Reflecting upon Mistborn on its 20th anniversary, Brandon Sanderson’s book series is so much more than the traditional fantasy that most of us think it to be. When it comes to prolific modern fantasy authors, Brandon Sanderson is one of the quickest to come up, and I fully agree with that assessment. Between his extensive catalog of books and memorable hard magic systems set within elaborate worlds, he’s created an incredible literary legacy. Now, he has landed a monumental adaptation deal with Apple TV, giving him almost complete creative control over any Cosmere movies and TV shows. It’s impressive, to say the least.
I have been a fan of his work for a long time, and Mistborn is, by far, my favorite thing he’s written. I’ve been following along with the book and movie announcements not just as an entertainment journalist but as someone who has invested emotionally in the source material. Now that the Mistborn 20th anniversary is upon us, I find myself reflecting on the ongoing books that meant so much to so many of us, realizing new things I never had before.
One of the biggest things that has come up for me is that it isn’t actually the type of fantasy I originally thought it was. Generally speaking, Sanderson’s fantasy novels are considered high fantasy or epic fantasy. While I previously considered Mistborn a clear-cut example of this, the series has a strong claim to the science fantasy label.
Mistborn’s Hard Magic System Integrates Real Science & Expands Pseudoscience
I am far from the first person to think that Mistborn is either fantasy with sci-fi elements or science-fantasy, as I have occasionally seen the topic come up in online spaces. I never put much stock in the idea, though. However, the 20th anniversary inspired me to really sit down and consider the possibility, and there’s quite a lot to support that perspective.
Sanderson plans to change genres with Mistborn, eventually reaching the point of a space opera sci-fi. However, science fiction already feels baked into the book series. There is zero argument that Mistborn is fantasy, as it relies on magic. However, as Sanderson explained in his famous essay “Sanderson’s First Law,” he actively takes a scientific approach to his magic systems (via Dragonsteel). He wrote:
“My own paradigm is to develop a complicated magic system which can be explained as simply as possible, but which has a lot of background and ‘behind the scenes’ rules…The characters have some good understanding of the magic, but they rarely understand its complete form. This is partially because I treat my magics like sciences, and I don’t believe that we will ever completely understand all of the laws of science.”
Allomancy, feruchemy, and hemalurgy are all influenced by chemistry and thermodynamics. The scientific method could easily be applied, as all three magic systems are predictable practices that could be repeated in science experiments and yield the same results.Not everyone can access magic. Instead, the ability to use any of the three comes from genetics.
Allomancers steal energy from the spiritual world rather than creating it out of nowhere, using metals as conduits. The molecular structure of specific metals directly impacts the form of energy an allomancer can tap into and what abilities they gain. The abilities are directly affected by the purity of the metals, with small impurities having severe impacts on the allomancer. Alloys have a different effect depending on the ratio of one metal to another. Consuming the wrong type of metal can cause heavy metal poisoning.
Additionally, Newton’s Third Law of Motion directly impacts Coinshots and Lurchers. They can push or pull things of lesser mass, but anything with more mass will push or pull them. Meanwhile, Feruchemy can store and convert investiture, mass, and energy, but it does not create or destroy them. This makes it an extension of the First Law of Thermodynamics.
On top of everything else, many of the abilities of magic users stem from pseudoscientific concepts such as mind control, enhanced senses, and telekinesis. These are crossover topics in both the fantasy and sci-fi worlds.
Not Every Hard Magic System Is Scientific
Brandon Sanderson clearly enjoys mixing together science and magic when creating his magic systems, as is the case with most of his books in the Cosmere. While some may argue that every hard magic system follows the laws of science, Brandon Sanderson explicitly stated this isn’t the case in his essay Sanderson’s First Law. He wrote:
“[B]y calling something “Hard Magic” I’m not implying that it has to follow laws of science, or even that there have to be explanations of WHY people can use this magic. All I’m talking about is the reader’s understanding of what the magic can DO.”
I can think of three specific examples of systems that apply strict rules, restrictions, and limits to magic without feeling like they are science fiction. The book series Codex Alera by Jim Butcher and The Old Kingdom by Jim Butcher both fall into the category of hard magic. They provide clear-cut rules as to how magic works and what limitations apply. Reading the books, you can predict what will happen when the characters use magic based on the rules. However, neither feels like an extension of real science or even pseudoscience. I’d say the celebrated hard magic system of Avatar: The Last Airbender also counts.
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Proves The Line Between Fantasy And Sci-Fi Is Blurry
Based on everything I have read and heard from Brandon Sanderson, I have no reason to believe that the author set out to write a science fantasy story until Era 4, whether that be the possible cyberpunk he is considering but has not yet decided on, or the confirmed space opera. More so, he just finds rigid hard magic systems more satisfying to write and read. He happens to lean into science for this, whereas others lean into philosophy and mysticism.
That said, it’s a great example of how much ambiguity exists within genre lines. During the Mistborn 20th-anniversary celebratory stream on YouTube, Sanderson provided his own definition of science-fantasy as storytelling tropes from one and aesthetic tropes from the other. However, he readily admitted that the line is blurry and that stories exist on a spectrum. Here’s what he had to say about the division:
“This dividing line, really when we get to these genres it’s, ‘What do you say it is?’ The author gets to decide. The audience gets to decide. Obviously, on one hard end there’s hard science fiction and the other end there is traditional quest fantasy, and we can put those in their boxes pretty easily. Everything in between is a blur. I don’t think it matters that much, and I also think things can be both. Like, I think a lot of the science fantasy—Star Wars is a fantasy science fiction. Is it one or the other? No, it’s a fantasy science fiction…I don’t even know if it’s a sci-fantasy. I think it’s just a fantasy and science fiction mashed together.”
Mistborn seems to defy boxes, and it’s only going to blur those lines further as the series progresses because there will be very intentional genre jumps. Era 1 was closer to the traditional fantasy end of the spectrum with sci-fi elements, and each subsequent era shifts it closer to the middle. Ultimately, the fact that Brandon Sanderson’s creativity crosses boundaries and blends genres together is one of the many reasons why he is one of the best authors of our generation.