Perfect State

God-Emperor Kairominas in 300 years has mastered everything in his world, well except weather but given another 50 years he’ll conquer that too. Now he has been informed by the powers that be that he must procreate. You’re probably thinking ‘hey if he is a God-Emperor who are these powers that be that can tell a God Emperor what to do’. Hahaha that is little twist #1 Kairominas lives in a simulated world (that isn't the whole twist you'll need to read it for that information).

After 300 years of simulation he has pretty much run out of things to do. He has a concept for a best friend and companion.

◊ “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 . . .” ◊

And a personal assistant Besk that keeps him on task. Besides the minor torment of his nemesis Melhi and his Robot invaders everything else in his world has become predictable. So a date with another ruler of there simulated world, how bad could it be?

This was a fun world to dip a toe in. It is a little bit the Matrixx, with a minor splash of steampunk, Pacific Rim like Robots and that special something that Brandon Sanderson always brings to a story.

Sophie ‘The Date’ was an interesting character and I really liked the spin made on her. She is a conundrum but so much fun and not what the God-Emperor was expecting.

◊“Unhand me,” Sophie muttered, dazed. “I’m not some damsel from your barbarian lands. . . .”
I reached a sheltered alleyway out of the robot’s sight, and set her down inside. She was limp, her eyes drooping.
“I’m not . . .” she said. “I don’t need to be saved, I . . .”
“Think of it this way,” I said. “Your inner feminist must be going insane at the idea of being rescued.” ◊

Because this is only an 85 page novella there is a bit of rush to the plot and I definitely didn’t get enough time in this world. It was all interesting and so full of possibilities just because of the simulated reality of it all anything can happen, Brandon Sanderson almost wrote a sex scene *blush (for him, not for me)* but it is Brandon Sanderson so…

◊ “Breasts later, giant robot now.” ◊

Not that that is a bad thing. He is my favorite High Fantasy writer with or without sex scenes. This leaves off unexpectedly with a pretty good twist to the end. I’m hoping that we will meet up with God-Emperor Kairominas and his nemesis Melhi again in the future.

Like writing out the plot of a videogame. Ineffective depth of character given protagonist. Love Sanderson, but this made me rethink overall works by him. His writing is very physical but for me on this one was too strictly action-oriented. Was tempted to give only 1 star.

I feel bad giving this such a low rating as Sanderson is my favorite living fantasy author, but I really didn't like this one. The plot had an interesting premise but I found the interaction between Kairominas and Sophie cringeworthy, which is terrible because Brandon normally writes such great female characters. It took me out of the story and the resolution, which was unexpected, wasn't enough to redeem it for me. I found myself wandering what on earth the point was at the end.

An intriguing concept but not something a reader like me wants to spend much time on. Needs rounding and filling out, characters with character and so on. But of course I never met a novella I wanted to waste time on. Write a book and resubmitt.

Weaving parts of The Matrix, Pacific Rim, and Conan the Barbarian, this novella is a light-hearted breath of fresh nostalgia, speaking to fantastical little adventurers inside of all of us, while blending it with something new and alien. Perfect State is far from what I expected, but a wonderful dose of entertainment and contemplation.

"On the three-hundredth anniversary of my birth, I finally managed to conquer the world."

So starts Perfect State, a clever little sci-fi story about reality, emperors, and dating. The main character, God-Emperor Kairominas, was surprisingly easy to relate to, even though, as of the quarter-century anniversary of my birth, I have yet to conquer anything. The other characters don't get much time to shine, but Shale and Bask made good use of their appearances and I liked both of them a great deal.

The story is fast paced and humorous, though the ending gets a little... serious. However, it is a really short story (about 71 Kindle pages). Calling it a "novella" feels misleading. To me, novella implies a short novel. Perfect States is really just a short story. I would have purchased it regardless, but would have preferred to know how short it was beforehand (NOTE: when I purchased the book and at the time I wrote the review, the page count for this story had not been posted).

I've read plenty of Sanderson books and he's become my favorite author. One reason is because his books are clean, but not this one. I know it's a small scene, but I can't let my sons read something describing a sensual topless woman. Too bad. I otherwise liked the story.

Perfect State is a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novella, and, frankly, I doubt I would have picked it up if it wasn’t. I’m a Sanderson fan, but that guy writes faster than I can read. So under normal circumstances I would have passed on a book with a hook that didn’t hook me while I wait for the next book in The Stormlight Archive. Thank God I did, because Perfect State is much more than it seems from the copy.

