History Main / InTheDoldrums

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'': Davey Jones' Locker is a barren wasteland (for a while, anyways). Nothing but perfectly flat, white desert in every direction.

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* In ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', Davey Jones' Locker is a barren wasteland (for a while, anyways). Nothing but perfectly flat, white desert in every direction.

* The Doldrums of the Kingdom of Wisdom in ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth'' in the animated film, too.

* The "Room of Spirit and Time" from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' ("Hyperbolic Time Chamber" in the dub) is an infinite WhiteVoidRoom where a year passes for every day outside.

* In the {{DCU}}, the Phantom Zone associated with the ''{{Superman}}'' franchise.

* Some people end up in one in {{Discworld}} when they die, an apparently infinite dusky desert. Some march on resolutely, others just stay there with different results ([[spoiler:[[Discworld/GoingPostal Anghammarad]], being a golem,]] enjoyed finally being free, [[spoiler:[[Discworld/SmallGods Vorbis]], having no clue what to do, was paralyzed with fear for a century).

The Doldrums is a place with the distinguishing characteristic of being boring. But this isn't your standard, run-of-the-mill boring. This is advanced boring. Here is a place that defies the normal properties of space to create a barren wasteland. Its [[YesButWhatDoesZataproximetacineDO properties may include]] lack of purpose, loss of memory, [[YearInsideHourOutside time dilation]], [[AlienGeometries space dilation]], Lack of living things, and [[EverythingFades Involuntary Fading Disorder]].

* The "Room of Spirit and Time" from ''DragonBallZ'' ("Hyperbolic Time Chamber" in the dub).

* Trope Namer (kind of; see RealLife below) is ''ThePhantomTollbooth''. It's home to the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification anthropomorphic personifications]] of boredom, and you get there by not thinking.

* One episode of ''TheTwilightZone'' has a man who only wants to read be the sole survivor when everyone else on earth is killed off. He finally has all the time in the world to read! [[spoiler: And then he breaks his glasses.]]

* A cutaway in an early ''FamilyGuy'' episode showed the Griffins on holiday in Limbo. They were all just hanging in a featureless void, commenting on how it was neither good or bad.
* The Doldrums of the Kingdom of Wisdom in ''ThePhantomTollbooth'' in the animated film, too.

* On ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', the Q continuum was described this way by a Q who had become so bored with his omniscience that he wished to commit suicide.

* Trope Namer is ''ThePhantomTollbooth''. It's home to the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification anthropomorphic personifications]] of boredom, and you get there by not thinking.

* The Guardian's realm looks like this in ''TheLongestJourney''. It turns out to be a FisherKingdom--in the sequel, the replacement for the first game's ailing Guardian adds plant life and a proper sky.

* Trope Namer is ''ThePhantomTollbooth''. It's home to the AnthropomorphicPersonification of boredom, and you get there by not thinking.

* The CrapsackWorld of ''TheRoad'' might qualify.

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* All ''VideoGames/Minecraft Minecraft'' maps have an upper and lower Void. The upper Void is simply the sky in the overworld and the End, while in the Nether it's the open space 128 meters above the bedrock ceiling. The lower Void, in all dimensions, is an infinite drop into black oblivion that kills entities (including players) that go past y-64.

* The rakatan prison in KnightsOfTheOldRepublic is a big blank whiteness with a single prisoner being the only remarkable feature. Talking to him reveals that there were others as well who got trapped by accident and eventually ran off into the endless void.

* In the StephenKing novella ''TheLangoliers'', the characters are stuck in between seconds. The resulting dead world acts in this manner, but it is fated to be eaten by [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]].

* One episode of ''SpongebobSquarepants'' ended with Squidward in an endless expanse of white emptiness, until he mentioned he was, at last, alone. [[RoomFullOfCrazy Cue voices saying "alone" and the word itself appearing in different colors and sizes.]]

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* On ''StarTrekVoyager'', the Q continuum was described this way by a Q who had become so bored with his omniscience that he wished to commit suicide.

