I actually like the barn as a unit of measure.

I am forever haunted by the decision decades ago to refer to two of the quarks as Top and Bottom. Maybe it was cute at the time. It did not age well.

I'll second This War of Mine. It draws from the experiences of civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 90s. The choices are hard, and they have real consequence, and what you pick will haunt your dreams.

Okay, you might be on to something.