Brandon Sanderson might be even better at sci-fi than Cosmere fantasy

At the tail end of 2025, Brandon Sanderson left his massive Cosmere fantasy universe behind for his new short story collection Tailored Realities. But more surprisingly, the book largely leaves the fantasy genre behind as well. There’s a single tiny story about dragons, but most of the book focuses on big science fiction concepts like simulation theory, time travel, and humanity’s place in the universe. Remarkably, Sanderson’s science fiction work is less mechanically driven than his fantasy, putting aside the complex world-building he’s famous for in favor of twisty, character-driven mysteries. Sanderson is always writing something, and while I’m excited to see what’s next in the Cosmere, Tailored Realitiesmakes me hope that he’ll keep experimenting with science fiction.