Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

[MisterOJ]

Somehow, despite following Brandon Sanderson on twitter and facebook, I just became aware of his book Steelheart, which is coming out next month.

It sounds pretty cool, tbh. And it has a nice review on Goodreads by Patrick Rothfuss. It reminds me a little of the Wildcards series - but without and good guys and none of the sex. (I am assuming that last bit, because it is Sanderson after all.)

Anyway, I had no idea he was even doing this book. FFS, he can't be human, can he? I think he must employ a house full of minions to help him write. He just dictates ideas and lets his folks then churn out page after page of copy.

[Rhom]

Somehow, despite following Brandon Sanderson on twitter and facebook, I just became aware of his book Steelheart, which is coming out next month.

It sounds pretty cool, tbh. And it has a nice review on Goodreads by Patrick Rothfuss. It reminds me a little of the Wildcards series - but without and good guys and none of the sex. (I am assuming that last bit, because it is Sanderson after all.)

Anyway, I had no idea he was even doing this book. FFS, he can't be human, can he? I think he must employ a house full of minions to help him write. He just dictates ideas and lets his folks then churn out page after page of copy.

I remember him talking about it at the AMoL signing in Lexington as something he had coming up. It does sound interesting. I think it falls outside his Cosmere (whatever the hell that really is).

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

Anyone read this? Just put it on my Kindle to start tonight.

[Larry.]

I've read the first 10 chapters or so. I've been fairly critical of Sanderson's writing in the past, yet have been intrigued enough by his concepts to read more of his works. Steelheart I think may be one of his better efforts in that the prose fits the target audience (ages 10+) well, with a good narrative hook (superpowers being not a personification of goodness). Will try to finish it this weekend.

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

I've read the first 10 chapters or so. I've been fairly critical of Sanderson's writing in the past, yet have been intrigued enough by his concepts to read more of his works. Steelheart I think may be one of his better efforts in that the prose fits the target audience (ages 10+) well, with a good narrative hook (superpowers being not a personification of goodness). Will try to finish it this weekend.

It has started well. My biggest and only problem with Sanderson really is that he imbeds too much of what he thinks will be "cool" into his work. And to me I often find his choice of language as cheesy and somewhat forced when building up the "coolness". It's as if he is sat giggling gleefully when writing the scene.

[Darth Richard]

Is this connected to his megaverse?

[Maltaran]

Is this connected to his megaverse?

I understand it's not a cosmere novel.

As usual with Sanderson, the concepts are interesting and it's written well enough for me to go through it in one session. I do have a couple of problems - firstly, why the made-up swearwords when it's only 10-12 years post-apocalypse? Also, the foreshadowing regarding

Prof being an Epic

felt a little heavy-handed.

[peterbound]

How is anyone still reading this guy's shit?

He's a talentless hack. Nothing he's done since his first couple foray's into the genre have been better than middling.

[Maltaran]

How is anyone still reading this guy's shit?

He's a talentless hack. Nothing he's done since his first couple foray's into the genre have been better than middling.

Really? I thought his first book (Elantris) was by far his worst.

[peterbound]

Really? I thought his first book (Elantris) was by far his worst.

Maybe, I enjoyed the first couple of Mistborn books anything after that was fucking dog shit.

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

Maybe, I enjoyed the first couple of Mistborn books anything after that was fucking dog shit.

I think that's a bit harsh. :P He's by no means a literary genius nor will he be remembered as one, but I respect him. He's dedicated and passionate about his work. Sure I cringe on occasion, but most of what I've read is entertaining enough.

[Migey]

I would certainly say that's way too harsh. He will never be remembered as a literary visionary or someone possessed of poetic brilliance, and he has very little grasp of the complexities of language (in the sense that he is sometimes a poor 'writer'), yet he in other ways has some amazing ideas and great imagination. His diverse ways of handling different magic systems are not only interesting, but to me (also based on some of his interviews) show that he really gets a lot of what he does; it's not all instinctual, but he has a really solid understanding of what he's doing and why it works, and for the most part it does. I think he deserves a lot of credit for at least being more interesting then a lot of other people in the market. His writing and prose are functional enough in joining everything else together, but I agree that it's a shame he isn't a better actual writer.#

Edit: Certainly, to call him a hack is blatantly untrue. Talentless; arguable. But a hack? He isn't in the same universe as the real hacks, like Stephenie Meyer, E.L James, Dan Brown, etc.

[Darth Richard]

I thought Warbreaker was by far hist best work.

Heck, it had SEX.

SEX IN A SANDERON BOOK.

Off screen, sure, but OMG SEX.

Also, I havn't read anything of his since WB, so, I dunno.

