Why do I want to have a Dark Forest setting in a story?
Note that in the term Dark Forest, “Forest” is the part I am most interested.
Dark is secondary, but still an important clarification.
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The following sections are roughly in order of priority, from highest to lowest.
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I am a city boy who is often too disconnected from nature.
There is something healthy about nature.
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The first book had practically no nature settings. The only times the characters are in the wilderness, it is described as barren and desolate.
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I like greenery. Abundant, overflowing greenery.
Some nature settings, such as deserts, are boring to me.
I want lush landscapes.
I want the forest to feel like it has a life of its own, and it cannot be tamed by man.
In that respect, I wan this forest to effectively be more like a rain forest.
Man has learned to survive in the forest, but they do not control it.
I suppose I like all of my environments to be maze-like, but forests—especially dense ones—are natural mazes.