A Grain of Sanderson
From the fantasy epics of the Cosmere to the defunct mobile game companion books, Graham, Jack, and Taylor attempt to read every published work by Brandon Sanderson, in publication order. We hope to gain a better understanding of who he is as an author, how his writing changes over time, and his broader effect on the fantasy genre. Starting with Elantris and finishing half a decade from now, please join us as we travel out of the wardrobe, and onto the wagon train. New episodes the second Tuesday of the month.
Episodes
We read read truly one of the most baffling books we've ever tackled with special guest Sophie Abromowitz! Oh and a Wheel of Time cut chapter too.
Sophie's Vampire Short Story: https://thebrooklynreview.com/2025/10/31/rules-for-vampires-sophie-abromowitz/
Sophie Substack: https://abromowitz.substack.com/
Seriously everyone check these out, Sophie has very quickly become one of my favorite writers.
We're back with The Rithmatist!
To skip A Memory of Light, Go to 29:41
Next month we'll be reading Infinity Blade Redemption & River of Souls. Episode airs October 7th.
Content warnings for this episode: abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, bullying, censorship, child abuse, child endangerment, child soldiers, Christianity, classism, colonialism, conspiracies, cults, death, displacement, existentialism, fandom, Ha...
We read two novellas this month, The Emperor's Soul is really good! Legion is the craziest thing we've ever read for the show (and maybe off the show too).
Huge thanks to Kirk for guesting on this episode, you can find all his information here. https://kirkhamilton.com/
Next month we'll be discussing The Rithmatist and the End of A Memory of Light
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, Abu Sayyaf, assassination, ...
Our shortest episode yet!
We read two short stories this month, The Eleventh Metal is pretty good, and HARRE (Heuristic Algorithm and Reasoning Response Engine) is pretty interesting from production standpoint.
Next month we'll be reading The Emperor's Soul and Legion, Episode Airs: Third Week of June.
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, arranged marriages, betrayal, bleeding, body ho...
We talk about the highs and lows of The Alloy of Law, our first foray into Mistborn Era 2.
Next month we'll be reading The Eleventh Metal and H.A.R.R.E, Episode Airs: May 31st
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, arranged marriages, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, domestic...
We read two not very good stories and have 2 fantastic conversations about them with special guest Sophie Abromowitz!
Sophie Short Story: https://joylandpublishing.com/fiction/jan-is-important/
Sophie Substack: https://abromowitz.substack.com/
Sophie Website: https://sophie-abromowitz.com/
Next month we'll be reading Alloy of Law. Episode airs, end of April.
Content warnings for this episo...
We're back in the era of normal length books with Alcatraz vs The Shattered Lens!
Next month we'll be reading Infinity Blade Awakening & I Hate Dragons. Episode airs, March 25th.
Around 59 Minutes in, we ask if ADX actually does the math correctly, she does not.
References
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett
Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. ...
We read Towers of Midnight, Book 13 of The Wheel of Time.
Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Shattered Lens, Episode Airs: Feb 18th.
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, amputation, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones , classism, colonization, death, domestic violence, fetishization, gaslighting, gender roles, hallucinations, insanity, J.K. Rowli...
On this part two we finish The Way of Kings, making this comfortably our longest episode yet. Apologies for getting this out a day later than I said I would, the flu took me out.
New Discord!
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, caste systems, child abuse, child death, christian imagery, classism, colonization, death, decapitatio...
On this episode we read The Way of Kings, a book so massive we really only talk about the plot of the book in the last third of the episode.
We split this episode in half because of how big this book is. It's slow, methodical, and we talked about it for 8 and a half hours.
Happy New Year folks, I wish you a wonderful and safe start to 2025.
Next Month: We read the entirety of Towers of Midnight, Ep...
We read the The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of The Wheel of Time. This was a lot, and we apologize for the delay. Happy Thanksgiving folks.
Next month we'll be reading all of The Way of Kings, Episode Airs: December 24th, Christmas Eve.
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, amputation, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bone, classism, colonization, death, dome...
We read the interesting yet undersauced Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystallia!
Next month we'll be reading The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Episode airs, November 12th.
James Acaster's Repertoire is available from Netflix.
References
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel by Susanna Clarke
Content warnings for this episode: abandonment, ableism, addicti...
We discuss the broader Cosmere, as well as some of the finer points of the ending of Warbreaker.
Come back next week for Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystalia.
This conversation is less professional, we can only hope it's entertaining.
Content warnings for this episode: colonization, death, discussion of sexuality, settler colonialism
This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLau...
We read the bright, colorful, and most importantly - good Warbreaker in its entirety.
Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystallia, Episode Airs: October 15th
https://x.com/headfallsoff/status/1051484419251425280
Message I sent to Jack during the pod, potential spoilers for Word of Brandon and Stormlight. https://imgur.com/HeaTJ6v.jpg
I highly recommend this Lib...
Join us for our shortest episode yet! We delve into Sanderson's first works of science fiction, two interesting short stories about space and failure.
Next month we'll be reading all of Warbreaker.
Content warnings for this episode: abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, blindness, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, classism, conspiracies, cults, death, empire, existentialism, failure, fascism, g...
We're confronted with our first sleeper hit, Alcatraz vs The Scrivener's Bones!
Next month we'll be reading the short stories Defending Elysium (2008) and Firstborn (2008), Episode Airs: August 13th
Content warnings for this episode: abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, child death, child endangerment, classism, conspiracies, cults, death, exi...
Spoilers for Hero of Ages (the book and our episode)
This conversation is much less professional, we can only hope it's entertaining.
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugen...
We rage and cry over The Hero of Ages, a book that is surprisingly hard to talk about because it's doing so much at once.
Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Scrivener's Bones, Episode Airs: July 9th
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion o...
We read the middle grade heist fantasy card battler Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians and talk about it for our shortest episode yet!
Next month we'll be reading all of Mistborn: The Hero of Ages, Episode Airs: June 11th
Content warnings for this episode: abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, child death, child endangerment, classism, conspiracies, death, foster homes,...
We read the political thriller? Messianic deconstruction? YA romance? The intangible of genre Well of Ascension and discuss it for a long time.
Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians, Episode Airs: May 14
Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, blackface, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapi...
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