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Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: Troubadour on March 18, 2010, 03:10:18 AM

Title: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Troubadour on March 18, 2010, 03:10:18 AM
I'm going to the LA signing on Monday to have my beaten, worn, beloved Elantris and Mistborn paperbacks signed. Any Cosmere/WoK questions you all want me to bring along?
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Fireborn on March 18, 2010, 03:39:28 AM
This particular Mistborn has been really bugging me lately:

"Is the Atium we're familiar really the base metal or an alloy, maybe with Electrum?"

If you could ask that and get a straight answer, that would ROCK.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Ari54 on March 18, 2010, 06:28:59 AM
It's most likely the base metal, due to the fact that there's different names for electrum-mistings (oracles) and atium-mistings. (seers) That's certainly not proof, though.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Miyabi on March 19, 2010, 03:24:10 PM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: douglas on March 19, 2010, 04:04:29 PM
I've been trying to get an answer on a few bizarre Allomantic Savants for a while and I still haven't gotten anything definite.  I might just have to wait and see if I can ask at JordanCon myself, but if you want to spend time on some rather less serious questions:

Assume a mad scientist has access to modern medical technology, an unlimited supply of all allomantic metals, and as many willing mistborn test subjects as he needs, and is absolutely determined that this chart titled "Benefits of Being an Allomantic Savant" must be completed.  What would he determine for the metals listed below?  Alternatively, if Sazed were writing such a table down honestly with his full knowledge granted by possession of two Shards, what would he write?

In approximate order by increasing absurdity:
pewter
gold
electrum
duralumin
chromium
nicrosil
atium
malatium
aluminum
lerasium

For aluminum, the mad scientist pokes a feeding tube down the mistborn's throat and pumps in a constant influx of the metal so that the test subject is able to continuously burn it despite constantly using it up.  If necessary a second tube is used to pump out excess water to prevent damage from an overfilled stomach.

Make sure you get to the last four, and especially the last two, even if you have to skip some of the others to fit them in, and present the solution for how an aluminum savant might be created in the first place.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Creative_Vortx on March 19, 2010, 06:50:54 PM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.


Go with that one. :)
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Red, White, and Joker on March 19, 2010, 11:55:24 PM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.


Go with that one. :)

I second that.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Fireborn on March 20, 2010, 02:37:32 AM
It's most likely the base metal, due to the fact that there's different names for electrum-mistings (oracles) and atium-mistings. (seers) That's certainly not proof, though.
I'm not sure what your logic behind this statement is.  Are you saying that because the names for the two misting types are different that they can't be connected?  Well, even if my theory is right, Atium and Electrum would still be two different metals, just put together to get what we've observed.
I think that this would be something that Preservation would want to do.  Raw Atium would be extremely powerful, so he'd want to diminish its power, as well as offering a power that would better fit into his plans.  So he had Ruin's power manifest in a place where it would mingle with an already present metal to dilute its power.
It makes sense in my opinion, but I just need one more proof to make it official, and that's Brandon's confirmation.

I do want to know what a Atium Larasium Alloy would do, though.

And that's simply bizarre, douglas.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: sortitus on March 20, 2010, 05:52:58 AM
Well, even if my theory is right, Atium and Electrum would still be two different metals, just put together to get what we've observed.
Atium is just Atium. The Malatium we see at the end of tFE is Atium+Electrum.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on March 20, 2010, 04:30:59 PM
Malatium is atium+gold.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Fireborn on March 20, 2010, 09:59:35 PM
Malatium is atium+gold.
Yeah, so my theory still has a shot!  Though it's not really my theory, it's more of a popular idea that I've kind of adopted, but still, I would like some vindication!
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Ari54 on March 21, 2010, 02:05:30 AM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.


Don't we already know it makes mistings?

