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Last edited by jwillikers
March 19, 2025 | History

Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson (born December 19, 1975) is an American author known for his intricate and imaginative works in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Sanderson developed a passion for writing at a young age. He attended Brigham Young University, where he studied English and later earned a master's degree in creative writing.

Sanderson is best known for creating the Cosmere, a vast fictional universe that encompasses many of his fantasy novels, where they share subtle connections and a common mythology, including the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive. The Mistborn trilogy, starting with the novel Mistborn: The Final Empire, is a thrilling fantasy heist story set in a dystopian world ruled by a tyrannical lord. The Stormlight Archive, starting with the novel The Way of Kings, is an epic fantasy series that combines political intrigue, war, and extensive world-building.

In addition to his work within the Cosmere, Sanderson completed Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" after Jordan's passing. He has also authored several young adult series, such as The Reckoners and the Skyward series.

Sanderson's analytical approach to world-building includes his "Sanderson's Laws of Magic," which distinguish between "hard" and "soft" magic systems in fantasy literature. His ability to create immersive worlds and compelling characters has earned him a dedicated fan base and numerous accolades, including the Hugo Award in 2013 for his novella The Emperor's Soul, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for his novels Elantris in 2005, and The Hero of Ages in 2008, as well as David Gemmell Legend Awards in 2011 for The Way of Kings and in 2015 for Words of Radiance. In 2022, Sanderson's Kickstarter campaign for four secret novels became the most successful in history, raising over $41 million.

As of 2022, he is a co-creator and former host of the Writing Excuses podcast, an educational podcast for writers by writers that was started in 2008.

(Sources: 1,2)

American fantasy writer

Born 19 December 1975

175 works Add another?

  • Cover of: Mistborn: The Final Empire

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  • Cover of: The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn

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  • Cover of: Elantris
    Cover of edition elantris0000sand Cover of edition elantris0000sand_u4m8 Cover of edition elantris00sand Cover of edition elantris0000sand_q0j6 First published in 2005 33 editions

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  • Cover of: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians

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  • Cover of: Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn

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  • Cover of: The Way of Kings
    Cover of edition wayofkings0000sand_h0x5 Cover of edition wayofkingsthesto00bran Cover of edition wayofkings0000sand First published in 2010 27 editions

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  • Cover of: A Memory of Light

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  • Cover of: Towers of midnight

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  • Cover of: The Alloy of Law: a Mistborn novel

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  • Cover of: Firefight
    Cover of edition firefight0000bran Cover of edition firefight0000sand First published in 2001 21 editions

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  • Cover of: Words of Radiance
    Cover of edition wordsofradiance0000sand Cover of edition wordsofradiance0000sand_a1x6 First published in 2012 21 editions

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  • Cover of: The Gathering Storm

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  • Cover of: The Bands of Mourning

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  • Cover of: Calamity
    Cover of edition calamity0000sand_e1o0 Cover of edition calamity0000sand_j5k4 Cover of edition calamity0000sand First published in 2016 19 editions

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  • Cover of: Shadows of Self: a Mistborn novel

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  • Cover of: Steelheart
    Cover of edition steelheart0000sand Cover of edition steelheart0000bran Cover of edition steelheart0000sand_e5x9 Cover of edition steelheart0000sand_b6c1 First published in 2001 18 editions

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  • Cover of: Warbreaker
    Cover of edition warbreaker0000sand Cover of edition warbreaker00sand First published in 2009 17 editions

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  • Cover of: Skyward
    Cover of edition skyward0000sand First published in 2018 17 editions

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  • Cover of: The Rithmatist
    Cover of edition rithmatist0000sand First published in 2013 16 editions

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  • Cover of: Starsight
    Cover of edition isbn_9780593175545 Cover of edition starsight0000sand_s4o6 First published in 2019 15 editions

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American fantasy writer

Born 19 December 1975

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March 19, 2025 Edited by jwillikers Edited without comment.
March 11, 2025 Edited by huginn4126 Edited without comment.
March 11, 2025 Edited by huginn4126 link
March 11, 2025 Edited by huginn4126 Edited without comment.
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user initial import