Hoid??

[Natalie Perkins]

What's the deal with that name? It popped up in Mistborn: The Final Empire about the informant that Kelsier visits. And it's also in Dragonsteel. And I swear to god I saw it some where in Elantris (I'll have to reread it again to be sure) but is this just a coincidence? Or on purpose?

[Shrain]

LOL. Isn't "Hoid" the old guy Kel visits?

Elantris was filled with the hopelessly insane, pitiful "Hoed" or living dead. Raoden becomes one, remember? But he pulls out of it. What a guy.

Don't know about Dragonsteel. I started reading the version that *was* Brandon's undergrad thesis. But then I got my hands on a copy of an Elantris manuscript from when it was his master's thesis. So I never finished Dragonsteel...

[Pemberley]

Hummm.....

Shrain is actually wrong.  That's Hoed she's thinking of.  However, if you look around, you may find Hoid somewhere else in Elantris.

--Brandon on his wife's computer.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Are you being purposefully vague?

He's in Warbreaker too, acting much the same as a lightweaver in Dragonsteel, though without the magic. I noticed this before, but assumed it was just an idea you had in Warbreaker and then decided to take the concept and put it into a different book—I assumed that would mean you'd take it out of Warbreaker in the next edit, but it's still there.

Is Hoid just an easter egg, or are you implying some kind of literal connection between these books?

[Shrain]

Hummm.....

Shrain is actually wrong.  That's Hoed she's thinking of.  However, if you look around, you may find Hoid somewhere else in Elantris.

--Brandon on his wife's computer.

Umm, but that's exactly what I said: "Elantris was filled with the hopelessly insane, pitiful 'Hoed' or living dead. Raoden becomes one, remember? But he pulls out of it. What a guy. "

I just couldn't remember if there was any "Hoid" in Mistborn.

[EUOL]

My apologies, Shrain.  What I meant to say was that the word "Hoed" is indeed in the book.  However, this isn't related to the Hoid phenomenon. 

Ookla:  The official stance from the management is that while people are encouraged to discuss Brandon's Books, Dragonsteel Entertainment has no official comment on the Hoid phenomenon--if, indeed, it exists.  Sorry, I tried to get them to release something more definitive, but that's all I'm allowed to say at this point. 

[Peter Ahlstrom]

There's Always Another Secret™.

[Tage]

As an unaffiliated party with insider information, I will go ahead and confirm that there has been someone named Hoid in all three of Brandon's three published fantasy novels through Tor.

Now, as for why and what that means, I'll leave that up for public speculation.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

"A Hoid" is an anagram for "Idaho." Coincidence? I think not.

[Shi]

Wow, is this some kind of messed up running joke or something? My brother has one, but it has to do with tortilla chips in movies.

[Shrain]

As an unaffiliated party with insider information, I will go ahead and confirm that there has been someone named Hoid in all three of Brandon's three published fantasy novels through Tor.

Now, as for why and what that means, I'll leave that up for public speculation.

Awww, shoot. Tage, you're such a tease!

Wow, is this some kind of messed up running joke or something?

Yeah, that goes without saying, I think. Anything involving an Evil Undead Overlord is bound to be messed up.

[happyman]

I know this is thread necromancy, but I was rereading Elantris yesterday, and I thought I'd be a little less vague than the earlier posters.

In Elantris, Hoid is the name of the leader of the beggars(?) that Sarene hires to bring supplies to the Elantrians after she "heals" and leaves.  In MB1, Hoid is the name of an informant that Kell visits in order to find out if House Renoux is attracting suspicion.  In Warbreaker, Hoid is the storyteller than gives us a significant chunk of exposi--- I mean, that tells Siri what she wants to know about history.

Something is definitely up.

[Comatose]

Vin also plans to go see Hoid in Hero of Ages, but she decides against it because it feels wrong or something.
All three Hoids have things in commmon, but they are not the same person.  First of all, they all depend on their tongues for their trades: informant, beggar, story teller.  Hoid the informant and hoid the beggar are both lower down in the class system, I'm not sure where the storyteller fits, but i'm guessing he's a little bit higher up since he goes to the court of gods.  i'm still trying to find out more connections.
Does anyone remember why Vin didn't want to go meet Hoid in Hero of Ages?

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I think they are the same person. How that works, I do not know, but I expect Brandon has something planned.

[little wilson]

Does anyone remember why Vin didn't want to go meet Hoid in Hero of Ages?

This is what it says in the book:
"She soon located a figure that wasn't sleeping like the others, but sitting quietly in the light ashfall. Her ears picked out a faint sound. The man was humming to himself, as the instructions said that he might be doing.
Vin hesitated.
She couldn't decide what it was, but something bothered her about the situation. It wasn't right. She didn't stop to think, she simply turned and jumped away." (p. 187 US Hardcover)

So basically, it was her instincts. Makes me wonder why. I'm curious what would've happened if she had've met with him....

And I'm not sure what to think about him. I think it would be REALLY interesting if they were the same person...But I almost don't see how they could be, seeing as they're all on different planets....unless he DOES have mad planet-hopping skills, as others have suggested.....It's sad Brandon RAFO's all questions on Hoid now.