It's most likely the base metal, due to the fact that there's different names for electrum-mistings (oracles) and atium-mistings. (seers) That's certainly not proof, though.
I'm not sure what your logic behind this statement is.  Are you saying that because the names for the two misting types are different that they can't be connected?  Well, even if my theory is right, Atium and Electrum would still be two different metals, just put together to get what we've observed.
I think that this would be something that Preservation would want to do.  Raw Atium would be extremely powerful, so he'd want to diminish its power, as well as offering a power that would better fit into his plans.  So he had Ruin's power manifest in a place where it would mingle with an already present metal to dilute its power.
It makes sense in my opinion, but I just need one more proof to make it official, and that's Brandon's confirmation.

I do want to know what a Atium Larasium Alloy would do, though.

And that's simply bizarre, douglas.

I'm saying that in-universe they think they're different things. I did say it's not proof by any means, it's merely the suggestion of an answer.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: libraloco on March 21, 2010, 04:04:59 AM
Any Cosmere/WoK questions you all want me to bring along?

Can you ask him if he's planning on doing novellas or short stories based on Roshar like GRRM's Tales of Dunk and Egg or Steven Erikson's Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach? That'd be awesome. Thanks!
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Miyabi on March 21, 2010, 08:29:55 AM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.


Don't we already know it makes mistings?

No.  A Mistborn's descendants become Mistings because the Lerasium becomes diluted.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Shivertongue on March 21, 2010, 08:58:36 AM

Ask what a Lerasium Atium alloy would do.


Don't we already know it makes mistings?

No.  A Mistborn's descendants become Mistings because the Lerasium becomes diluted.


No, that's just how Mistings occur genetically. Lerasium alloyed with any Allomantic metal and burned turns the user into a Misting of that metal. A Lerasium/Atium alloy would create an Atium Misting.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Miyabi on March 21, 2010, 08:59:59 AM

At the last signing with a QnA Brandon said that question should be asked and that no one had asked it yet.  So I assume there is something different about that one. . . .
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: libraloco on March 22, 2010, 12:48:33 AM
Ask Brandon what he would say if Harriet McDougal asked him if he'd like to write THE INFINITY OF HEAVEN after WoT is finished. I'd like to see if he would consider it. (I know on the WoT FAQ it says that they (Team Jordan) don't feel the urgency to have it written in Robert Jordan's absence, but Brandon didn't say if he would or wouldn't if asked.)
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: firstRainbowRose on March 22, 2010, 12:54:34 AM
I've asked Chris.  Twice.  He avoided it the first time.  The second time I asked I said "since you avoided the question last time" and he admitted he did.  Then proceeded to avoid it again.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on March 22, 2010, 01:56:25 AM
libraloco: http://www.brandonsanderson.com/faq/section/3/Wheel-Of-Time-FAQ see the last question. The answer still applies, unless it has changed to a definite no.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Miyabi on March 22, 2010, 09:39:08 AM
I've asked Chris.  Twice.  He avoided it the first time.  The second time I asked I said "since you avoided the question last time" and he admitted he did.  Then proceeded to avoid it again.

He seems to often shirk OUR questions and then answer them when OTHERS ask them. xD
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: firstRainbowRose on March 22, 2010, 10:52:18 AM
I was thinking the same thing.  So let's hope that this one gets answered, 'cause I'm really interested in the answer.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Troubadour on March 23, 2010, 04:58:17 AM
On my way back from the signing now. Will give full report upon returning home.

EDIT: Righto, here's his answer in so many words:

"Ah, I've been asked this before. There are a number of theories, but nobody's really sure, since there haven't really been any opportunities to alloy lerasium with atium. You can choose which one to believe. Most require an understanding of realmatic theory to comprehend, which you need to be a Shard or Splinter to even begin to understand."

I interrupted here to ask if Sazed or Hoid would know, and he - of course - RAFO'd.

"What Lerasium is, is essentially a hack for something like your spiritual DNA. It rewrites what your spiritual self is capable of. So, combined with atium, which allows you a glimpse into the vision of everything - past, present, future - the theories say it could do one of two things. It could either create a substance so volatile that it would have world-ending repercussions, or rewrite your "spiritual DNA" (his phrase, not mine) with atium's power. Is that a vague enough answer?"

