Editing Songs of the Dead

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'''''Songs of the Dead''''' is the name of a planned novel by [[Brandon Sanderson]] and [[Peter Orullian]] about a heavy metal singer with necromantic powers. Brandon originated the story as an urban fantasy about a necromancer pizza delivery man and referred to it as '''''Death by Pizza'''''.{{sots ref|2013}} The pizza delivery angle was later removed, with the protagonist changed to a heavy metal singer; Peter Orullian was brought on as co-author. Brandon then jokingly referred to the revamped story as '''''Death Without Pizza'''''{{sots ref|2018}} before Orullian suggested the current name.{{sots ref|2019}}

==Development==
=== Original draft and hiatus ===
Brandon first mentioned the story in 2010{{wob ref|10132}} and wrote the majority of a novel-length story before 2013, but it had many flaws that prevented it from being published.{{sots ref|2013}} Brandon noted that the title was a bit too silly for the subject matter and was likely to change.{{wob ref|12170}} Few details of the story are known; Brandon mentioned that necromancers would increase their power after death and resurrection.{{wob ref|10557}} 

Brandon continued to occasionally mention the book at signings{{wob ref|2640}} and in his annual [[State of the Sanderson]] blog posts.{{wob ref|9163}} After looking at it again as a potential reading for the ''[[Firefight]]'' tour in 2015, Brandon decided that it didn't work, and simply considered it as practice in the urban fantasy genre.{{wob ref|7091}} Although the story did see some minor development later that year,{{wob ref|9163}} it was put on hiatus and stayed there for several years.{{sots ref|2016}}{{sots ref|2017}} The book was never officially trunked, but it took a back seat to other commitments including ''[[The Rithmatist]]'' and ''[[Alcatraz]]''.{{wob ref|8166}}

=== Revival of project and collaboration ===
In 2018, Brandon mentioned that he was once again actively working on the necromancer novel.{{wob ref|11948}} He noted that the pizza delivery aspect of the story did not fit the setting and magic system, and he realized that a better choice would be the culture of heavy metal music. The updated novel features an American metal singer living in London who discovers his latent necromancy powers.{{sots ref|2018}} In the 2018 State of the Sanderson, he revealed that he had completed a new outline and world guide early in the year and had done additional work on the project throughout the year.{{sots ref|2018}} Some elements of the revamped magic system were culled from another unpublished work called ''The King's Necromancer''.{{wob ref|12199}}

Brandon also announced that the novel would be written as a collaboration with novelist [[Peter Orullian]]. Brandon did the worldbuilding, but Peter wrote the first draft and developed the individual characters.{{wob ref|12209}} Brandon feels that Peter is an ideal collaborator because he is a heavy metal musician who has toured internationally.{{sots ref|2018}} Since this is Brandon's first true collaboration, the two authors had to figure out a way to make it work{{wob ref|12209}} with both of them performing revisions, the first of which Brandon was working on completing at the end of 2018.{{sots ref|2018}} Brandon intends to make sure that the novel does not take an "over-the-top metal" tone in the style of ''[[wikipedia:Brütal Legend|Brütal Legend]]'' or ''[[wikipedia:This Is Spinal Tap|This Is Spinal Tap]]''.{{wob ref|12209}}{{sots ref|2018}}

Peter completed a second draft in June 2019, but the project stalled slightly due to Brandon's commitments on ''[[Rhythm of War]]''. By the end of 2019, Brandon was working through another revision and was hoping that a final draft would be completed in 2020.{{sots ref|2019}} If the book works well, it could become a series.{{wob ref|12196}} The main character's name is currently slated to be Jack Solomon.{{wob ref|12209}}

== Notes ==
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