Telephone Game: Dark Matter

The rules: I chose a novel, wrote a short synopsis, then listed the first artistic work that came to mind related to my original synopsis. In this case, it was Frankenstein. Then I wrote a synopsis of Frankenstein and listed the first artistic work that came to mind related to that synopsis. I continued for ten steps, listing the first work based on the previous synopsis. Finally, I looked to see what connects my original novel and my final pick. The final list is 10 works that I enjoyed that progress into each other.

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Synopsis: A novel about a young man named who joins an expedition to overwinter in the arctic. The novel is gothic horror written by a woman, has a protagonist with no family who is a bright but troubled young man from England with chronic pessimism.

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

   1. A novel about a brilliant but troubled scientist who constructs a man out of corpse parts and is horrified by what he creates.

   2. Connection: both are gothic horror novels written by a woman which features a bright but troubled soft-boy who encounters tragic problems mostly of his own making.

2. Roosevelt's Beast by Louis Bayard

   1. Synopsis: A young Kermit Roosevelt goes on an expedition to the Amazon with his father but encounters a beast.

   2. Connection: Both are gothic horror novels featuring a bright but troubled soft-boy with everything to prove who does on an expedition but there is also a monster who may or may not be a monster.

3. Grim Legion by Jack Alcott

   1. Synopsis: Young Edgar Allan Poe becomes ensconced in a mystery that results in his court martial from West Point.

   2. Connections: Both are short historical thriller novels with horror elements featuring a historical figure who is a bright but troubled young man described as having dark hair and eyes.

4. Encanto (film)

   1. Synopsis: A Colombian family with magical gifts has to learn to accept imperfection to save their home.

   2. Connections: Both have supernatural elements featuring a troubled soft boy with dark curly hair and under eye circles and a protagonist who goes on an adventure while being aided by children with special powers.

5. Phantom Hourglass (game)

   1. Synopsis: A young boy and a fairy team up with a pirate to rescue his friend from a ghost ship while working in connection with the sea.

   2. Connections: A Japanese game featuring a tufty pirate haired man with under eye circles with some haunting and gothic elements upon the high seas with a child who has special powers.

6. Ponyo (film)

   1. Synopsis: A Japanese film featuring an ocean dwelling man with under eye circles trying to save the ocean and get his daughter back from a land-dwelling family.

   2. Connections: A film featuring an ocean dwelling man with dark under eye circles, a deity of the sea, and children with special powers trying to save the one they care about.

7. Bioshock II (game)

   1. Synopsis: A horror game about an ocean dwelling man who gains extraordinary powers in an underwater habitat trying to reunite with his little sister.

   2. Connections: Both feature an adult trying to reunite with a child who has special powers in an underwater habitat.

8. Sphere by Michael Crichton

   1. Synopsis: A science fiction horror novel about a male psychologist who goes to an underground habitat with a team of experts to explore an alien space craft.

   2. Connections: Both feature an underwater habitat in a science fiction horror setting with a male protagonist.

9. The Prince and the Sea by Emily Caroll

   1. Synopsis: A short horror comic about a man who falls in love with a mermaid and wants to find a way for them to be together forever.

   2. Connections: Both feature an underwater habitat in a horror setting with a male protagonist and supernatural creatures and elements.

10. Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi

    1. Synopsis: An urban fantasy manga featuring a man looking for special children who were raised by dugongs and can only survive in the water, with a young girl who gets to know the children.

    2. Connections: Both feature people who live in the water featuring fantasy/supernatural elements, dreamy watercolor inspired art and tragedy.

Dark Matter and Children of the Sea, Connections: Both feature supernatural elements, a setting on the ocean, and a protagonist with black hair who doesn’t feel like they fit in with others. Numbers one through three all feature a character with similar tropes and personality trains. Numbers one through six all feature a character with similar physical attributes. Five through 10 all features elements of water and the sea. One through three and seven through ten all have horror elements, although I’d argue that four, five, and six had some kind of spooky moments.