It’s a Sanderson book. The prose is clear, the story well structured, the magic and worldbuilding inventive, the plot includes the obligatory twist that is clever but doesn’t floor me. There is almost sex! In a Brandon Sanderson book! But no, still no sex.

What sets Perfect State apart and finally fully sucked me into the story is the worldbuilding. I can see why they left the good stuff off the copy, because there is simply no way I can talk about it without major SPOILERS, so read on at your own risk.

Kai is indeed God-Emperor of an entire world. It’s a high-magic fantasy world, with plate-armored soldiers, huge cities, flying platforms, and a variety of magic called Lancing practiced by Kai. It’s also entirely fake. Human technology has advanced to the point that it has become indistinguishable from magic. Humans like Kai are just brains in soup who are plugged into simulations crafted to allow them the fullest achievement allowed and demanded by their personality (apparently Kai’s nemesis really needs to build giant robots). Even the date and accompanying required mating are for show—reproduction is done the new fashioned way. Kai’s billions of subjects are just bits and bytes. Only his nemesis and his date and the others like them are “real.” And that really did it for me. I love squeezing fantasy into science fiction (see: Arena). Some of the better argued and better integrated philosophical debates were icing on the cake.

PERFECT STATE was a lot of fun! I really liked the whole concept of “meta fiction” (I recently discovered this term!) in which the main character is essentially playing out their life through a simulated world (think The Matrix or even a VR world like in READY PLAYER ONE). PERFECT STATE follows the story of Kai who is the ruler of his own (fictional) world and now the time has come for him to interact with other actual humans and do his duty to reproduce in order to keep the population going.

These quick novellas from Sanderson are always so hard to rate! I know his amazing world-building and I always go into these novellas excited to read more Sanderson and I’m left wanting so much more! I could easily read a whole novel or series about this world and these characters! It would have been a fantastic series if that were the case. It’s classic Sanderson through and through — great world, witty characters, interesting intersection, creative twist. I loved the characters and I wished I could have spent more time in all of these different worlds!
I also really loved the combination of fantasy and sci-fi. It was really neat to see the two collide like that! I’ve really enjoyed everything that Brandon Sanderson has written, no matter the genre, and I will keep reading everything that crosses my path!

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!

Once you've successfully taken over the world, and have everything you could ever dream of... what next?

That seems to be the problem for Kai, an immortal divinely-appointed emperor who has fallen into kind of a rut. The sci-fi/fantasy novella "Perfect State" shows off Brandon Sanderson's knack for creating epic fantasy backdrops for very human characters, and poking some gentle fun at them along the way. And despite the horrifying concept behind the Liveborn, it's an interesting little side-story that begs for more expansion.

Fifty years ago, Kairominas successfully took over his State of Alornia and made himself the godlike emperor, with all the perks -- he's immortal, wealthy, and has the power of Lancing to effortlessly alter the world around him. He spent hundreds of years having epic adventures, and now has the whole world in the palm of his hand. And... he's in a rut. The only thing that livens up his life of peak world-dominating tedium is the fact that he has a nemesis.

It also turns out quickly that this is actually an elaborate simulation overseen by the Wode (whoever they are), and Kai has spent his whole life as a brain in a tank with his own personal Matrix. He and "Liveborn" people like him can also hack into each other's States if they want. Now the Wode have sent him a new assignment: A DATE. With a woman. Who has own her State to rule. But though the date starts off well, Kai soon discovers that not everything about it is as it seems.

It takes a little while to get past the central idea of "Perfect State," namely the fact that the main character has been in the Matri since he was a fetus. Which is horrifying. Really, really horrifying. Admittedly Sanderson adds a twist to the old Descartian brain-in-a-vat concept by making the brains completely aware where and what they are, and living out lives of actual danger and achievement within their little States. It's kind of horrifying, but try to get past it intellectually.

In effect, "Perfect State" is about a man who has been surrounded by artificiality to the point where he barely recognizes the difference (emotionally, anyway) between "reality" and his State. It's like the ultimate stereotypical gamer geek, taken to the most madcap extreme.

And this gives Sanderson the opportunity to subtly blur the question of what reality is and isn't. Are the Machineborn capable of being as real as the Liveborn? Is a false reality where you have lived your life, fought, struggled and been endangered just as real as the "real" world? Or do you have to defy the "set" life and forge your own path for it to be "real"? No, Sanderson doesn't turn the story into a soapbox. Instead, it's about how the experience of connecting with another person causes Kai to slowly emerge from his little isolated world.

