Altered Perceptions

Annwn Cycle #Unused Chapter from The Dark Tho

by Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson (Editor), Robison Wells (Editor)

The science fiction/fantasy anthology ALTERED PERCEPTIONS, is kind of like a bonus DVD full of deleted scenes and alternate versions of some of your favorite authors’ books.

Ally Condie: the foreword; Dan Wells the introduction; Annette Lyon: An unpublished chapter from her retelling of the Finnish fairy tale, THE KALEVALA; Aprilynne Pike: TBA; Brandon Mull: Deleted scenes from BEYONDERS 2; Brandon Sanderson: five completely rewritten chapters from THE WAY OF KINGS, where Kaladin makes the opposite choice of what he makes in the published novel; Bree Despain: an alternate ending to THE LOST SAINT, and an alternate beginning to THE SHADOW PRINCE; Brodi Ashton: the first chapter from her YA novel about an unwilling alien fighter who has to rescue the boy she loves; Claudia Gray: a deleted scene from A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU; Dan Wells: the original John Cleaver free-write that inspired I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER; Erin Bowman: a deleted scene from TAKEN; Howard Tayler: a creative non-fiction story about life with mental illness; J Scott Savage: three original chapters that led to writing FARWORLD; Jennifer Moore: a deleted scene from BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD; Jessica Day George: a deleted scene from PRINCESS OF GLASS, where the main character plays poker with a witch; Josi Kilpack: the original opening scene to TRES LECHES CUPCAKE; Kiersten White: an original short story, set in a dystopian, sci-fi world; Larry Correia: a deleted fight scene from SWORDS OF EXODUS; Lauren Oliver: two deleted scenes from PANDEMONIUM, plus a hilarious scene about the plotting process; Luisa Perkins: a short story, “Seeing Red”–a modern-day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood; Mary Robinette Kowal: deleted scene from VALOUR AND VANITY (the scene was cut because readers thought the scene was trying to depict depression); Nancy Allen: bonus scene from BEAUTY AND THE CLOCKWORK BEAST; Robison Wells: an epilogue to FEEDBACK and the VARIANT duology; Sandra Tayler: a creative non-fiction piece called “Married To Depression”; Sara Zarr: a story featuring characters from one of Sara’s previously published novels; Sarah Eden: “Farewells” for LONGING FOR HOPE and HOPE SPRINGS; Seanan McGuire: The original opening for DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON; Shannon Hale: ”Ravenous,” a previously unpublished scifi short story; SJ Kincaid: the original first chapter of VORTEX, before it was entirely rewritten

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Speculative Fiction

ebook

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Dan Wells is a thriller and science fiction writer. Born in Utah, he spent his early years reading and writing. He is he author of the Partials series (Partials, Isolation, Fragments, and Ruins), the John Cleaver series (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don't Want To Kill You), and a few others (The Hollow City, A Night of Blacker Darkness, etc). He was a Campbell nomine for best new writer, and has won a Hugo award for his work on the podcast Writing Excuses; the podcast is also a multiple winner of the Parsec Award.

Reviews

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When we set out to put together an anthology to help raise awareness of mental illness, we decided to focus not on the illness itself—most of these contributions are not stories about mental illness—but on the subtle differences that can send a story, or a life, down a completely unexpected path. Most of the stories you’ll read here are alternate versions of stories you’ve read in other forms, but seen through a slightly different lens; you’ll find deleted scenes from bestselling books, or early drafts where beloved characters make different and sometimes very surprising choices. Think of it as a glimpse into an alternate world, to things that might have been but aren’t.
In another way, this anthology is about itself: about the need to raise awareness of mental illness. Every story in here is accompanied by a brief note or essay from the author, explaining their own personal connection to mental illness. Whether it’s themselves, or a friend or a loved one, every author here has been touched by the needs and problems and realities of mental health."
Dan Wells, editor

