Tailored Realities

by Brandon Sanderson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson-creator of the Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy-comes Tailored Realities, a new short fiction collection including the never-before-published novella Moment Zero.

Spanning the genres of fantasy and science fiction, this collection features stories from beyond the bounds of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe.
Along with the never-before-seen novella "Moment Zero," Tailored Realities will include "Snapshot," "Perfect State," "Defending Elysium" (a novella set within the world of Skyward), and five other stories that were originally published individually elsewhere-never before collected into one volume, and many never before available in print.

The collection will also include a stunning black and white illustration for each story.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Anthologies, Adult

448 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2025

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Clace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanna write a review for each of the stories sooo rtc
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You guys should have seen my state when I got accepted for a Brandon Sanderson arc 😭 Can't wait to read the new stories and reread the ones I already have 🤸

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of non-cosmere stories, some new, some old, also features a brand-new novella. Since I had already read the previously released stories, I have only read the newly published ones this time. I have reposted my (modified) reviews of the old stories and written new ones for the three new additions, Moment Zero, “Brain Dump,” and “Probability Approaching Zero.”


SNAPSHOT (4 stars)

In Snapshot, detective story meets cyberpunk; except instead of technology a fantastical element is used. That‘s where the superhero abilities featured in the Reckoners series come in; even if only used to set up the premise of the story – you’ll find no epic Epic fights here! Originally, both stories were intended to be part of the same universe. Because film rights are with different companies, however, Sanderson had to put that on hold (as of 2017).

All of this to say that not only is Snapshot totally different from the Reckoners, you really do not have to read the Reckoners series beforehand: the being with superpowers that creates the snapshots (tangible recreation of a past day, used here for the sake of criminal investigation) is new to this story and there’s virtually no overlap at all; just some minor references that could really be explained away given another context.

A fast and fast-paced 90 pages you should definitely read!

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NEW: “BRAIN DUMP”(3.5 stars)

Though not altogether new, this is a brief (11 pages) but fun exploration of genetic engineering, showing a couple shopping for what they think is a "perfect“ brain for their child. It becomes clear, though, that each designer brain model has some drawbacks which the saleswoman tries to sugarcoat. The sales pitch then leads toward an unexpected ending.

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“I HATE DRAGONS”(4 stars)

Here you find a version of three too-short chapters of wonderful tongue-in-cheek writing that originally started out as an even shorter dialogue-writing exercise.*

The premise involves Skip‘s (magic) knack for smelling delicious to dragons which makes him the perfect bait in the dragon-hunting business – a dangerous job he understandably wants to quit.

Another knack he has is hearing spelling and punctuation, which I just found a delightful idea. Though I’m glad that’s not a gift I have as it would drive me insane, it was really fun to read about:

“Climb on up here.”
“You’ll eat me.”
“That’s the idea.”
“Then I think I’ll decline.”
“Oh, come now. It won’t be so bad as you think. They’re will he hardly any pain at all.”
“I don’t care if there’s pain or not. I’ll still be dead. And you used the wrong version of ‘they’re.’ You wanted there instead.”
“I did? How can you tell? They’res no difference in the sounds they make.”
“Actually, I can hear apostrophes.”
“What, really?”
“Yes. I can hear spelling too, actually.”

If you want to read more than what is published in Tailored Realities, check out the link below for the free, full version:
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/i-ha...

*Rules for the writing exercise as stated on his website:

“Write a five- to ten-page two-character dialogue with no tags or blocking. Try to evoke character, conflict, and plot using only dialogue. Include: a problem, two distinct individuals, a fantasy/sf element. Avoid: long monologues, exposition. Use context, not explanations.“
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/writ...

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“DREAMER” (3.5 stars)

You’d best go in into this 20-page short story mostly blind – most observations will spoil it for you. Just know this was originally published in a horror anthology, but don’t expect blood and gore (though people will die); it’s Brandon‘s definition of horror, something that deals with a “concept that is horrifying.“ I also don’t think it spoils too much to tell you it involves body snatching.

Brandon states that the short story was received well by the anthology readers unfamiliar with his work but that Peter Ahlstrom, his editor, didn’t particularly like it. I’m afraid I’ll have to side more with Peter; while it was a quick, entertaining read, it was quite average compared to Brandon‘s work.

PS: Even if you’re probably reading this as part of Tailored Realities, there is also this really cool edition with dual covers, which includes both “Dreamer“ and Snapshot.

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PERFECT STATE (4 stars)

If you want to go into this blind, please don’t read any further. I will only explain the basic world building, which is why I‘m not labeling this as a spoiler.

In this science fiction novella Sanderson is giving a creative new spin to the central idea of the Matrix – most notably, it appears to nix the dystopian angle: human beings are not turned into batteries for world-dominating machines. The underlying concept is similar though: the humans‘ brains are stored in jars, as so-called Liveborn, and are each given a State, a simulated world, to live in. However, here this State is based on the individual personality, aiming to make the person happy while being cognizant of the situation. As an example, our MC Kairominas is God-Emperor of his world, long-lived, having magical powers.

But there are also so-called Machineborns, which constitute the majority of people, Simulated Entities, basically AI constructs that make up the population of a State.

There is even more to this world, however: in addition to Personal States like Kai’s, there are also Communal ones, which can be visited by the Liveborns. Kai is content in his Personal State until something unexpected prompts him to go to a Communal State: he is forced to go on a date!

I have to admit that it took me a while to familiarize myself with the complex world building and I don’t think I grasped it all, mainly where the so-called Machineborn were concerned. Still, I had a lot of fun with the story. Exploring that entire world was incredibly entertaining, fascinating, and thought-provoking: Perfect State – or is it?

PS: All this left me wondering what my Personal State would look like. I’d have some magical powers, that’s for sure. What a fun thought experiment.

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NEW: “PROBABILITY APPROACHING ZERO” (3 stars)

A flash fiction piece (less than 500 words), dialogue only, which only made complete sense to me after reading the postscript. If you want to know the premise keep on reading, but if you’d rather puzzle it out for yourself, stop here. Aliens pick people from different worlds and "uplift“ them – granting them greater intelligence. You are shown the dialogue of an alien with an uplifted person.

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“DEFENDING ELYSIUM” (4 stars)

Considering the fact that this novelette, set in the same universe as the Skyward series, is one of Brandon’s early works, written in 2001/2002, before Elantris was published, I am surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore really; recently reading and enjoying Dragonsteel Prime, which predates Defending Elysium by about two years, which once again shows what an extraordinary talent Brandon has, already been honed by writing about a dozen novels before this novelette.

