Brandon Sanderson Community discussion

It struck me as obvious the first the time I read The Way of Kings (my first Sanderson) that Roshar was a planet colonized by humans long ago, whose descendants forgot their origins. This futuristic human society had nanotech and genetic engineering. Roshar had native lifeforms and an intelligent humanoid species before humans arrived. Parshendi were most likely "uplifted" from a primitive state to serve humans.

All of the magic systems in the Cosmere is a result of genetic manipulation and nanite technology. Nanites preserved the city of Elantris until one day the nanites failed and began to degrade the city and it's population. Instead of keeping people healthy and young, the nanites harm them, keeping them alive but not repairing bodily damage (e.g. "undead"). It was noted that Elantris appeared to be centuries-old ruins when the fall only happened 10 years ago, where the very stones were crumbling. This is failed nanotech eating the city. It seems some sort of central reactor and/or server failed and the nanites lost their "wifi".

Moving on to Stormlight, this is obviously nanotech. Not magic. I could cite examples but don't want to write an article about it. IMO, Mistborn is also nanotech + genetics. Not magic. Welcome any opinions.

Jonathan wrote: "It struck me as obvious the first the time I read The Way of Kings (my first Sanderson) that Roshar was a planet colonized by humans long ago, whose descendants forgot their origins. This futuristi..."

The only thing I disagree with you on is the part about Parshendi. When Dalinar, Jasnah, and Navani discovered that humans were the first voidbringers in Oathbringer, they discovered this fact in an extremely old text. The text tells how the Singers helped the humans, but not as slaves. When the humans started fighting the Singers, they fought back (as seen by the undying Singer souls that continue to fight in Stormlight). I don't think that a primitive species that you're describing would have a developed writing system and fight in such a way that they did.
However, I am curious about the other parts, such as the decay of Elantris.