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I am really not sure. I often have trouble determining if we should use "in" or "on", but in this case it seems both are valid. Is there a general rule, because I feel like I have asked similar questions before, but I feel like it's always a case by case question when it comes to whether we should use "on" or "in".

For example:

The men must survive on the nightmarescape of Antarctica.

The men must survive in the nightmarescape of Antarctica.

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    "Nightmarescape" is obviously a play on the more common word "dreamscape", but it's not clear what you mean by it, or why you would choose to describe Antarctica as "nightmarish". To penguins it must seem rather pleasant.
    – Andrew
    Commented Mar 23, 2019 at 20:48

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Both may be valid.

As noted in comments "nightmarescape" is not a word of standard English, it is a fairly natural play on "dreamscape", which is in turn based on "landscape" so it would work in the the same way.

One would normally say "in the landscape", so this would be the preferred pattern: "In the nightmarescape of Antarctica". But you may want to emphasise the physical location "on" the icy landscape. So ultimately the choice of preposition is up to the writer, and what imagery they want to suggest.

It is generally a good idea for learners to avoid using words like "nightmarescape". They will not be known by anyone hearing them, and may be interpreted as a mistake. There are simple alternatives like "nightmarish landscape"

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