What are all those White Sand Versions?

[Treamayne]

So, it appears we will likely be getting a Canon Prose version of White Sand. WoB (edited):

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

Part Four: Updates on Secondary Projects

White Sand

The time is nearly here. In July I expect to take the graphic novel, my original book, and a lot of notes I’ve been making, and create the definitive novel version of White Sand! Khriss is a major player in the Cosmere, and so having her book be readable in a prose version is an important task I want to get to.

Maybe we’ll have this one for Dragonsteel 2025.

State of the Sanderson 2023 (Dec. 19, 2023)

Until then, or even after it releases, I wanted to make a summary of the different versions to clear up any confusion some fans may still have lingering.

• The Prose version (noncanon) is a free download when you join the Sanderson Newsletter
  • if you already have joined, check the very first "welcome" email for the link.
    • Please see this post (it's not White Sand, but it applies the same) for techniques in converting the document to epub or PM me for conversion assisstance.
  • While some details are not canon, the important bits that are referenced elsewhere (so far) are all present and it is enough to give you a frame of reference
  • You could then read the Coppermind Summary or the threads in this forum that discuss the changes from the noncanon Prose and the Canon GN
• The Graphic Audiobook is (supposedly - I have not listened to it) the best version because it has both the changes to make it canon, and the description(s) that can be . . . lacking. . . in the Graphic Novel. 
  • My friends that dislike the GN tried this and spoke highly of it
• The three Volume Graphic Novel have become scarce and fallen victim to price gouging and buy-outs. If the problem is GN availability, note that the Omnibus edition re-release is now available. 
  • There are more than a few mistakes in the original GN trilogy, enumerated in many threads and WoBs
• The Graphic Novel Omnibus is now available from Dynamite (Hardcover, Trade Paperback and eBook) and will be soon on other vendors like Amazon. This version:
  • Fixes the mistakes from the three volume Graphic Novel
  • Adds in missing material from the original Three volume Graphic Novel (such as the Khriss Prologue)
  • Re-orders some material to better fit the timeline
  • Adds an "Ars Arcanum" as a series of journal entries intersperced with the story
  • Enforces the Slatrification RetCon (that's not really a RetCon since it was an unpublished piece that was never meant to be in the original Graphic Novel Vol 1 and had already been removed by Volumes 2 and 3)
  • Also, the Coppermind Summary is now based on the Omnibus, so you always have the option of reading the Prose (noncanon) version , then reading this summary to learn all of the changes.

If you are wondering why you should read White Sand:

• Currently it is the first in the Cosmere (Chronologically - at least until Dragonsteel releases)
• It is the Origin Story of an important Worldhopper (see below)
• It may have connections or interactions with aspects of Tress of the Emerald Sea

Slight Spoilers

Spoiler

The Worldhopper in question writes all of the Ars Arcanum for each series (including the Journal Ars Arcanum for White Sand Omnibus), wrote the essays for the Arcanum Unbounded Anthology, and makes a few cameos throughout other works (such as Bands of Mourning).

 

Edited January 21 by Treamayne
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