w oven ▁among ▁their ▁plots . ▁This ▁emot ional ▁impact ▁often ▁has ▁a ▁distinct ly ▁mel anch oly ▁character , ▁with ▁violence , ▁de pression , ▁and ▁suic ide ▁being ▁rec urr ing ▁them es . ▁The ▁Canadian ▁landscape ▁figures ▁prom in ently ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁Z elen yj ' s ▁work , ▁specifically ▁his ▁home ▁city ▁of ▁W inds or , ▁Ontario ▁and ▁its ▁surrounding ▁en vir ons . ▁More ▁generally , ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁often ▁port rayed ▁as ▁a ▁sin ister ▁and ▁imm oral ▁place , ▁and ▁is ▁frequently ▁ju xt ap osed ▁against ▁the ▁natural ▁peace ▁and ▁beauty ▁of ▁rust ic ▁settings . ▁A ▁historical ▁element ▁recurs ▁throughout ▁his ▁fiction , ▁with ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁war ▁and ▁its ▁effects ▁on ▁both ▁those ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁family ▁members ▁of ▁soldiers . ▁Z elen yj ' s ▁stories ▁have ▁exam ined ▁both ▁World ▁Wars , ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁colonial ▁strugg les ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁West , ▁and ▁Med ieval - period ▁conflict , ▁among ▁others . ▁Relig ious ▁them es ▁reson ate ▁through ▁his ▁fiction , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁stories ▁of ▁Songs ▁For ▁The ▁Lost , ▁which ▁dep ict s ▁fr inge ▁spiritual ity ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁organized ▁suic ide ▁cult s ▁and ▁individuals ▁seeking ▁spiritual ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁tra uma ▁of ▁their ▁lives . ▁Th emes ▁of ▁ap ocal yp se ▁and ▁post - ap ocal yp se ▁rec ur ▁in ▁his ▁fiction . ▁The ▁dark ▁quality ▁inher ent ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁Z elen