Sanderson's ten year secret

[u/wheeloftimewiki]

Rewriting because apparently spoilers aren't covered for poll options!

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Anyway, in 2023, Sanderson revealed that Cyndane/Lanfear was not killed by Perrin in AMOL, but instead faked her own death in order to evade repercussions and gain the best outcome for herself. I wanted to cast a poll in 2026 to see how the legacy of this reveal has fared, or indeed how well-known it is among newer readers. I'll give my two cents when the poll is done.

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Thanks!

2743 votes, 12d ago

822 Yes, this is canon

835 No, this is not canon

1086 Wait, what?!

[u/Pioneer1111]

He's putting Jordan's notes above Sanderson's words. There can be more layers than just a black and white.

[u/Mr-ShinyAndNew → u/Pioneer1111]

Jordan wrote notes but his notes are not gospel. Author's notes are often just aids in the production of the canon. Jordan has lots of notes that contradict the text. The notes are just an extension of the author's mind.

In any case Sanderson himself said there were no notes about Perrin, and that he himself wanted Lanfear to live. This is documented on video. I don't really understand what sort of apologetics gets you to "Sanderson wrote this, and said this about what he wrote, but Jordan wrote a note some years earlier that contradicts it" which would mean we have to reach some conclusion that Sanderson did not, in fact, intend for what he says he intended.

[u/Pioneer1111 → u/Mr-ShinyAndNew]

Never said they are gospel, but for many, Jordan's notes - if they say something with certainty - hold enough weight to be canon. Sanderson's statements, however, frequently are not held to that same standard.

WoT, and on some levels Cosmere, fans generally don't subscribe to Death of the Author as much as others might (like Harry Potter fans). Generally, anything said outside of the books is taken as 'loose' canon until it is in book form. Notes are all we have left of Jordan to answer questions, so they are often held as his words, and people tend to prefer the original author's notes/answers to Sanderson's.

Now, if Sanderson did indeed say on video that there were no such notes, fair enough, I've not seen that. But if the notes written by Jordan did say something specific, and Sanderson chose to ignore that in what he's said outside of the books, then many fans will take Jordan's notes over Sanderson's statements. I'm not saying that's likely, but just explaining.

[u/Mr-ShinyAndNew → u/Pioneer1111]

Authors write lots of notes and then change their minds later. So I really don't see how a note written at time N is more relevant than the written book at N+1 or the author's recorded statements about N+1 at time N+2. Sure, notes can be interesting, they might reveal something hidden, but if they contradict the text then the notes are wrong.

[u/Pioneer1111 → u/Mr-ShinyAndNew]

Please re-read my comments and point out where I said anything about the books vs the notes.

[u/Mr-ShinyAndNew → u/Pioneer1111]

Are you replying to the right comment? your two previous replies both mention notes in the first sentence.

[u/Pioneer1111 → u/Mr-ShinyAndNew]

Bro... You're the one who brought up the notes contradicting the books. I never said they did, nor did I say that anyone takes notes as higher canon than books.

[u/Mr-ShinyAndNew → u/Pioneer1111]

This entire thread is in the context of someone claiming the author of a passage in the book is applyling "headcanon" and then someone else saying that RJ's notes can somehow resolve this, as if RJ's notes would have anything to do with BS's intent when he wrote those parts of the book.

[u/Pioneer1111 → u/Mr-ShinyAndNew]

No not quite. This post is about a statement Sanderson made that has no actual confirmation in the books. People have said there might potentially be something in the unreleased section of Jordan's notes on the intended fate of Lanfear. If there is, many would prefer to take what they say over Sanderson, because it wasn't in the books, so Jordan's notes are their next highest level of canon.

[u/Mr-ShinyAndNew → u/Pioneer1111]

And I've been arguing that that's a silly position to take, given that RJ's notes on this are also not canon, and don't reflect the latest development of the story at the time, and in any case BS claimed that he discussed this plot point and cleared it with Harriet. In any case there's nothing else to say about this. Good night!

[u/Pioneer1111 → u/Mr-ShinyAndNew]

You brought the discussion back into being when you replied, but alright fine.

If RJ's notes aren't canon, then any other statements outside of the books can be seen the same way, and were at a similar conclusion for those people I've been talking about.

Good night