I've started measuring sci-fi and fantasy along multiple axis. Good writing, good characterization, good world building, good story. I find that I need at least

I've started measuring sci-fi and fantasy along multiple axis. Good writing, good characterization, good world building, good story. I find that I need at least three of them to be solid for it to reach into good book territory with a few exceptions. Dune is one of those exceptions. It's pretty weak on writing. Weak on characters. World building is good, but relatively narrow in scope given the size of the universe we're exploring. The overall story is very solid and for me makes up for weak characters and writing. I like Sanderson because he's consistently good at world building and the story itself. Sanderson is one of the best and most consistent world builders in fantasy writing. His magic systems are all interwoven into his societies and reflect the impact magic would have on every day life. His characters are still quite weak, especially women. His prose doesn't seem to be anything special but it's also not a distraction. His mix of world building and story telling more than make up for those weaknesses in most cases.