Published Jul 16, 2026, 8:57 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.
With the Apple TV deal and multiple book series on the way, Brandon Sanderson is taking on more than ever before, including a major genre change in the future. Author Brandon Sanderson is one of the most prolific fantasy writers of this generation, and his stories have touched audiences all over the world. His legacy stretches all the way back to Elantris, his first book. However, he really skyrocketed thanks to the Mistborn series, which began in 2006 and is ongoing. If it weren't for Mistborn, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to finish The Wheel of Time books, another series that propelled him into the public eye. Now, Sanderson is celebrating the first Mistborn novel's 20th anniversary.
Because Mistborn has evolved in structure and length over time, there’s always the question of whether the long-term plans have changed. Originally, there were only going to be three Mistborn trilogies. Then Wax and Wayne was a stopgap book that turned into its own tetralogy (via State of the Sanderson, 2015). Then the novellas The Alloy of Law and Secret History were added into the mix and a board game. He considered a 1940s setting for some stories and then a SWAT team plot, but then shifted away from those plans.
Sanderson has been pretty open in his previous State of the Sandersons that everything from book release order to series lengths to adaptation formats has flexibility built into it. Nothing is fully set in stone, even if he has a good idea of what's expected. Now, we have an update as to the state of the Mistborn books.
The Current Status Of The Mistborn Book Series
Previously, Brandon Sanderson confirmed that Mistborn era 3, which is expected to start in December 2028, will be a Cold War-style spy thriller. He also teased that the books would eventually end with a space opera (via Arcanum). We do not need to wonder whether the plan is still the same. During the Mistborn 20th-anniversary stream on YouTube, which I watched live, he revealed that the book franchise is still headed in the same direction, including the genre changes.
“Will Mistborn turn into a space opera? Yes. The final era of Mistborn will be space opera. The question is whether we will be putting a cyberpunk between era 3, which will be 1980s [espionage], and space opera or not. We’ll see. I have a lot of projects.”
Sanderson has mentioned the idea of writing something cyberpunk in the Mistborn series a number of times. In the past few years, he has seemed enthusiastic about the possibility, though not concrete. However, there has been concern about whether this is still on the table since the Apple TV deal.
It seems that the author is still considering the possibility. Smartly, he isn’t committing to anything, and he's recognizing his limitations. Considering he is writing scripts for his onscreen adaptations and co-showrunning the TV show, I'd rather he wait until after the third era is actively releasing before publicly committing to a fifth era, especially since he also has so many other book series ongoing.
Should Mistborn Have A Cyberpunk Era?
Image by Ana NievesAs a fan of Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn, and cyberpunk, I would selfishly love it if the author wrote cyberpunk books set within the Mistborn world. It would be epic to see how that sort of technology interacts with allomancy before reaching the point of intergalactic space opera. That said, a cyberpunk era of Mistborn may not be the best choice. Sanderson is one of the few authors who can churn out high-quality books at a consistent pace, but it might not be sustainable to continue piling on more projects.
Based on his last State of the Sanderson, he has to juggle Mistborn, Cytoverse, Hoid’s Travails, Elantris, Warbreaker, Rithmatists, Super Awesome Danger, plus nine more potential Cosmere projects that aren’t guaranteed but possible. That doesn’t even take into account the onscreen adaptations.
On top of that, I would like to actually have a conclusion to the series at some point. Three years passed between era 1 and era 2, while eras 2 and 3 will be six years apart. Adding a cyberpunk era would just keep pushing out any real resolution for the book series.
Ultimately, Sanderson might be one of the most consistent authors out there, but he has an unbelievable amount on his plate. All of his projects are demanding attention. I will happily purchase and read his cyberpunk Mistborn books if he decides to go that route, but I hope that he takes the time to really consider whether it is the best choice for him.
Character(s) Vin, Kelsier, Sazed, Marsh, Elend Venture, Waxillium "Wax" Ladrian, Wayne, Steris Harms
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