I would actually recommend reading this 70-page-long story after you’ve read Skyward; you’ll get the most enjoyment out of it that way as it functions as a sort of prequel, set hundreds of years earlier. We get to know the origins of Jason Write of the Phone Company (PC), the origins of Faster Than Light communication and travel; we also learn how alien species view humans as threatening, as an undeveloped civilization and, most importantly, as creatures of lesser intelligence, setting the stage for the conflict in Skyward. On the surface, however, this story is a mystery: Jason Write is dispatched to investigate the disappearance of one of the PC’s agents.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced novelette and the insight into the Cytoverse it provides; even if some questions remain unanswered (to my mind at least). The ending was very satisfying nonetheless.

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“FIRSTBORN” (4 stars)

This sci fi novelette is an enjoyable, entertaining, quick 40-page read. At its core, it is about not meeting familial/paternal expectations and being forced into a career for which one has neither aptitude nor inclination.

Dennison, our viewpoint character, is supposed to emulate the success of his brother Varion, tactical master and an undefeated Great High Officer and High Admiral, but he fails no matter how hard he tries; and he does try. His repeated failures, however, make him cynical and pessimistic, understandably so. In an attempt to mold him into a successful copy of his brother, he then is forced to extensively study Varian’s battle strategies which make Dennison increasingly wonder about Varian, who is 20 years his senior and whom he has never met. The events then take an unexpected turn and lead to a climactic conclusion I did not see coming. All in all, a nice mix of human interest and space battles I thoroughly enjoyed.

If you don’t plan on buying Tailored Realities, you can read this novelette for free here: https://reactormag.com/firstborn/

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MITOSIS (4 stars)

This novelette is set in the Reckoners alternate earth and can be read after Steelheart. Mitosis is an Epic (superpowered villain) who wants to take control of Newcago. As the name suggests, his superpowers can split himself into multiple beings. The Reckoners, regular humans, among them our MC David, need to find a way to defeat Mitosis. A very brief; entertaining read.

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NEW: MOMENT ZERO (3.5 stars)

This novella starts out like a regular detective story, following two such detectives, Lisa Sterling and Andrew Dane, both experienced and in their forties, following up on a missing person‘s case. When they get there, however, it’s not as simple as that; it’s about an experiment involving a wormhole about to go wrong.

The timeline that we follow is not linear because we time travel, but you get information about the plotline with regard to Moment Zero, the moment which warped time. Lisa is sent a few days into the past before Moment Zero and Dane some undetermined time after that. He gets the worse end of the deal because his timeline includes talking zombies. Yep, you read that right. There will be zombies, called revenants here, that consume a person‘s spirit/soul/heat rather than their flesh. Both Lisa and Dane now have to work to stop Moment Zero from either side of the timeline from happening.

The premise and the characters were engaging and interesting, and I enjoyed most of the novella, but I had a hard time figuring out the physics involving the time travel. Brandon notes in the Postscript that he decided to leave out most of the mechanics and I’m glad he did as time travel is something I often have trouble keeping straight and that was already the case here. But hey, maybe that’s just me and you will be totally fine. All in all, a fun but sometimes confusing experience.

[Korynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall rating of this collection: 3.15/5 stars.
This is firmly a science fiction collection of stories. They are written well because Brandon is a good writer, but I find that I prefer his fantasy stories to his science fiction stories, and most of those tend to be set in the Cosmere and thus not included in this collection.

Snapshot 4/5
I enjoyed this story just as much upon reread as I did when I first read it six years ago. This is a serial killer thriller where two detectives enter a “snapshot” of a day so that they can investigate a crime that occurred during that day. It’s a very cool concept and one that I would love to see adapted to film. This was a strong start to this collection.

Brain Dump 4/5
A very fun little sci-fi story about what it’s like if you could buy a designer-built brain for your child. This one is new to this collection. I don’t think it’s a particularly unique concept, and the ending doesn’t feel like a Sanderson ending, even though I did like it. But the story overall was a fun one to read.

I Hate Dragons 3.5/5
A boy who can HEAR spelling and punctuation?? Yes please. That’s the most interesting story idea I’ve ever heard. I’ve been into LitRPG stories lately, and this story has a LitRPG feel to it. The version included in Tailored Realities is the dialogue-only version, but there is an extended version on Sanderson’s website that includes some narrative and worldbuilding elements. I read the extended version many years ago and remember liking it a lot. It includes an added bit about the protagonist wanting to make the world’s first dictionary, which was very cool to me. I would love a longer version of this story (longer than the extended version) because the concept here is very interesting.
Read my original review here.

Dreamer 3/5
A fast-paced, action-packed adventure story about body-jumpers hunting each other through a city. I have read this story previously, and I think I liked it better on my first read-through because I didn’t know how it ended. It’s definitely worth a read, but it’s also not my favorite in this collection.
Read my original review here.

Perfect State 2.5/5
Unlike some other stories in this collection that I wish were longer, this story is one that I wish were shorter. I read it years ago but I’m glad I was able to reread it because I had forgotten a lot of details. Sanderson takes classic sci-fi tropes and turns them on their heads: what if you were just a brain in a jar and living in a simulated full-dive where you could create the perfect life for yourself? The postscript here is important as it gives a lot of context to the story, and in it, Brandon states this is his favorite idea in this collection. It certainly is an interesting idea, but it just didn’t have the emotional impact for me personally that I think he wanted it to.

Probability Approaching Zero 3/5
Brandon’s first flash fiction piece and a new story to this collection. It’s very short, and another dialogue-only story about a human who is “uplifted” to gain greater intelligence. This is a story that I really think requires the postscript to understand. I thought I understood the narrative’s implications when I finished, but I’m really glad Brandon explained what he said between the lines because I didn’t fully grasp the meaning until I read the postscript.

Defending Elysium 4/5
The origin story of humans discovering faster-than-light technology and their first contact with aliens. This is not a new story, and in fact it’s one I’ve read multiple times now and I enjoy it more on each reread. This story is imperative if you are planning on reading the Skyward books as they take place in the same universe and there are lots of references here that will really help you out in that series, although both can be read on their own just fine. This is one of the stronger stories in this collection, in my opinion.
Read my original review here.

Firstborn 2/5
I did not like this story when I originally read it years ago, and I didn’t like it this time around either. It wasn’t memorable as I had forgotten nearly everything about it. It’s giving Ender’s Game vibes with commanding the spaceship battles and the cast of primarily male characters, and I’m just not into that. This is the kind of story I think about when I think about how I don’t like sci-fi. This story is not one I would necessarily recommend going out of your way to read.

Mitosis 2/5
Rereading this story made me want to reread the whole Reckoners trilogy. I want to emphasize that Mitosis is 1.5 in the Reckoners series and it does spoil the ending of Steelheart. I do not personally think this story should have been included in this collection since it can’t really be read on its own like the other stories can. All of the worldbuilding and character development occur in Steelheart, so if you skip that book, this story will feel like it’s missing a lot of details. The story was alright but ultimately felt unnecessary to the overall series.

