Tailored Realities

Tailored Realities
By Brandon Sanderson
Tor/Tor Publishing Group, 2025. 428 pages. Science Fiction

 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson―creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn saga, and numerous smash-hit works of science fiction and fantasy―comes Tailored Realities, a new short fiction collection including the never-before-published novella "Moment Zero." Spanning the genres of fantasy and science fiction, Tailored Realities includes ten works of short fiction from the ingenious mind of one of the genre's most beloved bestselling authors.

 I was first introduced to Brandon Sanderson’s writings when I was working as a Provo City Library page a little over 20 years ago (I saw Alcatraz Vs the Evil Librarians listed on the Utah Library Association conference schedule, and needed to know what the heck that was all about), and he has published at least three times that many books since then! Having followed his work for so long, I was already familiar with most of the stories featured in this collection (some are available for free on his website), but four were new to me: “Brain Dump” reads like a new episode of The Twilight Zone, “Probability Approaching Zero” reminded me of some of Isaac Asimov’s cheekier short fiction, and “I Hate Dragons” is a funny twist on a familiar fantasy trope. “Moment Zero” is the main reason for which this collection exists, a brand new action-packed and mind-bending novella that is well worth the read. (The most non-spoiler way I can describe it is…the end of the world, but turned inside out?) This collection is both a fun treat for a longtime fan like me, and a good jumping-on point for a newcomer who might want to just sample Sanderson’s work without committing to an entire novel.

If you like Tailored Realities, you might also like:

Arcanum Unbounded
By Brandon Sanderson
Tor Books, 2016. 671 pages. Fantasy

Sanderson’s first short story collection explores the various worlds and magics of the Cosmere. This collection includes his Hugo Award-winning novella, The Emperor’s Soul, the spoiler-laden Mistborn: Secret History, and the brand-new novella, Edgedancer, from the Stormlight Archive.

 

 

Small Magic: Short Fiction 1977-2020
By Terry Brooks
Del Rey, 2020. 447 pages. Fantasy

Escape to worlds full of adventure and magic in the first-ever Terry Brooks short story collection, featuring both new and fan-favorite stories from all three of his major literary worlds: Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and The Word & The Void. The first short story collection from Terry Brooks offers readers both new and long-forgotten glimpses into all of Terry's most beloved worlds, plus one elegaic gem from a different world entirely.

 

Lake of Souls
By Ann Leckie
Orbit, 2024. 403 pages. Science Fiction

Journey across the stars of the Imperial Radch universe. Listen to the words of the Old Gods that ruled The Raven Tower. Learn the secrets of the mysterious Lake of Souls. And so much more, in this masterfully wide-ranging and immersive short fiction collection from award-winning author Ann Leckie.

LAH