Although Brandon Sanderson was surprised by how influential one major graphic novel proved for his writing, I’m not shocked to learn that Watchmen did so much to shape his work. Author Brandon Sanderson likely needs no introduction for many readers. The author of the Stormlight Archive and the Mistborn series has also penned two standalone novels set in his fictional universe, the Cosmere, as well as numerous shorter works, the six-book Alcatraz novel series for younger readers, the Legion books, and many, many more.
While the Mistborn books might be some of Sanderson’s best-known novels, the prolific author also penned a pair of graphic novels entitled White Sand and Dark One. Since some of Sanderson’s best books rely heavily on his characteristic prose, readers might be surprised to discover that the author recently recommended a graphic novel as a major inspiration for his work. While interviewing The Devils author Joe Abercrombie, Sanderson was asked in a Q+A session about his influences.
Brandon Sanderson Considers Watchmen One Of The “Greatest Books Of All Time”
Alan Moore’s Watchmen Was a Groundbreaking Graphic Novel
Sanderson highlighted Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel Watchmen as a big influence on his writing, while noting both the book’s considerable reputation and his own reticence around reading it. Sanderson said that Watchmen is “One of the most lauded novels of all time, but I came to it late,” noting that he erroneously assumed a graphic novel would have a limited amount to teach him about writing traditional novels. Fortunately, Sanderson learned he was wrong in this assumption.
Per the author, “Watchmen is one of the things that taught me the most about story structure” and “How to take some literary ideas and translate it into something that is very mainstream.” Moore’s graphic novel tells the interlinked stories of a group of vigilante superheroes throughout an alternate history of 20th-century America. Although the graphic novel is filled with both razor-sharp political satire and existential philosophical digressions, Watchmen is an accessible, readable superhero story that interrogates the roots of the superhero genre while providing an engaging story in the process.
Regularly switching between the perspectives of the titular group, Moore’s story deconstructs the tropes of superhero media while providing a darker, more introspective take on the very concept of superheroes. Both Zack Snyder’s Watchmen movie and Max’s TV show version of Moore’s story change major details of the novel’s complex storyline, streamlining the narrative to make it more digestible for audiences. However, Watchmen’s many strange divergences are a major part of its storytelling success. While hardly impenetrable, Watchmen is unapologetically complex, but the book still managed to earn mainstream success upon release.
Brandon Sanderson Is Right: Watchmen Is A Masterpiece That Authors Can Learn From
Watchmen’s Complex Subversive Story Is Essential Reading For Aspiring Authors
Aspiring authors could learn a lot from Moore’s Watchmen, as the novel’s sprawling story and dense plotting prove that pilots do not always have to be simple and straightforward to remain engaging. Although the plot concerns masked superheroes, some of whom have fantastical powers, the structure of Watchmen borrows from everything from film noir and mystery novels to war movies. As a result, the finished graphic novel has a tone that is entirely unique, both uncompromising and simultaneously built upon recognizable tropes.
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While Watchmen’s Rorschach is a critique of Batman and his idealized portrayal in many classic comics, Dr. Manhattan is an attempt to grapple with the existential enormity of what life would be like for someone with Superman’s abilities. Silk Spectre’s treatment works as both a commentary on the way female characters are utilized in genre fiction and a compelling standalone character arc in its own right, while The Comedian is a horrifying portrayal of the underlying fascism behind many vigilante heroes.
It is no surprise that Brandon Sanderson recommended fans to check out Alan Moore’s magnum opus, as Watchmen’s enduring influence on modern genre writing is a testament to the book’s literary merit.
Watchmen manages to take this broad range of themes and ideas and craft them into a story that is not only comprehensible but surprisingly accessible and engaging for mainstream audiences. It is no surprise that Brandon Sanderson recommended fans to check out Alan Moore’s magnum opus, as Watchmen’s enduring influence on modern genre writing is a testament to the book’s literary merit.
Source: YouTube
- First Episode Air Date
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October 20, 2019
- Cast
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Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Irons