During the WoK reading, the phrases "Shard-blade" and "Shard-bearer" popped up - my questions on these were RAFO'd as well.

(I won't go into detail about the chapter he read from, since it will apparently be included in the Warbreaker paperback. We can pick it apart after the paperback's release.)
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Omelethead on March 23, 2010, 05:40:29 AM
Can a Feruchemist store anything and everything in a Lerasium metalmind?
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Miyabi on March 23, 2010, 08:39:42 AM

Oh oh oh, I think I know something more about the alloy now. =]  Go Realmatic understanding.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: guessingo on March 23, 2010, 02:03:15 PM
I don't think Robert Jordan would want someone else to write Infinity of Heaven. All of the stuff I have seen about him, was that he was a private writer. He agreed to let someone finish Wheel of Time because he promised his fans.

It also sounds like Harriet does not want to do the prequels or the outrigger novels. She seems like she wants to move on with her life once Wheel of Time is done. She doesn't need the money.

Harriet strikes me as a very smart person. I hope she continues to work as an editor after Wheel of Time and edits other authors.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Troubadour on March 23, 2010, 05:30:54 PM
He also had updates on the various movie options. In his words:

"Wheel of Time is looking at maybe a 1 in 2 chance of being made, and Alcatraz has about a 1 in 4 or 5 chance. Mistborn is going to be the long shot of long shots - it's like a 1 in 50."
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Fireborn on March 23, 2010, 11:05:00 PM
He also had updates on the various movie options. In his words:

"Wheel of Time is looking at maybe a 1 in 2 chance of being made, and Alcatraz has about a 1 in 4 or 5 chance. Mistborn is going to be the long shot of long shots - it's like a 1 in 50."
Well, that's a funny thing to say since Mistborn's the only one that he's actually sold the movie rights for...unless I'm out of the loop and the other two have already gone.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Creative_Vortx on March 24, 2010, 12:14:58 AM
He also had updates on the various movie options. In his words:

"Wheel of Time is looking at maybe a 1 in 2 chance of being made, and Alcatraz has about a 1 in 4 or 5 chance. Mistborn is going to be the long shot of long shots - it's like a 1 in 50."
Well, that's a funny thing to say since Mistborn's the only one that he's actually sold the movie rights for...unless I'm out of the loop and the other two have already gone.

Might be true but that doesn't mean that there isn't interest for Wheel of Time & Alcatraz. I imagine studios are looking for the next replacement to Harry Potter. Something that can fill that void. Alcatraz feels to me like it'd be a good match.

Also, the rights to Wheel of Time aren't Brandon's. They are Harriets (I would assume). With the huge following that series has, a movie doesn't surprise me in the least.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Troubadour on March 24, 2010, 12:53:12 AM
Again, in his words, Universal has the rights to WoT and has exercised the option. Similarly, Dreamworks has the rights to Alcatraz at the moment.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Fireborn on March 24, 2010, 04:58:58 AM
Again, in his words, Universal has the rights to WoT and has exercised the option. Similarly, Dreamworks has the rights to Alcatraz at the moment.
He also had updates on the various movie options. In his words:

"Wheel of Time is looking at maybe a 1 in 2 chance of being made, and Alcatraz has about a 1 in 4 or 5 chance. Mistborn is going to be the long shot of long shots - it's like a 1 in 50."
Well, that's a funny thing to say since Mistborn's the only one that he's actually sold the movie rights for...unless I'm out of the loop and the other two have already gone.
See: totally out of the loop, that's what I get for being a newbie. :P
Also, I would LOVE to see an Alcatraz movie, not sure how'd they would handle the narrator, he's the best part of the books for me.

Might be true but that doesn't mean that there isn't interest for Wheel of Time & Alcatraz. I imagine studios are looking for the next replacement to Harry Potter. Something that can fill that void. Alcatraz feels to me like it'd be a good match.