Moment Zero 3.5/5
I didn't expect to get a zombie time travel story from Brandon, but alright. This was good and brand new to this collection. Two cops are trying to stop the apocalypse from happening on either side of it in the timeline. I like that Brandon subverted some tropes here. The physics of the story got a little lost on me, and thus the ending didn't 100% make sense, but I trust that Brandon knew what he was doing when he wrote it and that I'm the dumb one here. I think this story would make a good tv show. Overall this was a fun read.


I received a digital copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

♡ signed b&n copies (available as of august 9th)

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a handful of these before, so I've noted those, and I do have separate records of them on here. The rest I've just read in these past few days. I have also read the postscripts for every story including the ones I'd already read as these give background information about them.

Snapshot - read Dec 11 2022. 4 stars. This style of character and plot is something Brandon always does well.

Brain Dump - 3 stars. A very short exploration into an interesting concept that unfortunately isn't even that far-fetched as far as sci-fi goes. It's the next step in eugenics.

I Hate Dragons - 3 stars. A dialogue-based story, unusual, quite funny and light in tone. It gave me some Pratchett vibes.

Dreamer - 3.5 stars. A really interesting concept, but it all went a bit fast; I'd be interested to read a longer exploration of this.

Perfect State - read August 14 2022. 4 stars. Such a cool concept and thought-provoking story.

Probability Approaching Zero - flash fiction, so it's hard to rate this more than 3 because it's just so short, but it is a really compelling idea.

Defending Elysium - read July 28 2022. 4 stars. A really useful companion read to the Skyward series.

Firstborn - read May 31 2022. 4 stars. Very compelling sci-fi. Really enjoyed it.

Mitosis - read March 6 2019. 3 stars. Part of the Reckoners series which I really enjoy, a fun read but not an essential addition.

Moment Zero - 5 stars. This is the longest of the stories that are new to me, about 150 pages. It's an excellent sci-fi action thriller that had me in tears at the end, I absolutely loved this time bending story.

Overall - I'm really happy to have all of these short stories combined into another book, with great illustrations too, to go with Arcanum Unbounded which is of course Cosmere focused and this one isn't. The ones I'd already read were as ebooks and I like being able to own his works physically. It's a solid collection overall.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Sanderson has built his reputation on intricate magic systems and sprawling epic fantasies within his Cosmere universe. Yet some of his most daring storytelling exists outside those familiar boundaries. Tailored Realities assembles ten stories spanning twenty-five years of creative evolution, offering readers a window into the experimental playground where Sanderson tests narrative techniques that eventually shape his larger works.

Beyond the Cosmere: Stories That Push Boundaries

This collection deliberately steps away from the interconnected mythology that defines much of Sanderson's bibliography. Instead, these standalone pieces explore science fiction concepts, philosophical questions about consciousness and reality, and genre-blending experiments that reveal an author comfortable taking risks. The absence of familiar Cosmere elements becomes the collection's strength, forcing Sanderson to construct entirely new frameworks for each story while maintaining the precision readers expect from his worldbuilding.

The title story "Snapshot" exemplifies this approach through its noir-influenced detective narrative. Detectives Anthony Davis and Chaz navigate a perfect recreation of a single day, an underground simulation where they solve crimes by literally revisiting the past. Sanderson constructs a morally complex scenario where millions of artificial people populate this recreated city, existing only to be destroyed when the simulation ends. Davis struggles with the ethical weight of his work, questioning whether actions in a Snapshot carry genuine moral consequences. The story's tension derives not from action sequences but from Davis's internal conflict as he recognates the humanity of people the system defines as temporary and expendable.

Sanderson's prose in "Snapshot" demonstrates his evolution toward leaner, more economical storytelling. Where his epic fantasies luxuriate in detailed magic systems and political machinations, this novella trusts readers to grasp concepts quickly. The Snapshot technology remains partially mysterious, its mechanics less important than its philosophical implications. This restraint marks a significant departure from the exhaustive explanations characteristic of his Cosmere works.

The Crown Jewel: Moment Zero's Temporal Complexity

The collection's centerpiece, the never-before-published novella "Moment Zero," represents Sanderson's most ambitious short-form narrative structure. Two detectives approach the same apocalyptic event from opposite temporal directions: Lisa Sterling moves backward from a devastated future while Andrew Dane investigates forward from the past. Their separate timelines converge on "Moment Zero," the instant when a scientist's experiment fractured reality itself.

Sanderson orchestrates this dual-timeline narrative with remarkable precision, alternating between Lisa's post-apocalyptic desperation and Dane's pre-disaster investigation. Each chapter heading counts hours toward or away from the central moment, creating mounting tension as both protagonists race against time itself. The structure demands careful attention from readers, but Sanderson provides enough contextual anchors to prevent confusion.

What elevates "Moment Zero" beyond clever temporal mechanics is its exploration of partnership dynamics. Lisa and Dane represent former detective partners whose relationship has frayed, their communication restricted to phone calls across fractured timelines. Sanderson writes their deteriorating connection with unexpected emotional depth, using the apocalypse as backdrop for examining how professional partnerships evolve and sometimes necessarily end. The story refuses the expected reconciliation, instead honoring the realistic outcome where two people simply grow incompatible despite mutual respect.

Philosophical Depth in Perfect State

"Perfect State" tackles questions about consciousness, achievement, and the nature of heroism through God-Emperor Kairominas, who rules a fantasy world designed exclusively for him. Every citizen exists as programming; every quest serves to reinforce his sense of accomplishment. When Kai meets Sophie, a revolutionary from another simulated world, both confront the hollowness underlying their greatest achievements.

Sanderson uses this premise to interrogate modern gaming culture and virtual existence without heavy-handed moralizing. Kai's heroism feels genuine to him, even when revealed as orchestrated gameplay on the easiest difficulty setting. Sophie's revolutionary accomplishments ring hollow because her world was intentionally designed without the rights she fought to establish. The story asks whether subjective fulfillment matters when objective circumstances undermine those feelings.

The narrative's twist—revealing Sophie as an elaborate deception—initially seems to reduce her agency to a plot device. However, Sanderson's revised ending restores her complexity by suggesting layers of manipulation extending beyond Kai's awareness. The result examines power structures within seemingly utopian systems, questioning who benefits from giving everyone their perfect world.

