History Literature / TheReckonersTrilogy

* AfterTheEnd: The books takes place in the "Fractured States", where Epics have rendered the world barely recognizable. Most cities have either been totally destroyed (Portland, Oregon) due to infighting between Epics, or has become a small Fiefdom claimed by an Epic or group of Epics (New York, Chicago, Atlanta). Although not directly stated, it seems the most of the rest of the world is in a similar position, if not worse.
* AGodAmI: Steelheart proclaims himself to be a divinity, and no one is really in much of a position to argue.
* ArcWords: "Sometimes you have to help the heroes along," was the last thing David's father said to him before he died. Over the course of the series, David searches finds the relevance of the statement to his own evolving view of the world and his role in it.

* BadPowersBadPeople: A major point in the series is that everyone who gets Epic powers is some degree of Evil, but it's hard to come up with benevolent uses for some powers, like Deathpoint's ability to kill people by pointing at them.
* BewareTheSuperman: Every superpowered person is evil, with few arguable exceptions. [[spoiler: Conflux and Prof are the nicest ones in the first book, and it's stated this is because they give away most of their power on a regular basis.]] [[spoiler: It turns out this is because using the powers themselves make the users into selfish, evil people.]]
* CapeBusters: The Reckoners exit to kill the super-powered Epics by exploiting their weaknesses, starting with the most evil that they can figure out how to kill.
* CastFromSanity: [[spoiler: Prof]] is very careful to limit the direct use of his powers, because of this trope. [[spoiler: He becomes increasingly arrogant and WhatMeasureIsANonSuper the more he uses it, unless he spends an extended time period avoiding use of his power. Most Supers in the setting don't know about this fact, and [[AfterTheEnd are by now beyond caring]]. ]]
* ComboPlatterPowers: All higher level Epics have some powers with no obvious connection to each other. Steelheart's invulnerable body and ability to transform non-living matter to steel are thematically parallel, but what about his wind control and energy beams? Or Conflux's electricity powers and his transference ability? Or Firefight's [[spoiler:illusions and her self-resurrection ability]]? It is actually a plot point that one Epic ''doesn't'' have some weird unrelated power: [[spoiler:the illusory [[PlayingWithFire Firefight]] is uncovered by David as a fake partly because he is "too generic" of a Fire Epic, using powers they generally tend to have, and no additions.]]

** [[spoiler:An Epic who faces his worst fear is mostly immune to the corruption.]]
** Ultimately [[spoiler:subverted; it's ''Calamity'' that corrupts people, due to using his gifts exposing people to his subconscious psionic influence to reshape them into his [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters mental image of humans and the Earth]]. Once he has his HeelRealization and leaves, Epics are no longer corrupted, although is Obliteration shows, they can still choose to use their powers for Evil.]]

* GoodPowersBadPeople: Epics are evil, even those with "nice" powers like the ability to rapidly grow crops. [[spoiler: This is because ''all'' Epic powers make you nuts with the exception of "gifting" powers to others mitigating the corruptive influence.]]
** BadPowersBadPeople: Of course, Epics can get rather clear-cut evil powers, such as Deathpoint. Even if [[spoiler: Epic powers ''didn't'' cause insanity]], it's hard to imagine Deathpoint could have been a hero.

** [[spoiler: ''Literature/{{Firefight}}'' reveals that an Epic's weakness is based on whatever they most fear. Sourcefield, for example, is vulnerable to Kool-Aid because her grandparents tried to poison her with it. Megan is vulnerable to fire because she almost burnt to death.]]
** [[spoiler: Calamity expands on this, that the fear is amplified (or in some cases, created) by Calamity as a result of his tie to their powers and general hatred of Earth and humans]]

** Regalia calls our Prof on being not unlike every other Epic, what with his UnderwaterBase (in Babilar), his [[NomDeGuerre nickname]], and his choice of "costume" (his lab coat and goggles in the pocket). Even David seems to admit [[VillainHasAPoint she has a point]].

* TeamTitle
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Epics have no concern for others, save for more powerful Epics, and are especially careless with normal humans, ranging from a total lack of patience to killing them for no reason at all. [[spoiler: Due to Calamity's influence and hatred of humans, Epic powers cause the user to become more selfish, homicidal and destructive the more they're used, unless the powers are used by 'gifting' them to other people. The effects are also lessened on less powerful Epics, causing them to an experience an increase in selfishness and irritability, but not want actively kill everyone around. Overcoming one's worst nightmare breaks the connection to Calamity and allows an Epic to full claim their powers, using them for good or evil as they like.]]

