Book Review: Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Series: Anthology

Publisher: Tor Books (December 9, 2025)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website

I’ve always found myself somewhat on the fence when it comes to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the books themselves, but following the ever-expanding web of connections has never been a big part of my interest. I just care that the stories stand well on their own, which is why Tailored Realities, a collection of Sanderson’s non-Cosmere short fiction, felt especially appealing. As I’ve always said, he’s also one of the rare authors whose storytelling and world-building generally leave a lasting impression, whether he’s writing ten pages or a thousand.

There are a few exceptions to that, of course. The following are my thoughts on each story, though a couple have already been previously reviewed on their own, and you can search for these earlier reviews for more detail. In addition, Tailored Realities includes three brand-new stories appearing for the first time.

Snapshot (4.5 stars)

Reviewed previously, and even better the second time around.

Brain Dump (4 stars)

A very quick and clever sci-fi vignette that wastes no time getting to the point. Imagine a near future where prospective parents can literally shop for a designer child, browsing through genetic models in a showroom. While the concept isn’t especially groundbreaking, it’s the execution that makes this story work. For one thing, it embraces brevity, and though Brain Dump reads almost like a thought exercise, sometimes that’s exactly what sci-fi needs: a simple setup, a clear social question, and the restraint to step away before it becomes overly trite and pretentious. Sanderson’s trademark humor also helps make his point without bogging things down, and despite its short length, this was one of my favorites.

I Hate Dragons (3 stars)

Speaking of experimental, this story about a boy’s magical talent for smelling good to dragons as well as his ability to hear spelling and punctuation makes for a fun little tale, and not surprisingly, it was born out of a writing exercise. Not much else to say about this one, but I did find it useful as a way to show my middle schooler what effective dialogue looks like.

Dreamer (2.5 stars)

Dreamer is a horror story about body snatchers, but it’s handled in a subtle way that’s less about what’s happening on the page and more concerned with making readers uncomfortable through ideas. In a way, this conceptual approach is very typical Sanderson, messing with your mind instead of relying on shock value. That said, this story didn’t do much for me. It’s simply much too short to leave a lasting impression, and while the ideas are interesting in theory, they aren’t explored deeply enough to make them particularly memorable.

Perfect State (3.5 stars)

Perfect State explores perceived realities and asks, what if nothing is real and our brains are simply living in fully simulated worlds tailored to our wants and needs? This is the case with the protagonist of this tale, who rules a fantasy kingdom in a simulation created just for him. He can be the hero he wants to be, even if it’s only in his own virtual existence. But does it really matter? This story examines consciousness and ambition, as well as the ways one measures satisfaction and achievement. Compared to the previous entries, this one is thematically heavier and denser in its world-building, which made it a bit harder to get into. While the concept itself is fascinating, the execution didn’t quite hold my interest and ultimately felt a little too slow to fully engage me.

Probability Zero (1.5 of 5 stars)

Ugh, I hate flash fiction, so take my rating with a grain of salt, but this story exemplifies why. Again, this one is told entirely in dialogue but has none of the charm of I Hate Dragons. At under 500 words, I barely see a point in reviewing this one, but it follows a human selected by aliens to be uplifted, and aside from a clever little twist at the end, it passed by with barely a blip on my radar. I have to say, I got far more insight from Sanderson’s author’s note for this story, which ended up being more enjoyable than the story itself.

Defending Elysium (3 stars)

I love the Skyward series, so I was giddy with a fair bit of anticipation by the time I got to Defending Elysium which apparently lays the groundwork for the Cytoverse. That said, the age of it shows, and as this is early Sanderson still developing his craft, the writing can feel a bit rough around the edges, as in heavier on description and telling rather than showing. While I’m fascinated by what feels like the origin seeds for the Skyward books, the mystery plot itself was fairly underwhelming, and the storytelling occasionally drags under too much detail. Still a neat little read though, especially if you are a Cytoverse completionist.

Firstborn (2.5 stars)

This is one I wish I had enjoyed more, and maybe I would have had I been more of a short fiction fan. However, I tend to struggle with novelettes, especially when they try to cram so much into such a small space. Firstborn is about a young man who follows in the footsteps of his legendary older brother, a brilliant and admired military strategist he knows he will never live up to. With so much potential for human conflict alone, the story barely has room to explore the characters once the epic battles are factored in. Any messages about inherited talent versus personal circumstance are completely overshadowed along the way.

Mitosis (4 stars)

Previously reviewed, this mini-story takes place in the Reckoners universe after the events of Steelheart. A quick, fun read that stands alone from the rest of the novels but worth reading for the supervillain and his cool powers alone.

Moment Zero (4.5 stars)

Moment Zero is the longest story and likely the collection’s selling point as it is also a brand-new, never-published-elsewhere-before novella. Part detective story, part time travel adventure, and part zombie apocalypse, it follows two police investigators and former lovers as they try to stop the same catastrophic event from happening, but from opposite directions in time after one is transported a few days into the past while the other is thrown forwards into the future. The dual-timeline structure here is clever, but like all time travel stories, it’s probably best not to think too hard about the mechanics behind them. Still, what’s lovely about Moment Zero is its longer page length, which gives readers more time to know the two main characters. The relationship between them carries a surprising amount of emotional depth, hitting harder than I expected for a novella. This one is hands down the best story in Tailored Realities—not only the most memorable, but the most satisfying as well.