Range and Experimentation

The collection's remaining stories demonstrate Sanderson's willingness to experiment with form and genre:

"Defending Elysium" serves as the Cytoverse's origin story, introducing biological faster-than-light travel and questioning humanity's place in a galactic community. Written in 2001, it showcases Sanderson's early attempts at dense, idea-driven science fiction that influenced his later Skyward series.
"Mitosis" returns to the Reckoners universe with David Charleston facing an Epic who multiplies endlessly. The story balances superhero action with David's characteristic humor, providing a complete arc for existing fans while remaining accessible to newcomers.
"Dreamer" explores body-swapping mechanics through a horror lens, examining how people might abuse consequence-free existence. Though brief, it effectively disturbs through implications rather than explicit content.
"Firstborn" presents military strategy through the lens of nature versus nurture, asking whether genius derives from genetics or environment. The clone of history's greatest military commander becomes an ordinary man, suggesting potential originates from circumstances rather than inherent capacity.
Technical Excellence and Style Adaptation

Sanderson's technical proficiency shines throughout these varied narratives. His signature clear prose serves different purposes across genres—building dread in horror pieces, establishing noir atmosphere in detective stories, and maintaining propulsive pacing in action sequences. The author's distinctive ability to construct logical systems appears even in stories like "Perfect State," where the "rules" governing simulated realities create narrative structure.

The collection benefits from generous author postscripts following each story, providing context about composition, revision decisions, and how individual pieces influenced later works. These annotations transform the reading experience into a master class in craft, revealing Sanderson's evolution from unpublished writer to genre-defining author.

Minor Imperfections Within Excellence

Not every story achieves the same impact. "Brain Dump" and "I Hate Dragons" function more as creative exercises than fully realized narratives. "Probability Approaching Zero" compresses its concepts into flash fiction that may leave readers wanting more development. These shorter pieces feel like sketches rather than finished paintings, though Sanderson's postscripts acknowledge their experimental nature.

The collection's genre diversity, while demonstrating range, may challenge readers seeking consistent tone. Moving from "Snapshot's" noir melancholy to "I Hate Dragons'" absurdist humor requires mental gear-shifting. However, this variety arguably represents the collection's intention—showcasing an author refusing creative stagnation.

Essential Reading for Sanderson Enthusiasts

Tailored Realities offers something beyond typical short story collections. It functions as both retrospective and creative laboratory, demonstrating how constraints breed innovation. Sanderson's willingness to experiment outside his established universe reveals an artist continuously evolving his craft. The stories succeed not despite their differences from Cosmere works but because those differences illuminate approaches that eventually enhance everything Sanderson writes.

For readers familiar only with Sanderson's epic fantasies, this collection provides fresh perspective on his versatility. Those already appreciating his science fiction will find "Moment Zero" and "Defending Elysium" particularly rewarding. The collection earns its place among Sanderson's essential works, proving that sometimes creative freedom flourishes most when working outside familiar boundaries.

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection! I’m already a huge Sanderson fan, but wow, this just reminded me why I think he’s one of the best writers out there. These sci-fi stories are so creative, all with totally different vibes, but still feel distinctly Sanderson in the way he builds concepts, twists expectations, and delivers emotional beats even in short form.

Some of the stories were strong on their own, but what really took this collection to another level for me were his notes after each one. You absolutely have to read those! Each one adds context and gives insight into his inspiration, world-building decisions, or what he wanted the reader to take away. They deepen the meaning behind the stories and honestly made me appreciate them so much more. It felt like he was letting us peek inside his thought process, and as a fan, that was such a treat.

I loved the variety of stories some more speculative, some leaning emotional, some more action-driven and it kept the reading experience fun and unpredictable. A couple stories completely grabbed me (Moment Zero is a standout!!), but I genuinely enjoyed the whole collection.

If you like sci-fi, experimental story formats, clever ideas, and especially if you’re already a Sanderson fan, I highly recommend picking this up. And if you aren’t yet… honestly, this might be a great place to start. Just promise me you’ll read the author notes too—they really elevate the experience. Thanks to Tor publishing for the ARC.

[Brandon B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson is a delightful anthology that compiles ten of his non-Cosmere short stories and novellas, blending science fiction and fantasy in ways that highlight his boundless creativity outside his famous epic universes. From the intriguing early piece “Firstborn,” which echoes space opera classics like Ender’s Game with its tale of sibling rivalry among starship commanders, to the Hugo-nominated “Perfect State,” a mind-twisting exploration of virtual godhood and simulated realities, the collection offers a refreshing mix of ideas that feel both innovative and accessible. Standouts include “Snapshot,” a novella about detectives reliving past days to solve crimes in a simulated world, and the brand-new “Moment Zero,” a lengthy, action-packed story involving time travel, alternate dimensions, and undead threats that ties the book together with clever twists and frenetic pacing. While some entries come across as writing experiments shorter or less polished than Sanderson’s novels the insightful postscripts after each story provide fascinating behind-the-scenes context, making this a must-have for dedicated fans and a solid entry point for newcomers curious about his shorter works, though it shines brightest for those already invested in his style.

[Alex Z (azeebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is firmly a science-fiction/speculative fiction collection of stories from Brandon Sanderson. Something to mix it up a bit!

I find that Sanderson’s non-cosmere works can be a bit hit or miss for me, but I found this collection of short stories to be well-curated and I flew through it! I appreciated the end notes provided and the special history these stories all have. It was also interesting to see earlier works and see how Sanderson’s craft has grown.

Definitely a must read for Sanderson fans! There’s a lot to love here!

Note, I did not read Mitosis as that is from the one series of his I haven’t read yet and I didn’t want spoilers!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Available December 9, 2025

Thank you to Tor for a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kate (BloggingwithDragons) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’m going to be honest, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I requested Tailored Realities. There are two wolves inside of me: The one that hates short stories and the one that loves Brandon Sanderson and wants to read all of his work. The second wolf came out on top, so I requested the ARC. Was Tailored Realities enjoyable with Brandon’s signature world-building and magic systems? Yes. Did it make me like short stories? No.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed a lot of the short stories in Tailored Realities. Unfortunately, the inherent truth is that I personally hate getting invested in a story and its characters and then it coming to an end much sooner than it would in a book. As someone who lives for character development and tension, I feel like short stories just don’t have enough time to let things marinate or build, in my opinion, which naturally leads to less of an impactful read. Though I found these stories enjoyable (definitely some more than others) I had the problem that the moment I felt like things in the story were cooking, so to speak, it was over. I feel like much of the pacing has to go into setting up the characters, world, and magic systems quickly, and then it gets to the actual story events, resolves them in one fast-paced sequence after another, and then it’s on to the next work. Though this was less of an obvious issue for me in the longer works.

“I believe Nazeem’s experiment ripped a hole in reality and opened a portal to another dimension—a dimension where the rules of physics are different.”

Personally, I just find that frustrating, like one tease after another. Though for readers who don’t have a lot of time or prefer shorter reads (god knows Sanderson’s normal full-length novels are intimidatingly large), Tailored Realities could be a really great starting point to dip one’s toes into Sanderson’s work. Be forewarned, the lengths of each work in this collection greatly vary, which made it even more jarring for me, personally. When I started the next story, I wasn’t sure if I was sitting down for a couple of pages, or over 100. There were stories where I literally did a double take and said, “wait. It’s over?”