[Migey]

100% agree that Warbreaker is his best work, and it seems to be his least talked about and underappreciated. Although that said, I've seen, like, no discussion at all on Legion, The Emperor's Soul, or The Rithmatist. All of which are worth checking out, either because they're good, interesting, or spectacularly bad in a fascinating way (sorry Legion).

[OwaynOTT]

100% agree that Warbreaker is his best work, and it seems to be his least talked about and underappreciated. Although that said, I've seen, like, no discussion at all on Legion, The Emperor's Soul, or The Rithmatist. All of which are worth checking out, either because they're good, interesting, or spectacularly bad in a fascinating way (sorry Legion).

Curious to know what was so spectactularlly ba about Legion.

[Suttree]

Edit: Certainly, to call him a hack is blatantly untrue. Talentless; arguable. But a hack? He isn't in the same universe as the real hacks, like Stephenie Meyer, E.L James, Dan Brown, etc.

Well Stephen Donaldson essentially called him a hack:

Bryan Jones: I have read both yours and Robert Jordans books(and many others) and enjoy reading them completely. As a reader I am confused by your denial to read Jordan. When I found out that Jordan was going to pass away without finishing his last book leaving his lagecy unfinished I was saddened. When I found out they were looking for an author to finish his books I was surprised that you were not first on the list. Is there an anamosity between you and Jordan? I think you would be the first and only author that could do justice to the Wheel of Time. Would there be any way for you to be a part of the developement of the last book? It will be a shame for a story to end horribly when I know that you could make the ending book the best it could be.I am trying to understand why the only choice for ending Jordan's saga with the very best author isn't being done. Isn't the story the most important thing?

Stephen Donaldson: I can't answer a message like this. It's a bit like asking, "Why haven't you stopped beating your wife?" There are so many underlying--and unwarrented--assumptions that no answer is possible.

Just one example. Why do you think that I would consider giving up my own work for the sake of someone else's? Does that sound reasonable to you?

But I'm posting this because I want to make a more general point. I wouldn't agree to work with someone else's characters, settings, themes, or stories, even if you held a gun to my head. That's what hacks are for. (Don't get me wrong. Being a hack can be a perfectly honorable profession. It simply isn't *my* profession.) Now, if you held a gun to the head of someone I love, I would naturally agree to anything. But I would be lying. Unashamedly. Stalling for time until I could take a whack at you. The very idea of trying to do someone else's work fills me with existential nausea.

[Francis Buck]

Brandon Sanderson is the definition of quantity over quality. He's the John Grisham of fantasy.

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

Brandon Sanderson is the definition of quantity over quality. He's the John Grisham of fantasy.

Yeah, definitely. His work would likely improve if he gave himself more time to consider things and allowed himself to step aside from the script every once and a while.

[Shryke]

I would certainly say that's way too harsh. He will never be remembered as a literary visionary or someone possessed of poetic brilliance, and he has very little grasp of the complexities of language (in the sense that he is sometimes a poor 'writer'), yet he in other ways has some amazing ideas and great imagination. His diverse ways of handling different magic systems are not only interesting, but to me (also based on some of his interviews) show that he really gets a lot of what he does; it's not all instinctual, but he has a really solid understanding of what he's doing and why it works, and for the most part it does. I think he deserves a lot of credit for at least being more interesting then a lot of other people in the market. His writing and prose are functional enough in joining everything else together, but I agree that it's a shame he isn't a better actual writer.#

I think his love of magic systems has become a detriment. His last few efforts seem overly enamoured of explaining the cool shit he came up with, to the detriment of actual telling a story with even half-way decent writing.

[Migey]

I think his love of magic systems has become a detriment. His last few efforts seem overly enamoured of explaining the cool shit he came up with, to the detriment of actual telling a story with even half-way decent writing.

I can actually agree there. Also, I personally don't mind how fast he releases books because I find his prose and writing just good enough to hold the really interesting bits together, which is what I read him for. But I definately agree with Franz Fitzpatrick, in that he should learn to, well, not slow down, just maybe try having a slightly longer and more rigorous editing process.

I think people also have to give him some credit for actually improving. Whatever negative things you can say about Sanderson, he is not complacent with his success. You look at the real hacks like Paolini and Meyer. They shit out a heap of tripe and their unfathomable success goes to their heads. They don't bother trying to improve at all, they just keep bringing out more garbage of the same pathetic quality. Sanderson achieved fairly respectable success early on, more then enough to be complacent, but he still tried to improve, and you see a clear path of progression in his skill as a writer from his earlier works to his later ones. Maybe he's plateauing now, but I hope he continues to improve and become a better writer.