Brandon Sanderson It is synonymous with epic. ‘The archive of the storms’, ‘born of the mist’, or the same Cosmere They are evidence of this. It is not necessary to have read all his books to know that he is one of the most influential authors of modern fantasy. But what many do not know is that, In his childhood, he was about to abandon reading. Not because he did not like to read, of course, but because he stopped finding books that transmitted something to him. And if she did not throw the towel, it was thanks to a teacher and a novel that, on paper, had nothing to do with him.
That book was ‘Overcrowd the dragon‘(‘ Dragonsbane ‘), de barbly hambly. A 1985 novel that almost nobody mentions when talking about the great classics of the genre. There are no teenage protagonists with powers or epic battles with magical swords. Only An adult woman, mother of a family, who must choose between her home and her training as a sorceress. It is, neither more nor less, an existential drama … with dragons. And it was just that story that ignited the spark for Brandon Sanderson. The one that changed everything.
When Sanderson almost stops reading forever
It all started When Sanderson was in high school. Until then, he had been an occasional reader, but he always compared to his teammates, who already finished books with only three years. The big problem came in the last elementary courses, when the novels they recommended were all the same: they had confused children, pets who died and family problems. Stories designed to connect with adolescents … but that only seemed boring.
And, like many preteens, brandon I was going through that confusing stage and chaotic that we all know as preteens. He felt out of place. As if everyone around him knew how to be teenagers except him. In that context, reading fell short. Why waste time with these stories if they didn’t contribute anything?
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The teacher and that changed her life with a book
Then, in the institute he appeared Mrs. Reeder (Yes, it was called, as if it were a joke of destiny), his literature teacher. AND It was she who recommended a book That, in principle, it had nothing to do with him. ‘Dragonsbane’ is not a youthful story, nor does it have a teenage protagonist. The protagonist is an adult woman who is living her own vital crossroads. What could have what to do with a thirteenth year old? Well, much more than it seemed.
As he explained in The Guardianthat was On “Eureka moment”. Because, through that story, Sanderson achieved something he had never experienced reading: understand someone very different from him. For the first time, he not only identified with a character, but got into his skin. And so helped him better understand his own mother. A fantasy novel taught him empathy. Thus, unexpectedly, he discovered that reading could not only entertain, but also change the way he saw people.
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‘Dragonsbane’: the fantasy novel that changed everything
But ‘Dragonsbane’ not only opened his eyes emotionally. He also showed him something that many readers (and not a few literary critics) usually overlook: that Fantasy can be the most complete genre, capable of addressing everything. That not only allows to tell epic stories, but also the most intimate and human. That can be deep, complex, realistic … and at the same time spectacular. Hambly taught him that you can talk about vital crises, maternity, existential doubts … and do it through dragons, spells and imaginary worlds. For Sanderson it was a revelation. What else could you ask for?
Thanks to that novel, the young brandon recovered the desire to read. And over time, he began writing stories that, as he himself has told, drink directly from that first lesson: that fantasy can speak of the human soul, of the duty, of the family, of the difficult decisions. Of all the important, but with magic and swords. Today, When we read characters like Dalinar or Sazed, so full of internal doubts, we can see the footprint of ‘Dragonsbane’. Of that first contact with a story that seemed not to be made for him, but that ended up being his other than any other.
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A precious reflection on the power of reading
This is not just a story about a forgotten book. It is a story about the power of reading, about The important thing is to find the right book at the right time. And how, sometimes, we do not need to read about someone equal to us, but about someone very different. Because this is where true magic occurs: when a book changes your perspective. Brandon Sanderson is very clear: “A teacher saved me”. And his life changed forever thanks to a book about a sorceress mother, an impossible decision … and dragons.
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