Blightfall Just Rewrote How Brandon Sanderson's Universe Works, and Skyward's TV Deal Confirms It

Published Sep 17, 2026, 6:16 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Blightfall has taken the Cytoverse in an exciting direction, redefining how Brandon Sanderson’s book universes work. Brandon Sanderson has spent so much time crafting the Cosmere and the Cytoverse that each book universe has clear rules for how the different series within each interact. Within the Cosmere, some series reference others in small ways, and Hoid’s always jumping from world to world. They share some mythology, like the creation myth with Adonalsium. There’s been a throughline for a while, and it will only get stronger as the books go on. Meanwhile, Riftwake, the first new 2026 Sanderson release, is a direct sequel trilogy to the Skyward series. They have character and narrative connections. Right now, those are the only shared plans for the Cytoverse. It doesn’t seem like there will be completely separate book series in the sci-fi universe. There have also been clear lines establishing the Cosmere and Cytoverse as two separate entities. The Cytoverse and Cosmere have remained fully separate. The Cosmere doesn’t include Earth. The Cytoverse takes place on a far-future version of Earth, so they inherently cannot exist as connected universes. However, Blightfall was a delightful surprise because it found a way to connect the book universe without colliding the Cytoverse and Cosmere into one. Blightfall Establishes The Cosmere As Existing Within The Cytoverse The story references the Cosmere as mythology from Old Earth, and they name a taynix slug that can create illusions after Hoid. To be clear, there’s no indication that the Cosmere actually occurred within the Cytoverse, nor anything hinting that the taynix slug is Hoid in disguise. Mind you, I wouldn’t put it past Sanderson to decide later that Hoid can jump from the Cosmere to the Cytoverse, since the trickster worldhopper can appear virtually anywhere. Janci Patterson actually revealed that the Hoid reference started as a joke created on the 17th Shard. The conversation centered on whether the Cosmere books could be in the Cytoverse’s cultural knowledge if they also knew about The Lion King. She ran with it and was shocked that it actually got to print (via Reddit AMA). It may have started as a joke, but the Easter egg changes how the Cytoverse and Cosmere connect. The Cosmere exists within the Cytoverse as fiction. It’s a story within a story. This also has the hilarious implication that Brandon Sanderson exists as a character centuries earlier within the Cytoverse. The Riftwake series is primarily written by Janci Patterson, with creative collaboration and editorial guidance from Brandon Sanderson. Beyond connecting the two book universes, Blightfall marks a turning point for the author. Since announcing the Cosmere deal with Apple TV, Sanderson has become much more than an ordinary genre author. He’s an author, a collaborator, a screenwriter, a showrunner, an executive producer with almost complete creative control. He’s becoming more and more like Kevin Feige. Blightfall and the Skyward TV show cement that. Skyward’s TV Deal Proves Brandon Sanderson Has Become The Kevin Feige Of The Genre Publishing World Brandon Sanderson previously described himself as the Kevin Feige of the Cosmere, and now that extends to the Cytoverse. Janci Patterson and Brandon Sanderson’s Blightfall changed how we can look at the Cosmere and Cytoverse, but it is so much more than that. Sanderson’s works are starting to feel like the MCU with how expansive they are. Apple TV is producing the Mistborn movie and the Stormlight Archive TV show, and Tomorrow Studios is producing the Skyward TV show. While there are no guarantees the Skyward show will get made, it seems pretty likely considering the success of the author. Additionally, Multiple book authors and screenwriters collaborate on series, much like different filmmakers make Marvel movies. Brandon Sanderson is currently working with Janci Patterson on the Riftwake series in the Cytoverse and collaborated with Peter Orullian on the first book in The Strata Wars, though he won't be involved in the sequels. He is also continuing his own independent series, like Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive. Many book series last over a decade, and the MCU is now at 18 years with no sign of stopping. Different studios are adapting Sanderson’s works on screen. Similarly, the MCU contains works from Disney+, Marvel, Netflix, and Sony. Sanderson has a direct hand in the shows, even if others are also co-showrunning or co-writing. This is the same kind of leadership Kevin Feige has. Sanderson and the MCU also exist in movies, TV shows, and books. Plus, the book release schedule is as fast-paced as the MCU's. Brandon Sanderson Book Series Fantasy Sci-Fi Elantris Skyward The Stormlight Archive The Reckoners Mistborn Legion Hoid's Travails Riftwake Warbreaker Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Rithmatist The Strata Wars This is much more in-depth than other authors who run multiple series with multiple co-authors. James Patterson has been doing that forever, as did Clive Cussler before his passing. However, they’ve mostly been limited in different formats and connections. The closest I can think of in the genre fiction world is Michael Connelly, but he doesn’t actually have co-authors to contend with. The great part about Sanderson becoming this Feige figure is that fans can enjoy his stories in different mediums. The only downside is that fans will have to decide where to allocate their time and attention. Still, the most passionate fans can make time for everything Sanderson