History of Brandon Sanderson in Timeline

Brandon Sanderson is an American fantasy and science fiction author known for his expansive Cosmere universe, featuring popular series like Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive. He also writes young adult fiction, including The Reckoners and Skyward series. Beyond his original works, Sanderson completed Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. His creations extend to graphic novels with titles like White Sand and Dark One.

December 19, 1975: Brandon Sanderson's Birth

Brandon Sanderson, American author known for his fantasy and science fiction works, was born on December 19, 1975.

1994: High School Graduation and BYU Enrollment

After graduating from high school in 1994, Sanderson enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU) as a biochemistry major.

1995: Missionary Service in South Korea

Sanderson began a two-year missionary service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1995, serving in South Korea.

1997: Return to BYU, Switch to English Literature

Following his missionary service, Sanderson returned to BYU in 1997 and switched his major to English literature.

2000: Graduation from BYU

Brandon Sanderson graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000.

2003: Prolific Writing Period

By 2003, Sanderson had already completed twelve novels, demonstrating his dedication to his craft even before achieving publication.

2004: Completion of Master's Degree

Sanderson received his Master of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing from BYU in 2004.

April 21, 2005: Publication of "Elantris"

Sanderson's debut novel, "Elantris," was published by Tor Books on April 21, 2005, marking his official entry into the publishing world.

2006: Marriage to Emily Bushman

Sanderson married Emily Bushman, a fellow BYU alumna, in 2006.

2006: Beginning of "Warbreaker" Serialization

Sanderson started publishing "Warbreaker" as a serial on his website in 2006.

2006: Release of "Mistborn: The Final Empire"

The first book in the "Mistborn" trilogy, "Mistborn: The Final Empire," was published in 2006, introducing readers to Sanderson's intricate magic systems and world-building.

December 7, 2007: Sanderson Chosen to Complete "The Wheel of Time"

Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan's widow and editor, selected Sanderson to finish the "Wheel of Time" series after Jordan's passing in 2007.

2007: Publication of "The Well of Ascension" and "Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians"

Sanderson published the second installment of the "Mistborn" series, "The Well of Ascension," and his first children's novel, "Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians," in 2007.

2008: Launch of Writing Excuses Podcast

Brandon Sanderson, along with author Dan Wells and cartoonist Howard Tayler, started the "Writing Excuses" podcast in 2008 to discuss genre writing and webcomics.

2008: Release of "The Hero of Ages" and "Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones"

In 2008, Sanderson concluded the "Mistborn" trilogy with "The Hero of Ages" and released the second book in the "Alcatraz" series, "Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones."

March 30, 2009: Decision to Expand "The Wheel of Time" Conclusion

Sanderson and Tor Books announced that the final installment of "The Wheel of Time" would be split into three books to adequately address the series' remaining plotlines.

October 27, 2009: Publication of "The Gathering Storm"

"The Gathering Storm," the first installment in Sanderson's continuation of "The Wheel of Time," was published on October 27, 2009, achieving bestseller status.

2009: Publication of "Warbreaker" and "Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia"

Sanderson published "Warbreaker," initially serialized on his website, and the third "Alcatraz" book, "Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia," in 2009.

November 2, 2010: Release of "Towers of Midnight"

Sanderson published "Towers of Midnight," the penultimate book in the "Wheel of Time" series, on November 2, 2010.

2010: Debut of "The Stormlight Archive" with "The Way of Kings"

Sanderson launched his epic fantasy series, "The Stormlight Archive," with the publication of "The Way of Kings" in 2010.

October 2011: Release of "Infinity Blade: Awakening"

Sanderson ventured into video game tie-in fiction with the novella "Infinity Blade: Awakening," based on the iOS game, in October 2011.

November 2011: Publication of "Mistborn: The Alloy of Law"

Sanderson returned to the world of "Mistborn" with "Mistborn: The Alloy of Law" in November 2011, initially conceived as a standalone novel but later expanded into a series.

August 31, 2012: Publication of "Legion"

Sanderson explored science fiction with the novella "Legion," published on August 31, 2012.

