Brandon Sanderson Officially Reveals His Favorite Book of All-Time Is This Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Brandon Sanderson is responsible for some of the most celebrated sci-fi and fantasy stories ever written, but even legendary authors are fans at heart. Recently, Sanderson revealed his favorite book series of all time, and judging by his pick, it is clear the acclaimed author has absolutely impeccable taste.

If you are a fan of Brandon Sanderson, you probably know that the acclaimed author also teaches a sci-fi and fantasy creative writing course at Brigham Young University. Even better, many of his lectures are recorded and uploaded to YouTube, giving aspiring writers everywhere free access to some truly priceless storytelling advice.

Throughout these lectures, Sanderson shares hilarious personal stories, reflects on his own writing process, and analyzes other works to illustrate the craft of storytelling. It is during one of these moments that he casually revealed a fascinating personal detail: his favorite book series of all time is Dune by Frank Herbert, the legendary sci-fi saga that has since inspired multiple blockbuster adaptations.

DUNE: Brandon Sanderson’s Favorite Book Series of All-Time

Sanderson Revealed His Favorite Series in His 2025 Writing Lecture Series

Brandon Sanderson revealed that Dune is his favorite series during his video lecture, “Promise, Progress, Payoff – Plot Theory: Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lecture #2 (2025),” at around the 8:08-minute mark, where he says, “In fact, Dune is probably my favorite book of all time.”

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Dune is widely considered one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever written, so it is not surprising that it has found a fan in Sanderson himself. However, given Sanderson’s own legendary status in sci-fi and fantasy, people undoubtedly perked up when they heard this was a personal favorite of his. After all, it is always fascinating to learn what media the creators we admire are fans of themselves.

For those who want to hear Sanderson name Dune as his top reading pick with their own ears, they can visit the author’s YouTube channel (@BrandSanderson) and head to his playlists. There, you will find one titled “Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lectures (2025).” From there, simply open the playlist and select the second lecture video, “Promise, Progress, Payoff – Plot Theory: Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lecture #2 (2025).”

Why Was Brandon Sanderson Talking About Dune in His Lecture Series?

Is Dune Basically Just The Lion King? (Spoiler: Yes It Is)

For those wondering about the context in which Brandon Sanderson revealed his favorite book, it came during a discussion about plot frameworks. Sanderson explained that when it comes to plot, there is not always much innovation needed. Many plots recur across stories, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing because characters and setting ultimately help differentiate one story from another, even when they share a similar structure.

Sanderson further elaborated, using Dune as an example, explaining that it is basically Hamlet, just as The Lion King is. Here, Sanderson was referring to how the main plots of these three stories follow a similar structure: a son is wronged, the father dies, an uncle seizes the throne, the son goes away and returns stronger, kills the uncle, and restores order.

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The point is that Dune, The Lion King, and Hamlet all share an extremely similar plot in this sense, yet you would by no means say they are the same story, even though the general structure and concept are alike. This helps illustrate Sanderson’s point that a good story doesn’t need a super innovative, never-before-done plot.

Sanderson then goes on to say that despite these similarities, it “doesn’t make these stories feel unfresh or unoriginal.” It is after this statement that he states Dune is his favorite book of all time, emphasizing just how great a story can be despite sharing familiar plot structures and main beats. In that moment, fans not only learned that Brandon Sanderson’s favorite book of all time is Dune, but also gained a valuable piece of advice when it comes to plotting.