How a secret shared universe was built without breaking the story
In short: Brandon Sanderson faced a dilemma: how to build a massive, interconnected literary universe without forcing readers to finish every previous book first. His solution? A hidden cosmological framework that allows independent stories to coexist while sharing deep physics and secrets beneath the surface.
Sanderson conceived the Cosmere as a way to escape the 'single-world' trap of epic fantasy, where authors often become locked into one setting for decades. By creating a shared universe with hidden connections, he could write diverse stories—like Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive—that stand on their own merits while contributing to a larger narrative continuity. To ensure accessibility, he established a strict rule: each series must be fully enjoyable as a standalone work.
The architecture of the Cosmere is rooted in a foundational myth involving a being called Adonalsium. According to the lore, Adonalsium was killed by at least seventeen conspirators on the world Yolen, causing its power to shatter into sixteen 'Shards.' These Shards were taken by 'Vessels' who traveled to new worlds, populating them with distinct magic systems or physical laws. Scadrial was formed by a joint effort between two Shards, specifically Preservation and Ruin.
Early in his career, Sanderson kept this interconnectedness secret even from his publisher, Tor Books, fearing it might deter investment. He instead hid 'Easter eggs' like brief cameos by a world-hopping character named Hoid. It wasn't until 2008 that he officially revealed the universe to fans following inquiries about Hoid's recurring appearances. This evolution culminated in the 2016 release of Arcanum Unbounded, which explicitly marketed the shared universe and solidified its cohesive structure.
While influenced by Isaac Asimov’s Robot and Foundation series, Sanderson differs in execution; Asimov retroactively linked his works late in his career, whereas Sanderson structured the Cosmere as a unified setting from the beginning. This intentional design allows for complex cross-pollination of themes and physics across multiple planets while maintaining distinct identities for each individual world.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Cosmere
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