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    Perfect State
    Perfect State
    Perfect State
    Ebook76 pages1 hour

    Perfect State

    By Brandon Sanderson

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    A 2016 HUGO AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVELLA

    From the author of Legion and the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive comes an action-filled novella about privilege, culture clash, and expectations.

    God-Emperor Kairominas is lord of all he surveys. He has defeated all foes, has united the entire world beneath his rule, and has mastered the arcane arts. He spends his time sparring with his nemesis, who keeps trying to invade Kai's world.

    Except for today. Today, Kai has to go on a date.

    Forces have conspired to require him to meet with his equal—a woman from another world who has achieved just as much as he has. What happens when the most important man in the world is forced to have dinner with the most important woman in the world?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDragonsteel, LLC
    Release dateMar 31, 2015
    ISBN9781938570094
    Perfect State
    Author

    Brandon Sanderson

    Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 32 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn saga; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including The Rithmatist, Steelheart, and Skyward. He won a Hugo Award for The Emperor's Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. Additionally, he completed Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time®. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books.

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    Reviews for Perfect State

    4/5

    232 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Good short story about another concept of downloaded minds.
    • 5/5
      I read this novella as part of the Hugo finalist packet.Perfect State was a breezy joy to read, a novella that is both serious and whimsical as a fantasy realm emperor is forced to go on a date by the god-like Wode who demand that he procreate. The date, of course, does not goes as planned. The world-building in the short span of the novella is impressive. There are touches of scifi, as Kairominas is aware he's a brain in a jar, acting out a computer simulation as he rules his own set realm. At the start, I thought he was a despot--after all, he's a centuries-old emperor and wizard with absolute control of his realm--but he's really a good sort who refuses to see the NPCs around him as less than human. This is in contrast to his nemesis, who is very keen to sic a new robot on him, and break all the rules in the process.I really need to read more of Sanderson's work. I really enjoyed his other Hugo-nominated novella a few years ago, too.
    • 4/5
      The Matrix revamped, with good world-building, a touch of humor, and high heels. You kinda knew where this one was headed as well as the message behind it, but it was a fun journey.Tags: 2016-read, e-book, fantasy, magic, met-or-know-the-author, novella, read
    • 4/5
      Emperor Kairominas is nearly a god, the master of his realm, nearly unchallenged and...his masters are demanding that he procreate. To do so, he'll have to condescend to leave his realm to find an equal, but that equal may be far more than he expects.

      I much enjoy Sanderson's tomes, er, novels, but I've come to appreciate his abilities in shorter formats, as well. The Emperor's Soul is one of my favorite stories out of his growing volume of work, and it augured that Brandon has talent even when working in a shorter medium and with a much abridged cast.

      I don't want to give away too much about Perfect State since to tell too much would spoil the fun of the story. The Goodreads/Amazon summaries finish by questioning what happens when the "most important man in the world is forced to have dinner with the most important woman in the world?" It's accurate, but a bit of a red herring. The more relevant question, and why I bump this up from a three to a four, is more about what happens when technology allows us to retreat to our own echo chambers, self-created universes, and cultures? And what might happen if we can transcend those self-created obstacles?

      We don't all have a deus ex machina to force us to grow (or do we?), but Sanderson's tale deftly takes the trope and uses it so plainly and obviously as to transcend it.

      It's a fun, quick, and even insightful read, and it reflects Sanderson's ongoing growth and development as a writer.
    • 3/5
      Hmm, I expected to like this one more than I did. It was decent, I just wasn't blown away.

      Our protagonist, Kai is the emperor of the world. Of course, his position is put into perspective when we learn that this is a Matrix-like future. Humans are now brains in vats, each individual given a whole virtual world of their own, peopled by AIs and uniquely tailored to their own individual personality.

      However, since the truth is revealed when a person comes 'of age' at fifty, and life expectancy is in the hundreds of years, having it all doesn't mean that human rivalry has been eliminated. Kai has a nemesis - the brain in the 'next jar over,' who's an expert hacker. He's also subject to the instructions of the Wode - the technicians who cater to the brains' needs. When they inform Kai that he must meet a woman in order to procreate (a conceit which makes zero sense, even if there's some hand-waving regarding the idea), he picks the lady he's forecast to be least compatible with, rather than most. Meeting her will turn out to be a revelation.

