here, but I think having read authors like Faulkner, London, Wolfe, Pynchon, and McCarthy in the literature arena and Tolkien, Moorcock, Lieber, Donaldson, Martin, Mieville, Bakker, and Lynch--to name a few--in the fantasy genre, I simply can't bring myself to read Sanderson. His prose simply pales in comparison. You talk about world building and magic systems, but both are languages, or aspects of language in their own rights, and in a sense require a particular type of word-craft to really lend them credence, verisimilitude, gravitas, and a notion of possession, of haunting. Simply spamming words just to get ideas down, whether there's a formula behind it to deliver a punchline or not, doesn't work for me. Even Stephen King who writes for 7th grade reader levels still artfully weaves his language in a way that enchants his readers. Sanderson, a writer, is supposed to weave a spell with word and bind his reader. This requires putting some effort into his craft, I would presume, but instead he would rather churn out 40+ books, which I can't blame him as he's commercially successful. I suppose he sacrificed laboring over the Word to making lots of money. His popularity speaks for itself, and I guess I am the problem. Perhaps I was warded to his work by other spellcasters that have come before him.

@freelookmode9837

5 ай бұрын

All I know is your prose made my eyes gloss over.

The comment on structure is soo true! I listened to all of the stormlight archive back to back and found the thoughts in my head coming together in the exact same structure that he so often uses.

I think Brandon Sanderson is a very good writer but he also seems like a genuinely good guy and that helps a lot too. He's basically the fantasy nerd in all of us who made it big. I love how humble he is. I've watched some of his teaching videos and found them very interesting. He also seems to know what his fans want and delivers on it.

I mean it's not exactly a mystery. Sanderson's writing is imminently accessible, you could be borderline illiterate and still breeze through those books. And he writes a million of them, which makes his fans feel good about dedicating so much time to that universe. I'm not personally a fan, his worlds and characters feel shallow to me. Like cardboard cutouts of the real thing, except that the real thing doesn't actually exist. But different strokes and all that.

I think I really finally figured out why Sanderson is so popular. Brandon Sanderson's writing is written at a very low Lexile level. For those who don't know Lexile level is the grade-level classification for books. Sanderson's Lexile level is 3rd to 5th grade. However, his books are marketed to an older audience. I am not sure if this is on purpose or just accidental but Sanderson's writing fits into a "white space" in the marketplace, books for adult or young adult readers who are not very sophisticated in their ability to understand literature that is even a little bit complicated. Sanderson's works, while long, are not very sophisticated in their prose, vocabulary, themes, characterizations, or plot. This makes them very accessible to adult readers who read far below their age. This is also why so many people revile him. If you have even a little bit of sophistication in your appreciation of literature, and you have heard Sanderson's fans drone on about how great he is, and then you read one of his books, you are left asking yourself what is the big deal? There isn't one, his books are just not for adults or young adults who have developed the ability to comprehend somewhat intelligent, sophisticated, or complicated literature.

@ofantasticozilus3584

Жыл бұрын

"Lexile levei" 🤓

Great video, I really like your perspective. I haven't read any of his own work but I will definitely put it on the list. Thanks!

Wow, I just recently subscribed and you drop this video. What a treat!

Your point about the world-building kind of puts into words what has tended to bother me about Sanderson's books, a feeling that I can't really connect with them the way I do with many of my favorites (Malazan, WoT, Guy Gavriel Kay's books, etc.). For example, I remember reading Mistborn and liking many parts of it (like the action, the magic system, many of the characters, etc.), but the world never really clicked for me.

@yes_head

Жыл бұрын

Guy Gavriel Kay -- there's a good fantasy writer.

One additional thing I want to add. He is also a really nice guy! I met him at BookCon 2018 and I had a great chat with him. Someone you can definitely see being a friend.

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

That is so cool!

@YTLawnGnome

Жыл бұрын

@@britneynicole8903 I know! He even liked my idea about there ever was a Mistborn film that Ewan McGreggor was the only actor I could ever see playing Kellsier. He really thought it was a good choice.

