Brandon Sanderson
Encyclopedia
Brandon Sanderson is an American fantasy author
. A Nebraska
native, he currently resides in American Fork
, Utah
. He earned his Master's degree
in Creative Writing
in 2005 from Brigham Young University
, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge
, a semi-professional speculative fiction
magazine published by the university. He was a college roommate of Jeopardy!
champion Ken Jennings
.
Sanderson was married on July 7, 2006. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a missionary
in Seoul, Korea.
After Robert Jordan
's death, Brandon Sanderson was selected by Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan's widow), to complete the final book in Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time
. Harriet asked him to complete the series after being deeply impressed by Mistborn: The Final Empire
. Tor Books
made the announcement December 7, 2007. On March 30, 2009 it was announced that A Memory of Light
, originally slated to be the final book in the Wheel of Time series, will be split into three volumes. The first, The Gathering Storm, was released on October 27, 2009, and Towers of Midnight
was released on November 2, 2010, with the remaining novel, named A Memory of Light, tentatively following in March 2012.
He is a participant in the weekly podcast Writing Excuses
with authors Dan Wells
, Mary Robinette Kowal
, and webcartoonist Howard Tayler
.
Fantasy author
The definition of a fantasy author is somewhat diffuse, and a matter of opinion – Jules Verne considered H. G. Wells to be a fantasy author – and there is considerable overlap with science fiction authors and horror fiction authors...
. A Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
native, he currently resides in American Fork
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. He earned his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
in 2005 from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge
Leading Edge
Leading Edge, formerly The Leading Edge Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, is a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine founded in 1981 and published at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The magazine is known for its high quality fiction and has published stories by authors such...
, a semi-professional speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
magazine published by the university. He was a college roommate of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
champion Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings
Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Jennings III is an American game show contestant and author. Jennings is noted for holding the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and as being the all-time leading money winner on American game shows...
.
Sanderson was married on July 7, 2006. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Seoul, Korea.
After Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
's death, Brandon Sanderson was selected by Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan's widow), to complete the final book in Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
. Harriet asked him to complete the series after being deeply impressed by Mistborn: The Final Empire
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Mistborn: The Final Empire is the first novel of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. It was followed by Mistborn: The Well of Ascension...
. Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
made the announcement December 7, 2007. On March 30, 2009 it was announced that A Memory of Light
A Memory of Light
A Memory of Light is the planned 14th and final book of the fantasy series The Wheel of Time, written by American author Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson. A Memory of Light was expected to be published around March 2012. The latest information indicates that it will be sometime between March...
, originally slated to be the final book in the Wheel of Time series, will be split into three volumes. The first, The Gathering Storm, was released on October 27, 2009, and Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the sequel to the novel The Gathering Storm, and the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series.The novel is the second part of A Memory of Light, Robert Jordan's projected final book...
was released on November 2, 2010, with the remaining novel, named A Memory of Light, tentatively following in March 2012.
He is a participant in the weekly podcast Writing Excuses
Writing Excuses
Writing Excuses is a fifteen minute long podcast hosted by authors Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal and web cartoonist Howard Tayler...
with authors Dan Wells
Dan Wells (author)
Dan Wells is an American horror fiction author. A Utah native, he currently resides in Orem, Utah.-Early life:Wells wrote his first novel, Choose Your Own Adventure, when he was in second grade. He followed up with several novellas, a serial and a series of comic books when he was in high school....
, Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal is an American author and puppeteer. She also served as art director for Shimmer Magazine and in 2010 was named art director for Weird Tales...
, and webcartoonist Howard Tayler
Howard Tayler
Howard V. Tayler is the award-winning creator of the hugely successful webcomic Schlock Mercenary. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University...
.
Short works
- Firstborn (2008)
- Defending Elysium (2008)
- Infinity Blade: AwakeningInfinity Blade: AwakeningInfinity Blade: Awakening is a novella by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. It is based on the Infinity Blade action role-playing iOS video game developed by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, and serves as a story bridge between the first and the second game...
(novella) (2011)
Stand-alone novels
- ElantrisElantrisElantris is a stand-alone fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in April 2005 by Tor Books. Brandon is planning to write a sequel to Elantris, but its release has not yet been announced. It is significant as Sanderson's first widely released book. The book is named after the ruined city,...