      Some nice content about how we decide what it is that really 'matters,' what constitutes happiness, and what it means to be human.

      Read as part of the Hugo voters' packet.
    • 5/5
      Great short story, touches on some philosophical questions, and has some surprises in store. Very memorable.
    • 5/5
      This is some of Sanderson's absolute best short-form work to date, second in my mind only to The Emperor's Soul. In it he explores the idea of a virtual world that most of us were first introduced to by The Matrix, but instead of retreading old ground he finds his own niche to fill and ideas to ponder.

      What if, instead of machines maliciously using us for energy ala The Matrix we were kept in virtual reality by other humans to maximize our happiness and minimize the amount of space and resources our existence required?

      What if we were all rulers of our own simulated worlds, challenged just enough in just the right way to make us feel like our accomplishments were actually earned instead of destined by the programming that's designed to keep us happy? What if, once we came of age, we were informed of the true nature of our reality and nudged by a vague outside force to interact with other real people in "border states" that exist between each individual's tailored world?

      What if a man who had mostly avoided that interaction for over a century was suddenly forced to go on a date with another real person in one of these border states where the power and influence he's used to having are almost entirely stripped away and he has to face and overcome real danger based on his own merits?

      These are the heavy and heady themes that make this story as impactful a journey as the core theme of The Emprorer's Soul (how small actions can change a man over time) did for that book. I can't recommend this enough. If you've ever loved a Sanderson book, you will love this, and If you're looking to give Sanderson a shot but you're afraid of the 700-page tomes he normally writes, this is a fantastic entry point.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Brandon is in fine form, as usual. A thought-provoking meander from his usual work.
    • 5/5
      This book was flawless. Absolutely perfect. Really, I can't think of one single negative thing to say about it.

      It starts out a little weird, with a God-Emperor standing atop a giant floating disk, surveying his kingdom while musing to his bodyguard and advisor. For the first page or two, you're not really sure where it's going.

      And then it just... explodes (the story, not the world). It turns out that we're part of a distant future, a Matrix-like Earth where everyone experiences something different to everybody else, and where everybody is a God-Emperor of sorts.

      Being so short, I can't really divulge any more, for fear of spoiling a major plot point... but that's another plus, actually. It's a long novelette, just under twenty thousand words. If you're not looking to commit a week or more on a book, and you like both Science Fiction AND Fantasy, give this book a try. You're sure to finish it in under two hours.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I normally love Sanderson but, honestly, this is the quintessential “will forget about it in a year.” I actually thought the premise of the story was an interesting one: humanity eventually moved itself into virtual worlds that are perfectly tailored for each individual. However, propagation of the species requires the occasional embodiment, so to speak. (As a side note, why? If you’ve got that kind of technology…) And, of course, this incarnation for purposes of hookup doesn’t go quite as planned.It’s breezy and funny at times but, ultimately, bland and forgettable.
    • 3/5
      What does it mean to achieve when you are really a brain in a bottle and your world is a simulation geared to your satisfaction? The said brains discuss these issues amid a sort of super(man) battle. The whole doesn't jell.
    • 4/5
      Not entirely what I expected but in a very good way.
    • 4/5
      In a futuristic world, where everything is different, God-Emperor Kairominas still faces some of the simple problems of today. The powers that be have required that he go on a date. And even the God-Emperor must listen.
      In Kai's world, the liveborn (humans) don't have physical bodies. Instead, their brains are connected to a system that allows them to live for centuries in a virtual world. And each person's virtual world is uniquely suited to allow them to achieve their highest potential.

      Although they mostly interact with the creations of their virtual worlds, their lives aren't necessarily solitary. They can interact with liveborn in neighboring states. And there are even borderlands that can be crossed into and claimed. It's in one of these that Kai met his rival. And his rival is not letting up, continuing to try to invade Kai's lands.

      So the request for Kai to meet with a potentially compatible woman--more liveborns have to come from somewhere--is a welcome distraction. But in what is supposed to be neutral territory, can Kai expect to be safe? After all, he doesn't know this woman at all. And he might end up more vulnerable to threats from outside forces.

      --

      I enjoyed the brief journey into this world. As a novella, this certainly isn't an epic science fiction story. But it's paced so well that it tells a rich and complete story without needing hundreds of pages to do so. It's easy to connect with the characters. And the writing certainly helps readers easily immerse themselves in the story.

