Tailored Realities preview: Brandon Sanderson's new short story collection dives into science fiction

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Tailored Realities includes tales from the worlds of the Reckoners and Cytoverse series

A space station over a planet is the illustration for Brandon Sanderson's short story Defending Elysium

Brandon Sanderson is constantly writing. He’s been working on the epic Stormlight Archive series since 2010, publishing the fifth of 10 planned books last year, and he’s got plans for a new Mistborn trilogy and two sequels to Elantris. Tailored Realities, his latest collection of short science fiction and fantasy works, releases on Dec. 9 and Polygon has an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook version.

"I’m known for my big fat fantasy novels, but shorter pieces like these let me stretch my legs and explore exciting new ways of telling stories,” Sanderson tells Polygon in a written statement. “I think you’ll love how the audiobook’s stellar team of narrators really brings these tales to life!"

Check out a preview of Tailored Realities below:

Tailored Realities includes the never before published science fiction novella “Moment Zero” and eight other works, such as the detective thriller “Snapshot” and “Firstborn,” the first short story Sanderson ever published. While none of the stories are part of Sanderson’s Cosmere connected universe, two are tied to his young adult series. “Mitosis” is set between the first and second novels of his YA superhero series Reckoners while the audiobook excerpt comes from “Defending Elysium,” which is a prelude to his 2018 Cytoverse novel Skyward.

Tailored Realities will be available Dec. 9 in print and audiobook formats. Sanderson also has two more books coming out next year. The urban fantasy book Songs of the Dead, which he co-wrote with Vault of Heaven author Peter Orullian, launches on June 16. A crowdfunding campaign launching in March 2026 will include the Cosmere novel The Fires of December, which follows the world-hopping adventures of Sanderson’s series spanning storyteller Hoid.

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