A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy.“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, … Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.
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So, it’s odd to call a truly mind bending sci-fi -a romance, but to the base of this story, it’s a man trying to get back to the one love of his life. There are many choices that he could have just accepted a close enough – maybe even better in some ways – life. But he fought for the one woman and life he loved. With all the lessons this book might provide, the thought that love is worth fighting for is the strongest.
I would put this into the category of Science Fiction, however don’t run away yet! It’s not your typical SciFi novel. Don’t worry about all the lab experiment details, they are very easy to understand. I guarantee that it will draw you in within the first few pages. The characters are amazing and relatable. The plot is so well-written. It sends your eyes darting across the page, your mind racing for more, and your heart skipping for twists and turns.
“It’s terrifying when you consider that every thought we have, every choice we could possibly make, branches into a new world.”
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“So all these other realities…where are they?”
“Imagine you’re a fish, swimming in a pond. You can move forward and back, side to side, but never up out of the water. If someone were standing beside the pond, watching you, you’d have no idea they were there. To you, that little pond is an entire universe. Now imagine that someone reaches down and lifts you out of the pond. You see that what you thought was the entire world is only a small pool…You realize you’re a part of a much larger and more mysterious reality than you had ever dreamed of.”
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This was my first Blake Crouch. I picked up Wayward Pines from the Kindle Lending Library, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. And you can hardly turn on the television without seeing something about one of his books-turned-shows…
So I was a little apprehensive – my tastes don’t tend to agree with overly popular, culture-saturating, authors very often. But merciful heavens, I’ve never been so glad to be wrong! This book was amazing – utterly original, a completely fantastic page-turner from the very first words…
I love the concept of the multiverse – the infinite branching out of worlds that are created by the choices we make and, equally importantly, the ones we don’t. It is such an intriguing idea to me – I am a firm believer in the importance of accepting the consequences for our actions/inactions, and the multiverse ramps up the concept of consequences to the nth degree. Aside from some fascinating science, though, I found this book to be a marvelous exegesis on the value of contentment, of accepting your life and your self and realizing that both are a product of your choices and moving forward from that point.
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“… maybe I can let go of the sting and resentment of the path not taken, because the path not taken isn’t just the inverse of who I am. It’s an infinitely branching system that represents all the permutations of my life between the extremes…”
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As Jason Dessen travels the paths not taken, he comes to appreciate what he has/had in ways that I think are so important for contemporary culture. We live in a world of instant gratification, of gross consumerism and obsessive fame/fortune-seeking – often at the expense of everything else. Contemporary culture conflates popularity with success, money with happiness, and publicity with love. Through Jason, Blake Crouch reminds us that these are NOT equivalents – that contentment comes from making choices and living with them, from realizing that we may not have everything we ever (thought we) wanted, but that doesn’t mean we are not happy with what we have. And he reminds us of these things in a thoroughly engaging, non-preachy, fashion, working the lessons in delicately among the bones of a really strong, character-driven, work of fiction. Suffice to say, he’s most definitely a permanent fixture on my to-be-read list now…
PROS: Dark Matter was a fun book, but unfortunately too quick. I’m being a little facetious, it was too quick because I couldn’t put it down. It is reminiscent of Michael Crichton as it involves tech, science and fiction. Naturally some suspense of reality is require, but I don’t think Blake Crouch ever asks too much. **The best part about this book is that it left you thinking and reflecting back on your own life.** I only moderately highlight books and I only highlighted 7 passages in this book, but they are some of the most heavy hitting passages about life and who you are in it.
CONS: This is one book that is hard to find downsides. If anything, I wish I could read it again for the first time. Sorry guys, I really enjoyed this book.
“We all live day to day completely oblivious to the fact that we’re a part of a much larger and stranger reality than we can possibly imagine.”
Dark Matter does for quantum mechanics what The Martian did for space science. It pairs an enormously engaging story with thought-provoking science that boggles your mind and makes you embrace your inner math and science geek a little tighter. At least that’s what I did.
