Books like:
- The Martian – Andy Weir ok
- The Mysterious Island – Jules Verne perfect
- Outland – Dennis E. Taylor pretty good
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne initially led me down this subgenre, but I want more! It's such a fun premise that one engineer and a couple of other stranded people could work together than make iron tools, copper wire, telegraph systems, nitroglycerin, and a home. I'm looking for books where people are stranded or choose to go to an uncivilized location, and end up building or using all the essentials to start surviving and thriving. Set in modern day would be great, but I'll take whatever I can get.
also by "ok" for the Martian I mean that it's amazing, but doesn't scratch this itch as well as the others listed
by TTTristan