Apple TV has become the streaming service for sci-fi fans. You like space race dramas? For All Mankind is the best available. Dystopia? Silo is stacked with stars. Epic space operas? Foundation adapts the book series that introduced the concept of a “galactic empire.” That’s not to mention Severance and Pluribus, arguably the two best new sci-fi series of the decade. It’s all there, and the tech giant is showing no signs of slowing down.
This made the acquisition of Brandon Sanderson’s extensive Cosmere book universe all the more appealing. While typically regarded as an epic fantasy author, Sanderson has clearly established himself as an authoritative figure in contemporary sci-fi, and there’s good reason for that. Looking at his individual stories, like Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive, which are known for their medieval/historical-inspired styles and magic systems, connections to Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings are inevitable. The franchise as a whole, however, offers an entirely different story.
Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe Molds Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Listen, I’ve read a lot of fantasy, and I’ve read a lot of sci-fi. Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere offers the aesthetic of the former, at least so far, but leans heavily on the functionality of the latter. From rooftop battles in Mistborn: The Final Empire to the climactic showdown in Wind and Truth, conflict is resolved through detailed, established mechanics and the characters’ clever applications of them. In 2016, when comparing himself to Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, Sanderson said the following:
In a way, most magic in his books is akin to the One Ring, while my magic tends to be an unexplored science that–if understood–can indeed be used reliably. Strangely, in this, he’s more (J.R.R.) Tolkien, and I’m more (Isaac) Asimov.
This isn’t the first time Brandon Sanderson has noted legendary sci-fi author Isaac Asimov’s influence, as he’s cited the Foundation book universe as an inspiration for his Cosmere. Rather than building all of his stories uniquely and hoping to tie them together at the end, Sanderson has been plotting his various novels as a shared universe for decades, with all of them building toward a galaxy-spanning conclusion. On his YouTube channel, Sanderson described it as a dwarf galaxy.
It’s important to note that while Brandon Sanderson is evidently a fantasy lover, he also started his educational career majoring in biochemistry. Science is part of his background, and he’s incorporated it into a number of his books, from the YA Skyward series to future-based installments of the Cosmere, like The Sunlit Man. The next Mistborn books, the series that’s already being adapted into a feature film, will be sci-fi.
The Cosmere Can Become Film & TV’s Greatest Sci-Fi Epic
In its early stages, the Cosmere movies and shows will be fantasy, but that’s not what Apple has paid for. Apple isn’t looking to make a Mistborn movie; it’s looking to build a Cosmere cinematic universe. Unlike sci-fi worlds like Star Trek and Star Wars, which are fairly static, this franchise will depict a universe that starts with swords and magic and ends with interplanetary travel and space battles. It’s an extensive, long-term project for both Brandon Sanderson as an author and Apple TV’s production company, but that’s what makes it so exciting.
The Cosmere has the potential to be one of the largest cinematic universes we’ve ever seen; the scale, in terms of aesthetic variety, is unrivaled in both fantasy and sci-fi. Apple TV has one of the biggest undertakings in television in its grasp, and the company has only to do the stories justice if it wants to capitalize on them.