Although quantum mechanics/ physics/ theory defies human understanding, Blake Crouch successfully integrates the very basics into Dark Matter and it in no way comes off as some dry university lecture, which it could very easily have done. The main character wakes up in a situation that is based on some of these principles and his very fictional story becomes just as fascinating (if not more so). It’s mind-blowing, action packed, crazy suspenseful, and just wierd enough to warrant the sci-fi flag. I very much enjoyed this book and am very excited for the film adaptation. It’s going to be awesome!
My favorite quote:
“No one tells you it’s all about to change, to be taken away. There’s no proximity alert, no indication that you’re standing on the precipice. And maybe that’s what makes tragedy so tragic. Not just what happens, but how it happens: a sucker punch that comes at you out of nowhere, when you’re least expecting it. No time to flinch or brace.”
This book blew my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days after I finished it. Incredibly well written, characters you love or hate immediately, intriguing story line. A definite must read.
I listened to this on audio book. This has got to be one of the freaky-est books I have ever read! I loved it! It would make an amazing movie. It is one of those stories you see completely in your head. You get lost in it. I loved it!
I am on a kick reading stories about alternate realities/parallel universes and this one is one of the best that I have read. I also enjoyed The Fold by Peter Clines.
If I were to rank the best-selling page turners I’ve read recently, Dark Matter would be second. Here’s my list:
(1) Gone Girl
(2) Dark Matter
(3) The Martian
(4) Girl on the Train
For me, the fun in Dark Matter was that story evolved in ways that (because of the science fiction) I couldn’t have imagined and had to think about to understand. Whereas in Girl on the Train you basically just find out who did it, in Dark Matter you find out what happens — and that the universe you live in is very different from the one you thought you lived in.
If I was to re-read a book, it would be this one. This story is so full of details and information that the reader can easily read over or miss things. Readers are captured by the story, not bogged down with back history, it’s all in the present, but there is a lot going on here. I do not re-read books but to answer your question, this would be the one I would read again.
It was a fast paced read and kept me hooked every step of the way. As soon as you think you have it figured out, the story takes an unexpected turn.
Blake spins great tales of shifting identity. He hooks you in from the start and keeps the fast-paced ride going. Recommended!
Just finished reading this one. A fast read. Sci-fi. About a man named Jason who invented a box to transport him to parallel times. Where he would be if he had made different decisions in his life. The path not chosen isn’t all it seems to be. Might make a good movie.
Loved this new sci-fi thriller! Totally blew my mind!
A fantastic read. The narrative flows well, and the characters are easy to relate to. Written in first person present tense, but it works well. Starts off as a bit of a mystery, but I could guess what happened fairly early on, as will you if you’re versed in pop science theories.
Dark Matter is an enjoyable page-turner that weaves technothriller-style action with science fiction. It’s a fun romp through the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics (how often do you get to say that?) tied to a relatable character arc of love, regret, and the path not taken.
Great novel if you’re a Sci-Fi fan. In this case it is heavy on the multiverse idea so if you’re fine with it this might be one of the best books dealing with it.
The story centers on a brilliant physicist that decided to put on hold his career ambitions and focus on building a family. On a parallel universe he didn’t make that choice and his alternate version developed the possibility to visit alternate universes.
A great treatise on the “what if” questions that we all have about paths not taken. The plot is interesting and the book’s conclusion well thought out.
One of my favorite novels in a while.
Wow! This is the one book I recommend to E V E R Y O N E. Need something for next month’s book club? Dark Matter – Blake Crouch. Need a gift for your granny’s birthday? Dark Matter – Blake Crouch. I loved this book from beginning to end and have probably purchased upwards of 5 copies to give as a gift. It’s a mind-bending thrill ride and even people who aren’t into sci-fi would like this book!
Not what I usually reach for, but this is terrific. Sorta like Sliding Doors, but way, way better. A mash-up of romance, sci-fi and horror.
I really enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of everything in it and it gets very insane at the end but if you can get past that and just enjoy the story it is really good.