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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Totally enjoyed this Thriller-SciFi-Psychological-Romance story! The premise that all hinges on is sci-fi/physics/neuro science but the drama and plot exist in a psychological thriller onion peeling layer by layer in search of truth, happiness, and self discovery. Life choices made manifest is such an interesting concept, and love conquers all in a really satisfying manner. Recommend!
Mind-Bending Paradoxes in a Tale of What It Means to be Human
The plot of Dark Matter is driven by the concept of alternate worlds. Jason Dessen wakes up in one after being abducted at gunpoint – one in which he isn’t married, doesn’t have a son. And with the reference to Jason’s occupation in physics, you might guess there is an underlying scientific explanation (of sorts). But whether the synopsis evoked thoughts of Schrodinger’s cat or only seemed an interesting science-fiction MacGuffin, one thing is certain – the concept enables nonstop action as you explore strange realities. It also creates mind-bending paradoxes; what does it even mean to meet yourself in an alternate world? But lest these references to science cause you to hesitate, let me say that Crouch does an admirable job of making the theory accessible.
The book is very well written, evoking clear images of the various utopias and dystopias visited. The pace is excellent, as moments of respite are followed by life-threatening peril. Twist follows twist, as the implications of multiple worlds start making you ponder your own life. It’s a story that will make you think about what’s important and what’s not, because even with the nearly insurmountable challenges that Jason faces, this is also a book about being human. And while this is a gross oversimplification, the way Crouch brings this aspect of the book to the fore makes it atypical of a technothriller. It’s not just a race against a looming, technology-based catastrophe, but also an exploration of choice, commitment, and family. I loved this aspect of the book.
The potential reader should be aware of a couple of things. First, placement of this book in the time travel genre on Amazon is technically incorrect and perhaps misleading. Although some of the alternate worlds visited are technologically advanced, all are visited in the same time period. Second, Jason is a gifted physicist who early in his career was developing the technology that now imprisons him. And yet, he didn’t recognize what was happening for several chapters. His panic seems more a writing ploy to maintain tension than something consistent with the story and that was a slight distraction. But the disconnect is minor compared to the overall, thought-provoking nature of the work.
In sum, Dark Matter is engrossing with the enigmas it poses and the constant battle Jason wages against long odds. It’s also a story about paths not taken and what we value in life, making this a book that should not be missed.
Totally loving this book.
About half way through now and grips like a vice.
Brilliant story telling and totally gripping.
Such a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A good sci-fi, thriller book. I didn’t want to put the book down!
It was a very interesting story
Jason Dessen lives a happy life with a family of his own and a nice job at a local college. He always wondered what his life would be like if he had made different decisions, and if he would have chosen to pursue a more complex career path. When a mysterious stranger abducts him one night while out walking home, he is forced into a situation where his curiosity may just become the new reality…
When I started this book I didn’t really know what to expect. Needless to say, Dark Matter met my expectations and definitely exceeded them. Just when I thought I knew what would happen, the plot would quickly shift and keep me on my toes guessing. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting sci-fi thriller that you won’t want to put down!
I think I may have a new favorite book. Okay, second favorite. But what a ride. It isn’t often I blow through a book in a day but the way this book sucked me in, asking questions I’ve always asked myself while exploring a well-known concept in a brand new way, oh man. What a rush. Part thriller, part love story, part sci-fi book with a little horror mixed in (and the horror is true horror, not bogeyman horror), Dark Matter took me to new places and kept me up reading all night long. Highly, highly recommended.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like a techno-thriller, but this books was perfection. The character building was superb, and it left me anxious to know how this book was going to solve itself. Definitely fast-paced. The techno, sciencey jargo wasn’t too hard to understand either. Highly recommended.
“Until everything topples, we have no idea what we actually have, how precariously and perfectly it all hangs together.”
“It’s like we get so set in our ways, so entrenched in those grooves, we stop seeing our loved ones for who they are.”
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My Rating:
I recommend this interesting character driven 3.5-star science fiction quasi-quest novel where our protagonist and antagonist is Jason Dessen. Jason is not just Jason. (Yes, sounds confusing. Read it & it’s not confusing.)
Our protagonist Jason has chosen a road less traveled. He could have been somebody. Awards, accolades, admiration of his professional peers. No one doubted that Jason was brilliant and likely would fast track to the top. Even Jason knew it and in rare moments regretted it.
Instead of fame and fortune, he chose instead, Danielia and his son Charlie. Rather than winning fantastic awards, being admired as the best among his profession, he chose family nights, wine, and warm fires on cold nights. He’ll wash, Danielia can dry the dishes.
What Blake Crouch does in Dark Matter is peek behind this veil we think of as reality.
Generally: — Possible Spoiler Line —
There has long been a hypothesis that everything that can happen, has happened. In this theory, every time anyone makes a life altering choice, a new universe is born. Each choice opens a door in a maze of universes.
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A very good and breathtaking novel. Really liked the idea that kept me wonder all the time during reading it. I always like the stories about parallel worlds and the part of my debut novel Void Fate is identical to parallel worlds.
A really page turner aside the part that Jason passes through a lot of parallel worlds until he finds the right one. A writing style that Crouch has used in his other novel, Recursion, when the main character goes back in time again and again until he finds the right moment.
The first half of the novel I wondered where it was taking me, where was Jason and what might have happened to him. He was married, got a son and clap and he was single, his wife barely remembering him. It started weird, got weirder and then Crouch tapped the nitro button and I found the thread of the story.
I highly recommend this novel for the fantasy and mystery fans. Blake Crouch
Mind bending! Epic book highly recommend!
After RECURSION, I also got DARK MATTER from the library which I totally devoured over the course of a weekend. This book had the same feel as RECURSION, except where RECURSION was about time travel, this one was about alternate universes. Blake Crouch is so good at setting up a story and keeping the reader guessing. I didn’t know how it was all going to resolve until the ending was right there and I was experiencing it. Fantastic writing!
It’s super cool.. I couldn’t stop myself from reading to the last page… The characters and the science involved are way amazing… I liked it more than “Recursion” by the same author..
Blake’s imagination is second to none in this fantastic sci-fi thriller. A love story wrapped in a mind-bending mystery. Highly recommended!
I’m glad I came across “Dark Matter” while I was still writing my own sci-fi book. Crouch has a riveting and confident style. The jumping from reality to reality using concepts found in exotic physics like entanglement and quantum theory, combined with a very character-driven plot about a guy who’ll do anything to be with his family again were really admirable here. Crouch is a storyteller to follow and to be inspired by, especially if you’re a writer as well.
Wonderful reading experience this work.
Love the concept, the writing style and the characters. Truly an epic novel
I couldn’t put this one down. The first book I read in one sitting in a very long time. An absolute page-turner.
absolutely amazing !!!
This book is definitely a mind-bending thrill ride that I couldn’t put down. The science-fiction aspect is complicated and sometimes confusing but somehow makes sense as it leads you down infinite paths of possibilities. The action is unexpected and unrelenting right up to the very end, but the heart of the book is love. We have all wondered what if, and Dark Matter explores this question thoroughly…literally in hundreds of ways…in the unique setting of a black box with infinite choices. As Jason Dessen risks everything to find his family, he learns that each chosen path changes him into another version of himself—someone that is him, but not quite him, with one thing in common—the need to fight his way back to someone he loves. If I took away anything from this book, it’s that regrets are a complete waste of time. There’s nothing but the present, so enjoy it and stop looking for that elusive what if. I have read a few of Mr. Crouch’s books, and this may very well be my favorite so far.