Research Suggestions

[Vaz]

So, after shelving my first WIP and letting it breathe for a while I decided to start something fresh.

My new WIP is about the a girl who escapes from an underground vault, in search of her mother confronting a dangerous and perilous apocalyptic world.

In terms of the vaults I want there to be a sense of a totalitarian rule over each one, the general populous are kept poor and hungry, whilst a select few are in essence rich and laud it over those less fortunate. Also only a certain select members of the Vaults are allowed outside, to hunt or gather resources, right now I'm calling these the "raiders" or "Hunters" (although I am after a more unique name.)

I would like the vaults and in general the world to have an imprisonment tone to them, as from the POV of my MC that's how she would perceive it.

So to round things off I'm just looking for some input, intellectual or creative as to what I could delve into and research to help me get a sense as how to flesh out my world.

You guys have been great in the past and I fully welcome and look forward to some cracking ideas or suggestions.

Cheers Folks - Vaz

 

[K.S. Crooks]

I think it is key that you can explain, at least to yourself and perhaps the reader, how the people survive underground. How to they get adequate air, water and food. Where/how do they deal with waste. Why are people living underground you have probably developed already. Who and how is social order maintained in and between vaults. How does communication take place between vaults since being underground (depending on depth and soil/rocks present) limits radio waves.
Another aspect I would suggest looking at is how life is for normal people and in particular those of your MC's age. If she is in her teens or twenties show how people of that age spend their days. What work they have to do, what they do for fun, if anything. Overall try to make the reader feel like they are trapped in an enclosed environment, so when your character escapes they have a sense of relief and wonder when they see what the surface is like. Hope this helps.

 

[Vaz]

Thank you for such a detailed and imaginative reply.

You have given me the start of some wonderful ideas I can now research and expand upon myself.

I have written down all the major points you have outlined, I fully look forward to exploring them and incorporating them into my story.

Thanks for the kind and helpful reply.

Cheers - Vaz

 

[Brian G Turner]

I would certainly recommend trying to read up on books that might have similar themes, so you can get an idea of how they handle different themes. Hugh Howey's Wool and Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games both sound potentially suitable as research.

 

[Vaz]

Cheers Brian for the book recommendations

My cousin actually has the hunger games novels and I'm pretty sure she has a copy of wool too, think it's about time I borrowed a few books off her for once...

 

[Phyrebrat]

I bought a reference non-fiction book years ago by Richard Sauder called Underground Bases and Tunnels. I think it may be of interest if you pass by the tin-foil-hat wearing stuff.

pH

 

[jastius]

the old ICBM silos underground that have been decommisioned were sold off to private interests. a few of them can be seen online. some were made into private bunkers.
here are some other small bunker sources that will give you an idea of what goes into one.
www.lifepodliving.com

this has a detailing of the structures technologies.
http://www.atlassurvivalshelters.com/

this is a citywide shelter network system..
http://www.gizmag.com/vivos-underground-survival-shelter-network/14815/

this is a german bunker formerly owned by soviet military...
https://www.google.ca/search?q=surv...fe_rd=cr&ei=9QB9VfvTGYTu8wfSx4GACw&gws_rd=ssl

it might be interesting for you to use a german personality for your character, because the modern german places social responsibility over personal freedom, but defends their personal freedoms to an extreme measure. the same with nature loving activities.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/travel/naked-germany/

 

[Venusian Broon]

Another book you might be interested in is Philip K. Dick's The Penultimate Truth which is 'set in a future where the bulk of humanity is kept in large underground shelters'...I'll leave it at that 'cause there is a pretty big spoiler in the next sentence - if you look up info on the book in Wikipedia or elsewhere it'll pretty much tell you this immediately, so if you want a bit of a surprise just try and find a copy and start reading it!

It might give you some ideas about what's happening above and below.

 

[mosquiter]

My new WIP is about the a girl who escapes from an underground vault, in search of her mother confronting a dangerous and perilous apocalyptic world.

In terms of the vaults I want there to be a sense of a totalitarian rule over each one, the general populous are kept poor and hungry, whilst a select few are in essence rich and laud it over those less fortunate. Also only a certain select members of the Vaults are allowed outside, to hunt or gather resources, right now I'm calling these the "raiders" or "Hunters" (although I am after a more unique name.)

I would like the vaults and in general the world to have an imprisonment tone to them, as from the POV of my MC that's how she would perceive it.

Sounds a lot like Fallout game series. If I remember it well, Fallout 3 (Vegas) is all about the MC leaving the comfort zone of the vault to look for a family member or someone as important.

 

[Vaz]

The only similarities between my story and Fallout is that my MC also leaves a vault to find her parent.

There was no in depth look at society within the vaults, how people lived day to day, no sense of government or totalitarian rule.

also as far as I can remember nobody was allowed outside the vault in fallout, you escaped, and whilst there obviously was characters outside (Brotherhood of steel etc.) most stuck to their own group and each group vied for power. In my story power has already been established and there is a strict totalitarian government that rules over all vaults.

anyway the characters and storyline are completely different, plus I deal with what happens inside the vaults and the general societies struggling under a dictatorship just as much as the world outside.

But thanks for your views and input, its appreciated

If anything its got more of a Metro 2033/BioShock feel to it