      I won't go into too much detail because it's always hard to avoid spoilers in reviewing shorter works. But I will say that there are some unexpected twists that I didn't see coming. Excellent storytelling!
    • 3/5
      The premise of this story is interesting, and the novella takes it in an interesting direction. I did not see the ending coming. The presumption of universal heterosexuality was kind of annoying, but didn't take away too much from the story.
    • 3/5
      Hm. One of the weaker Sandersons, but you can't expect too much worldbuilding from such a short novella, and I'm a worldbuilding nut, so that may explain my disappointment. The world was interesting, but failed to capture me. The same goes for the story and characters: Interesting, but not gripping.

      All in all, it was a nice read, but will not stay with me for too long.
    • 3/5
      Perfect State starts with nearly every indication of being a fantasy. However, we quickly find that this doesn't quite match up. Kai is an emperor with seemingly magical powers, and loyal retainers, but, as we soon discover, he's also a brain in a jar. He's Liveborn; all those loyal retainers and everyone else in his worldwide empire are Machineborn.

      In some sense, they are not really real.

      As a Liveborn, Kai has some responsibilities outside his virtual world, and one of them is procreation. The Wode Scroll summons him from the Fantasy State that is his world, to a Common State where he can meet another Liveborn for the purpose of procreation. He is given a list, with compatibility scores; he chooses the woman at the bottom of the list--lowest compatibility.

      He has a plan.

      In the course of his pursuit of his plan, we discover what's bugging Kai; why he has resisted meeting other Liveborn, and his doubts about the underpinning of his world.

      Really, it's a pretty good story, and after some rough bits getting into it at the beginning, I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it' not so good that it should be a Hugo Finalist. Getting on the ballot is unfair to the story and to Mr. Sanderson. If I'd just happened across the story, I'd have enjoyed it more than I have by reading it as a story that made the Hugo ballot.

      It's not bad; it's just not that good.

      I received this story as part of the Hugo Awards Finalists packet for 2016.
    • 5/5
      It was good, but oh man do I feel uncomfortable. Brandon read the first couple paragraphs of this at a signing last fall, but I was expecting more fantasy than sci-fi as the first twist came in about 20 pages into this 46 page novella.

      And then...

      Brains in jars! I sort of ship Kai with Melhi, but kind of don't!

      It's short since it's a novella, but oooh, it's got more depth than some books I've read. DAMNIT, SANDERSON!
    • 3/5
      I generally like Sanderson’s work, but I was not enthralled by this novella. The concept behind the world was clever, but I found the protagonist annoying, which might have been inevitable due to the set up of the story. The plot was mostly lackluster, although there was one twist which was good. There was also one element of it that I had some trouble with.I’m expanding on all of the above below the cut, however I am discussing things that might be considered spoilers.The set up for Perfect State is that at some point in the future, most of humanity exists as brains in jars, living in a personal world crafted to them, where they are inevitably the most important person. For instance, the protagonist of Perfect State is the god-emperor of a medieval fantasy world. As you might be able to imagine, he’s arrogant and annoying. It’s hard for me to care about someone who’s never had to struggle and who’s biggest problem is boredom.The mysterious group who runs the alternate realities require the protagonist, Kai, to reproduce. And they also require (for completely unexplained reasons) that this will involve him meeting a woman from another world and having sex with her instead of just splicing their DNA together and being done with it. My guess is that this was required for purely plot reasons, to get Kai to go from one world to another, but the horrific aspect of the all powerful organization requiring people to have sex was never acknowledged or examined.I also really disliked the woman he winds up meeting. I was trying to figure out why when it dawns on me. She’s a character type I’ve seen a billion times before. You know the story. There’s a male protagonist who doesn’t realize the flaws of the world he lives in but then meets a sexy woman who opens his eyes and gets him to rebel.Yes, Perfect State has a twist at the end and an interesting idea behind it, but overall, it felt stale. I wouldn’t recommend bothering with it.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

    Book preview

    Perfect State - Brandon Sanderson

    On the three-hundredth anniversary of my birth, I finally managed to conquer the world. The entire world. It had made for a rather memorable birthday present, though admittedly I’d been placed into this world with the intention and expectation that I’d someday rule it.