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

@@YTLawnGnome Wow! That is so neat. I hope that there is a film one day!

@YTLawnGnome

Жыл бұрын

@@britneynicole8903 Me too! His work writes like movies. Have you read his recent graphic novel The Dark One? I highly recommend. Me and my colleagues over on the Chanel That's Comic-Cal had a video discussing it last year after it came out.

@britneynicole8903

Жыл бұрын

@@YTLawnGnome I have not read any of his books yet. I am planning to starting in January! I will be starting with Mistborn and that graphic novel!

This is amazing because I am just about to start his books!!! Woo! And I hope things are going well 😄

I like Brandon. When he was named as Robert Jordan's successor on the Wheel of Time, I wrote him an email thanking him for finishing it, not expecting a reply and less than a day later I got a very nice response. It was well thought out and not just a Thanks. I do agree with the 3rd act thing and you hit just about everything I'd say. So good job. The other thing that tends to bother me is sometimes his dialogue reads like an Avengers movie with zingers. An occasional zinger is effective, a whole lot of them lose their effectiveness. But there isn't enough good fantasy and he does add to the stuff that is good story. It will never be held up as 100 greatest novel catagory, but if you sell as much as he does, he must be doing something right. I am looking for my year of Sanderson starting in January.

The fact most people talk about him rather than his books in threads like this suggests a lot of it is hype. He’s a very average writer who is fantastic at PR.

@pressfinchat

Жыл бұрын

Average writers don’t write some of the highest rated books on goodreads. Be jelly all you want, but results speak for themselves 😂.

I'm still new to the reading world and fantasy. I read Lord of the Rings and absolutely loved it but it took a lot out of me being the first fantasy books I've ever read. I am now on the second book in the mistborn trilogy and it's so refreshing how easy his books are to read, and how quickly I'm making way through them so far. I love the world he's made.

@peskycritter79

Жыл бұрын

Kudos to you for starting with LotR and finishing the series! Tolkien's writing is hard for many to get through and is also very different from most fantasy novels out there. You should definitely read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss at some point! It is FANTASTIC.

@pistolannie23

Жыл бұрын

@@peskycritter79 I'll add it to my TBR!

@legrandliseurtri7495

Жыл бұрын

If you want more of a similar writing style, Lightbringer by Brent Weeks is my recommendation.

I appreciate the nuance you bring to these conversations! Yeah, I read some of his stuff, and I wasn't a fan and that gently upset some of my friends. But being able to articulate why you do or don't like an author's writing style is important to media criticism and also not being a jerk about other people's reading tastes

Great analysis. I really appreciate how you looked at both sides of each point - definitely some good insight even into my own appreciation of his worth. I do have to land in the "Sanderson is my favourite author" camp, and can't wait to read The Lost Metal! (Definitely also checked my Discord when your notification went off XD)

Just finished Hero of ages a day ago and man , it hurts so much now , I cried like a little baby , Brandon's one of the writers who are able to write the female charecter perfectly , I am in love with vin and that is a charecter which will always have a place in heart , I am just unable to get over her death. I am 16(M) so those relationship problems and dilema were very relatable. Does any one know any other book series in which we can connect to charecters like in Mistborn.

@Dorma_

Жыл бұрын

You should read era 2 of mistborn if you're not planning too already. New characters of course, but it's still really good.

@stanislavstoimenov1729

Жыл бұрын

"Kingkiller chronicles". You'll love that.