* CapeBusters: The Reckoners.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Epics have no concern for others, save for more powerful Epics, and are especially careless with normal humans, ranging from a total lack of patience to killing them for no reason at all. [[spoiler: Due to Calamity's influence and hatred of humans, Epic powers cause the user to become more selfish, homicidal and destructive the more they're used, unless the powers are used by 'gifting' them to other people. The effects are also lessened on less powerful Epics, causing them to an experience an increase in selfishness and irritability, but not want actively kill everyone around. Overcoming YourWorstNightmare breaks the connection to Calamity and allows an Epic to full claim their powers, using them for good or evil as they like.]]

A second trilogy in the same universe, ''Apocalypse Guard'', was planned, then placed on indefinite hold due to writing difficulties. ''Lux'', a follow-up novel co-written with Steven Michael Bohls and featuring a Reckoner cell operating in Texas, was released on July 22, 2021.

* FutureSlang: "Sparks" and "Calaminty" are used as curses. "Slontze" is used as an insult, basically calling someone an idiot.

A second trilogy in the same universe, ''Apocalypse Guard'', was planned, then placed on indefinite hold due to writing difficulties. ''Lux'', a follow-up novel co-written with Steven Michael Bohls and featuring a Reckoner cell operating in Texas, is scheduled to be released on July 22, 2021.

A second trilogy in the same universe, ''Apocalypse Guard'', was planned, then placed on indefinite hold due to writing difficulties. Sanderson has since [[https://www.brandonsanderson.com/state-of-the-sanderson-2020 announced]] that a series of novellas set in the Reckoners universe, co-written with Steve Bohls, will be released in 2021.

A second trilogy in the same universe, ''Apocalypse Guard'', is planned, although it is currently on hold due to writing difficulties.

* AGodAmI: Epics generally consider themselves superior to ordinary humans, and they aren't shy about talking about it. Higher level Epics are often more or less immune to conventional attack for a number of different reasons (although they still seem to age and die). Steelheart proclaims himself to be a divinity, and no one is really in much of a position to argue.

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: A common recurring symbol is [[Franchise/{{Superman}} a stylized S.]] WordOfGod directly stated that this was an intended reference.

''The Reckoners Trilogy'' is a series by Creator/BrandonSanderson, set not in his usual universe (Franchise/TheCosmere), but TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture in a [[CrapsackWorld devastated Earth]]. Ten years ago, people started gaining superpowers-- but there are no superheroes. The supers are called Epics, and they are [[AlwaysChaoticEvil invariably evil, violent, and power-hungry]]. Because they can't be effectively resisted, the United States government has declared them officially above the law, and the fiefdoms of powerful Epics have replaced most of the territory of the US.

Nauvoo Games offers a [[http://www.nauvoogames.com/the_reckoners board game]] based on the series.

* AGodAmI: Epics generally consider themselves superior to ordinary humans, and they aren't shy about talking about it. Higher level Epics are often more or less immortal from any conventional attack for a number of different reasons. Steelheart outright proclaims himself to be a divinity, and no one is really in much of a position to argue.
* ArcWords: "Sometimes you have to help the heroes along." This was the last thing David's father said to him before he died. Over the course of the series, David searches finds the relevance of the statement to his own evolving view of the world and his role in it.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Most Epics pick names that are literally descriptive of them or their powers (Deathpoint, Nightwielder), though some of them have a bit of fun with it, such as the Irish Epic with gun-related powers who goes by the name... Rick O'Shea. As AtrociousAlias points out, they aren't all winners.
* BadPowersBadPeople: A major point in the series is that everyone who gets Epic powers is some degree of Evil, but it's hard to come up with benevolent uses for some powers, like the ability to kill people by pointing at them.

* TheCorruption: Everyone who has Epic powers seems to be evil. [[spoiler:Turns out that the powers themselves are benign; it's using them that's corrupting. Doing so, even a little, messes with your head, but as long as its a little, it can be resisted.]]
** [[spoiler:An Epic who faces his worst fear is immune to the corruption.]]
** Ultimately [[spoiler:subverted; it's ''Calamity'' that corrupts people, due to using his gifts exposing people to his subconscious psionic influence to reshape them into his [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters mental image of humans]]. Once he has his HeelRealization and leaves, Epics are no longer corrupted, although is Obliteration shows, they can still choose to use their powers for Evil.]]

