Brandon Sanderson has written more than a dozen fantasy novels set in one shared universe, and you will not find a single classic elf or dwarf in any of them. That is a deliberate choice. Sanderson has explained it several times, most recently in his long running video Q&A series, and the reasoning says a lot about how he builds worlds. Here is what he said, how it shapes the Cosmere, and what he has released or announced through October 2026.
What Sanderson actually said about elves and dwarves
Sanderson began writing seriously as a college and graduate student around the turn of the millennium. At the time, he says, fantasy felt dominated by imitations of The Lord of the Rings, and the huge success of the Peter Jackson film trilogy only deepened that. Shelves were full of quests, dark lords and races that were elves or dwarves in everything but name.
His reaction was that fantasy should be the most imaginative genre of all, a place where anything is possible. So he set himself two rules:
- Keep the focus on humans. His books would be driven by human characters, cultures and conflicts rather than by a catalog of fantastical species.
- Invent, do not rename. If a story needed nonhuman peoples, he wanted to create something genuinely new instead of an elf with a different label.
Dragons became the exception. Sanderson has explained that it is very hard to invent a creature with the same weight and sense of awe as a dragon, so that was the one place he chose to bend.
He has also been candid about how his attitude changed. As a young writer he drafted a provocative essay arguing that Tolkien had harmed the genre, with a title built around getting rid of the elves. Looking back, he describes that piece as attention seeking and a bit snobbish, because it told people what they should and should not enjoy. Today his message is simple: write the book you want to write, read what you love, and there is still room to do fresh things with ideas Tolkien explored decades ago.
How the Cosmere replaces elves and dwarves
Most of Sanderson’s adult fantasy shares one setting called the Cosmere: a single universe where different planets host different magic systems, all tied to a common mythic backstory. Instead of borrowed races, the series fills its worlds with original beings. A few examples you can read about without spoilers:
Living manifestations of ideas and emotions in The Stormlight Archive, from tiny flickers to fully realized characters.
Mysterious shapeshifting beings in Mistborn with their own culture and contracts.
A native people of Roshar whose history and identity become central to Stormlight.
A wandering storyteller who appears across nearly every Cosmere book and links them together.
The other big replacement for familiar fantasy furniture is magic itself. Sanderson is known for rule based magic systems such as Allomancy in Mistborn and Surgebinding in Stormlight. He has written about his own guidelines, often called Sanderson’s Laws, the best known of which says an author can solve problems with magic only to the degree the reader understands how that magic works. That approach makes the magic feel like a science the characters can master, which keeps attention on human choices rather than on creatures.
What Sanderson has released and announced through October 2026
The question about elves came up as interest in Sanderson spread well beyond longtime fans, largely because of a major screen deal. Here is where things stand.
| Project | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Wind and Truth (Stormlight book five) | Released December 6, 2024, closing the first arc of the series |
| Blightfall, with Janci Patterson | Released September 1, 2026, first book of a new trilogy in the Skyward universe |
| The Fires of December | Cosmere novel told by Hoid; ebook and audiobook out October 6, 2026, print edition scheduled for December 8, 2026 |
| Mistborn era three (Ghostbloods) | Book one in revision on the official progress tracker; no release date announced |
| Stormlight book six | Planned to open the second arc; no date, expected several years out |
| Apple adaptations | Deal announced January 28, 2026; Mistborn in development as a film, Stormlight as a TV series |
The Apple deal in plain terms
In late January 2026, Apple acquired screen rights to the Cosmere. The plan as described so far is a Mistborn film and a Stormlight Archive television series for Apple TV. Sanderson secured an unusual amount of creative control: he is writing, producing and holding approval rights. He finished the first draft of the Mistborn screenplay in summer 2026 and has said the next steps are revisions and finding a director. As of this update, no director, cast, showrunner or premiere date has been officially announced for either project.
FAQ
Are there any elves or dwarves in the Cosmere?
No. Sanderson has avoided both on purpose. Nonhuman peoples in his books are original creations, and dragons are the only classic fantasy creature he chose to include.
Does Brandon Sanderson dislike Tolkien?
Not anymore. He once wrote a combative essay criticizing Tolkien’s influence, but he now calls that view snobbish, has revisited the books himself and delivered Oxford’s 2026 Tolkien Lecture on fantasy.
Where should a new reader start?
Mistborn: The Final Empire is the most common entry point. It is shorter than Stormlight, introduces the Cosmere style of magic and works as a satisfying trilogy on its own.
When will the Mistborn movie come out?
There is no release date. The project is in development at Apple, with a first screenplay draft finished and no director or cast announced yet.
The verdict
Sanderson skips elves and dwarves not out of contempt but out of ambition. He wanted his fantasy to feel new, so he centered human characters, built original peoples and made his magic systems the star. With a new Cosmere novel out this month and Apple developing Mistborn and Stormlight, that approach is about to reach its biggest audience yet.
Updated October 2026: rewritten to explain Sanderson’s reasoning on elves and dwarves and to cover his books and Apple adaptations announced through October 2026.
Featured photo: Natalia Y. on Unsplash.
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