I'm 50. I lived (and suffered) through the satanic panic. I spent much of my youth being spoken down to for my love of fantasy from people exactly like Kehe. They're literary snobs that think fantasy isn't legitimate and can kick rocks for all I'm concerned.
Kehe claims to be a sci-fi/fantasy genre fan.... but I think he is snobbish in "what counts" as "good" to him. Not just literary merit, but selective about what to bother reading at all. I don't agree with that. I do think there is a literary standard that not all books meet, but I like books from both camps.
I’ve never read anything by Sanderson (mainly because I never got to his WoT books), but I love his podcast! I think he’s done a fine job of promoting himself- I don’t even engage with his main product and I like what he’s about. I’m not religious and it doesn’t bother me that he is.
You spoke about how our love of Sanderson's work is subjective, we can like it but we can also not like it, I agree, thats what pissed me off the most about this article, it feels very subjective when the core of journalism is to be objective. So little of the article was about the craft of writing, and when it was the author seemed really adamant about their own views and ignored what was happening right in front of him, like when he writes about wanting to trip up fans at the convention by asking them if they think Sanderson is bad writer and when they say they like the worldbuilding and then he sees all the growth plans for the company dragonsteel the connection he makes is that Sanderson is living his godhead fantasy on earth. Every single reaction video I saw of this article was able to come up with interesting topics for a interview, yours included, the article itself felt very meandering like the author didn't know what to write about, the question he poses in the beggining about how this writer who seemingly no one in mainstream talks about was able to break records at Kickstarter was just forgotten by the end, either that or the conclusion of the author was that Sanderson got all that money becuase he's Mormon, cause at the end that was all the author seemed to care to write about. Nothing about his writing process or the inner workings of his company or about any potential financial relations between his company and his church. People have been talking about Sanderson for years, they have been criticizing his writing for years, this added nothing new to the conversation while being itself an example of bad writing. The lack of objetivism is dangerous because the article has the potential of painting Sanderson as a cult leader in the eyes of someone who hasn't been following his career very closely or isn't intimate with how the writing world works, Sanderson is a university professor who hosts podacts and has done many interviews, he's a very public author so many people have a gauge for his character, Imagine for moment what would have happened if a piece like this was written about a little known up and coming author or an author with a decent following but who doesn't show their face in social media and doesn't engage with their audience, a piece like this would have killed their careers on the spot.
I disagree only about journalism being objective. The Associated Press is objective. Reuters is objective. This article isn't news. It is an opinion piece. Wired is a magazine. All of Kehe's pieces are in a similar vein. I didn't think it was poorly written. It engaged me for 4000 words. But I do think it was petty and unnecessary. It smacks of arrogance, maybe jealousy, and insinuates that Sanderson doesn't deserve to be covered by major publications as if his writing has something to say. And maybe that's true... but it's still petty and mean.
Sanderson will always be the guy who replied to my e-mail after Robert Jordan died. The fact that he also wrote a bunch of books that I deeply enjoyed is just a bonus. Hard disagree with you about plot -- sure, Rhythm of War was a slog, but that was an outlier. The vast majority of his books are fast-paced.
Amazing video. As a former Mormon, i really appreciate when people notice how Mormon Sanderson can be, in the sense that he has included many elements of Mormon (and Christian) theology in his planets, although a few times also subverting them and adding more analytical characters like Jasnah. I agree with all your points, except with one, when you said "It's not up to literary standards" which sounded a bit snobby to be honest. A lot of once considered 'pulpy' or 'lesser' authors and books are now held as some of the best of their time, or at least as 'forgotten gems', not saying that Sanderson will become like that (if anything his current fame could go somehow against him in the future), but i see it more like something that should and will be judged by future generations. 'Literally standards' can change a lot, even from one decade to another.
I would need to do a video explaining what I mean by literary standards. I do think there is a difference between literature and popular fiction and Sanderson is pop fiction. However, I don't think literary = good. Some of my favorite books are pop fiction. Some of my least favorite books are literature. Some books are both literature AND very popular.
Another great video! I do disagree with you on the article being 'balanced'. I thought it was unnecessarily mean to Brandon's fans and family. You did make a great point on how this article could be a good thing. A dab of controversy to get the Sanderson engine into the next gear. I hadn't thought of that! What video game are you playing to relax?
Great video! Enjoy your takes on these topics. Much more nuanced and thoughtful than other stuff out there. I've read the Sanderson Wheel of Time novels and Stormlight Archive and I'm basically in agreement with you on your takes. Sanderson has certain strengths, but really strong weaknesses, especially writing characters with diverse personalities. His comfort zone is male characters with straightforward and earnest personalities. When he has to write characters deviating from it (e.g. Mat), it's awkward and Androl is a bullseye on his comfort zone character. Literature is a whole other topic and I know plenty of other sci, fantasy and popular authors have written enough criticism about the literary industry that I don't need to throw my 2 cents in.
