For example, I loved the video game Subnautica. The overarching theme of Subnautica? Water of course.
I've also gotten into the book Dune. The overarching theme of Dune? Sand of course.
I also remember reading a book that I completely forgot the name of that dealt with frigidity. Ice, snow, and all that. I remember reading it and genuinely feeling cold when I read it. Silly I know, but it immersed me very well.
The thing I love about these kinds of books is that it takes one certain element or theme even and cranks it up to the max. Seeing how the entire world revolves around water or sand or ice and how it affects everything from the way of life to the politics and everything in between is just so fascinating to me.
It would be cool to read a book that is like Subnautica. But also other elements such as lava/fire or a book that revolves around an area/planet completely full of alien fauna, ironically to its inhabitants' detriment or something.
Hell, even a book that revolves around something such as complete darkness would be really cool. Something like a planet orbiting a black hole or what happened if the Sun completely disappeared. Or an overarching theme such as fear being the overarching extreme theme to the book.
What kinds of books take something simple such as water, sand (besides Dune of course), ice, air, darkness, light, etc. and drives it to the utmost extreme? Could also deal with supernatural things such as magic, dragons, technology, or whatever. As long as everything goes back to that singular theme/topic.
by ExtensionSoil6801
2 Comments
the left hand of darkness by ursula k le guin is exactly what you want for ice/cold – whole planet is basically perpetual winter and it shapes literally everything about their society and survival
for fire/heat theres the fifth season by nk jemisin where the world has constant apocalyptic seismic events and people live in fear of the next civilization-ending earthquake. not exactly lava but the earth itself is the enemy
bird box deals with that complete darkness/fear theme where people cant look outside or theyll die so everyone lives in permanent blindness basically
“Left Hand of Darkness” Takes place on a very cold planet and the weather is almost a character. Another short story by Ursula k. LeGuin is “Planet of Exile,” where a year is 60 earth years.
“The Three-Body Problem” explores what it would be like to live in a star system with three stars and an unpredictable orbit that swings the planet violently between weather extremes
“Seveneves” premise is that the moon explodes, and humanity realizes that this will mean the destruction of Earth.