Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

67
Written by Norrie

An anxiety inducing race through a multiverse, Dark Matter is not the sort of book you curl up with for a quiet evening.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller
Published: 11th August, 2015
Goodreads
Series: N/A
Rating: 4

‘Are you happy in your life?’
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he wakes 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, 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.

I can’t say I’m particularly well versed in quantum theory, and it’s just as well, because the more I know about it, the more I worry. Dark matter and parallel universes sound fascinating, and sure as hell are intriguing in theory, but if travelling through different versions of our world actually becomes a thing, I don’t want to be there.Thanks, but no, thanks.

I haven’t felt this sort of constant worry while reading a book for quite a long time. My mind kept racing through scenarios about how Jason’s adventure will go wrong in hundreds of ways. You see, even though travelling through the multiverse is not the same as time travelling, our parallel worlds can still be very different. What if they get trapped? What if their currency is completely useless where they get to? What if they run out of money? My mind just simply couldn’t comprehend the sheer horror of being stuck somewhere so familiar, yet completely alien.

I can’t even…

The story starts out innocently enough, but soon enough the pace picks up, and we are being hurled from one danger to another at an incredibly high speed. Ain’t no rest for the wicked, and all that.

“We live in a state of decoherence, in one reality, because we’re constantly observing our environment and collapsing our own wave function.”

Very reassuring. Not.

Even though this story is heavy on theories, ideas and suspense, Blake Crouch also managed to paint an incredibly vivid picture of all the worlds Jason ended up in.

A highly addictive sci-fi thriller, Dark Matter is not for the faint hearted.

67 Comments

  1. That sounds very interesting although I’m not sure I could really get into it because I always find it hard to get into stories with sci-fi plots. But the idea of the book is really thought-provoking.

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    1. There’s a little bit of mystery (of what happened to the MC), and thriller elements too, so if you like these genres, then it might work 🙂
      They do discuss a bit of science but it’s more along the lines of none of them actually know what’s happening they are trying to use their common sense + basics.

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      1. Thank you, I’ll look into it. I don’t mind science, even though I don’t understand much about it. I don’t like situation in the plot when everything can be explained by something which sounds like science but which is actually a plot whole. I’m not sure if I explained well what I mean :))

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  2. You mentioned this in your sci-fi for beginners if I recall correctly… I’m still on the fence about this one and yet.. I’m intrigued and I actually wonder how this book ends and if the universe gives a happy ending.. As usual, wonderful review Norrie… what if they run out of money… haha!

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    1. Haha, i know, i worry about the weirdes things 😀
      To me this was more thriller than sci-fi, but yea, parallel universes theory is sciency 😀 The main dude knows physics, but not to the extent that he actually knows what is exactly happening.

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  8. Been there. Read it. Done it! At my age, I’ve read just about every scenario out there. And this one is just a little too familiar to me to care enough to read it. But I hear you, the idea of Quantum Leaping with Sam, what? Okay, different story, but still.

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      1. Most of the books I’ve read with parallel or future travel are probably considered out of date or called classics, these days. Robert Heinlein did a few including The Number of the Beast, Door into Summer, and I think Between Stars, or Tunnel in the Sky? Off the top of my head, I can’t think of others but will email you, if you like as I remember other stuff.

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        1. Oh, yes please 🙂
          Door Into Summer sounds familiar.
          I want to read more classic sci-fi, just not sure where to start. I know i liked Heinlein, so that would be probably a good way to go.
          Others are a hit or miss really. I think authors were using a different style in those years we call “classic sci-fi” and sometimes it’s not the “dated” feel puts me off, but how they wrote more about ideas than people or things happening to people. Like when i read Fahrenheit, i felt bored because i didn’t think i got to know the people well.

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          1. No problem, I’ll put something together for you. And most of the books I’ve been talking about recently for SciFiMonth are all character driven stories. But some, I’m sure will be hard to find.

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  15. I have been keen on reading this one ever since you mentioned that it can be enjoyed by sci-fi newbies. Great review, Norrie. I can’t wait to read this one in the new year.

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  17. Oh a thriller with sci-fi elements? Sounds amazing! I loved reading your thoughts on it and I am keen to find out more about this alternate universe that Jason is immersed in so I will definitely be adding this to my TBR list!

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    1. For me it was like that! Although i really can’t stay up late even if i really want to. But i did finish it during my lunch break which i don’t normally do.

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  20. This book was the bomb! I loved it. All those parallel universes, and the freakiness of all the doors… I loved the tension in this one. And not to be spoilery but that ending… when he had shall we say a multitude of um challenges… was both freaky and hilarious I thought!

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  22. Whaaat? This book sounds insane. Count me out for travelling through different versions of our world, too! I so wanna read this. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

    Great review as always, Norrie! ♡

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  24. Yeah I don’t think I’d want to travel to different versions of the world. And yeah that would be terrifying to get stuck. This does sound like an amazingly vivid world though. I really look forward to checking this out. Great review!

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  27. I am getting strong Black Mirror vibes – in that dark scary but also utterly addicting way. In other words I am a fan. 😊

    By the war I am not well versed in quantum theory either but the concept of this book utterly terrifies me. I bought it the other day and am looking forward to reading it soon. Great review!

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    1. Oh yay 🙂 I hope you’ll enjoy it too!
      Kudos to the author that he could create such a crazy and enjoyable story based on this theory most of us haven’t fully grasped.

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  29. I love dark matter!! I’m actually gonna go to college to be an extragalactic astronomer to study dark matter/energy. Haha. So ya, I’m definitely wanting to read this book!!!

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  32. Glad you enjoyed the book albeit maybe slightly creeped you with the potential possibilities. I think I’d quite like one of those dimensional-trips… then again, maybe tha’s just my ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ talking 😀 hahaha…

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