Please note: I'm only rating the Seanan McGuire story, since I'm a completionist who aims to read anything she writes, but this doesn't mean the anthologies she contributes to in are necessarily my jam - especially in this case, where most of the stories are deleted or alternate scenes from books/series I've never read nor I have any interest in reading (I did read Shannon Hale's self-contained story "Ravenous", though, and I found it to be hilarious and dark in equal measure, and all-round brilliant). The McGuire story is, in reality, a tentative third-person draft of the first pages from the first InCryptid book, before she decided that first person was a better fit for the series. The real gem, though, is her foreword, where she describes her life with OCD and gives us food for thought in typical Seanan McGuire fashion...God save platypi! 😂👍

[Chris McGrath]

I picked this book up for Brandon Sanderson's original chapters from his first attempt at The Way of Kings, and it was a really interesting read because clearly that book was an entirely different story. It's appropriate that Kaladin's name changed because he is 100% different. His may have been an interesting story as I tend to like these underdog/coming-into-power tales, but as a character he fell pretty flat, especially compared to who he became in the published version. So it was cool to read, but really only as a comparison to what it became; I don't think that book would have held my interest very well and certainly doesn't compare to the finished product.

I looked through the rest of the entries in this book and found I have no interest in them, so I will be marking this book read and not giving it a star rating.

[Terra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fabulous book! While I originally bought this because it was to support a good cause for local authors I have met personally, I got so much more than I ever expected. The real gems in this book are not the glimpse into works I have already read at different states - which was amazing, don't get me wrong - but rather the personal essays and stories of real people struggling with mental health issues. Everyday folks you might not ever know this about. What a wonderful gift this is for raising awareness for something that affects so many of us. Bravo!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is the essays/notes from authors on how mental illness has touched each of their lives; some in huge ways, some in small. The fiction itself is usually only interesting if you have read the authors' other work, as it is mostly a collection of deleted scenes or alternate scenes from their published works.

[Erica Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this from cover to cover. In some ways, it was 2 books in one: a collection of mostly autobiographical essays on mental illness, alongside a compilation of short stories. Some of the essays held equal merit, if not higher, than their accompanying short stories. I was familiar with about 50% of the authors, and ended up adding almost all of the new-to-me authors to my "to read"list. Alternatively thought-provoking and entertaining, well worth the read.

[Kaylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly read the comments on mental illness and not the stories in this collection. It was interesting to see so many personal experiences gathered together, and I appreciated how the authors talked about specific instances of mental illness in their lives.

[Michael West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars not for the content (as most are deleted/altered scenes) - but for the cause. This book is/was for a fundraiser for a particular person with a mental illness to help him out and also to spread awareness of mental health issues. Each author who contributed to the anthology shares his or her thoughts and/or experiences of mental health issues. I have not had any close contact with mental illness and some of these experiences are very personal and I am grateful for their candidness as it opened my eyes to the issue by getting rid of stereotypes and will help me think twice before I judge someone's behavior. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to to understand mental illness a little bit more than they already do.

As far as the content, I honestly skimmed most the deleted or altered scenes as I hadn't read most the books or authors. There was one standalone short story, "Womb" by Kiersten White, that I particularly liked and thought it was a very intriguing read. Also, I very much appreciated the Tayler's essays on mental illness. The main reason I initially bought this book was because part of Brandon Sanderson's 2002 draft of the 'Way of Kings' was included in the anthology (of course it's the longest part:) ). That said, I found it a very interesting read to see how much Brandon has grown and improved as a writer as he was kind enough to share a taste of this alternate Roshar. I was surprised how much the story and characters were different from the published book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories put together in support of Robison Wells, a great writer and friend, who suffers from mental illness.

[Andy Konecny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthwhile read to see things in the many different ways a given thing can be seen. Opens the world while a fun read.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning - I've only fully read Brandon Sanderson's section so far, as it's the only one I've read the final book of. My apologies to the other authors - I've read the intros, but in many cases I'd like to read the final works first so I don't spoil anything!