But if a work’s biggest downfall is that there simply isn’t more of it, then how can I really complain? And Tailored Realities has stories spanning Sanderson’s career. I could definitely see the experience and growth in his craft in his later works, as there was more description and even more showing versus telling. Something that Tailored Realities does that is really cool is that it provides an author’s note at the end of every work. Reading author’s notes is one of my favorite parts of reading any book, so this was something I really enjoyed and don’t think I’ve experienced in other collections. I love getting a glimpse inside of how an author's mind works and where they get their inspiration or ideas and why they decided to take the story in the direction they did. So even when I wasn't necessarily a big fan of the particular short story I had just read, knowing I got to read Brandon's notes about it kept me excited.

Like all of Sanderson’s stories, they all take place in very original worlds with normal characters doing extraordinary things. I found that most of these works really leaned more science fiction than fantasy, which admittedly, disappointed me a bit as a reader with a fantasy preference. But for familiar fans, there are stories taking place in worlds we’ve visited in the past, with one story relating to the Skyward universe and another to The Reckoners (the latter of which I haven’t read in years and feel like I might be due to reread after enjoying the short story, Mitosis, so much). Another work pays clear homage to Ender’s Game in Sanderson’s own interesting take on the drama. There’s also plenty for new readers to enjoy, as Sanderson explains his worlds deftly every time, meaning if you aren’t already familiar with the world or its magic system, you will be. Plus, there’s stories that are truly standalones too.

“In here they were the only ones with rights. In here, they were gods.”

One of the standouts for me was Snapshot, the very first short story in this work. I wish I could have read a full length novel of this book. Both the world building and its concept are so interesting and unique. Snapshot follows two police detectives who enter a recreation (the eponymous "snapshot") of a day and are able to investigate crimes. However, the main characters end up stumbling across mass murders that the police department doesn’t seem to want them to solve. It was really interesting to read a mix of a crime/police procedural story mixed in with science fiction and Sanderson’s superb world building. The twist basically blind sided me and I can only imagine the impact this story would have had if the story and characters had even more time to build tension. (I think in the author’s note, Sanderson mentioned this work is being optioned for a movie or TV show and it's very easy to see why.)

Several of these stories have twists, which admittedly, I have a love/hate relationship with in all forms of media (definitely wasn’t traumatized by the last season of Game of Thrones or anything). Though Sanderson does a good job of setting up these pivots in this collection, I felt a little betrayed by them. I would get attached to what I thought was the reality of the characters or a situation to only be jerked in another direction in what feels like a, “well, actually” moment. I think this feeling was exacerbated by the fact that most of the stories ended right after the twist was revealed. I was happily surprised when Sanderson commented on the nature of twists in one of his own author’s note, saying:

“Sometimes I worry that with twists, we writers need to be a little less preoccupied with whether or not we can do something, and a little more focused on whether that’s good for the story.” I couldn’t agree more. Readers can decide for themselves how they feel about the twists in this novel and whether they were done for pure shock value or not."

There is another police procedural story in Tailored Realities, called Moment Zero, which involves some good ole fashioned time travel, with one partner, Lisa, in the past and another, Dane, in the dystopian present. This was one of the longer works of Tailored Realities, and actually reminded me of one of my favorites of Sanderson’s other works, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter but with less of its charm and emotional payoff. Similarly to Yumi and Painter, Lisa and Dane are connected to each other despite different worlds. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of my investment when Lisa and Dane, who clearly had formerly been romantically involved finally make time to talk about their unresolved issues and they decide—while Dane is fighting off zombie-like creatures called Revenants in his timeline, and Lisa is trying to avoid life-threatening accidents because the past doesn’t want her deviating from what she did originally—that they were terrible romantic partners.

I felt like the wind was completely taken out of my sails after the short story went in this direction. My investment in their relationship was pretty high. Sanderson did a great job hinting at their past history, with Dane being a father figure to Lisa’s daughter and beating the shit out of her actual father, and Lisa internally commenting on the messy socks strewn about at his apartment again. So readers found out about their connection piecemeal, making each next discovery more interesting. With Dane leaving the force to join SWAT, and Lisa clearly disheartened by his departure, I was curious how their last investigation together would work out. I wasn’t expecting time travel, quantum stuff, zombies, and two exes stumbling around trying to save the world. I was thrilled when it seemed a reconciliation was on the horizon for Lisa and Dane, but alas, it was not to be. Sanderson said in his author’s note that he felt the “Hollywood writers” would be disappointed that they didn’t get back together and remarked that he wanted to show the natural, human experience that a lot of people go through when they realize they weren’t right for each other, but I found myself agreeing with the Hollywood writers, and though the impact of the story would have been much greater if they had gotten together after all.

"But deep down, there was something in all of them. Something about wanting to fix the world.”

Though Tailored Realities didn’t render me a fan of short stories (honestly, an insurmountable task), it was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had reading a collection of them. I really enjoyed the glimpse into Sanderson’s mind, especially when he was reflecting on what he was thinking about when writing his past work and how he would portray it differently if he was writing now. As someone who is interested in more than just the final draft, I wish all authors would give us this window into their world. The stories themselves are all pretty enthralling, and a must-read for fans of Sanderson who want to know every little bit of lore of returning worlds and to see the new ones Sanderson has managed to write on top of all of his Cosmere novels, which require less artistic freedom. It was fun to see him tackle stories that at first glance appeared to be police thrillers, only for the fantastical elements to get thrown in or enmeshed so deftly.

The different stories and genres—including but not limited to brain shopping, simulations, police investigations, starship battles, cytonic powers—show off all of the hallmarks of Sanderson’s works—his humor, his originality, and relatable characters who find themselves in realities unlike what. Those looking for reads that suck you in from the very first page and keep you guessing or returning fans of Sanderson will love Tailored Realities.

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[Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story collection is a bit all over the place, but I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up on some older works of Sanderson (as well as the new Moment Zero novella that I quite enjoyed). The notes at the end sharing the context surrounding the writing of each story is also a fun peek into his history. A worthy read for any more-than-casual Sanderson fan.

[Liz Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing collection of 10 ‘short’ stories! They each had Sanderson’s detailed world building and unique take on classic trope making them all so different. Most of the stories were sci-fi and many were crime fiction.
I did enjoy the postscripts after each story to understand more about why they were written.

I received an ARC from the GR giveaway.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

12/24/2024 beta of new story Moment Zero
6/20/2025 gamma of collection

[Monica Lui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to win an advanced copy through Goodreads as this was my first time reading Brandon’s work and I was blown away. Each story is excellently written and they vary in topic and style. I especially appreciated Brandon’s comments after each story. I am all the more grateful to have read this before delving into one of his series…which I am anticipating to start in the new year.

