Brandon Sanderson's Perfect State Mocks His Own Epic World-Building
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
In Brandon Sanderson's short story collection Tailored Realities, the 2015 novella Perfect State stands out by playfully mocking the author's own elaborate fantasy tropes and god-emperor world-building through a simulated virtual reality lens.
Bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is stepping away from his massive, interconnected Cosmere universe with a new collection titled Tailored Realities, which brings together a variety of short stories and novellas. While the book features entries from his Reckoners and Cytoverse young adult series, the standout piece for gaming fans is Perfect State, a Hugo-nominated 2015 novella originally highlighted by Polygon. In the story, Sanderson playfully lampoons the very tropes that made him famous, poking fun at the elaborate magical systems and god-emperor protagonists he usually writes.
The novella follows Kairominas, an immortal ruler of a high-fantasy realm who wields light-imbued energy to fly and command floating armies in a manner heavily reminiscent of his Stormlight Archive series. The twist is that Kai's world is actually a simulated sandbox maintained by caretakers for human brains kept in jars. When the system forces Kai to leave his tailored fantasy environment and meet a potential mate in a neutral 1920s noir city where his magic fails, he is relentlessly mocked by inhabitants from other simulated genres as a primitive fantasy trope.
For readers who spend their time jumping between open-world RPGs and virtual spaces, the premise hits close to home. The story reads like an entertaining exercise in imposter syndrome, with Sanderson effectively ribbing himself for leaning so hard into godlike beings and glowing crystals instead of more grounded fiction. It is a sharp, self-aware piece of writing that treats digital worlds and simulation theory with a knowing wink, making it a quick and rewarding read for anyone deeply embedded in modern gaming and speculative fiction culture.
Tags: Brandon Sanderson, Books, Fantasy, Gaming Culture, Sci-Fi
Original article: Polygon