@hoidtakesopioids

Жыл бұрын

Idk about other people but I connected deeply with Gabe and Clay from Kings of The Wyld, even if it felt like the story didn't take itself too seriously

@destro6971

Жыл бұрын

Is 16 too young for The First Law series? Probably… 😂 Top Tier characters for sure though. John Gwynne is another good author to check out, The Faithful and the Fallen is a solid series

@morgoth8815

Жыл бұрын

@@destro6971 I am going to be 17 till I complete Stormlight archieve and other works of sanderson, then I'll start with Kingkiller chronicles so By the time I reak The first law series I am gonna be 18😊 and good to go

You nailed my issue with Sanderson in the third act segment. I do not like escape rooms or anything similar to that. I do not like the idea of someone creating an intentionally misleading puzzle and simultaneously expecting me to be surprised by this outcome. It feels disingenuous because we all know it’s coming

Art is so subjective. I find his writing to be riveting and I greatly enjoy his prose

I agree with all your takes here, Merph! As far as strengths go, to take the accessibility a little further and tie it in...the man is a force of nature. He's cracked a seriously important code, and he is literally sharing it for free for other people who are, in most cases, sitting on a load of talent and just circling the drain in this dystopian existence. He hands out tools like candy, and they are genuinely useful. It's a reflection of his writing - basically anyone can pick up a Sanderson book and start reading it, and most will get sucked right the heck into the third act on their first few reads at the very least. Mine was Skyward (I'm late, and I needed the sci-fi cheese wrapped over the fantasy pill) and...yeah, I had to re-read the climax three times over at 2am because I could. not. put. it. down. His resources have absolutely elevated my own writing, and I feel like I'm no longer having a stab in the dark and hoping to publish something good one day. It's literally a toolkit of "how to write a good story", and every story Sanderson has published is in the worst case scenario good. Once he cracked that code...well, yeah. Dat track record. Hard earned and very deserved. On weaknesses...yeah, the prose is a screamer for me. I almost DNF'd Skyward, not gonna lie. I think there was one single semi-spicy line in the whole book, and the rest was absolutely not invisible at all. It was painful. Especially given the first person POV...it felt like Spensa was a ten year old "and then"ing her way through telling the class what she did over the weekend, and I feel like it's the mixture of Sando exposition, the refusal to give the character verbal characterisation apart from made-up perjoratives, and a focus on the structure of what he's doing. Hot take: if he did a prose edit over the top of his finished works, it would absolutely kick it across the line into GOAT contender. Without it, the prose does feel not invisible (that would imply it would go unnoticed - it does NOT!), it feels unfinished. For all the tools he has given the world for free and in earnest, I reckon the one he would benefit from receiving the most is the bulk of Hello Future Me's similarly awesome toolkit. If anyone has Sando'd a methodology for excellent prose, it's Tim.

I think Sanderson is a fantastic and creative storyteller. His writing, however, is only 'good.' How much you like Sanderson really depends on what you value most in a book.

@marenkendall7413

11 ай бұрын

I agree, until reading Tress. He's grown a lot.

As great as he is at world/character building, what makes Sanderson stand out is how his stories climax. His stories always payoff in the biggest way to me and I like to enjoy the both the journey and the destination.

Listening to this while on vacation in Mexico! I was excited to listen to this because I've been watching Sanderson's online lectures about sci-fy. Im planning on picking up Mistborn once I finish reading Fire & Blood!

Great Video! Discovered Sanderson thanks to Fantasy booktube and haven't looked back. He is really becoming my favorite author.

It’s all subjective but he definitely has some iconic books for me. Not every book he writes is the same level but the high tier ones are some of the best books ever written (for me). Words of Radiance (book 2 of Stormlight archive) is my favorite fantasy book I’ve ever read. It is perfect to me.

Sanderson's works are like the best aspects of the MCU: broad appeal, escapism, super fun and competently written plots

@GreenCity182

Жыл бұрын

Yeah he's definitely the mcu of novels!

I've heard of Sanderson for so long and people have suggested his books a lot to me, and while I kept saying I'd check it out, I never did. Now, after watching this video and seeing how people genuinely love the author behind the stories, I really am excited to finally start his works. I'm starting The Way of Kings and my brother and I will be buddy reading the Stormlight Archives soon. Thank you for this video about Brandon Sanderson! I was officially convinced to dive into his works!☺

this is the video that is finally going to get me to start mistborn, a lot of the things you mentioned seem like things i would like, especially not havimg flowery prose which is great for me because i tend to not like that

I dont think anyone should be forced to read a Sanderson or any fantasy book at all. To really appreciate his books one needs to be in the right mindset for that exact story. I read the mistborn trilogy this year and LOVED it! Then I started The Way of Kings and couldn't really get into it. I know someday I will love it but right now it is just not the story for me.