[Bella Toric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of his works? Yes please!

No notes except these were all amazing, and I had a fantastic time diving into short stories by him (because they won't consume me body and soul the way the Stormlight Archives did when I first dived into them!)

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

[Tovah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from a GR giveaway.

First of all, obligatory joke about a Sanderson “short story” being as long as most authors’ novels. “Moment Zero” is close to 200 pages and 30 chapters!

But in all seriousness, this is an excellent, entertaining, and varied collection with stories ranging from very short to that’s-only-short-by-Sanderson-standards. I liked some better than others but they all showcased different aspects of Sanderson’s skills as a storyteller.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a non-cosmere book of short stories by Brandon Sanderson. Some of them have been previously published elsewhere, such as online or as part of anthologies, but this is the first time they're bound together. I listened to the audiobook for this one (thanks Netgalley!). With 11 different narrators, each individual story comes to life. The narrators are great, and make it a fantastic listening experience. The only part that felt a little funky about the audiobooks is when they describe any illustrations, but even then they do a good job of ensuring they describe all of the details. If you haven't read his Cosmere books, and just want to try out his writing this may be a great choice!

Snapshot - 5/5; This is my second time reading this short, sci-fi detective story and it was just as good the second time.

Brain Dump - 3/5; What if you could buy a designer brain for your child, such as the brain type more likely to make you an athlete. While I can acknowledge that this is an interesting concept and well written, if it wasn't by Brandon Sanderson/a part of this bind up, I probably wouldn't have read it.

I Hate Dragons - 4/5; previously read online. Amusing, quick story. It was based on a writing exercise, so going in knowing that helped me enjoy it for what it is rather than what it's not.

Perfect State - 5/5; this was so good, and the idea that the God-Emperor has to go on a date is just amusing. Novella is a perfect length for this story.

Dreamer - 4/5; I'm always down for a story involving body-snatching. I think it could have been better if it had been longer.

Probability Approaching Zero - 3/5; Flash fiction, which I didn't particularly care about. But its super short so easy to read.

Defending Elysium - 4/5; I really enjoy Brandon Sanderson's science fiction. This is the novella that inspired his Skyward series, and I previously read it as an e-book.

Firstborn - 3/5; I had a feeling I wouldn't like it when I realized it was compared to/lightly inspired by Ender's Game, which I didn't like. Sibling rivalry with a twist in space opera. Another one where if it wasn't a part of this bind up, I most likely wouldn't have read it.

Mitosis - 3/5; I've read this novella before as it is a part of his Reckoners series. The Reckoners has always had an interesting concept to me, but just not enough to give it any higher a rating.

Moment Zero - 4/5; This was the longest in the collection, and I’m so glad. I enjoyed this way more than I expected too, and I think it was the perfect length.

Averages out to 3.8, rounded up to 4 stars! I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my shelves when it releases!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this collection! It features short stories with some being flash fiction and only a few minutes/pages while others are novella length. Each story is followed by a post script explaining where the idea for the story came from and if it was published somewhere else and what universe it is tied to if related to another one of the author's series. This was helpful to me as a reader familiar with Sanderson's work but someone who hasn't read any of his novels yet. You don't need to have read any of his prior works to appreciate any of these stories, but readers familiar with his novels will appreciate connections to several of these stories. There is a nice mix of sci-fi and fantasy subgenres across the nine works in the collection. The advanced audio didn't come with a supplement of the artwork, each chapter is prefaced with a description of any art connected with the story for anyone visually impaired or without access to the art. That was a really nice touch and something I haven't come across in an audiobook before. As for the audiobook, I jumped at the chance to listen to it as it has a knockout cast of narrators! Anytime I see one of their names narrating a book I want to read I immediately choose to listen to the audiobook instead

Snapshot - this was a cool scifi thriller about two cops who investigate crimes within a snapshot of a day. It was a cool multi-verse concept story with Minority Report vibes.

Brain Dump - this is an interesting story about a couple shopping for a designer brain for their future child.

I Hate Dragons - this was a humorous story about a boy who can hear punctuation and is used as dragon bait by a band of dragon hunters.

Dreamer - in this action packed story body jumpers play tag

Perfect State - this had Matrix vibes, but all of the "liveborn" are aware they are in a simulation. In this world our main character Kal is a warrior emperor who is forced to go on a date where he must face off with his nemesis. The concept and the world were pretty cool.

Probability Approaching Zero - this was super short and featured aliens

Defending Elysium - This is tied to the Skyward series and has to do with an agent at the Phone Company.

Firstborn - This was an interesting story about the human condition and clones. Can the clone of a master tactician defeat himself?

Mitosis - This is tied to The Reckoners series which I haven't read yet, but I want to now. A villian named Mitosis attacks Newcago and David needs to figure out a way to defeat him and his many copies.

Moment Zero - This is a full length novella about two partners who are investigating a crime that get caught up in a time warp and have work together from the past and the future to prevent the apocalypse from happening. It features an interesting zombie/vampire like creature.

[Mia 🌸 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first novella and the last one. Overall, the collection was super unique and honestly felt like a bunch of Black Mirror episodes — or something Blake Crouch would write. Each story had a totally different vibe, which I liked, even if some of them were definitely hits and some were very much not.

Snapshot – 4/5: Very Inception-like and probably one of my favorites.
Brain One – 2/5: Didn’t really care about this one.
I Hate Dragons – 1/5: This was basically about grammar… not for me.
Dreamer – 3/5: Interesting concept, but it didn’t fully wow me.
Perfect State – 1/5: I didn’t really understand the world and couldn’t get myself to care.
Probability Approaching Zero – 1/5: Flash fiction just doesn’t work for me.
Defending Elysium – 3/5: I enjoyed being back in the Skyward world.
Firstborn – 2/5: Eh, didn’t really care about this one either.
Mitosis – 3/5: Interesting concept, but I’ve never read the Reckoners series.
Moment Zero – 4/5: A strong ending and one of the better ones in the collection.

Thank you to Netgalley & Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for this ARC!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read this ahead of time in an ARC from Netgalley, but opinions are my own.

This is a short story collection that I would describe as solidly a Speculative Scifi collection. Some of the stories I had already read previously, and there were new ones that I had not. It was a fun departure from the fantasy that Sanderson is known for, and I enjoyed all of the stories. I really enjoyed the premise of Moment Zero, where you see two sides of the story approaching each other from both the past and the future. If you like speculative scifi, or the Skyward or Calamity series, I think this would be a good collection to read.

