Sanderson manages to pack a lot of depth of world and character into this short, cerebral novella. From the world building aspect, I think the combination of both high fantasy and The Matrix provides a solid foundation to customize this world upon. The characters also borrow that background but then expand it to an existential study of humanity. He even touches on human rights in this examination of what it means to be human and where nobility lies. 
 All of this is packed into the story of a man who rules the world, a woman who rules her own world, and the nemesis who wants revenge. This story has Sanderson's humor and pacing; even though I knew a twist must be coming, the one I got was not the one I expected. It hurt in exactly the satisfying way that an author wants it to.