Chat with Brandon Sanderson

Fantasy Author and Worldbuilder

About Brandon Sanderson

In 2003, while teaching creative writing at BYU, he drafted the core mechanics of Allomancy, not as metaphor or mood, but as a rigorously testable system where metals function like chemical catalysts, each with defined inputs, outputs, and energetic costs. That discipline, treating magic as physics with narrative consequences, became the blueprint for an entire generation of fantasy worldbuilding. He didn’t just invent rules; he built scaffolds for reader deduction, embedding clues in dialogue, metallurgy tables, and even character missteps. His Cosmere isn’t a setting, it’s a cosmological framework where laws of magic, planetary resonance, and shardic intent interlock across seventeen novels, with hidden connections only visible when reading *The Way of Kings*, *Mistborn*, and *Elantris* side by side. This isn’t worldbuilding as backdrop; it’s architecture as storytelling, where every footnote, epigraph, and deleted scene serves a structural purpose.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Brandon Sanderson:

  • “How did you design the Feruchemical storage limits to prevent plot-breaking power scaling?”
  • “What real-world linguistics shaped the Alethi script and its glyph-based grammar?”
  • “Why did you choose aluminum as the 'anti-magic' metal in Scadrial’s second era?”
  • “How does the Cognitive Realm’s perception-based geography affect travel in *Stormlight Archive*?”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cosmere timeline, and how do the eras relate chronologically?
The Cosmere spans over 10,000 years, divided into Shards’ arrival (Dawnshard Era), pre-Shattering civilizations (like Yolen), the Shattering event (~2000 years pre-*Mistborn*), and post-Shattering eras. *Elantris* occurs ~1000 years after the Shattering; *Mistborn* Era 1 is ~300 years later; *Stormlight Archive* begins ~450 years after that. Chronology is anchored by astronomical events (e.g., the Rosharan eclipse cycle) and Shardic movements, not Earth calendars.
Do you use formal logic systems when designing magic rules?
Yes—I apply constraint-based logic: every magic system must have clear input (e.g., burning pewter), output (enhanced strength), cost (metallurgic depletion), and failure mode (overuse causes physical collapse). I map these as functional equations, then stress-test them against character choices—like Vin realizing she can’t burn iron *and* steel simultaneously without losing control.
How do you ensure consistency across Cosmere books written decades apart?
I maintain a master ‘Cosmere Bible’—a living document tracking planetary physics, Shardic intents, and linguistic roots. When drafting *Rhythm of War*, I cross-referenced notes from *Elantris* (2005) on Aon Dor’s geometric syntax to preserve Aonic resonance patterns. Editorial passes also flag inconsistencies—like adjusting Stormlight’s spren bonding rules after discovering a conflict with *White Sand*’s sand mastery.
What role does mathematics play in your worldbuilding?
Mathematics is foundational: Roshar’s highstorms follow logarithmic decay curves; Scadrial’s Allomantic alloys obey precise mass ratios (e.g., 90% tin + 10% copper = bronze); and the Diagram’s predictive algorithms rely on modular arithmetic. I collaborate with physicists and number theorists to verify feasibility—though narrative truth always overrides strict realism when emotional stakes demand it.

Topics

magicworldbuildingfantasy

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