(2005, ISBN 978-0765350374) - WarbreakerWarbreakerWarbreaker is a stand-alone fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in hardcover in June 2009 by Tor Books. Sanderson released several rewrites of this title under a Creative Commons license, one chapter at a time. Older drafts of the various chapters are also available. The entire novel is...
(2009, ISBN 978-0765320308) - Warbreaker was published in hardcover format in June 2009 by Tor/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan USA. Sanderson released several rewrites of this title under a Creative CommonsCreative CommonsCreative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license, one chapter at a time. Older drafts of the various chapters are also available. - The Rithmatist (Formerly, Scribbler)(Forthcoming 2012)
Alcatraz
- Alcatraz Versus the Evil LibrariansAlcatraz Versus the Evil LibrariansAlcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is a juvenile fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in October 2007 by Scholastic Press. The book is named after its main character, Alcatraz Smedry.-Plot summary:...
(2007, ISBN 978-0439925525) - Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's BonesAlcatraz Versus the Scrivener's BonesAlcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones is a juvenile fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in November 2008 by Scholastic Press. It is preceded by Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.-Plot summary:...
(2008, ISBN 978-0439925549) - Alcatraz Versus the Knights of CrystalliaAlcatraz Versus the Knights of CrystalliaAlcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia is a juvenile fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in October 2009 by Scholastic Press. It is the third book in the Alcatraz Series following Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians in 2007 and Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones in 2008.-Plot...
(2009, ISBN 978-0439925556) - Alcatraz Versus the Shattered LensAlcatraz Versus the Shattered LensAlcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens is a juvenile fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in December 2010 by Scholastic Press. It is the fourth book in the Alcatraz Versus series featuring the protagonist Alcatraz Smedry....
(2010, ISBN 978-0439925570)
Mistborn
- Mistborn: The Final EmpireMistborn: The Final EmpireMistborn: The Final Empire is the first novel of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. It was followed by Mistborn: The Well of Ascension...
(2006, ISBN 978-0765350381) - Mistborn: The Well of AscensionMistborn: The Well of AscensionMistborn: The Well of Ascension is the second novel in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy.-Plot summary:The book begins with two armies laying siege to Luthadel - the army of Elend's father, Straff Venture and another one headed by Cett. Elend is now the King of Luthadel, with Vin as his...
(2007, ISBN 978-0765356130) - Mistborn: The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Hero of Ages is the final novel of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy, released on October 14, 2008. It was preceded by Mistborn: The Final Empire and Mistborn: The Well of Ascension.-Plot summary:...
(2008, ISBN 978-0765356147) - Mistborn: The Alloy of LawMistborn: The Alloy of Law-Writing process:The work that eventually turned into Mistborn: The Alloy of Law was originally a creative writing exercise to help clear Sanderson's head before continuing work on A Memory of Light from The Wheel of Time and the next book in The Stormlight Archive that was not necessarily intended...
(2011, ISBN 978-0765330420)
The Stormlight Archive
- The Way of KingsThe Way of KingsThe Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. It was released by Tor Books on August 31, 2010. It is the first volume in a planned ten-novel series called The Stormlight Archive.-Synopsis:...
(2010, ISBN 978-0765326355) - The Highprince of War (former title)
The Wheel of Time
- The Gathering Storm (2009, ISBN 978-0765302304)
- Towers of MidnightTowers of MidnightTowers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the sequel to the novel The Gathering Storm, and the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series.The novel is the second part of A Memory of Light, Robert Jordan's projected final book...
(2010, ISBN 978-0765325945) - A Memory of LightA Memory of LightA Memory of Light is the planned 14th and final book of the fantasy series The Wheel of Time, written by American author Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson. A Memory of Light was expected to be published around March 2012. The latest information indicates that it will be sometime between March...
(forthcoming 2012)
External links
- Sanderson's personal website
- Writing Excuses - Brandon's writing podcast
- Interview with Brandon for SciFi.bg
- Interview with Brandon on Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Review
- Brandon Sanderson Talks to AMCtv.com About The Wheel of Time
- Video Interview with Brandon Sanderson at BSCreview
- http://www.17thshard.com/wiki/Fan-made wikiWikiA wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
for all of Brandon's Sanderson's books.]