: Re: Creating a unique spin on a nuclear apocalypse? Basically, my story follows a group of 6 people (and 1 mutant human) exploring a barren wasteland of what used to be the USA. The world they

@Kaufman555

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Unique Is Overrated
Superman and Iron Man are both superheroes who fly, can shoot beams, can lift things heavier than ordinary people, etc. They have a lot in common. They also have a lot of differences. Iron Man is a different take on a superhero than Superman was, but it doesn't try to be a superhero story at the same time it's trying to avoid being a superhero story.
You're probably better off not trying to actively avoid all resemblance to existing post-apocalyptic properties. That being said, what is it you want to write, really? (That's a rhetorical question.)
It's generally not good to start with, "I want this story to be unique." Start with, say, "I really want to write a post-apocalyptic political thriller, about a genius who is almost universally hated, except by his handful of allies, because of his mutated body. I want to write about how he gathers power, mostly indirectly, slowly building unity across the scattered enclaves of survivors." And, because you know what you want to write, then if you borrow a bit from Mad Max, or from actual medieval politics, or anything else, it can be subservient to your vision.
On the other hand, if your vision is more like an ironic buddy comedy road trip through the ruins of an empty world... Same principle. Whatever you borrow will serve the theme you picked.
The worst thing to do is to decide your goal is merely to be unique, which means running away from everything interesting or memorable that anyone else has ever thought of.

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