Dark Matter: The compulsive alternate-universe thriller, now on Apple TV+

by Blake Crouch

'Brilliant' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series.

Now a major Apple TV+ series starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly.

Jason Dessen has been abducted. His life has been stolen. To get it back, he will go on a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could have possibly imagined. Dark Matter is a relentlessly surprising alternate-universe sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch.

'Are you happy in your life?'

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before the man he's never met smiles down at him and says, 'Welcome back.'

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.

In this other life, Jason has created a box. Transport into infinite alternate universes – every possible outcome of his life, one behind each door. In this other life, Jason chose a door. And he stole the life he wanted.

If Jason Dessen wants his life back, he will have to find it among infinite possibilities. And he will have to battle a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe: himself.

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Ready Player One.

• ISBN10: 144729758X
• ISBN13: 9781447297581
• Publish Date: 24 August 2017 (first published 26 July 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 7 June 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[elvinagb]

An interesting story that makes you think about choices, all the choices you make in an instant that can impact your life in that moment and for years and lifetimes to come. It reads like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Trippy. Fans of Fringe will love this one :)

[layawaydragon]

I’ve never read anything quite like Dark Matter before. And I don’t think I will again.

Jason is physics professor with a wife he adores and cherishes after all these years and a son that’s his pride and joy. He was an up and coming star in the field, but he chose the family life instead. It’s a regular night, dinner with the fam until he decides to catch a drink with an old school buddy and he doesn’t make it home.

I don’t know how to review this book. Without spoilers I can’t discuss the best part: the thrilling sci-fi ride along and all the implications. I’m still thinking about the consequences, the results, and how police will handle the disturbing trail left in its wake.

Dark Matter’s blurb is good, but the Netgalley description needs to be included because I can’t agree more:
From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, 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.”

I haven’t read Blake Couch’s previous work, but I plan to now and I’ll be watching his new releases.

The Good:
+ Solid blend of science and sci-fi that’s easily understandable
+ Phenomenal pacing and plotting
+ Unpredictable
+ Loved Jason and his journey, his progression, his family, his mind and character
+ Staying power, lingering questions and paths to wander after finishing
+ Ending is open, emotional, and impeccable

The Bad & The Other:
- Uh???

You know all those over-used cheesy descriptions like mind-blowing, and mind-boggling? Dark Matter is the kind of book those should be saved for because it brings them back to life with a purpose.

Dark Matter explores well, dark matter. I’m a layman interested in science but honestly, the science of physics is beyond me. So I was uneasy going in, wondering if I would be able to keep up.

Thankfully, Jason is an excellent guide through Schrodinger’s Cat, the multiverse, and game theory. I feel like I understand the concepts better than I ever have. I wasn’t lost or confused ever during the winding travels and tribulations.

I learned much reading Dark Matter, beyond the science. It made me think about the choices I’ve made and ponder how small variations could drastically alter…everything. Before I’ve had occasional thought about “the path not chosen” but never to this extent, to the minute, to this satisfaction. I’m more content with where I am and what led me here after reading Dark Matter. My choices won’t result in such a…calamity but it makes me appreciate it all the more anyways.

In the end, we’re left pondering what happens next. While I usually loathe open endings, it’s perfect for Dark Matter. It feels right with trepidation, hope, and the next generation leading the way.

If you want a thriller with legitimate thrills, science fiction based on real science, or an unstoppable page-turner, you should read Dark Matter.