    The next fifty years had put me at risk of boredom. After all, what did a man possibly do with his time after conquering the world?

    In my case, I’d developed a nemesis.

    He’s planning something, Shale, I said, stirring the sugar into my tea.

    Who? Shale was the only man I knew who could lounge while wearing full plate armor. He hardly ever took the stuff off; it was part of his Concept.

    Who do you think? I said, sipping the tea and leafing through the letters on my desk, each sealed by a daub of dark red wax. The two of us sat on a large flying stone platform with chairs and railings like a patio’s. I’d Lanced us a barrier over the top to ward off the rainstorm thrumming outside. The Grand Aurora shimmered above—visible even through the stormclouds—illuminating the ground beneath us and painting it faintly blue.

    The occasional crashes of lightning from the storm highlighted a hundred other platforms flying in formation around my own. They carried a small retinue of soldiers—only six thousand—as my honor guard.

    Thunder shook us. Shale yawned. You really need to figure out weather, Kai.

    I will eventually. These last fifty years spent studying the practical application of Lancing had been most productive, but controlling the weather—at least on a grand scale—eluded me.

    I sipped my tea. It was growing cold, but at least that I could do something about. I undid the buttons on my right sleeve, exposing my skin to the blue-violet light pulsing from the sky. The Grand Aurora encircled the entire world, and even the mightiest storms did little more than churn its mother-of-pearl shimmering. The Aurora defeated storms; that was how I knew I’d someday be able to do it too.

    I entered Lancesight, and everything around me dimmed. Everything but the Grand Aurora. I basked in its warm light, which I could suddenly feel striking my skin with a pulsing rhythm. I drew the power in through my arm, then sent the energy up out my fingers and into the cup.

    The tea began to steam. I sipped it and left Lancesight as I cracked open one of the letters. The seal was imprinted with the symbol of my spy networks.

    Your Majesty, the note read. I believe it necessary to inform you that the Wode Scroll has once again—

    I crumpled the paper.

    Uh-oh, Shale said.

    It’s nothing, I said, dropping the piece of paper and doing up my sleeve. It wasn’t from my spy networks at all; Besk simply knew I opened spy reports first.

    The platform shook in another peal of thunder as I looked through a set of reports, each with my imperial mark at the top.

    You can’t make this thing go any faster, can you? Shale asked.

    Be glad we don’t have to do this the old way.

    The old way? Like . . . on a horse? Shale scratched his chin. I miss that.

    Really? The sore backsides, riding through the rain, getting bitten, finding food for the beasts . . .

    Horses have personality. This platform doesn’t.

    You’re just saying that because it’s part of your Concept, I said. The dashing knight riding on horseback, winning the hands of fair maidens.

    Sure, sure. I had quite the collection of hands. Couple of arms, the occasional foot . . .

    I smiled. Shale was now happily married with five children. The only maidens he spent any time with were the ones who called him Daddy and begged him for sweets.

    I continued looking through reports. The next was the preliminary sketch for a new set of coins to be minted later in the year, bearing my image. It was mostly right, depicting my strong features and hair that curled regally to my shoulders. The beard was too big, however. I wore mine neat and squared, kept at a modest finger’s length, to present a strong image. The thing in the picture was far too bushy.

    I made notes on the sketch, then continued on, ignoring the crumpled-up note I’d thrown on the floor. Besk was far too clever for his own good. I needed to fire the man and hire a stupid chancellor. Either that or hack Besk and rewrite his Concept.

    Rewriting Concepts was a pain, though. And, truth be told, I was terrible at hacking, which was why—despite centuries together—I’d never gotten around to changing Besk. It wasn’t, of course, because I was fond of the chancellor. The troll-like man never did what I told him. I ruled literally billions of people, and only this one ignored my will.

    Here, I said, holding up a report to Shale. Look at this.

    Shale sauntered over, armor clanking. Another robot? He yawned.

    Melhi’s robots are dangerous.

    Yawn.

    "You just yawned. You don’t need to say it."

    Yawn. Whatever happened to the big quests, Kai? Hunting dragons, searching out magical swords? All you do these days is study magic and duel with Liveborn from other States.

    I’m getting older, Shale, I said, looking over the report again. My spies had overheard some of Melhi’s men in a Border State bragging about this new robot of his. I shook my head. Melhi

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