Review: “Tailored Realities” -Brandon Sanderson
, pub. , pp
By Nick Osgood
TBH, after reading the Stormwind Archive, I couldn’t have possibly imagined Mr. Sanderson writing a short story, let alone an anthology of short stories. I mean, the shortest book in the Stormlight series was a meaty one-thousand pages. “There’s no way he can fit his masterful world-building into just a chapter or three”. Boy, was I wrong. Sanderson could fill a single page with a few parameters of parallel existence and season it with logic and reason and I’m on the next rocket ship like Katy Perry, along for the ride.
To me, short story anthologies are merely bathroom literature. I keep a copy of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, The Colour Out of Space, The Asimov Collection, and The Complete Poe within arms reach of the porcelain throne. This isn’t a slight toward anthologies by any means. I guess what I’m saying is that Brandon Sanderson’s Tailored Realities has made it to my pile of temporary escape while I jettison the day’s weight.
Other than the interesting, and completely original tales published within this tome, there is a companion piece attached to each story. If you’re an established Sanderson fan, he writes a bit of insight for each tale at it’s wrap; a brief breakdown of how, why or when each was written, which was an unexpected bonus.
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