Centrifugal

by Brandon Sanderson

Taken from Brandon Sanderson's website.

The following is a historical document, of sorts. It's one of the first short stories that I ever wrote. Way back in 1994—when I was a high school senior—I wrote this story to enter a writing contest being held in conjunction with the sf convention called Andromeda One.

I have posted the story here unedited, exactly as I sent it to the judges at the convention. I actually took first place in the student division of the contest. That awards ceremony, held in a sparsely-attended hotel conference room, was one of the proudest moments of my youth. It was one of the first times I can remember thinking "Wow. Maybe I CAN do this!"

Despite that, the story is . . . well . . . not very good. It shows promise, perhaps, but it does not show skill. Not yet. However, there must have been SOMETHING about it to convince the judges to award me the prize. In fact, they had to overcome some pretty mean barriers to do so. One of the judges later confided in me that there was something strange about the manuscript I'd turned in. "At first, we thought you were doing something really post-modern and telling the story from back to front. Then we realized you'd just stapled the pages backwards." Whoops.

With that introduction, I present CENTRIFUGAL, one of my very earliest pieces of writing. (And I do so without posting it backward, I hope.)

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Divine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Sanderson's first written short story when he was STILL IN HIGHSCHOOL AND HE WON FIRST PLACE IN A COMPETITION WITH THIS PIECE. I REPEAT HE WAS IN HIGHSCHOOL. When I was in highschool I was a total sucker for middle aged romance novels filled with smut (Special shoutout to Mills&Boons and Precious Hearts Stallion Riding Club!!!) I DONT EVEN HAVE THE SKILL TO WRITE. LET ALONE A SHORT STORY WITH SO MUCH TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC DETAILS IN THE WORLD BUILDING. WHAT KIND OF PROTEIN SHAKE DOES THIS GUY DRINK?

It's really heartwarming to read an author's starting point. His raw and uncharted potential is written all over these pages and while it may have a disclaimer note on the intro that this isn't a good one, I would beg to differ! I'm sooo excited to read more of his earlier shorts, novellettes, and novellas before I delve with his amazing epics!

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short work of fiction written by Sanderson back in 1994. It's very quick to read and took me a mere 5 or 10 mins but it shows the beginnings of how Sanderson started to think about writing. From the pov of a current student (me) writing a story like this earlier in life and submitting it then winning a competition with it, I liked it.

This is the story of a family and a Supernova that they've been trying to harness the power from for 3,000 years. It's a very fast read without a large amount of development but it's still a fun story in it's own way and it certainly shows the true Sanderson-esque style even if it's not fully developed yet. I would say if you love Sanderson's work then why not give it a go, but don't expect miracles or the depth and complexity of his later works which are far superior... my complaint is simply that it wasn't longer and more developed, but for a start-out writer it's a fun story.

[Belisarius Carstairs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sure everyone can remember a time when they were in their early days of education writing stories in their classes. This story happens to be one of them.

While the story itself is typical of a teenage student, my appreciation for it comes from the reason Sanderson published this on his website.

He explains that he wrote this unedited *award-winning* work for a high school competition. He claims that when he won an award for Centrifugal, he had an epiphany, that maybe he could do this, maybe he could write for a living. Twenty-five years on, he is one of the most critically and commercially acclaimed fantasy authors out there, and here he is publicising one of his earliest works (which he did not have to do) just to show anyone aspiring to be an author, and telling them that this is how h started, how everyone starts, and that anyone who would put their mind can live up to their aspirations.

If anyone appreciates anything about Sanderson, it is in his endless support of creative writers and aspiring authors. He always seems to want people to reach their full potential.

[Nightshade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanderson admitted himself that this isn't the most polished of stories, having been one of his first pieces while he was still at high school. However, I still really enjoyed it.

The descriptions were a bit over the top in places, but generally the writing was pretty good. For such a short story there is still an interesting level of world building and a decent amount of character setup, with motivations and desires. The pacing was good and I found myself hooked, wanting to know what was going to happen.

Overall, this is a very quick read, which I found fun and I think it is worth a shot from Sanderson fans to see where he started out.

[alchemistta · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had some time to kill and needed more sanderson.
funny how it might not be his best but it already shows his genius and how adept he is at creating fresh never-seen-before fantasy worlds from scratch.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Brandon Sanderson's earliest writings, which made him win a writing competition in high school. It dates back to 1994 and can be read for free on his website; click here. It's a quick read, about 6 pages long, so if you don't have much time, but do want to read something, this is perfect.

The story's about a family that has been trying to harness energy from a supernova. It's costed a lot of money and taken several millennia to set up the project, hoping that by the time the star goes into supernova modus (at some point in the future), the technology would be available to harness that energy. But not all goes to plan, once the project is set up.

This little story is not fully developed, of course, and looks a bit disjointed, but it's promising and could be expanded into a full-blown novel. And why not? I'd read it.

[Clara Klillena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would've probably been disappointed if Brandon himself hadn't said it was a bad story. And he wrote it in High School. So it's okay. It wasn't even that bad. But it took me a while to understand the idea that the running guy wanted to stop that project. At first I thought he was the project... 😅

[Jesse Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, you have to give Sanderson props for this short. He wrote it back in high school and actually won a contest with it. It's always so inspiring to see where authors really get their start, and this piece definitely has some good stuff in it. Obviously, the writing quality isn't great, but the main idea in the story was fun and original.