Content: Some violence, shootings, some grisly murders. I can't remember about swearing (though I know Sanderson likes to make up "fake" swears)

[Joshua Del Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review incoming (I will rate and review each individual story)
For now - this anthology is exactly why I love anthologies. It takes a question or a thought and runs with it. It simply asks “what would happen if…?” And the answers are loads of fun! Normally in an anthology there are a few stories I feel are just meh, that wasn’t the case here. There were a couple I think are not as good as others, but that’s because they are being compared to stories that blow everything out of the park. On their own, there are multiple stories that are on my top 30 reads of all time. As a whole, this is on my top 100, though I haven’t figured out where it lands.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is mostly reflective of Moment Zero since I've read almost all of the other ones in this collection. It is a good strong group of stories as a whole, and the few that are a little less strong and/or more experimental don't detract from the whole. I also loved the postscripts—I wish more anthologies had author notes.

[Alex Richey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one for diehard fans or anyone curious about his writing process.

[gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great way to warm up for the Cosmere

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Tor for the gifted ARC.

A great collection!

Full review to come super soon.

[Neshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Brandon Sanderson is a new author for me. I haven't read any of his previous work, so I went into this blind and unsure of what to expect. This is a collection of short stories that he has written over the course of his career compiled into this massive 450 page novel.

I loved his writing and I look forward to reading the Cosmere universe but I wanted to start small. I know I shouldn't have started here but I did enjoy a majority of the short stories. I enjoyed Brain Dump. I Hate Dragons showed me how incredibly talented Sanderson is at writing dialog. The postscripts were a great insight for his inspiration, as well as how much he has improved over the last twenty five years of writing. Dreamer made me understand why everyone is so obsessed with his writing. I loved Approaching Zero and would love a full novel, oh and I loved Snapshot too! Moment Zero was by far my favorite and I enjoyed the adventure!

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tailored Realities was a really varied and solid collection of short stories, many of exist outside of Sanderson’s usual fantasy fare. It’s clear from this collection that Sanderson has a love of detective stories and I also enjoyed the range of science fiction in the anthology. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was really fantastic- there wasn’t a single narrator I didn’t get on with. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the post scripts at the end of each story which really helped contextualise them and give me a deeper appreciation of each.
Because the stories were so different from each other, I’m going to give a mini review of each.

Snapshot: 4/5. A world where detectives can enter simulated versions of history to solve crimes. Snapshot was not only a cool concept but had some great twists and turns. I think it would’ve been better if it had meandered a bit less, but the ending was really clever and the narration was great.

Brain Dump: 3/5. A world where the brains of children are designed to suit particular roles in society. I really liked the narration on this one but I found the concept and ending to be a bit cliche. It was fine but not much more than that.

I Hate Dragons: 5/5. A boy with the unique ability to see punctuation joins a dragon hunting team as the bait. I really enjoyed this one- it was so much fun! I think the nature of the story (to do with grammar and punctuation) suits text more than audio but the narrator did a fantastic job and this is probably my favourite audio performance un the anthology. I really liked how unique and fun this story was and the dragon’s dialogue was excellent.

Dreamer: 4.5/5. A group of supernatural beings chase each other across a city, leaving chaos in their wake. I really liked this one. The twist was brilliant and the magic was just really cool to read about.

Perfect State: 2.5/5. A world where everyone is born into their own custom-made world where they’re the main character of their story. A cool concept but the execution lacked a bit for me. I think this story just meandered and dragged on for a bit too long. I also wasn’t overly fond of the main character and disliked how the main female character was written because it felt quite stereotypical. The worldbuilding was cool and the mash up of fantasy/modern/robots was interesting but I wish we’d seen more of the magical aspect of it.

Probability Approaching Zero: 4/5. A person is uplifted to a higher state of being. This is technically flash fiction rather than a short story as it’s very short (in fact i remember rewinding the audiobook because I thought there’s been a mistake) but I did find it to be quite thought provoking and impactful. It was quite weird and unique but I actually really appreciated that as many stories felt similar in this anthology.

Defending Elysium: 4.5/5. A secret absent investigates the death of an alien ambassador. This story was very Sanderson with its detective story feel and the grizzled but hopeful main character but I enjoyed it a lot. I was really impressed with how it managed to pack so much cool worldbuilding into the shirt page length. The twist was great and the narration really sold it.

Firstborn: 3/5. A failing spaceship general seeks mentorship from an experienced commander in order to defeat his renegade brother. This story was just fine but the worldbuilding felt quite boring for Sanderson and I never connected with the main character. The ending also felt somewhat cliche.

Mitosis: 3/5. A team try to prevent a renegade superpowered being from causing havoc. This was another fine one, though I felt like I was missing some context since I haven’t read Steelheart. It was another detective couple story which meant it felt quite similar to a lot of others and I wasn’t that invested. But I did like the main character and the villain was really fun.

Moment Zero: 4/5. Two detectives travel through the past and future to try to prevent a cataclysmic event. Moment Zero is the centrepiece of the collection, though at 200ish pages it’s definitely more of a novella than a short story and I did think it could’ve done with some trimming at points but I did really like it. The characters were wonderful and I loved the relationship of the two leads. I liked the addition of science into it, I think it did really add to the fantasy elements. It was just really action packed, full of twists and really fun.

To conclude, Tailored Realities was a great anthology. Not all of the stories were my favourite and I think Sanderson’s fantasy work is stronger but I think this will be a great read for both Sanderson fans and those who want to try his works but are perhaps a bit intimidated by the cosmere. The audiobook was a great way to consume it with some brilliant narration.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

General notes: the audiobook is filled with a menagerie of narrators that are pretty well-known in the sci-fi and fantasy audiobook space and it makes the personality of each story pop that much more. I highly recommend the audiobook version. The most difficult part of listening is the illustration descriptions, but they were adequate.

Snapshot: I’m finding it very very hard to write a review of this story without giving key points away. It is part gritty detective noir with matrix meets time-travel(ish) sci-fi mechanics. This is a trippy and fun story that broke my brain a bit trying to calculate the ramifications of the character’s actions. I have not read much of Sanderson’s sci-fi, but I enjoyed Snapshot and feel like his level of creativity for world-building transcends the fantasy genre, which makes me very excited for the space-age of the Cosmere.

Brain Dump: capitalism at its finest. A world where couples go shopping for a brain archetype. Very short story with a lot of social commentary.

I Hate Dragons: a bit surprised at the jump back to fantasy. All the marketing I heard of this collection was all sci-fi stories, but it is a funny little short story that was a welcome break between the others. Definitely my favorite so far. It has a level of humor and wit that is missing with the others.

Dreamer: as short stories go, there’s not much I can describe without giving away the point of them. A paranormal(?) police pursuit where the pursuers and the fugitive can jump between bodies. Very short yet full of action.

Perfect State: medium length story with a “Ready Player One” sort of feel. Sanderson’s postscript brought a lot more attention to the storytelling process and had an interesting discussion about the pros and cons of twist endings. He mentions previous versions of the story and deleted scenes. In the audiobook it is not clear if what I heard included any of those things.

