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So Snapshot is a novella Brandon wrote that is coming out in February. It depicts a world were they can recreate a single day, so that the courts can investigate crimes. I thought it was an interesting concept and wondered how they were able to do it. With the recent revelation that Snapshot takes place in the Reckoners multiverse I think I have an idea. The snapshots are not artificial recreations, they operate in a similar way to Megan's powers, probably pulling from ephemeral possibilities which are nearly identical to their own core possibility. This could also relate to the "terrible discovery" the main character makes that is mentioned in the blurb: What if the people "created" in the snapshot aren't fake, but rather made real as part of the snapshot only to be destroyed when the snapshot is destroyed?

Being fans of Brandon Sanderson, we suffer a terrible curse even as we enjoy his blessings. The author we adore creates brilliantly, breathtakingly well-designed worlds. We fall in love with his worlds. We wish to explore them to the fullest extent. We wish to see more of them than even his prolific novel-writing can sate. One world that I and many others have fallen in love with is the world of the Reckoners. If you're on this board then you've likely read at least Steelheart; I think we've all gaped in awe at the vividly realized world of heroes and tyrannical supervillains that Sanderson weaved for us. To be honest, my heart fills with sadness whenever I contemplate how we will only be treated to three total novels set in this world. I weep at the thought of how much of the Reckoners' world must by necessity be forever unseen. Darn it, Kobold, I hear you saying, why are you depressing us? Why are you pointing out these sad, sad things! Well my friends, I am saying them because I've been doctoring my melancholy with a vivid fantasy that I'd like to share with you: "The Illustrated Guide to Epics." Great authors like Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin put out compendiums detailing the histories and landscapes of their worlds. What if Brandon Sanderson created a similar compendium of the Reckonerverse? While his massive workload might very well prohibit this, I can't help but give a wistful sigh at the idea. (And rest assured I'd lay down good money to read it. If you see this, Mr. Ahlstrom, be sure to tell your employer that I said that. ) A few things I'd like to see in such a compendium, if one were ever published: An in-universe point of view; the book could be written in the form of David's notes about various Epics, detailing both his categorization system and the amount of knowledge he was able to accumulate on them. Bonus points if his (in)famous metaphors are brought up at least once--"Obliteration melted San Diego like a scoop of buttery ice cream laid on top of a nuclear reactor while a giant hairdryer blows on it," for instance. A detailed map of the Fractured States, marking the territories of various Epic tyrannies. We know that Steelheart and the Coven at least laid claim to large portions of land; wouldn't it be nice to know the boundaries to their kingdoms, or to learn about the other Epic nations scourging the land? Bountiful information on the many Epics known to David. Definitely more detailed accounts of Epics we've seen in the books, like Steelheart, Nightwielder, or Newton, but I'd also like to see bios of Epics who are either mentioned only in passing or not heard of at all, such as the Snowfall, the Pink Pinkness, or the nameless Epics responsible for the destruction of Oregon. And last but not least, a general overview of how the world in general responded to Epics. Have all the world's countries succumbed to their tyranny? Are there still human strongholds in the world? Those are just a few things I'd like to see in an official guide to the Reckonerverse. Does anyone else have anything they'd really like to see?

We all know how the United States fared after Calamity and the rise of the Epics (so very badly), but what about elsewhere? Mostly, I'd say pretty much the same, although even worse in many cases (as most nations don't have the military and technology of the US, meaning that their people would have less success fighting the Epics and be worse off afterwards), but there would be exceptions. Asia: would be oh so destroyed. I think population density is directly proportional to how much damage the Epics inflict on a nation's people, environment and cities. And Asia has the highest population density in general. Assuming one in a thousand people became Epics (which is the ratio I like, it feels right to me) and one in a thousand Epics are High Epics, that would mean that there are (at the beginning) one million Epics and ten thousand High Epics in China alone. And the high population density means that thousands upon thousands of them appear in every city, ready to tear them apart in their Rendings and subsequent battles for dominance. Every issue the US and then the FSA has, the Epic's Republic of China has it over twice as bad. Europe: Europe would fare as well as the US, I think. Africa: Much, much worse than the US in some areas, and better in others. Its huge size and relatively small population would mean that some tribes in the Sahara might not have much idea of what has even happened, beyond seeing Calamity. Butwith low level of development and high poverty already, a million Epics across the continent would only make things worse. Australia: Australia would probably fare the best of any country or continent, I think. Low population density, relatively high level of wealth and development, an elite military force. The only problem is high urbanisation, with a huge proportion of the populace concentrated in the capital cities of each state and around the east coast. But seriously, there would be a tiny amount of Epics in Australia. 22 million people means 22 thousand Epics, mainly in cities along the east coast, as I said. People living on the other side of the country, and in the north, would have relatively few Epics to deal with. South America: The rain forests would make good hiding spots for people, that Epics would never find people in. Chances are certain Amazonian tribes may never encounter any epics, or hear more than rumours about the collapse of society. I predict a 110% chance that communist Epics are running around, creating "utopias" for whatever humans they can corral. Middle East: given a higher population density than the US, and a lower level of organisation, wealth and military power, it would fare much worse than the US. What do you guys think?

No, this topic's not about the Reckonerverse characters re-imagined in a kindergarten setting. (Though for the record, if we ever have that conversation I want to be a part of it.) This topic is for discussing a new WoB about Epics, and attempting to decipher what it could possibly mean. At the Reddit AMA, Brandon Sanderson was asked whether Epics could have children, and whether their children would in any way inherent their parents' Epicness. He responded like so: For a long time, I believed Epics were sterile. I believed this largely because of the info on Epic genetics we received in the first book, informing us Epic DNA is mutated from the normal human genome. I assumed that such mutants would be incapable of reproduction. I was, in a word, wrong. Not only can they reproduce, but their children can in some cases inherit Epicness from their parents. But how exactly does that work as a mechanic? Do they inherit the same powers as their parents, or do they gain new abilities of their own? Do they inherit the same weaknesses? How many Epics have sired or given birth to offspring since Calamity first rose? As a side note before I turn over the reins of conversation to you guys, I'd like to place my bet now that Night's Sorrow, long speculated to be in the final book, is a child, and possibly the spawn of two Epics. We'll see if I'm any closer to the truth now than I was about Epic sterility.

Epics are hot. And this time, I don't just mean Obliteration. Here's a description of Deathpoint: And here's Big S himself: So that's at least two different instances of Epics being noticeably more fit than a normal human being. From an out-of-universe perspective, I feel that this detail is meant as a reference to a certain trope from comic books, in which male characters look like they should be lifting weights at a circus and female characters look like Barbie dolls that have undergone extensive plastic surgery. What I can't help but wonder is whether there's also an in-universe reason for this phenomenon. Does whatever DNA-voodoo that goes on in Epic mitochondria affect their appearances somehow? Do Epics feel an urge to hit the gym more often than a normal human? Was Calamity a fitness nut who only selects people who fits his high standards, with more muscular individuals like Steelheart receiving the best powers?

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.