January 1937. Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he’s offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the … the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken. But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return – when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible. And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark. This Special Edition Ebook will feature exclusive material: AUTHOR EXTRAS: Dark Matter ¿ An exclusive interview with Michelle Paver and an extended author biography with integrated photos of the landscape of Spitsbergen. COVER DESIGN: Dark Matter ¿ the jacket designer¿s take and cover design progression (5 x visuals). DARK MATTER – A SHORT FILM: Dark Matter ¿ Turning the novel into a short promotional film and Dark Matter – The Film Director’s Cut, the rejected film scripts, the final film script and behind the scenes at filming (3 x visuals).
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DARK MATTER is a tour-de-force. It’s richly atmospheric, evocative of the time (pre-Second World War, and makes you believe that you, too, are stranded in the Arctic on a doomed expedition.
Jack Miller is a down-on-his-luck Londoner who believes he’s lost his chance in life. His dreams have passed him by; he works hard but goes hungry; he wanted to be a physicist, but the money for his education dried up. Then he gets the opportunity to go on a scientific expedition to Norway. Although he’s initially intimidated by the rich, “club-abble” chaps on the team, he perseveres and falls in love with the high Arctic’s bleak simplicity. But then he sees a man who isn’t there, and finds himself trapped with the One Who Walks…
DARK MATTER is one of the best English ghost stories I’ve ever read. Not for the faint of heart!
I realise ghost stories aren’t everyone’s cup-of-tea, but this one is set in the Arctic Wilderness, not an old creaky house. The landscape is evocatively described and the sense of isolation adds an extra layer of terror when things start to go seriously freaky. Shiveringly good!
A wonderfully atmospheric read, particularly suited to this time of year. I’ve always revered and feared the Arctic and felt fully immersed in the protagonist’s experience. Highly recommended.
book is not available on either kindle or nook
DARK MATTER is a tour-de-force. It’s richly atmospheric, evocative of the time (pre-Second World War, and makes you believe that you, too, are stranded in the Arctic on a doomed expedition.
Jack Miller is a down-on-his-luck Londoner who believes he’s lost his chance in life. His dreams have passed him by; he works hard but goes hungry; he wanted to be a physicist, but the money for his education dried up. Then he gets the opportunity to go on a scientific expedition to Norway. Although he’s initially intimidated by the rich, “club-abble” chaps on the team, he perseveres and falls in love with the high Arctic’s bleak simplicity. But then he sees a man who isn’t there, and finds himself trapped with the One Who Walks…
DARK MATTER is one of the best English ghost stories I’ve ever read. Not for the faint of heart!
I found the story so gripping that I read it in one day This is one of the most chilling reads I have come across, A fascinating story about man’s endurance with a very cleverly woven plot. A really great read.
Chilling tale in a chilly place.
In 1937, Jack and four others embark on an Arctic expedition. One by one, Jack’s companions have to drop out and Jack is left alone in an uninhabited bay in the bitter cold and dark of an Arctic winter.
Michelle Paver’s writing is beautiful and atmospheric and I could almost feel the snow and hear the ice floes creaking in the sea as the tension gently increases.
‘Moonlight turned the mountains to pewter. In the bay, icebergs glowed. At the water’s edge, little black waves rimmed with grey foam lapped the shore.’
As Jack’s own sense of unease grows, he understands that he’s not really alone. Something walks in the dark.
I thoroughly recommend this book but maybe avoid reading it late at night in an empty house!
This is a great beach read as it’s about as far removed as you could possibly be from sunlight and summer. There’s nothing like reading a truly terrifying ghost story – one set in the Arctic – when you can go back to the warmth and comfort of your sun lounger and cocktail afterwards. Don’t read it in the winter dark – you’ll never recover!