@adoniscreed4031

Жыл бұрын

That's more than fine... that happens even between books. I finished Oathbringer (Stormlight 3) and although it was PHENOMENAL I couldnt get back into another one of his book for a good couple of months 🤣

I thought I'd catch up with the Mistborn series before Lost Metal releases and I got distracted by Stormlight Archive. But . . . Just finished Part Two of The Way of Kings and I don't regret anything! This is so good!

@skullz1

Жыл бұрын

Way of Kings is awesome, funnily enough I had a similar experience. I've been reading solely Brandon Sanderson for the past year and thought I would switch to another author after finishing Way of Kings. I am now on book 3 of Stormlight Archive. That series is just too good.

@tiagodagostini

Жыл бұрын

Way of king is for many his best book, but it is better if you finish mistborn before you go ahead in the Stormlight. Stormlight is the series where most of the cosmere stuff connects and you will want to have read mistborn and Warbreaker at least.

I'm a Brandon Sanderson fan. I first heard about him from one of your videos. A few of my favorite reads have happened that way. Thank you.

His epic storytelling aside, I love how he as a person engages so much with his fan base. (ie. His podcast & KZread channel) it’s truly unmatched by any other fantasy author

The thing you missed is his humor. His incredible banter dialogues. I've read so much of them to my wife she knows the characters but hasn't read the books. At the same time, the "comic relief" characters like Wayne, The Lopen, etc., are not one-note tools. They often say the most profound things. Which is also what makes Sanderson so relatable is he is both funny and profound. Journey before Destination.

@SpiceWeazel

Жыл бұрын

See, this is interesting to me because Brandon's humor is the one thing I dislike most about his writing. I have almost never thought his "witty banter" was funny, and I loathe reading anything with Wayne or Lopen.

My biggest critique of Sanderson is his characters, especially the portrayal of trauma and mental illness. It often feels like he went to the list of diagnostic criteria for an illness and put all of it in the character. This is probably why so many people can relate to his characters, because the diagnostic criteria are based on large population symptom observation, so it’s easy to see something of ourselves in them. I don’t like that feeling in the characters, though, because it starts to feel generic, like I’m reading the textbook portrait of a depressed person, not a person who has depression.

@anja930

Жыл бұрын

Definitely an unpopular opinion there! Can’t say I agree or disagree because I feel like it’s highly subjective experience and your perspective is valid on this. As someone without (diagnosed) depression tho, the Kaladin’s scenes still hit me like a truck. I appreciate his effort to get it right with the representations too by consulting with “experts” (but probably that’s what makes it feels like textbook for you?)

I think one of the reasons I really feel in love with Sanderson's books early when I started reading again was how it gave me a way to go deep, and also in a way wide with my reading. When I picked reading back up as a habit I had a hard time starting new series, I think because I was struggling with choice paralysis with all the things to read even when I was focused mostly on fantasy novels. I think I struggled to start new things because I was worried about putting time into something, having it not work for me, and then feeling like I wasted that time I could have put toward something else. So when I found Epic Fantasy as a subgenre I really got into it. Here were series that if I put in some early time and enjoyed them, I could really dig in with massive books and long series. Brandon's works were in that same vein, but because of the Cosmere connections I could start a new series with a new world and characters, but it didn't really feel like starting over in the same way. Thankfully the years I've been reading since then have made me better and less averse to starting new things and reading shorter fiction, but I think that connection and love has stuck with me, and it's possible that the way he's been building his the universe in his fiction helped me to stretch those reading muscles in a way that other things at the time weren't really working for me.

I've been watching him on yt for a long time now, but haven't read him yet. A friend of mine just gave me the Mistborn trilogy, and I can't wait to get thru what I'm reading now to dig into it.. This video seems like a really good intro and a what to watch for guide. Thanks!