Published Feb 24, 2026, 10:38 AM EST Sam covers TV, movies, games and books at Polygon, making recommendations about what to watch and play while interviewing actors, writers, and designers about their work. She has spent 15 years working as a journalist and critic, with bylines across numerous publications including IGN, GamesRadar+, The A.V. Club, The Verge, and Windows Central. The prolific author offers some clever spins on time travel and simulation theory in Tailored Realities Brandon Sanderson's love of fantasy rules makes him a great sci-fi writer too Image: Tor Publishing At the tail end of 2025, Brandon Sanderson left his massive Cosmere fantasy universe behind for his new short story collection Tailored Realities . But more surprisingly, the book largely leaves the fantasy genre behind as well. There’s a single tiny story about dragons, but most of the book focuses on big science fiction concepts like simulation theory, time travel, and humanity’s place in the universe.…