I’m working on a novel where the main character is trapped inside a kind of magical prison that has its own internal society—hierarchies, rules, coercive authority, survival dynamics, etc. He starts at the bottom and has to learn the culture, navigate power structures, and eventually try to escape.
I’m looking for good comps/inspiration across books, movies, or TV shows that explore something similar:
- Small, contained societies (not necessarily literal prisons)
- Strong power dynamics / coercive authority
- Survival, scarcity, or game-like structures
- Characters starting at the bottom and working their way up
- Psychological or social pressure inside a closed system
Some examples I’m already aware of:
- The Platform
- Severance
- Cube
- Lord of the Flies
- Snowpiercer
Would love anything with a strong “closed system + emergent society” vibe, especially if it leans sci-fi, fantasy, or LitRPG/progression.
by IamIx-Nym