This is a great discussion of the article. I do feel like the writer over stepped the common courtesy line in his tone. But it's almost like he was trying to mimic the complaints that he had over Sanderson's writing. Also I agree with the comment about community being the core of the fandom. I very much feel that way in the wheel of time fandom... I only like the first 5/6 books. Yet, I love the community discussion on the world and character deep dive, far more that I enjoy the books themselves.. on the mental health topic, everyone has some sort of psychosis, Sanderson just makes his work for him.
Hi Amy. One of my favorite books that freed me is a book called "Compassion and Self Hate." It's an older book written by a doctor of Psychiatry. His name escapes me, and I don't know if it's still in print. But, if you can find it, it's well worth a read.
I love your channel because you are such a voice of reason. I won't say that you are perfect(I certainly am not!), but your commitment to finding the truth and being rational over all is inspiring.
So, bottom line: People do like some books despite the fact that there are probably better books. And that's enough for that Wired person to rant about.
Thank you for adding an interesting perspective to this topic. Very much appreciated! As for "not creating enough content": I'd rather have anyone speak up when they have something to actually say than producing noise for noise's sake. Makes me value that opinion that much more.
I got the sense from the article that the frustration circled around Sanderson’s very well-manicured and managed image. It felt as if the author was looking for the cynicism that surely must exist in a self-cloistered, self-assured multi-millionaire author who isn’t good at writing and doesn’t like the process. Pat answers, unusable quotes, “lame” all around visits, etc. didn’t add up for him. So…perhaps he lashed out a bit more than usual and made a lazy analogy. Personally, the article made me laugh in spots so I rolled with it. Good video. Thanks!
Kehe doesn't understand why millions of "common" people are charmed by such "inferior" writing. His views are cringey, but I kinda get it in the sense that Sanderson is not the type of writer to be courted by publications like...say... the New Yorker for his "ideas" about the deeper truths of the human struggle. He writes kinda campy epic fantasy with decent magic systems. He is well known because he writes a lot and spends time with his fans. It's not that mysterious to me why Sandserson is popular, but I guess people like Kehe find it hard to believe.
I really appreciate your honesty and your balanced response. That editorial sounds awfully condescending and snide. I haven't read Sanderson's work, but I admit that I've encountered a similar problem with other popular authors, especially in fantasy. I've slowly learned that I'm generally more drawn towards beautiful prose than towards engaging plots. At least for me, sufficiently beautiful prose can immerse me in even a mundane plot, but even an expertly crafted plot or characters won't generally compensate for a writing style that I don't enjoy. Having said all that, none of this would be an excuse for a critic to be so mean-spirited.
Brandon Sanderson writes unique, adult epic fantasy books without sex and excessive swearing. That's enough to warrant his success, in my opinion. A lot of people like myself want more compelling stories than YA but DON'T want sex scenes and swearing. Also as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormon") I just have to say the religion is not based on the idea of many worlds (though we do believe that God has created "worlds without number") our religion is based completely on our belief that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, that he overcame death and Hell, and that because of him we can be forgiven of our sins, and return to live with God.
If you see this, I hope you get to review the Star Wars series, Andor. I would love to see what your thoughts on it's story, character, and dialogue are.
I only have read his "collaboration" to finish The Wheel of Time. I'm glad that someone finished the series, but oh lord, I didn't like his writing at all and decided not to read anything of him. The typical problem of many writers, big plot holes, writing themselves into situations they can't figure out how to come out and make the most non sense decision for the character. I know that many, brush off those "literary standards", as soon as the base story is interesting. but I prefer the consistency in the story and logic in the situations of the world and characters within it. Like Robert Jordan wrote.
I greatly enjoyed this critique of Kehe's article. In my opinion it is ridiculous to assume the author should NOT include his personal faith in his product.
i mean, pretending to be friends with someone and their family for 5 months and writing this type of article while bragging about how you're going to include a detail the subject doesn't want you to talk about is the kind of journalism that you would do to a fascist dictator or something.
journalists aren't your friends... I dont know what arrangement they had or how much time they spent together. He might have pitched the article five months ago but only spent the weekend with sanderson. it's still mean.
Listening to this with headphones was unpleasant because the audio was only playing through the right side. I resolved the issue by going to the Windows settings and switching to mono audio. It's unfortunate that a technical problem is detracting from an otherwise good video.
Awesome video! To me his fandom can be explained rather simply...most readers aren't looking for literary awakening and the "next great novel". Your average reader is looking for entertainment, and Sanderson novels entertain. Like you mentioned, he writes like an entertaining pop-culture TV show. It's Chuck and Psych and Castle and White Collar. Fun. Not Oscar winning literature. Far as how much he writes...can't it be as simple as "he's a workaholic"? We all know people who have to always be working and keeping busy.
yes, but I think "workaholic" has an underlying mental health component. It's not something you will find in the DSM but it can be born from anxiety and impact your life negatively.
