Would These Cosmere Characters Read Fanfic?
As requested by @genderselkiera :)
I don't know if fanfiction exists in the Cosmere (has anyone asked Sanderson yet?). But if it did, here is my take on whether various Cosmere characters would be interested. [Full disclosure: I do not myself read fanfiction, despite arguably writing it. I didn't know it existed until, well, graduate school, when I read some because the girl I had a crush on wanted me to. Since then, not so much.]
(Also, cosmereplay & I did one about them reading Cosmere fanfic specifically! Link here.)
1. Jasnah: No
"If I wanted to read fanfiction," Jasnah would say, "there are certain historians I could reread." (She thinks it's frivolous.)
2. Raoden: Yes
He especially likes the ones that bring back a character who died in canon, especially through fun or unlikely means.
3. Galladon: Not often
Galladon doesn't really see the point of fanfiction; it's not like it changes what happens in canon! He will, however, sometimes read one that Raoden begs him to.
4. Vivenna: No
At first, it did not occur to Vivenna that deviations from canon existed, and when she realized that they did, her general attitude was "Huh! Anyway."
5. Yumi: Yes
At first, it did not occur to Yumi that deviations from canon existed, and when she realized that they did, her general attitude was "I WILL READ THEM ALL."
6. Ellista: Yes
Ellista the Ardent is obviously BUILT for fanfiction: writing it, reading it. If it doesn't yet exist on Roshar, she will probably invent it.
7. Dalinar: No--he only writes it
The call of the explicit self-insert fanfiction about Nohadon is too strong: How could Dalinar not write it?
8. Painter: Yes
Fanfiction for Seasons of Regret is VERY popular.
9. Elend: No
I'm not sure Elend even reads fiction?
10. Lyn: Yes
Lyn especially likes the ones that take an underdeveloped female character and make her the star.
11. Tress: Yes
Tress is out there in canon essentially writing cup fanfics in her head. She would definitely read it if she could.
12. Shallan: Yes
Shallan is out there recrafting the pasts & futures of real people through her Ideal Self drawings. I don't see why she wouldn't also like fanfiction.
13. Radiant: No
Radiant understands that Shallan likes and needs fanfiction. But Radiant feels that her time could be better spent doing other, useful things. That's all.
14. Veil: Yes
Veil is there to read the stuff that's a little too racy for Shallan.
15. Hoid: Yes
Hoid has part of his breath memory bank devoted to his favorite ones, I'm sure.
16. Syl: Yes
Especially when Syl doesn't care for the canon couple, she likes to read endless fanfiction where the guy gets the girl SHE thinks he should have.
17. Shai: Not often
Mostly, Shai finds herself getting a little bit annoyed at how little worldbuilding and planning goes into some fanfics. You can't just SAY that they work at a coffee shop now: You need to have all the details of their life exhaustively planned out to get them there!
18. Allrianne: Yes
The great thing about fanfiction is that characters can simply have the emotions you want them to have--you don't even have to work to riot them!
19. Evi: Yes
In fact, Evi thinks that fanfiction and canon are equally important parts of the experience of a book/show, an attitude that confuses almost everyone she talks to.
20. Kadash: Yes
The good thing about becoming an Ardent is that you can read all the fanfiction you want, even the soppy stuff, and no one can say anything about it. (Yes, he read Dalinar's fanfic. He didn't like it.)
21. Mraize: No
Mraize likes to hunt down fanfics that have never before been read, and then he downloads them. But he never actually reads them. It's just about the hunt.
22. Wayne: Yes
Wayne doesn't see why you'd want to read about just one version of someone's life when you could read dozens instead.
23. Dilaf: No
Canon divergence is basically heresy!
24. Hrathen: Yes
Sometimes to get a convert, you need to drop the name of a popular ship to show that you're cool. It's fine.
25. Amaram: Well...
Amaram reads fanfic. Then he uses ChatGPT to "finish" them. He doesn't see why this makes everyone SO upset.