It was wonderful to read the chapters (to the point where I was gutted when it ended!) but far more, it was just amazing to see the change from this version, which was great 4* story in the making, one I would have happily read, to the much deeper, cleverer, richer, unquestionably 5* Way of Kings. The differences between great stories and my favourite stories has often been a little intangible to me, though reading Sanderson's rules of magic pinpointed a lot of factors related to the world building and magic systems which rally work for me. But seeing the differences laid out here gave a clear demonstration of what makes a book fantastic from a character and narrative point of view.

The bit which was most interesting was how Brandon did this: he introduced the chapters by saying that he wanted to turn Merin, the relatively straightforward, middle of the road, young protagonist in this version into someone who was as interesting and richly developed as the world he'd created. The way he did this was to make things that happened easily for Merin, not come to Kaladin (or at least not until the best part of two epic books later), having him struggle against a lifetime of brutal, frustrating situations. Kaladin reacts in a way which is perfectly realistic, and though I'm well versed in mental health (and I noted the signs in an abstract way) it never strictly occurred to me that this book was about someone with depression until I read Brandon's introduction here. Now it's perfectly obvious, but when I read Way of Kings, though it was an important part of the plot, it wasn't a Big Deal, which mental health issues so often are. Just as Brandon says in the introduction, the depression is part of Kaladin's experience at the time, but it's not the focal point of the book, and I agree that this is a vital step in destigmatising, normalising, and increasing understanding of mental health difficulties. It also gives Kaladin more strength and integrity than Merin in the original version. These changes make Kaladin into a much more believable hero than Merin ever would have been, for while the young Kaladin drawing people to trust and follow him feels legitimate, having Merin inspire the same kind of behaviour would have seemed hollow.

Creating a character who is strong because of his struggles to overcome mental health issues, while also having it as one character facet and storyline within a much more complex world is the perfect way to bring these issues to the attention of a wider population, and to show that people with mental health issues are not solely defined by the problems they face. For highlighting this for me, and for letting me see behind the scenes of a wonderful transformation (by the way not only of a main character, but as far as I can tell of many other characters and plot lines in these books), this is already worth 5* as a book. The other side is that in producing this collection, a huge amount of money has been made to help one man, and unexpectedly many others who have suffered with mental health difficulties - a brilliant project all around. Now I can't wait to read some of the other books by the contributing authors so I can appreciate their sections too!

[Mailee Pyper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super interesting anthology. It is really neat to see some of the behind the scenes scenes from some of my favorite books/authors. As it is an anthology put together to help an author with mental illnesses before each excerpt is an essay about each writers experience with mental illness. I did not read all of the excerpts as I have not read all of the books some of the scenes are from and wouldn't have the context for them, but I did read all the essays about various authors experiences with mental illnesses and I loved it! I truly believe that as more people become educated about mental illnesses that society at large will move past the misunderstanding and mistreatment that often happens to those with mental illness. Furthermore, I think that as education increases so will peoples willingness to seek treatment for the mental illnesses in their own lives that they are currently unwilling to acknowledge as such. This anthology was great for advocating awareness about mental illnesses. Some of my favorite things about this anthology are: I was introduced to some new authors (who I am excited to read), read some cool deleted scenes and short stories, and all in all, I greatly enjoyed this anthology.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is primarily for Sanderson's first draft of "The Way of Kings," which is the main reason I bought this anthology.

The amount that this story has changed from Sanderson's initial version written in 2002 to the published version is ridiculous. I felt like I was reading a completely different book...there were small cosmetic differences such as character names and the world setting, but there was also a huge gap in the intrinsic personalities of some of the characters I've grown to learn and love in "The Way of Kings."

Here's a list of the chapters (there are 6 total) that are included as part of the anthology:

Chapter 1: Dalenar 1
Chapter 3: Merin 1
Chapter 5: Merin 2
Chapter 12: Merin 3
Chapter 17: Merin 4
Chapter 22: Merin 5

Note that Merin = Kaladin.


