Popular Post Kobold King Posted March 13, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Hello, Sharders. Kobold King here for a special awareness message. In the spirit of keeping things brief, I'll get straight to the point. The experience of meeting an author as cherished as Brandon Sanderson must be a phenomenal one--I can only suppose so, as I, like so many other devoted Sanderfans, have never managed to attend a convention. Let me assure you that this post is ultimately one of envy; we envy those of you who attend conventions, and even more those who make a regular habit of attending conventions and asking multitudes of questions about their favorite novels. A source of mild frustration for many of us, however, is that a great many of the questions these most dedicated of Sanderfans ask are of interest only to the most Realmatics-knowledgeable esotericists of the fanbase. These questions, while brilliantly devised and always elliciting fascinating responses, are not exactly equally intriguing to all members of the fanbase. Some of them seem to the laymen the equivalent of "How many Seons can dance on the head of a pin?" Nowadays we have Cosmere WoBs stacked upon Cosmere WoBs. We know more about the three Realms, forms of Investiture, Splinters of Shards, and Cognitive Shadows than any of the Five Scholars could dream of. And we're constantly assured by our beloved author that there's still more information where that came from! Yes, the scholarly inclined Sanderfan has a wealth of knowledge to draw upon for theories and speculation comparable to the treasure of the God King of Hallandren. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, let's look at another of Brandon's marvelous worlds: that of his Reckoners books. Less popular than the Cosmere novels and written for young adults, Steelheart and its sequel Firefight introduce a post-apocalyptic world in which supervillains have taken over the planet. Unlike the Cosmere, which is an epic-length saga that we've barely gotten halfway through so far, the Reckoners trilogy is two-thirds complete, yet is still infinitely more mysterious as a setting than Roshar and Scadrial have ever been. As a member of the semi-official Reckoners RPG down the forum from here, I can personally attest to the gaps in our knowledge of this extraordinary setting. We know so little of the rules of magic that many of us are morbidly certain that every character we've made thus far is doomed to be deemed impossible by the final novel; we know so little of the setting's politics that we dare not stray three steps from our setting state for fear of the great unknown regions that dominate the world. I would never dream of asking a devoted Cosmere fan not to delve into the secrets that fill his heart with joy. I would never dream of asking any of you to sacrifice something so precious for the sake of our curiosity or for our RP. But I wish to humbly beseech everyone who may attend a signing to keep us in mind. Even as single answer to a Reckonerverse question could shine a brilliant light through the obscurity that still dominates much of the setting, and the smallest setting detail that's revealed will be cherished and appreciated more than you can know. So if you're attending a signing with a list of Cosmere questions a mile long, would you be so kind as to remember the less-fortunate fans who beg at your feet for boons? If you're at your fifth signing and armed with a multitude of questions about Cognitive Shadows or Allomantic time bubbles, would you be so generous as to put one of them aside long enough to ask how much of California the Epic Snowfall governs, or what the ratio between Epics and normal humans looks like in the Fractured States of America? On behalf of Reckoners fans everywhere, I thank you for taking the time to read this message. As a final piece of incentive, let me assure you that I'll make it my personal mission to incite abundant upvotes for anyone who returns victorious from a signing with a Reckonerverse setting question answered. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgedancer Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 I hereby second the humble request of our fantastic reptilian monarch. I myself have very much resigned to the fact that I won't be able to go to a signing myself, living in Germany and all that and while I'm very grateful for chances like the recent AMA they are rather rare. Now, I myself do appreciate new information about the Cosmere very much, but as Kobold say, if we compare the information about the Cosmere that isn't hidden behind RAFOs to something like the Reckoner books, then we get a giant gap. To keep myself from rambling let me just say this: I understand if any of you have their own questions that are more important to you but we would appreciate just about everything you could ask Brandon on the topic. In case any of you so much as consider asking Brandon something on our account, you have my honest appreciation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little wilson Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 This is good to know. I rarely have questions to ask when I go to signings (and I try to attend any that he does in the Salt Lake/Utah Valley area), so if you give me a list of questions you'd like asked, I'll make sure to ask them. And record his response. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted March 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 This is good to know. I rarely have questions to ask when I go to signings (and I try to attend any that he does in the Salt Lake/Utah Valley area), so if you give me a list of questions you'd like asked, I'll make sure to ask them. And record his response. Thank you! You're an awesome person! I'll talk to a few fellow fans and put together a list of high-priority questions. To reiterate, thank you for your helpfulness. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little wilson Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 I'll talk to a few fellow fans and put together a list of high-priority questions. To reiterate, thank you for your helpfulness. It's not a problem. If anything, you're helping me out too. Now I don't have to be the person who gets through the line and when Brandon's like "Do you have any questions?" I go "....No." He likes questions. I'm just terrible at coming up with them because I don't want to ask one that's already been asked before. