Re: What makes a great sc-fi/fantasy story?
Yes, an orbit around a binary star, if stable, would likely result in conditions on the planet far too extreme to sustain life. However; many paired stars are quite far apart, certainly further than a life sustaining planet would orbit; and quite different, a dwarf and supergiant for example. A planet could conceivably orbit around one of the stars and pass between the two stars at a certain point in the planet's year.
Arthur C. Clarke turned our solar system into such a system in 2010 when he had Jupiter turned into a star. Mind you, there would be interesting orbital fluctuations and tidal forces at work when the stars were on the same side of the planet as opposed to when they were opposite. In the former, for example, the planet would be closer to the primary sun, and in the latter case, further away.
Set up the balance right and you could create a world that ranges from extreme desert conditions in summer to numbingly cold winters, providing mucho challenges for the inhabitants.