History Literature / TheFireman

** GenderBlenderName: [[spoiler:Perhaps because Harper spent her pregnancy convinced that her baby would be a boy - despite Nick knowingly predicting (correctly) that she would be a girl - she gives her a fairly ambiguous name.]]
*** As a bit of a possible GeniusBonus (though it's probably unintentional): [[spoiler:the name "Ashley" is more popular as a girl's name in the USA, but used more often as a boy's name in the UK, so it's a pretty suitable name for the child of a transatlantic couple whose gender came as a surprise to her mother.]]

* {{Gasshole}}: Harold Cross, Camp Wyndham's rude and crass medical student, was apparently afflicted with chronic flatulence that literally ''smoked.'' It sure as hell didn't improve his disposition.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The world is still going to hell in a handcart, butHarper, Allie, Nick, Renée, Don, and baby Ashley manage to escape on Don's boat. John takes down the remnants of the cremation crew that are targeting refugees heading for Martha Quinn's Island, but sacrifices himself in the process. However, the "post-credits" ending shows the group arrive at the Ireland coast, where other Dragonscale victims are mastering pyromancy, and it's heavily implied that John still accompanies them as a Phoenix.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The world is still going to hell in a handcart, butHarper, Allie, Nick, Renée, Don, and baby Ashley manage to escape on Don's boat. John takes down the remnants of the cremation crew that are targeting refugees heading for Martha Quinn's Island, but sacrifices himself in the process. The boat is propelled by a phoenix -- either John himself, or one created by Harper after gaining full mastery of her fire ability.]]

** Deconstructed with "Father" Tom Storey. Although he's an intelligent, caring, funny, and kindhearted man, his big heart comes back to bite him when it keeps him from foreseeing the two biggest threats in the camp: [[spoiler:His own daughter, Carol, and her conniving lover Michael. This ends up with Father Story getting his skull fractured by Michael. Twice.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Harper, Allie, Nick, Renée, Don, and baby Ashley manage to escape with the boat. John takes down the remnants of the cremation crew that are targeting refugees heading for Martha Quinn's Island. The group are making plans to head for Ireland. However: John is dead; the boat is unequipped to reach Ireland in terms of durability, food, shelter, and medical supplies for Harper and her minutes-old baby; and the safe haven in Ireland may be as entirely fictional or corrupted as Martha Quinn's Island turned out to be.]]
** [[spoiler:The "after-credits scene" gives a much more optimistic ending: it suggests that they do manage to reach land ''somewhere'', and that the people they're about to encounter there actually ''are'' friendly and have similarly learned to control the Dragonscale. The boat is propelled by a phoenix -- either John himself, or one created by Harper after gaining full mastery of her fire ability.]]

* BeneficialDisease: Dragonscale is revealed to be this if one knows how to properly control it.

* DentedIron: John Rookwood spends large chunks of the story laid up by various injuries, a rather realistic result of physically fighting when he's a slightly-built man. This doesn't make him less dangerous, if he chooses to send his Phoenix after you.

* [[DoorStopper Doorstopper]]: The hardcover edition runs a whipping 768 pages.

* [[DoorStopper Doorstopper]]

** [[spoiler:The "after-credits scene" gives a much more optimistic ending: it suggests that they do manage to reach land ''somewhere'', that the people they're about to encounter there actually ''are'' friendly and have similarly learned to control the Dragonscale, and that John's phoenix is still accompanying the group.]]

* BaldWomen: Allie Storey sports a shaved head; it's later revealed that she did it after contracting Dragonscale, to embrace her rebellious side.

* PlayingWithFire: It's possible for those affected with Dragonscale to produce and control fire to use as a weapon. The Fireman [[spoiler:(as well as Nick)]] is particularly adept at this.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: {{Averted}} - quite a few real celebrities are mentioned. Radio/GlennBeck burns up during a broadcast and Creator/JKRowling is mentioned as being gunned down for using her wealth to give refuge to those afflicted with the plague.

* YankTheDogsChain: A refuge where the infected survivors can receive treatment and be taken care of is spoken of throughout the novel. [[spoiler:While it did exist, it turns out to have burned down months before, and is now used as a ruse meant to draw in the infected as a way to kill them.]]
* WeaponOfChoice: Being a Fireman, John Rookwood wields a halligan bar as his signature weapon. It comes back to bite him when it's used to frame him for [[spoiler:Father Storey's murder]].

* TheStinger: Similar to ''Literature/{{NOS4A2}}'', ''The Fireman'' features an "after-credits" scene: [[spoiler:a young woman and her son see the survivors' boat approach, accompanied by a phoenix that may be a surviving part of John; the son demonstrates his ability to control his Dragonscale the way John and Nick could, suggesting that the group may have found real refuge at least.]]

* SoulJar: [[spoiler:The Fireman's girlfriend is killed in a fire but a part of her is able to exist as part of the fire itself.]]

* YankTheDogsChain: A refuge where the infected survivors can receive treatment and be taken care of is spoken of throughout the novel. [[spoiler:While it did exist, it turns out to have burned down months before, and is now used as a ruse meant to draw in the infected as a way to kill them.]]