* One episode of TheTwilightZone has a man who only wants to read be the sole survivor of every one else on earth being killed off, finally has all the time to read in the world [[spoiler: he breaks his glasses]]

* Sheol, in early Jewish myth, and Hades in Greek myth, were both places like this, neither good nor bad; Just gray.

* The Guardian's realm looks like this in ''TheLongestJourney''. It turns out to be a FisherKingdom--in the sequel, the replacement for the first game's ailing Guardian adds plant life and a proper sky.

* The titular setting of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "Warrior's Gate". A subversion of sorts as [[spoiler: doing nothing is the only way to ''get out.'']]

* ''{{Xanth}}'' gives us the Neverglades. An infinite expanse of featureless marsh that traps people within it for all eternity unless you can overcome the spell in some way.

* In ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', Davey Jones' Locker is a barren wasteland (for a while, anyways). nothing but perfectly flat, white desert in every direction.

* The titular setting of the ''DoctorWho'' serial "Warrior's Gate". A subversion of sorts as [[spoiler: doing nothing is the only way to ''get out.'']]

** The same is basically true of Dolurrh in ''{{Eberron}}'', except while only some evil people wind up in Hades, '''everybody''' winds up in Dolurrh.

** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doldrums Actually]], The phrase In The Doldrums is OlderThanTheyThink.... [[http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/in-the-doldrums.html This]] article explains.
*** The ''phrase'' is older, yes, but the trope is not named after the phrase, but the place in the book.

*In ''{{Planescape}}'', the properties of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Waste Grey Wastes of Hades]] replace all emotions with hopelessness and gloom, and cause colors fade to gray.
*In the StephenKing novella ''TheLangoliers'', the characters are stuck in between seconds. The resulting dead world acts in this manner, but it is fated to be eaten by [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]].
*The interior of the [[color:blue:house]] in ''HouseOfLeaves''.
*The CrapsackWorld of ''TheRoad'' might qualify.
*In the {{DCU}}, the Phantom Zone associated with the ''{{Superman}}'' franchise.
*The "Room of Spirit and Time" from ''DragonBallZ'' ("Hyperbolic Time Chamber" in the dub).
*One episode of ''SpongebobSquarepants'' ended with Squidward in an endless expanse of white emptiness, until he mentioned he was, at last, alone. [[RoomFullOfCrazy Cue voices saying "alone" and the word itself appearing in different colors and sizes.]]
*In ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', Davey Jones' Locker is a barren wasteland (for a while, anyways). nothing but perfectly flat, white desert in every direction.
*Richard of ''LookingForGroup'' gets locked in one. As I recall, it's called "the Infinite Plane of Suck."
*The titular setting of the ''DoctorWho'' serial ''Warrior's Gate''. A subversion of sorts as [[spoiler: doing nothing is the only way to ''get out.'']]
*On ''StarTrekVoyager'', the Q continuum was described this way by a Q who had become so bored with his omniscience that he wished to commit suicide.
*There's an episode of the ''CareBears'' like this, called "Drab City," where the titular bears find a town where everything is depressing and colorless, and all the people are apathetic. As they travel through the town, they begin to turn gray and depressed as well.
*The Muddletop Moors in Alan Dean Foster's ''{{Spellsinger}}'' novel ''The Day of the Dissonance''. It's overcast all the time, food is tasteless and anyone traveling through it gets so bored and depressed that they just lie down and die. It turns out that the depression is caused by the telepathic broadcasts of the intelligent giant fungi who live there. But of course, [[TheHero Jon Tom]] provided some magical entertainment to the fungi and passed through the moors safely.
*A cutaway in an early ''FamilyGuy'' episode showed the Griffins on holiday in Limbo. They were all just hanging in a featureless void, commenting on how it was neither good or bad.
*Mythological example: Sheol, in early Jewish myth, and Hades in Greek myth, were both places like this, neither good nor bad; Just gray.
* {{Xanth}} gives us the Neverglades. An infinite expanse of featureless marsh that traps people within it for all eternity unless you can overcome the spell in some way.

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