Brandon Sanderson

Frequently asked questions

• How did Brandon Sanderson end up finishing The Wheel of Time?

  After Robert Jordan's death in 2007, his widow and editor Harriet McDougal chose Sanderson — after reading a eulogy he had posted on his website and finding it moving enough to read his fiction. Jordan had imagined a single final volume; the notes were so extensive that Sanderson expanded it into three books: The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013), each a New York Times bestseller.

• What is the Cosmere, and do I need to read the books in a specific order?

  The Cosmere is Sanderson's interconnected fictional universe — most of his fantasy series (Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, Warbreaker, Elantris, and others) share a common cosmology, with characters and hidden connections crossing between series. Each series is self-contained and can be read independently; the cross-series connections reward readers who have read broadly but are never required to follow a single narrative.

• How did Brandon Sanderson raise $41.7 million on Kickstarter?

  During the pandemic, Sanderson secretly wrote four extra novels. In March 2022 he launched a Kickstarter offering them directly to readers — bypassing traditional publishing entirely. It raised $41.7 million from 185,341 backers, becoming the most-funded Kickstarter campaign in the platform's history. The four books — Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, The Sunlit Man, and The Frugal Wizard's Handbook — were delivered in 2023.

• Is the Cosmere being adapted for film or television?

  Yes. In January 2026, Apple TV secured screen rights to the Cosmere. Mistborn is planned as a series of feature films, and The Stormlight Archive as a flagship television series. No release dates had been announced as of mid-2026.

• How did Sanderson break into publishing?

  He worked the overnight shift at a hotel for years, writing novels at the front desk. He completed thirteen unpublished novels before Elantris, his debut, was acquired by Tor Books in 2003. He has credited the practice of finishing novels — rather than perfecting early chapters — as the discipline that made him publishable.

• What is Dragonsteel Entertainment?

  Dragonsteel Entertainment is Sanderson's own publishing and media company. It handles direct-to-reader publishing (including his Kickstarter campaigns), merchandise, leatherbound editions, and events. As of 2025 it employs more than seventy people and operates independently of his relationship with Tor Books for traditional retail.

• Where should a new reader start with Brandon Sanderson?

  Most readers start with either Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006) or The Way of Kings (2010), the first Stormlight Archive novel. Both are complete, accessible entry points into the Cosmere. Elantris (2005) is his debut and stands well alone, though its Cosmere connections are lighter.

• How prolific is Brandon Sanderson compared to other fantasy authors?

  Unusually so. He published four secret novels during the pandemic alongside his regular output, and his Stormlight Archive volumes routinely exceed 1,000 pages. His structured approach to writing — detailed outlines, fixed daily targets — and his Dragonsteel operation allow him to produce multiple long novels per year while maintaining quality control.