There are some characters from "They Way of Kings" that did not make an appearance in the chapters Sanderson decided to include in this anthology. I hope he slowly releases more of them as snippets in other anthologies, on the Tor.com blog, etc. I would love to read the entirety of this first draft as a completely different book!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This aptly named anthology is full of good stuff. The essays on mental health, in particular, are something everyone should read. You won't find a group more able to give insights into the realness of mental illnesses than writers. Even those who don't personally deal with mental illness had some helpful things to say on the subject.

The extra stuff is fun, as well. I didn't read everything, but it was fun to read the extras for books I've already read. I really wish Jessica Day George hadn't cut the gambling bits from her Princess of the Silver Woods book—the published ending falls flat without it. And of course, the Brandon Sanderson stuff was great. I know I would have enjoyed the Stormlight books if Sanderson had stayed on the path he was on, but I'm glad he had the foresight to kill that darling and do something a little less formulaic.

I expect to keep returning to this book as I try out some of the other authors included in the anthology. Like I said, there's lots of good stuff in here.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved reading the essays that each author provided. It is so great to see such openness about what is still a very sensitive subject. I would recommend this book to people based on the essays alone.

I will admit to not having read several of the stories, as they were scenes from second or third books that I had not read. Of those that I did read, I found that I enjoyed them all.

Being able to read the original scenes from Way of Kings was most definitely the highlight for me, even if reading them made me very uneasy. Where are my beloved Spren? Where is the casual, frequent mention to dun Spheres? Where is the tension and intrigue? WHERE IS THE MAGIC?

These chapters where fun to read, but I am so very glad that he decided to completely re-write it. I just don't see me shoving this version in peoples face while very seriously insisting it will change their life, you know?

[Todd Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, its such a great concept. Unfortunately, there are maybe a couple of authors I've ever even heard of, and only 2 that I was actually interested in reading (Mary Robinette Kowal and Brandon Sanderson). I really enjoyed their sections, especially Sanderson's as it was quite great.

I'd give the vast majority of the book 1-2 stars, but the Sanderson chapters in particular are almost a must read for any fan of his.

Either way, I'm glad I backed this on indiegogo as its proceeds went towards a good cause and it gave me access to alternate history "Way of Kings" story by Sanderson.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an anthology put together to help author Robison Wells overcome debt incurred due to medical bills from mental illness. The indiegogo campaign was so successful that the amount acquired above that required to pay of Mr. Wells debt was given to other authors in need. It contains contributions from dozens of authors spanning many genres. Each author contributed something which related to the theme, either something to do with mental illness, deleted scenes from published works, early versions of other stories, etc. This book represents love and understanding, the content isn't necessarily the greatest (don't get me wrong, it's not bad), but the purpose behind the book is.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been dealing with mental illness my whole life, this anthology is very special to me. I'm so glad that these wonderful authors have spoken out about how devastating living with mental illnesses can be, and that they send a message that you are not alone.

Some of my all time favorite authors contributed including Jessica Day George, Lauren Oliver, and Erin Bowman, along with many other amazing authors. I'm so glad I was able to read this and hope that this anthology will help others see that we are not alone, and others do understand.

[Angela]

31 July 2015: $4.61 on Kindle

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading the personal essays from each author about their experiences with mental illness. Also enjoyed the chapters from an early version of Way of Kings.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 hardcovers, signed by Sanderson and Wells, #'d 76 and 77

read 12/17/2014 - I skipped most of the stories that were part of sequels for series that I had not started to avoid spoilers.

[Holly Valluzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty soon, I will be exclusively reading authors from Utah. Goodness, there were a lot of great teasers in here!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of previously unpublished work from various authors, mostly alternate versions of chapters or bits that didn't make it into larger works.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essays on mental illness were my favorite parts, but Shannon Hale's teen girl angst/alien story was absolutely fantastic!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the personal stories, but since I wasn't familiar with many of the books that the deleted scenes came from, I didn't care so much about those.

[Aimee Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like to watch the deleted scenes and blooper reel on your DVDs, you'll like this - deleted and unedited scenes from a number of books from a number of authors, and all for a good cause.

[Thom Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review here: http://www.thomstratton.com/2015/12/a...

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rating is for Brandon Sanderson's short story in this book. I skipped all the others.