Sanderson also writes this in a rather tongue-in-cheek manner, with lots of clever meta jokes about the States ("Have you discovered the lost continent yet?" "There's no such thing." "Of course there is. There's always a lost continent"). And he gives a real sense of texture to the different States, which could make you almost believe that a person could live a satisfying life there. After all, Kai has Machineborn friends who seem to have some artificial intelligence, and "dying" in his State will kill him for real.

But he also creates a melancholy undercurrent to Kai's journey, as he comes to realize how isolated he truly is, and how a life lived in artificial surroundings isn't enough. There's a bittersweetness to his story, and it leaves you wanting to know what's going to happen in the future.

"Perfect State" is another little peek into the many-faceted imagination of Brandon Sanderson -- this time with thought-provoking, well-developed worlds within worlds. Smart, sleek and fast-moving.

What a shame—I’m returning a Brandon Sanderson book for offensive content. Yes, it’s mild in comparison to what’s out there, but it was offensive nonetheless. The blurb shouldn’t say “date”; it should say “one night stand.”

SPOILER ALERT

The whole plot device is as contrived as a Harlequin romance (and just as poorly justified). In a world as technologically advanced as the one Sanderson creates, the people have to have sex to procreate? I’m not buying it! And the stuck zipper and the nudity—only female, of course. How hackneyed, how predictable—how offensive.

What’s that you say? It’s a set-up? The perfect male fantasy? Right, I get that. But the problem is that to present the perfect male fantasy, Sanderson has written yet another “perfect" male fantasy—and added to the long line such male dreck. And yes, I did read to the end and know they didn’t actually consummate that one night stand; it didn’t make the offensive set-up less offensive.

I’m sad to know that I can no longer pick up a Brandon Sanderson novel and just look forward to a superbly written story. I’ll always have to wonder what I’m letting myself in for.

I had no idea what I was opening up as I began reading this. I think that was fine. I found the story to be very similar to the Infinity Blade books. This is interesting because those were based on an already existing video game. I think both stories have good merit and really can open up interesting world of opportunities. Perfect State actually has more of a chance as it has a MUCH wider window of genres that could be slammed into one another.

THE ONLY REASON I GIVE THIS FOUR STARS INSTEAD OF FIVE:

I believe this story got it's heart stolen from it. Personally I would have liked to have a few parts ... 1st part. Our main character's supposed life BEFORE any of this revelation. Though it was a bit refreshing to get a twist near a start. I think several different stories that collide here in this world would have been interesting. Oh.. and if this is the explanation for the cosmere... umm.. no.. please no thank you. (fyi.. I don't see cosmere on it..so .. good thing)

IT was a quick fun read. I might even pick it up again. I would also be quick to pick up any other stories from this new, fresh universe of Sanderson.

Brandon Sanderson has stated before that he is a big fan of Star Trek. This is his first story where I can see some of that influence. I don't want to give away but it I will warn this. Perfect State is Science Fiction and not Fantasy. It has a lot of touches of fantasy that help make it entertaining.

The other shorter work of Sanderson's that this most closely resembles is The Emperor's Soul. Both of those tell gripping human stories but have a very meta side that explorers what it is to create. Perfect State is thought provoking and a ton of fun. The ending brings a hefty punch of emotion with it. I felt wholly satisfied upon completing it.

This does not take place in his Cosmere universe. Still I would love to return to the world that he has created here. So many avenues could be explored.

I have to first off that I am surprised at how fast this book went by. I realize it is a short story, but it IS from Brandon Sanderson... Anyway, the start was just a tad slow for my liking, but as most Sanderson readers know he isn't your typical short story writer. Once you get past the beginning the plot moves rather quickly and gets surprisingly detailed in such a short amount of time. The twists are awesome, the story is thought provoking in a Matrix sort of way. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and would read the second, if there was one. Right now I would much rather he be working on Stormlight, which he is, so...go Brandon!

This is a trippy little story. It's "The Matrix", Brandon Sanderson style that mixes science, fantasy, and philosophy all into one crazy package. It kills me that there is only a short story and not more to this world. Sanderson creates this fascinating world and poses a lot interesting theories and questions about what it means to be alive and the purpose of life that I really wish could be fleshed out more. I want more!

Spoilers ahead.

Another masterpiece by Sanderson. May he never tire - and become even more prolific than Asimov.

Set in the probable-dystopian future, where each individual is part of a self-centered experience in a hive of brains. The self-centered experience makes one a ruler/ leader/ emperor of his/her experience. When such 2 hive minds have to meet and 'date', what happens next? Set in a more benevolent Matrix, it leads to a chilling ending, and perhaps a fruitful dawn.