2012: Publication of Sanderson's Second Law of Magic

Sanderson's second law of magic was introduced in 2012, further expanding on his approach to magic systems in fantasy writing.

2013: Completion of "The Wheel of Time" with "A Memory of Light"

Sanderson brought Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series to a close with the publication of "A Memory of Light" in 2013.

2013: Debut of "The Rithmatist" and "Steelheart"

Sanderson introduced two new young adult series in 2013: "The Rithmatist" and "The Reckoners," with the latter debuting with "Steelheart."

2013: Publication of Sanderson's Third Law of Magic

The third law of magic, completing Sanderson's core principles for magic systems, was published in 2013.

March 2014: Release of "Words of Radiance"

Sanderson continued "The Stormlight Archive" with "Words of Radiance," published in March 2014.

January 2015: Publication of "Firefight"

Sanderson released "Firefight," the second book in "The Reckoners" series, in January 2015.

November 16, 2015: Sales Milestone

On November 16, 2015, Brandon Sanderson's agency announced that he had sold over 7 million copies of his books worldwide.

January 26, 2016: Publication of "Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning"

On January 26, 2016, "Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning," the sequel to "Shadows of Self," was published.

February 16, 2016: Publication of "Calamity"

"Calamity," the third and final book in the Reckoners trilogy, was published on February 16, 2016.

June 2016: Release of "White Sand" graphic novel

June 2016 saw the release of Sanderson's first graphic novel, "White Sand," written in collaboration with Rik Hoskin. The graphic novel is based on an original manuscript by Sanderson.

September 6, 2016: Publication of "Alcatraz Versus the Dark Talent"

The fifth Alcatraz book, "Alcatraz Versus the Dark Talent," was published on September 6, 2016.

November 22, 2016: Publication of "Arcanum Unbounded: A Cosmere Collection"

An anthology of Cosmere short stories and novellas, titled "Arcanum Unbounded: A Cosmere Collection," was published on November 22, 2016.

2016: Cosmere Movie Rights Licensed (and Reverted)

DMG Entertainment acquired the movie rights to Sanderson's Cosmere universe in 2016. The rights have since returned to Sanderson.

November 14, 2017: Publication of "Oathbringer"

"Oathbringer," the third book in The Stormlight Archive, was published on November 14, 2017.

November 6, 2018: Publication of "Skyward"

The first book of the Defiant series, "Skyward," was published on November 6, 2018.

November 26, 2019: Publication of "Starsight"

"Starsight," the second book in the Defiant series, was released on November 26, 2019.

September 2020: Release of "The Original"

In September 2020, "The Original," a collaboration project with author Mary Robinette Kowal, was released.

November 17, 2020: Publication of "Rhythm of War"

On November 17, 2020, "Rhythm of War," the fourth Stormlight novel, was published.

March 2021: Launch of "Weekly Update" on YouTube

Brandon Sanderson started a "Weekly Update" series on his YouTube channel in March 2021, providing updates on his ongoing projects.

June 2021: Launch of "Intentionally Blank" Podcast

Sanderson and fellow author Dan Wells started a podcast called 'Intentionally Blank' in June 2021, where they discuss various things they enjoy.

November 23, 2021: Publication of "Cytonic"

"Cytonic," the third book of the Skyward series, was published on November 23, 2021.

2021: Sales Milestone

In 2021, Sanderson's agency updated his number of copies sold to over 21 million worldwide.

March 2022: Record-Breaking Kickstarter Campaign

In March 2022, Brandon Sanderson launched a Kickstarter campaign that garnered over $40 million in pledges, setting a new record for the platform.

March 2022: Announcement of Secret Projects and Kickstarter Campaign

In March 2022, Sanderson revealed that he had secretly written five books during the pandemic. He launched a Kickstarter campaign to release these books, which became the most successful campaign ever.

September 2022: Release of "Moonbreaker" video game

"Moonbreaker," a video game for which Sanderson collaborated with Unknown Worlds Entertainment to create the lore and setting, was released in early access in September 2022.