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Thread: Interesting book idea...

  1. Interesting book idea...

    ...at least I think so. I've been bouncing around the idea of a dystopian novel that uses a plot device of endless snow. Everytime I hear snow in the forecast or Boston has a particularly bad storm I wonder what would happen if it just didn't stop...and curse the fact that the plow guy completely blocks my car...in my own driveway.

    How long before things started shutting down? How long before disorder and chaos enter the fabric of society? How long before homes and buildings become encased? When do roads become impassable? Would power eventually go out?

    Looking at the idea I see several problems that I would like to have a working explanation for to maintain suspension of disbelief. Does the type of snow change? Are there some days it doesn't snow? What would it take to snow over a large geographical area and is there a preceding natural event that would be more devasting then the snow? Why wouldn't people just be able to move? I'm not very savvy when it comes to weather and meterology but plan on researching weather patterns a little to get a better idea on what it would actually take.

    I really enjoy dystopian novels/movies and would probably end up borrowing a lot from the movies and novels I've read. I haven't read it yet, but would like to pick up "The World Without Us", which I believe had its own thread on this board. Other books such as "World War Z" (which I have read), "The Road" (which I'm reading), and "The Walking Dead" (which I greatly enjoy) also would most likely have a huge influence on my writing.

    I know there's a ton of dystopian books out there, so if anyone knows of one that already uses this idea or one similar let me know so I can check it out. Also if anyone has suggestions on other dystopian novels that they feel have contributed to the genre by all means share them (the more unknown the better!)

    I've tried to write a lot of stories and eventually always run out of steam around the 100th page or so, but I think an idea like this could really shine if done well. I will admit this idea is still in its infancy, but I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas that anyone is willing to contribute, or if anyone wants to take the idea and run with it, be my guest.

  2. You could call it Snow Job.

  3. Snowball imo

  4. #4
    I'd think one problem you'd have is that the earth has a fixed orbit and tilt on its axis, accounting for seasonal changes, meaning, you know, at every moment somewhere is receiving more sunshine and heat than somewhere else and depending on the point of orbit that location differs.

    You'd have to explain why this constant no longer exists. Do some ice-age research though and that should help. Also look into what a change in the the earth's axis tilt would do. Think about how an orbit trajectory could somehow be changed. And what could happen to the sun so that it no longer is able to heat us, or what could happen to the atmosphere so that the heat/light of the sun could no longer reach us the same way.

    The problem you might end up running into is obvious choices for how this might occur have been used. Say, an asteroid hits earth and shoots so much dust into the atmosphere that the sun is blocked from its normal strength, etc.

    Everwinter imo.

  5. Ooh an dystopian/post-apocalyptic book thread! It is literally my favorite type of story. Here are some good ones, but I don't remember the authors of all of them so you might have to google. I would but this computer is so slow it would take forever.

    Swan Song
    The Stand-Stephen King
    Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood
    A Cantical for Leibowitz
    Earth Abides
    The Road-Cormack McCarthy
    Day of the Triffiads
    A Handmaid's Tale-Margaret Atwood
    1984-George Orwell

    It's funny this thread came up because I am in the process of writing a novel as well. I don't want to give my idea away but it is a post-apocalyptic novel.

    Edit: Here is a very extensive list:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...1B1zcAAAA198kc
    Last edited by animegirl; 18 Jan 2008 at 12:49 PM.

  6. Quote Originally Posted by Scourge View Post
    You'd have to explain why this constant no longer exists. Do some ice-age research though and that should help. Also look into what a change in the the earth's axis tilt would do. Think about how an orbit trajectory could somehow be changed. And what could happen to the sun so that it no longer is able to heat us, or what could happen to the atmosphere so that the heat/light of the sun could no longer reach us the same way..
    Thanks, I'll definitely start doing some research on the whole idea of the ice age. I don't want the book too be to science heavy because I'd like to reach as large an audience as possible, but I certainly don't want to base a book on a forever winter on speculation and conjecture. One thing I do want to avoid is the staple character who saw things coming miles away, tried to get something done, and now has to save the world...anything that makes me think of "The Day After Tomorrow" is cringe-worthy. Ideally I'd like to get away from the snow being the main character and instead have it work as a protagonist/foil, much the way the zombies work in "The Walking Dead."

    But that does leave the problem of needing to explain the science behind what happened. I'm thinking an opening chapter in which a scientist or someone has left a message detailing what happened to get to a current time, and then to back track to the beginning. Does that make sense?

    Quote Originally Posted by animegirl View Post
    Ooh an dystopian/post-apocalyptic book thread!

    The Stand-Stephen King
    The Road-Cormack McCarthy

    It's funny this thread came up because I am in the process of writing a novel as well. I don't want to give my idea away but it is a post-apocalyptic novel.
    I know, I've always loved these books and movies! The Stand still is and will probably always remain one of my favorite reading experiences. And I really need to devote more time to "The Road." Good luck with your novel, I always have such a hard time following all the way through.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by YellerDog View Post
    You could call it Snow Job.
    /thread

  8. #8
    You don't always need to explain the science behind something to have a good story, if you tell it from a point of view that would not know, or just make it an assumption and focus on the storytelling.

    Phillip K. Dick really knows how to do that.
    Pete DeBoer's Tie
    There are no rules, only consequences.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Cowutopia View Post
    You don't always need to explain the science behind something to have a good story, if you tell it from a point of view that would not know, or just make it an assumption and focus on the storytelling.

    Phillip K. Dick really knows how to do that.
    I kind of agree with this, but narratively speaking, if the story is set present day, I'd have a real problem with an unending, ever pervasive winter without any explanation as to why it happened. I'd be more willing to forgive a lack of explanation if the story was set quite a bit in the future.

  10. #10
    Yeah, making it present day would kind of necessitate an explanation because it's a present-day concern, which would make it topical, and ignoring that would probably irritate a lot of people.
    Pete DeBoer's Tie
    There are no rules, only consequences.

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