For some people the artistic part of writing really isn't that important. Very few people even notices if a sentence is well constructed or not, it is something you can feel when you read for a longer time. If I dare to guess it is closely connected to how well you understand language and art in general.
Thank you for sharing Amy Stewart and being a voice of reason, your opinion here on this weird Wired article is much more fair and balanced than most of the other reactions/rants that I've seen
I agree! It's a bit of a mean article in an unnecessarily personal way, but it's not like it's really *wrong* in all its points. There were some good points made and some I wished Kehe expanded on. The by and far larger sin the article commits in my eyes is completely failing to make some very obvious observations and criticisms regarding Sanderson, for instance, him paying tithes to the Church of Latter-Day Saints - a literal hate organization that participates in stochastic terrorism against LGBTQ+ folks. It's just not really that well written, and the focus on personal digs at Sanderson and his family seem unprofessional when there are more pertinent points to make. You also spoke about how Sanderson doesn't try to be literary which I thought is really well said. Authors have different standards for themselves and it rubs me the wrong way when one or the other is made to be "better" in some objective way. Pop fiction and literature can be just as good, just as worthy. And to be honest, as someone who has depression and read the Stormlight Archives, some of the experiences depicted there do resonate with me. Every writer puts onto the page parts of themselves. I would not be surprised at all if Sanderson has struggled with depression himself, too, whether or not he admits to it.
Others have also said that they can see themselves in Kaladin's depression. I think I mean more that I don't feel like I am learning about mental illness in reading Stormlight more than the characters dont reflect it well. The story still has five books to go so I might revise my opinion on that but I have been in therapy only 6 months and have learned so many things I didn't really understand before about depression and related topics. I guess I just wish more of that was in these novels. But maybe I also just need to re-read them.
@@amys0482 Oh, I don't disagree with that. It's exceedingly rare that Sanderson ever goes all that deep into anything he portrays in his books. And I doubt he's ever been to therapy!
Depends how you define good! Enjoyable writing is any writing you enjoy. But there is a craft/technique to writing and some authors are better at it than others.
@@robinirie98 you're just arguing for mob rule, as if grammar and literary critique are worthless - as long as the everyman buys said product. There are other ways to look at writing beyond just how much money you can make.
@@drtyprior I am saying that literary critique is intellectual masturbation of self important people. Charles Dickens was considered a bad writer by his peers. Grammar has utility but the existence of French, Italian, Romanian, etc , as separate language shows that it's what the masses speak that matters.
@@robinirie98 I think there must exist a happy medium here; you can't just discount all critique of an author's style, as if it holds no merit, as long as said author sells.
"dont meet the standards of literature"..that sounds like a pretty elitist statement in itself. This sounds like just an execuse for saying that if i dont like certain authors then no one else should like them or appriciate them in the first place. As an example there was a classic writer in my country who lived in the 1900th century whose main work was crucified by the critics of the time but later turned out to be one of the central books of 1900 century. Also going for personal attacks against any other is not a sign of a making good arguments for his or her case.
Sanderson's work is great fun but it is not literature. WOT isn't either as much as I love it. You are right that history has sidelined authors who were later recognized more fairly. Books can be great and not literary. I might have to do a video on the difference...
@@amys0482 Its a pretty bold statement in general that something isnt literature. Maybe some literature is more refined and more in depth than certain other works of literature but just to say that something isnt literature is more of an subjective statement of your own preferences than some kind of objective truth. From googling the meaning of the literature is following: "Literature is writing that uses artistic expression and form and is considered to have merit or be important. As an artistic term, literature refers to written works, such as novels, short stories, biographies, memories, essays, and poetry." So in the latter meaning of the term Sandersons work is literature as is biography talking about some past president like Truman or Eisenhower.
Never been a fan of Sanderson. I disliked his work taking over the Wheel of Time. And couldn’t finish the one book of his I tried to read. If you’re a fan more power to you but he is definitely not on my top Science Fiction list.
I've hear that he is going to give someone else the material to finish the Mistborne series since he doesn't have the time. EDIT: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xxETz8yy9Dw.html
@@amys0482 I've only just finished the original Mistborn trilogy and am waiting for the fourth book in the Wax and Wayne series. I think the next trilogy will be further into the future and will be the one written by a different writer (if my info is correct)
@@amys0482 Now I can't find any of that online. It seems I've been a victim of fake news. But the idea is interesting: since Sanderson admits he's not a good writer, why not give some award winning writer to write some of his stuff?
I tend to keep up with Sanderson news. He is not giving the Mistborn books to someone else to finish, he hired another author to write some "less important" books in his Cosmere universe. The main series (Stormlight, Mistborn, Elantris, Warbreaker) he plans on writing himself.
