Peter Zeihan's 'The Accidental Superpower' isn't a novel in the traditional sense; it's a work of geopolitical and economic forecasting. The central idea argues that America's current global dominance wasn't a result of some grand, centuries-long master plan, but a series of fortunate accidents. He breaks it down into a few key 'accidents': the sheer luck of geography (vast internal river systems, navigable coasts, abundant resources), the demographic boom from the Baby Boomers, and the security framework set up after WWII.
Where it gets really speculative, almost like a thriller premise, is the second half. He posits that this American-led order is unraveling, partly by American choice to step back, and that the world is heading for a fragmentation of global trade. The book then plays out scenarios for various regions, suggesting places like the US, Mexico, and Canada might be okay due to energy and geography, while export-dependent powers or those with unstable borders could face severe crises. It's less a plot with characters and more a forecast with nations as protagonists, driven by demographics, energy, and transport costs rather than ideology.