Order of Brandon Sanderson Books

Name: Brandon Sanderson
Born: December 19, 1975
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Education: B.A. in English (Brigham Young University), M.F.A. in Creative Writing (BYU)
Status: Very much alive, and still conjuring words faster than most of us can read them.

A Scribe of Steel and Stormlight

If fantasy literature had a Mount Olympus, Brandon Sanderson would already have a throne carved in glowing mist and ancient runes. Born in the heartland of Nebraska but destined to reshape the very laws of magic, Sanderson's journey from Wheel of Time torchbearer to Cosmere architect is the stuff of legends—and irony.

As a kid, Sanderson wasn't the bookish boy you'd expect. He wasn’t always buried in Tolkien or scribbling spells in the margins of notebooks. In fact, for a while, he didn't read much at all. That is, until a well-meaning teacher handed him a fantasy novel in junior high—and boom! The floodgates opened. A passion for high fantasy and layered worldbuilding began to simmer.

Fast forward through a short stint in South Korea as a missionary (which would later influence his nuanced world-building and cultural systems), and Sanderson was back in the U.S., sharpening his craft. He earned both a Bachelor's in English and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Brigham Young University. There, he became an infamous night owl—writing from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day, spinning tales in the shadowy hours where magic thrives.

The Irony of Rejection, and the Birth of a Legend

Here’s where it gets deliciously ironic. Elantris, his first published novel, was actually the sixth book he wrote. The five before it? Rejected. Over. And. Over. That’s right—publishers said no to a man who would go on to sell millions of books, finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, and invent an entire shared universe (hello, Cosmere). Take that, literary gatekeepers.

Oh, and speaking of finishing The Wheel of Time—Sanderson wasn’t just handed the reins. He earned it. Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan’s widow and editor, chose him after reading a heartfelt eulogy Sanderson posted online. It wasn’t just talent that got him there—it was love. Love for fantasy. Love for fans. Love for story.

The Architect of the Cosmere and Father of Mistborn

Let’s talk keywords, because any true fan knows: Sanderson isn’t just a fantasy author. He’s the creator of the Cosmere universe, a sprawling tapestry of interconnected worlds with their own magic systems, gods, cultures, and secrets—hidden in plain sight. And within that multiverse sits one of his crown jewels: Mistborn.

With Mistborn, Sanderson didn’t just build a magic system. He engineered one. Allomancy. Feruchemy. Hemalurgy. Words that sound like science experiments but feel like poetry in action. He flipped the traditional fantasy trope on its head by asking: What if the Dark Lord actually won? And then… what if a street urchin girl could rise up to steal the power of gods?

The Man, the Myth, the Writing Machine

Today, Brandon Sanderson is infamous not just for his storytelling, but for his productivity. He doesn’t just publish books—he drops bombs. During the pandemic, while most of us were bingeing Netflix or panic-baking sourdough, Sanderson secretly wrote five extra novels. Then he casually launched the most successful Kickstarter in publishing history—raising $41 million. For books. Books he didn’t even tell his publisher about.

The man is a literary storm.

Legacy in the Making

Brandon Sanderson isn’t just reshaping the fantasy genre. He’s challenging how stories are published, consumed, and connected. Through online lectures, podcasts, and fan interactions, he’s also mentoring a whole new generation of writers—inviting them into the forge of worldbuilding and the grindstone of discipline.

He’s living proof that fantasy isn’t about escaping reality—it’s about rebuilding it, one magical rule at a time.

So, why should you care?
Because Brandon Sanderson doesn’t just tell stories.
He builds universes.
And the Mistborn saga? That’s just your first step into the Cosmere. Just don’t be surprised if you lose sleep, your breath, and maybe even your heart somewhere along the way.