Heh xD I know that feeling on literary taste . I always presume I ' m the only one until I get on the internet . I think the unique characters scenarios is definitely the main issue . Your query got me thinking about trying to set up this kinda story and I ' ve been stumbling over narrative issues ad nauseum due to the limited freedom eldrichesque or unbeatable monsters afford . I can picture individual scenes by themselves , especially tied in with psychological horror , but actually tying those together with a plot is making me scratch my head . Conclusion it ' s infinitely easier to set up impossible odds with a chance of success , or a horroresque investigative plot , than sustain nowin scenarios in a fantasy world . Not that eldrich immaterial unbeatable foes aren ' t possible , but it required a much more tailored story setting to pull off properly . Which is interesting , because I can rememeber reading quite a few stories that try to do what you describe , only to fall slightly short due to missing horror elements . All the ingredients were there and the author tried to show it to the reader , but due to a slight mismatch , the setting and narrative prevented real dread from setting in . That , or I as a reader had already started ' coping ' by deadening my empathy , again causing the real effect to not set in . I think there ' s a delicate balance one has to strike there , between fear and hope , to avoid overwhelming the reader to the point they stop caring alltogether . And you ' re definitely spot on about watching beatdowns vs constantly struggling . I think it ' s basic human psychology , reinforced by the story ' s POV Endless suffering with no hope extended over a long narrative summons up all sortsa negative in the reader , meaning you need a really compelling plot hook to keep them invested and not just put it down out of disappointment or concern for their own sanity . It ' s called Black March , but it ' ll be hard to find , so I ' ll link here productions . comebooks 2 nd in list do note it isn ' t of the highest quality due to my inability to afford an editor at present .