Also, the rights to Wheel of Time aren't Brandon's. They are Harriets (I would assume). With the huge following that series has, a movie doesn't surprise me in the least.
See, totally out of the loop.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: guessingo on March 24, 2010, 03:43:12 PM
This is not the first time that Wheel of Time has been optioned for a movie. I believe it was optioned in the 1990s and it lapsed. The author still gets paid for the option.

I think Hollywood options alot more books than they actually make and alot of books get optioned multiple times before they are made. I think books getting made into movies get stalled on all kinds of things. Dianna Gabaldon had her books optioned, then the woman who really wanted to make it had a baby and lost interest. Stuff like this happens.

This does not mean Mistborn will never be made into a movie. It just looks unlikely right now. I could not even find a webpage for the company that optioned mistborn. Looks like a small startup.

Does anyone know how the option process works? I think these development companies basically develop a script and a storyboard then try to sell it to a studio. Is that how it works?

Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Troubadour on March 24, 2010, 05:08:43 PM
I could not even find a webpage for the company that optioned mistborn. Looks like a small startup.
Once more, in BS's words: "They have great staff, they have great funding, they don't have access."

Does anyone know how the option process works? I think these development companies basically develop a script and a storyboard then try to sell it to a studio. Is that how it works?
That's essentially it, unless a studio picks up an option directly (like Dreamworks did with Alcatraz and Universal did with WoT).
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: guessingo on March 24, 2010, 06:18:15 PM
I would be willing to bet that the odds of mistborn being a movie will be greater if the last 2 WoT books hit #1 on the NYT(almost a given) and his new Way of Kings book does well.

Maybe Brandon will get lucky. Some hollywood producer is a big WoT fan and they go who is this Sanderson guy? Then they read mistborn, come here and then track downt he guys who optioned his book.

I am not really sure how well Mistborn will tranlsate into a movie. A TV series might be more appropriate, but the only 2 networks that can do this well are HBO and Showtime. Free TV does not do sci-fi like this well at all. There has to be an arc in each episode which does not really translate well.

HBO is doing GRRM. I don't know if they want 2 fantasy series. There big thing is being the historical show network (I like that about them.. the pacific is very good)

Showtime does not do sci-fi anymore. They had a terrific time travel series several years ago that they cancelled mid-season (I cant remember tbename of it)
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Shivertongue on March 24, 2010, 07:05:53 PM
I would be willing to bet that the odds of mistborn being a movie will be greater if the last 2 WoT books hit #1 on the NYT(almost a given) and his new Way of Kings book does well.

Maybe Brandon will get lucky. Some hollywood producer is a big WoT fan and they go who is this Sanderson guy? Then they read mistborn, come here and then track downt he guys who optioned his book.

I am not really sure how well Mistborn will tranlsate into a movie. A TV series might be more appropriate, but the only 2 networks that can do this well are HBO and Showtime. Free TV does not do sci-fi like this well at all. There has to be an arc in each episode which does not really translate well.

HBO is doing GRRM. I don't know if they want 2 fantasy series. There big thing is being the historical show network (I like that about them.. the pacific is very good)

Showtime does not do sci-fi anymore. They had a terrific time travel series several years ago that they cancelled mid-season (I cant remember tbename of it)

I can actually see Mistborn as a movie rather well. It's The Wheel of Time I think that wouldn't translate well to the big screen. It's far too complex and complicated to fit into 2 hours, possibly even 3. I was thinking a series on HBO or another network like that would work better. A film would have to cut too much to make it into a nice little chunk of movie.

That's not to say it's not possible, just that I can't see how it could work. Plus a trilogy (Mistborn) is a lot easier to manage than a ... um... quattuordecilogy.
Title: Re: Going to the Los Angeles signing on Monday.
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on March 24, 2010, 08:29:24 PM
Heh. I used the word quattuordecillion in my high school graduation speech.