* FunctionalMagic: It's repeatedly pointed out that Epic powers have little to no relation to the laws of physics as science knows them. So David and the other Reckoners [[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic study it to make their own theories]].

* GoodPowersBadPeople: Epics are evil, even those with "nice" powers like the ability to rapidly grow crops. [[spoiler: This is because ''all'' Epic powers make you nuts except for "gifting" powers to others can reduce the corruptive influence.]]

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: A common recurring symbol is [[Franchise/{{Superman}} a stylized S.]] WordOfGod went so far as to directly state that this was a direct reference.

* AfterTheEnd: By the time the first book proper takes place, Epics have rendered the world barely recognizable. Portland, Oregon, is a wasteland due to infighting between Epics, and numerous little fiefdoms have been carved out of the world.
* AGodAmI: Epics generally consider themselves superior to ordinary humans, and they aren't shy about talking about it. Steelheart takes things a step further by outright proclaiming himself to be a divinity, with every indication he believes it.

* AtrociousAlias: Some Epics chose the ''stupidest'' names. As David puts it, "Incredible cosmic powers do not equate with high IQ, or even a sense of what is dramatically appropriate." Examples include the Pink Pinkness (say it five times fast), Insulation, El Bullish Brass Dude, and Instabam.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: All the Epics seem to pick out their own descriptive names. Most of them are literally descriptive of them or their powers (Deathpoint, Nightwielder), though some of them have a bit of fun with it, such as the Irish Epic with gun-related powers who goes by the name... Rick O'Shea. Of course, as AtrociousAlias points out, they aren't all winners.
* BadPowersBadPeople: Even given that Epics are pretty much all Bad People, it's hard to come up with benevolent uses for many of their powers, like the ability to kill people by pointing at them.
* BewareTheSuperman: Every superpowered person is evil, with few arguable exceptions. [[spoiler: Conflux and Prof are the nicest ones in the first book, and it's stated this is because they give away most of their power on a regular basis.]] [[spoiler: Justified, because the powers themselves make the users into selfish, evil people.]]
* CapeBusters: The Reckoners.

* ComboPlatterPowers: Most of the higher level Epics have powers with no obvious connection to each other. Steelheart's invulnerable body and ability to transform non-living matter to steel are thematically parallel, but what about his wind control and energy beams? Or Conflux's electricity powers and his transference ability? Or Firefight's [[spoiler:illusions and her self-resurrection ability]]? It is actually a plot point that one Epic ''doesn't'' have some weird unrelated power: [[spoiler:the illusory [[PlayingWithFire Firefight]] is uncovered by David as a fake partly because he is "too generic" of a Fire Epic, using powers they generally tend to have, and no additions.]]

** Ultimately [[spoiler:subverted; it's ''Calamity'' that corrupts people, due to using his gifts exposing people to his subconscious psionic influence to reshape them into his [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters mental image of humans]]. Once he has his HeelRealization and leaves, Epics are no longer corrupted.]]
* CrapsackWorld: As you might expect from a world with supervillains and no corresponding superheroes. Most of our world's infrastructure, culture, and technology were lost in the chaos when the Epics first arose; ordinary people live either as scavengers in the wastelands or under the tyranny of Epics in the cities.

* FutureSlang: "Sparks" and "slontze".

* GoodPowersBadPeople: [[spoiler:''All'' Epic powers make you nuts, even the "nice" ones like a HealingFactor. Only "gifting" powers to others can reduce the corruptive influence.]]

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: A common recurring symbol is [[Franchise/{{Superman}} a stylized S.]]

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: [[spoiler: Due to Calamity's influence, Epic powers cause the user to become more homicidal and destructive the more they're used. The effect can be mitigated by 'gifting' the powers to a large number of people. The effects are also less destructive the less powerful the Epic is, e.g. they may experience an increase in selfishness and irritability, but not want to kill everyone who blinks at them funny. Overcoming YourWorstNightmare breaks the connection to Calamity, and from then on completely averts this trope.]]

A [[http://www.nauvoogames.com/the_reckoners board game]] based on the series is currently in development.