Eminently recommended for both science-fiction and fantasy fans, this is the work of a master craftsman.

This is my least favorite Brandon Sanderson work. While reading it at first I was enjoying it. It's well written and an interesting premise. But at the end it left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. It struck me as a heavy handed critique of or warning against virtual worlds and the consequences of not interacting with real human beings. In a way it's a critique of gamer culture which I'm perfectly ok with had it not gone into the extremely cliche view that gamers will lose touch with reality and not be able to tell fantasy from real life. Once many would have suggested the same about reading and writing fantasy novels. Now we see reading as a way to better understand fellow human beings, to get a little inside their heads as it were. I suspect in the future we'll find that gaming in virtual worlds will similarly be seen as the tool of enlightenment it can be.

Book Review
Perfect State
Brandon Sanderson

I’m never a fan of short fiction, but I’m also never let down by anything written by Sanderson. Oddly enough, I felt this novella started off a bit slow. Sanderson is still a master of the twist with this book being another shining example. I consider the questions this book poses Hugo worthy. It takes a lot of skill to build sympathy for a character in short fiction. I found myself more connected to Kai than I anticipated.

The only letdown I have is that the story ends appropriately, but not satisfyingly for my taste. Don’t take that to mean it negatively. I found myself imaging sequels and other mini adventures for Kai or even a larger issue. I don’t know if that’s the intent or not. I just thought there was a lot of ground there to play with. The ending completes the story with one exception that I can’t mention due to spoilers.

I’d still recommend this to anyone, especially those eagerly awaiting Shadows of Self or even Stormlight 3. I stand by my thought that this novella deserves Hugo consideration. For readers who enjoy stories that pose bigger questions, this story as them in spades. This wasn’t as entertaining as, say, Shadows for Silence, but it was every bit as interesting.

Very fun (though short) read revolving around virtual worlds and the morality that humans living entirely virtual lives are subject themselves to. What does morality mean when nothing you do really affects anyone else. Is it wrong then to end a virtual life? And what would you do if you had to defend yourself from an attack from another a real human?

I try to read anything Brandon Sanderson writes that I can get my hands on. This novella was good, but I felt that it ended too abruptly. That being said, it has helped to fill the void while waiting for Shadows of Self to be released. It does leave you wanting more of this story line, maybe a sequel will come eventually.

Brandon Sanderson just can't help but write good stories. You can give him 800,000 words or less than 20,000 and he will give you a story with characters you can't help but be mesmerized by. I thought I had a clue as to where this story was going and was dead wrong at the end. It's hard to write a review on a story this short without giving spoilers, but I'll try. What do you give to a man who has everything? The thing he doesn't want at all. That about sums it up.

Perhaps I've just become familiar with Sanderson's writing (which I love!), but this one just seemed to telegraph what was happening in the story. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I have his other work.

A great small version of a Brandon Sanderson work. He is able to develop characters in a very short amount of time and at the same time create believeable alternate worlds. A quick and enjoyable read for a Sanderson fan.

Sanderson has a tendency to write extremely long stories, but he is proving that he can be just as good with shorter length pieces as well.

Another unique world with highly developed characters and a fairly intricate plot. This is a story, like several of his other standalone stories, that will leave you wanting more as soon as you read the final page.

Definitely worth your time and money.

I love Sanderson's writing. I have read everyone of his books and novellas. This is not in the same league. Seems like half of a story. Would have liked it better if it was more fleshed out and had a ending.

The writing is typical of Brandon Sanderson, so if you enjoy any of his other books, you'll probably enjoy this short novella. The characters are memorable, and the writing is a good mix off seriousness and light-heartedness. Definitely recommend this book for fans of Brandon Sanderson or those looking for a quick, enjoyable read.

Sanderson is always a great, fun read. He may not always go as intricate as a GRR Martin and the like, yet always brings his characters to life, in an engaging tale, no matter how short or long the tale.

first of all i would like to say i am a big fan of sanderson. enjoyed how he finished the wheel and then got hooked through mistborn and stormlight. i feel cheated on this one. well written but could have been more fleshed out. feels more like he wrote it in a few free minutes and thats about how long it took me to read. i think im more upset with the publishing company than him. if you have a few free minutes and want to sate the sanderson bug for the price of a good coffee and the time it takes you to drink it i suggest this short. but if you are looking for a novella this is not priced or advertised correctly.