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Thank you so much! Like Kobold said, we don't want you Cosmere fans to stop asking questions. Not at all. This is just a totally optional thing that you CAN do for us Reckoners fans that will help us out quite a bit. And as a smaller world, the Reckonersverse will take comparatively fewer questions to understand than the Cosmere; one or two about High Epic despots and patterns in powers is really all we need to know. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little wilson Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Like Kobold said, we don't want you Cosmere fans to stop asking questions. Not at all. This is just a totally optional thing that you CAN do for us Reckoners fans that will help us out quite a bit. And as a smaller world, the Reckonersverse will take comparatively fewer questions to understand than the Cosmere; one or two about High Epic despots and patterns in powers is really all we need to know. All you need to know, perhaps, but why stop there? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 All you need to know, perhaps, but why stop there? Well, yes, but I didn't want to sound greedy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurkistan Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 "How many Seons can dance on the head of a pin?" Now that is a very interesting question, which would give us insight into the relationship between physical manifestations and the interference of compatible but distinct investitures... *Ahem* You raise a good point and I apologize for not even for the most fleeting of moments ever considering the possibility of asking a Reckoners question during my own opportunities. I myself have historically been largely dependent on the charity of others to ask my burning questions (I still owe Shardlet for all the time bubble questions he asked back when we could count the number of bubble-related WoBs on one hand, with a finger to spare), so it would be poor form for me to deny the requests of others. I'll try to keep an eye out for this master-list of yours and ask one of them if next I get an opportunity. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 I second (Fourth?) this motion, much as I also love getting new tidbits on the relationship between Lifts Shardfork and a drunken Seon I do also love the Reckoknerverse and having some more WoB to flesh it out the way we have the cosmere would be awesome. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vineyarddawg Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 I just really, really want Brandon to officially confirm that the town in Calamity will not be called "Hotlanta." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 I just really, really want Brandon to officially confirm that the town in Calamity will not be called "Hotlanta." [03:14:00] Argent: Since Chicago came up, will Atlanta have a special name as well? Brandon: Atlanta will have a special name, it’s now a theme of the books. Argent: Because Peter said “Hotlanta” and people think he’s joking, like he usually does. Brandon: I’m not going to ruin one of Peter’s jokes if it indeed is a joke. But I haven’t written the book yet so he hasn’t read-- I mean I’ve written parts of it but he hasn’t read anything of the book. (source) 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vineyarddawg Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Bless you, Weiry! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the winter system Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 I do understand, as recently in said Reckoners RPG, one of my characters was violating cannon. If only we knew about the Rending beforehand! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) I do understand, as recently in said Reckoners RPG, one of my characters was violating cannon. If only we knew about the Rending beforehand!Though, in fairness (Firefight spoilers).... If we had asked Sanderson "Do new Epics celebrate getting their powers by going on a killing spree that they barely remember?" he probably would said "RAFO." Edited March 23, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the winter system Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Good point! Still... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) From talking with other Reckoners fans, we've compiled our own master list of questions. It turned out larger than I'd imagined it'd be--25 questions--but any one of the questions here would help us out a lot. (This list contains a couple of spoilers for Firefight. If you haven't read Firefight but would still like to ask a Reckoners question, just ask and I'll get you a version with the spoilers abridged out.) Can you tell us anything about High Epic despots on the west coast? Besides Oregon and the cities that Obliteration destroyed, are there any parts of the Fractured States rendered completely uninhabitable? How long after Calamity's appearance was Oregon destroyed? What are some of the most common Epic powers? Would the child of an Epic in any way inherit its parent's epicness? What is the approximate ratio between normal humans and Epics? What are the determining factors in an Epic's power level? Is there a correlation between Epic's past lives and their powers, or are their powers assigned at random? Does Calamity talk to all Epics? Why has the number of new Epics dropped since Calamity first appeared? It is strongly implied Conflux faced his fear, but did this remove his weakness as well? Can a weakness change? What would happen if an Epic was constantly exposed to his or her weakness? How many Epics have "unique" powers like Firefight or Mitosis? How many cells of Reckoners are there, and do they operate globally or strictly in the Fractured States? When were the Reckoners established? How many countries didn't pass an equivalent to the Capitulation Act? Is there anything you can tell us about the Epic named Night's Sorrow, gender, powers, or area of influence-wise? Can you tell us anything interesting about the Coven? Will the Oregon turf wars ever be elaborated on in the novels? If Vin were an Epic, what would her powers and weakness be? Is there any chance of you eventually publishing an illustrated guide to Epics as a companion to the Reckoners trilogy? How many humans were killed before Annexation Day? How symbolic can a weakness be/how strongly must it be connected the root fear. Is there a reason Dawnslight's influence on New York City wasn't public knowledge, given that he appeared a year before Epics, together with Calamity? I wish to reiterate my thanks to anyone who's willing to help us out. You're awesome. Edited March 31, 2015 by Kobold King 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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