It takes place in the future. Some guy 3000 years prior to the main events of the story paid an insane amount of money to the government to purchase a star estimated to go nova in the next 5000 years (not sure how the government had the right to sell a star, but oh well). The idea was that by that time, the technology to harness the power behind a nova would be in place, and would make the man's descendents filthy rich.

What a great way to guarantee a future for your posterity... as long as the technology is actually developed before the star goes nova...

[Ryan Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the earliest things Sanderson wrote. He wrote it as a teenager, and you can tell. The writing is mostly competent, but the story feels a bit disjointed. It probably could have been a fair amount longer.

Sanderson has obviously gotten much better since writing this story.

[Cynik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Admittedly he wrote it in high school. It is pretty rough but a decent beginning.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even in this extremely short story, Brandon Sanderson wrote when he was in high school you can definitely see his potential and how great his later works would be.

3.5

[Angelika Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. He packed a lot into such a short story. Solid effort.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty messy. It's always interesting to read some of an author's first works, particularly when they're written when the author is young and still in their formative years. I've read many a short piece of fiction submitted by students I've taught which have a lot in common with this short story. Often with younger writers they are still trying to work out what they want out of their craft, and they don't yet have a distinctive narrative voice. The fragmentary way that the narrative unfolds is a very common way that younger writers experiment with structure, pushing the boundaries of what a cohesive piece of work entails. It is heartening to see these familiar juvenile hallmarks within the writing of a man now considered one of the fantasy greats of our time; a potent reminder that everyone starts out by experimenting and more misses than hits, and that greatness can be attainable by honing one's craft and through sheer perseverance. That isn't to say that there's no evidence of good writing in this piece - there is something there that it is obvious with maturity has evolved into what we see of Sanderson today.

[David Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can read this short story for free on Sanderson's website. By his own admission, it isn't very good. It did however, win the writing contest he wrote and submitted it for...while he was a senior in high school.
The story is short enough that almost any description gives something of the 'plot' away. It's fast-paced (perhaps out of necessity) science fiction and, as such, provides a fair blueprint for Sanderson's early career. Winning a writing contest with this story provided some of the motivation Sanderson needed to pursue writing as a career and, I suspect, publishing this on his website is an attempt by the author to provide similar motivation to other young authors who may doubt their ability to make a dream happen.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winter 2021 (January);

Gosh. This is almost laughably subpar when compared with Sanderson's earlier works, but that's exactly what it's supposed to be. This is the first short story that wee baby!Brandon won a contest with when he was a teenager. It's disjointed and has a wince-worthy sharp edges, but you can already see glimmers of the writer he'll become: amazing vocab and really good decisions when to flip back and forth between the two timelines.

I really love that Sanderson puts these things up, as it helps aspiring writers see they aren't alone and it is a skill you can keep refining and growing.

[Mayank Agarwal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first sentence in the preface by the author reads “Warning: You are about to read a very bad story.” Well, I still read it as I wanted to see one of the first attempt by Sanderson at writing. He wrote it during his high school days for a competition and as he says it’s a bad one. He did have an interesting idea just lacked in skills. The theme of the plot revolves around the saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold”

For a high school work, it’s a good piece, no wonder it won the competition. You have to remember this is a time when Internet/computer was not common.

[Jason Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brandon Sanderson himself admits it is not a good story. It was a bit confusing, but the online format--I feel--contributed to that somewhat. The story seems like what might now be Sanderson's first notes written down about ideas that he wanted to develop into a story rather than the story itself. Given that perspective, I can see how the basic premise of this short story could potentially be turned into a very interesting story given space and character development to build more interest into what is going on.

[Adam Buchanan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. As Brandon says, this is not a very good short story. It's disjointed and jumps back and forth between storylines quickly - it reminds me of a poorly-edited movie. The plot isn't quite clear or understandable. However, if you read it as a short story written by a high school student, it is very impressive. In addition, the overall plotline is intriguing - I would love for Brandon to take this and flesh it out into a novel.

[Ray · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Warning: You are about to read a very bad story." This is the preface to this short story and it is completely accurate. The story was bad. Sanderson wrote it in High School and it honestly makes me feel like I might have a shot at writing if Sanderson was able to get from this story to where he's currently at.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, for a high school student, this was really good. Personally, I wouldn't be at this level on my best day. But of course, limiting the story to just six pages doesn't do it justice. I felt it needed more exposition.
I'm glad he shared this with the readers.

Check it out here for free on his website: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/cent...

[Chaitanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandon Sanderson's debut work showcases his exceptional talent in world-building and logical storytelling. It's a fantastic introduction to his writing, and he's truly an impressive author. I thoroughly enjoy reading his books!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHOA what just happened?

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't horrible.
It wasn't amazing either.
I was intrigued, and ultimately wanted more. More backstory. More character development. More world building.
Honestly... I just wanted a book. Haha!

[Kachina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I have to admit, that wasn't nearly as bad as I expected! It was really cool to see where Brandon has come from and the progress that he has made through the years.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say it was terrible, but it wasn’t good. It was still fun to read and I actually kind of laughed at the end so 2 stars.

[Jales · Rating 2 out of 5]

Concept? Ok, but it's too short. It'd be great if longer, he could devolve the theme more, but got confused at the end. Not bad, it's a limbo, like, didn't disliked but didn't dig it.

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good for a story written in high school. It was a bit confusing, but I enjoyed it. It sucks you in fairly easily.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uhmmmm... What was this?

[Snakebird · Rating 3 out of 5]

1994 funny moments compilation

[Evan Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great look at the very early stage of Sanderson's writing. It's a very short read, something to read through on his website during a lunch break.