Novels in which weather and terrain play a significant role?

Niner · Sep 15, 2014

I listened to Michelle Pavers' "Dark Matter" on an audiobook a while ago and was struck by how much impact her descriptions of both weather and terrain had.

The story relates a ghost story on an arctic island and when setting off in the car I had the heater on a temperature which was comfortable, by the time I'd arrived at my destination it was about 15deg (real degs, not farenheit ones) higher and I was still chilled.

The novel I'm planning would be influenced massively by the weather and terrain so was hoping for some pointers towards novels in which these things are, if not the MC, then certainly their plucky sidekick.

Miguelito · Sep 15, 2014

It's non-fiction, but try Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It's harder to get more significant than that.

Dune by Frank Herbert is another one. All sorts of adaptive stuff for deserts as well as geo-engineering.

jennontheisland · Sep 15, 2014

The entire gothic genre.

Manuel Royal · Sep 15, 2014

A lot of novels revolve around a particular dramatic weather event, like the winter storm in Airport.

mrsmig · Sep 15, 2014

Miguelito said:
It's non-fiction, but try Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It's harder to get more significant than that.

Great suggestion. His "Into the Wild" would be equally good.

You might look at the beginning of "Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson, a look at the historic Galveston hurricane of 1900. His descriptions of how the weather altered with the approach of the storm and how Galveston's topography increased its impact are terrific (it's a great book anyhow).

You might also have a look at Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire." There are two versions of it; you'll want the 1908 version, which can be found here.

Niner · Sep 16, 2014

Cheers for the suggestions, "Into Thin Air" is a good one and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner - it's sat on the bookshelf somewhere alongside loads of other non-fiction accounts of mountaineering expeditions

"Into the Wild" is a bit of a coincidence, I read the book years ago and it was one of the triggers for the novel I've got in mind but instead of "idiot does everything wrong and dies" it'd be more like "averagely competent everyman does most things right enough but dies anyway"

I'll have a look at the other suggestions as well so thanks all.

waylander · Sep 16, 2014

Ice Station Zebra

mccardey · Sep 16, 2014

A lot of really astounding Australian writing. We're all about place.

BethS · Sep 16, 2014

waylander said:
Ice Station Zebra

I was going to suggest that!

Another one would be The Lord of the Rings.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 16, 2014

Weather and terrain play a huge part in many novels. I'm a firm believer in good, strong description, in setting, and in painting a picture the reader can see. Few things set mood and tone as well as weather and terrain.

Buffysquirrel · Sep 16, 2014

The Shipping Forecast?

I read Dark Matter and thought the author had done good research, but the plot wasn't believable.

Niner · Sep 16, 2014

I thought the plot was OK but needed a bit of work. The description of the weather and terrain etc combined with the subtle wind noises on the audiobook made it a very atmospheric read though.

mrsmig · Sep 16, 2014

Buffysquirrel said:
The Shipping Forecast?

Do you mean The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, perhaps?

Buffysquirrel · Sep 16, 2014

mrsmig said:
Do you mean The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, perhaps?

Almost certainly. I knew I shouldn't have got up today!

Lady Ice · Sep 16, 2014

Any Hardy novel, particularly Return of The Native but also Tess of The D'Urbervilles.

shaldna · Sep 16, 2014

Sabriel IIRC had a lot of difficult weather issues.

Also, The Fifth Elephant.

Buffysquirrel · Sep 16, 2014

Hardy, yeah. Why didn't I think of him? There's some lovely passages in Tess. 'A man afield is a man in a field, but a woman afield is part of the field' or something of the sort.

The Road has lots of description of the dead landscape. Sheri Tepper's Grass might be another candidate.

Reziac · Sep 17, 2014

A lot of Craig Thomas' novels: Firefox, Firefox Down, and his later novels featuring Patrick Hyde, where terrain and weather often dictate how characters can act and must react. We're variously in the Arctic and the Himalayas, where you can never ignore the environment for even a moment, or it will kill you.

Perks · Sep 17, 2014

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. The Congo region of Africa is practically a character in the novel.

J.S.Fairey · Sep 17, 2014

Please. No one ever mention Tess of the bleeding D'Urbevilles in my presence. I had to do it at college and it is the only book I've ever truly hated. Yeah, the writing's pretty spectacular and it's important and all that, but AH. It's just SO joyless.

You could take a look at Gatsby, as well. The weather's not that significant, but he captures the terrain of the area, and the way it contrasts with Gatsby's mansion really well. (That book, I enjoyed. But not Tess. Never Tess.)

Jamesaritchie · Sep 17, 2014

J.S.Fairey said:
Please. No one ever mention Tess of the bleeding D'Urbevilles in my presence. I had to do it at college and it is the only book I've ever truly hated. Yeah, the writing's pretty spectacular and it's important and all that, but AH. It's just SO joyless.

You could take a look at Gatsby, as well. The weather's not that significant, but he captures the terrain of the area, and the way it contrasts with Gatsby's mansion really well. (That book, I enjoyed. But not Tess. Never Tess.)

I hadn't really thought about it, but Tess is pretty joyless, isn't it? I still think it's a great book, and I'm extremely glad I read it, but it's not a book I'm likely to read again.

GingerGunlock · Sep 17, 2014

The Terror, by Dan Simmons, takes place on icelocked ships in the arctic, and is definitely a "chilly" read.

jaksen · Sep 17, 2014

Wuthering Heights.

On fogbound, dreary, Cape Cod days there's an expression I often say: 'What a good day to read - '

I seldom can finish it. Someone else always does. 'Yeah, we know, a good day to read Wuthering Heights.'

Omg, melovesit.

J.S.Fairey · Sep 17, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
I hadn't really thought about it, but Tess is pretty joyless, isn't it? I still think it's a great book, and I'm extremely glad I read it, but it's not a book I'm likely to read again.

Exactly. You feel like in reading the book you've gained something, like you're a better person or whatever, but it's not an enjoyable experience. I'd probably liken it to going to the gym.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 17, 2014

J.S.Fairey said:
Exactly. You feel like in reading the book you've gained something, like you're a better person or whatever, but it's not an enjoyable experience. I'd probably liken it to going to the gym.

That's a good analogy. Better off for doing it, but not really a fun-filled experience, just like the gym.

Novels in which weather and terrain play a significant role?

Niner

Miguelito

Filled with optimism. And scotch.

jennontheisland

the world is at my command

Manuel Royal

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Niner

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

mccardey

BethS

Jamesaritchie

Buffysquirrel

Niner

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Buffysquirrel

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Buffysquirrel

Reziac

Resident Alien

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

J.S.Fairey

Jamesaritchie

GingerGunlock

paralibrarian

jaksen

Caped Codder

J.S.Fairey

Jamesaritchie