Probability Approaching Zero: a flash fiction. It’s less than 5 minutes. The annotation is almost longer than the story.

Defending Elysium: Now this is a story I felt truly invested in and wanted to know more about the story, world, and characters. This could be an entire series and yet still works as a novella (novelette?). Sanderson is absolutely masterful at dialogue that provokes thought about social commentary and this story was fertile with a discussion of humanity and its duality of violence and war-making vs goodwill and humanitarianism. Aaaaand…… it is part of a larger series (Skyward), which I was ignorant to because I’ve only ever read Cosmere Sanderson books prior to now.

First-Born: we are warming up now! Reminiscent of “Ender’s Game” (confirmed by Sanderson in the post-script citing it as inspiration), but with an adult protagonist. I enjoyed the space-military strategy aspect and Sanderson proved that he is just as good at writing a space battle as he is with a surgebinding assassin in white. This is more evidence that we have a lot to look forward to in the Cosmere’s space age.

Mitosis: I am unfamiliar with the Reckoners series, but I definitely got a sense of the world in this short story. Enough explanation of the mechanics and goings on that I wasn’t completely lost, without spending a ton of time Sandersplaining. The premise of this series is very similar to “The Boys” but perhaps with a little less darkness and gore.

Moment zero: Novella approaching novel length. Loved this story. It felt like an Andy Weir novel how the characters have to discover the rules of science as they move along uncharted territory. This was my favorite story in the bunch.

[Yev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing in this is Cosmere related.

Snapshot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I didn't read this again as I didn't like it at all. I also don't like what I wrote about it at the time, so I've revised that.
Meh

Brain Dump
A couple with natural brains are shopping for a designer brain for their child. This a pragmatic story of using a disfavored system to one's own advantage for personal enrichment and influence.
Ok

I Hate Dragons
An almost dialogue-only meta-comedy about a person whose role is to be bait for dragons realizing that maybe it's not the best role. The bait's magic is to be able to hear speech as text, essentially he's able to read the story itself as it goes along. Sanderson says you can pretend this is almost a LitRPG. It's an amusing idea, though Sanderon's humor still doesn't work all that well with me. Still, it's on the borderline of Ok and Enjoyable.
Ok

Dreamer
This is a horror story where a group of body possessors are playing a 5 vs 1 game and end up causing a good bit of death and destruction as they switch from body to body. Sanderson says it was inspired by the callousness of teenagers on Xbox Live.
I've read this before, but I couldn't find any evidence that I had. Apparently I forgot to add it to my short fiction spreadsheet.
Ok

Perfect State
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I didn't care for this either and didn't read it again, except for the epilogue which I hadn't read. It's not my kind of wish-fulfillment power fantasy with RPG elements. I never wrote about anything about this aside from the discussion at the time when I read it with someone else. I do appreciate the lengthy postscript here and with the others though.
Meh

Probability Approaching Zero
A flash fiction story about aliens uplifting humans and what that feels like for them, then explaining why it was done. It's the sort of story that made me want to simultaneously shake my head and facepalm.
Blah

Defending Elysium
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I didn't read this again and don't remember enough to write about it. It eventually became the basis for the Cytoverse. I appreciated the postscript far more than the story itself. Sanderson considers this story the start of his professional career.
Meh

Firstborn
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is another I didn't read again and don't remember much about. The postscript is again very interesting, especially how it made much more money selling for $1 on Amazon than what he was paid for it to be on Tor.com, now Reactor.
Meh

Mitosis
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In retrospect, I like The Reckoners series much less than I did at the time. Not sure what happened there.
Meh

Moment Zero
This centerpiece story is by far the longest work in this collection. It's novel length even. The two police officers who are coming to terms with that their romantic and personal relationships have come to an end, go on one last case together. What they find is an insane woman who with the help of various scientists has created a device has distorted the space-time continuum of reality and so on. The two officers become separated in time and space, one to the future and one to the past. Together, by using a phone that can cross time and space, they must prevent the apocalypse from happening again. More than anything else, this read to me like a survival horror shooter for the future and maybe a stealth-action thriller for the past. I think it'd do well as a game. As book, not so much. It's fine, but rather silly. I don't have much to say for it or against it.
3/5

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This collection of novellas from the prolific Brandon Sanderson which have mostly appeared somewhere before - either individually, on the web or in other collections. I went in thinking that the new ones would have the most appeal but instead I found in the postscripts he has after each novella the best part of this collection. Especially when covering his older early work, the postscripts offer wonderful insight.

If you're a fan of his fantasy work, note that mostly every novella here is modern-day or scifi.

A few works on the novellas itself. They're a bit hard to describe in detail without giving away too much, so I'll be brief,

"Snapshop" I had read before but read it again as it had been years. It is basically a time-travel story with a twist. The early parts are strong but the story gets weaker towards the end. The world concept is very cool though it requires you not to think about it too much.

"Braindump" and "I hate dragons" are very short but fun. Here, the postscript is perhaps a bit more interesting than the stories themselves.

"Dreamer" is interesting with a body-hopping parasite thing, but feels like I've read similar stories too many times and even the twist at the end is predictable.

"Perfect State" is one of my favorites, as a VR/matrix kind of a hybrid. This one has a new chapter at the end which I feel adds to the story quite a bit, and makes it one of the few ones here where I would like to see the story expanded.

"Probability approaching zero" is a few pages with a cool concept.

"Defending Elysium" I liked quite a bit and it echoes ideas from the Skyward books, though apparently they don't go into too much detail. I would like to read more of this as well.

"Firstborn" feels like classic sci-fi with fleet battles in space. It has a few plot holes and the end is weak but is interesting as a period piece.

"Mitosis" I've already liked as a 'book 1.5' in the Reckoners, and does wonderful world building in the aftermath of defeating Steelheart and before the events of the second book and showcases a new Epic.

"Moment Zero" is the main ticket item for the book - a longer, brand new novella. It's a time travel story with a zombie apocalypse. I hate both genres so this was harder for me to like. There are some new ideas here to keep it a bit fresh, but mostly follows expected troupes. The time travel part itself fell apart for me into the realm of almost-science almost-fiction with rules that didn't seem to make sense, which is a shame since a big part of the fun in this would be to try to figure out what is going on. I liked one of the leads, the other not so much.

Overall, I did enjoy the collection and I ended up rereading all the novellas I had read before. There are no bad ones here, just mediocre ones and even they are made interesting by the postscript musings. If you're buying this as a fan and interested in his early work, this is a must. If you're just looking for a collection of stories to read, it's still a good buy. If you're getting it just because of "Moment Zero" - as long as you like time travel and zombies, you'll be happy. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.