Dark Matter: A Novel

I couldn't put this book down from the very first page. Dark Matter is a mind-bending, fast-paced thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. It's smart, emotional, and completely addictive—perfect for anyone who wants a story that will keep them up way past their bedtime. Highly, highly recommend

I was extremely surprised by how high-level the physics was, and how clearly the author communicated it in a short, easy-to-read book. For us humans, there is a huge gap between classical and quantum physics, but the book paints an interesting picture where that gap is bridged. The author is an exquisite writer, conveying what it might be like to approach the quantum horizon in everyday life. Given that the author is not a physicist, the brilliance of this presentation cannot be underestimated. Partly, the story works by using the “many-worlds” interpretation of quantum mechanics, which appeals to so many people because it allows us to maintain “classical physics” frames for the most part. It communicates quantum mechanics at a very high level—touching on concepts akin to 20th-century quantum field theory—showing that the author really did his homework (including consulting USC physics professor Clifford Johnson). One must be careful to point out that a short, action-packed book cannot be sufficiently nuanced to capture formal QFT, but the care taken is evident. The plot is action-packed, movie-oriented, and intellectually stimulating. For those curious about the "weird" quantum world, it communicates it as well as possible through metaphors and plot devices, though hard sci-fi fans may find these devices somewhat artificial. So while I see it as a science fiction tour de force, others may find the metaphorical side too superficial. With these caveats, I recommend this book as a great read and give it 4 out of 5 stars. (Drafted with AI assistance to help balance the technical commentary with general reader feedback.)

Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter is a masterfully written, mind-bending journey that blurs the line between science fiction and philosophical reflection. At its heart, the novel explores the immense power of choice with how every decision we make, no matter how small, shapes not just our future but potentially countless versions of reality. It’s a story that’s as tragic as it is amazing, a suspenseful rollercoaster wrapped in existential thought. The concept of multiple dimensions, with new worlds splintering off from each decision, is executed brilliantly. Crouch doesn’t just use this as a sci-fi gimmick. It’s a haunting reflection on identity, love, and regret. As I read, I couldn’t help but wonder: am I Jason, actively shaping my world through choice? Or am I Daniella, living in a version of reality I never consciously chose, unaware of its origin until a moment forces me to question everything? This novel is more than entertainment; it’s a mirror. It pushes you to reflect on your life, your path, and what really matters. Dark Matter is a rare kind of masterpiece, one that keeps you turning pages while quietly challenging your understanding of self and reality. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone ready to question the world they live in.

I bought this book, after reading a very positive review in a magazine, on the mistaken assumption that it would be a William Gibson novel--that is, a book that used an intense exploration of scientific facts to create a haunting reality that gets deep into your head and leaves you not quite sure just what you've encountered. Instead, I felt as though I were reading a rehash of a great many other things, books and film, that I've read or seen, including Sheldon J. Pacotti's novel "The Demiurge," Sam Shepherd's play "True West," the TV series "Awake," with Jason Isaacs, and the movies "Julia and Julia," "Total Recall," "Regarding Henry," "Somewhere in Time," "The Thirteenth Floor," "Primer," and "The Age of Adaline," as well as other TV programs and movies whose titles I have simply forgotten. The book is, to be sure, a page-turner, and I read it through in a single afternoon, all 300+ pages, while stranded at an airport waiting for my canceled flight to finally be scheduled for takeoff. It kept me fully absorbed, and the last few chapters were quite suspenseful. But in the end, it was the intellectual equivalent of a meal at MacDonald's. The premise of the book is that the "multiverse" theory of some physicists is actually true, and that someone might find a path from one such universe to another and possibly wreak havoc. The "multiverse" is an idea based on quantum physics. According to this theory, whenever we make a choice, an entire different universe "splits off" from the one we know, and in that universe, we made the other choice. Thus, according to this theory, there is a universe in which Hitler was admitted to art school and never sought political power, so the Third Reich never happened. Now imagine that a physicist had invented an advanced machine, and the Hitler we know of began to wonder what his life might have been like as an illustrator of popular magazines, and he found a way into that alternate universe. Meanwhile, the obscure artist version of Hitler found himself yanked into the universe we know, with the Nazi hierarchy addressing him as Fuhrer and asking to know what his plans were for world conquest. I cite the above only as an illustration. The book has nothing to do with Hitler. It concerns an obscure American physics professor teaching at a local college near Chicago, married to a woman with artistic talent, and with a teenage son. Fifteen years earlier, the professor was on his way to making path-breaking discoveries in science and being in the running for international prizes, and his wife might have been a very famous artist. Instead, she became pregnant, they decided to keep the baby and stay together, and now, they live lives of near-contentment, loving each other and their son, to be sure, but occasionally still wondering what might have been. One night, after leaving a celebration at a bar for a pal who actually did win international prizes and renown, the humble professor finds himself kidnapped at gunpoint by a man in a mask, who takes him to an abandoned industrial plant, forces him to strip, and injects him with a drug. When the professor awakes, he finds himself in a parallel world where serious and ruthless men treat him as a celebrity and are waiting to know what he will do next in the service of the large and powerful organization that in this world, he helped found. In this world, he even meets his parallel wife, now a famous artist, though she remembers him only as a boyfriend who broke up with her 15 years before. Determined to get back to the world he knows, he sets out into nightmarish adventures via a trans-dimensional machine that he invented as his "successful" self, emerging into various alternate Chicagos, some of them horrifying, while others are passable but never quite right. Will he ever make it back? And if, as the theory holds, our choices bring other universes into existence, could he also have birthed alternate selves, even in the course of his quest, all of whom have the same idea of reclaiming the life he once knew? As Arnold Schwarzenegger's character says in "Total Recall," "If I'm not me, den who da h___ am I? By the way, I could be wrong, but I believe the book is mistitled. Dark Matter is a known and demonstrable property of the universe that is the only way to account for the universe's weight and shape, as well as certain gravitational phenomena. It is no longer considered speculative and, as far, as I know, the "multiverse" theory is not based on it. The idea of a multiverse is, indeed, a logical extrapolation from certain demonstrated principles of quantum physics, and some scientists find it quite plausible, but it is not, as far as I know, based on dark matter, nor is it considered a settled question, as dark matter is. I could be wrong. In any case, "Dark Matter" is a more intriguing title than "The Multiverse."

3.5 stars rounding up. I liked a lot about this book, particularly the beginning and the ending. The end was exciting and hars to put down. For the beginning however, I reached one point after the initial action, set the book down, and took several months to pick it back up. The prose is clear and short, often written in one-line sentences. There was a little too much of that for my taste. Some sentences or phrases were on their own lines, but they didn't come off as impactful enough to have their own lines. That being said, the concept of multiple realities, multiples timeslines, and everything in between has been covered a lot in scifi, and this brought a few new aspects to that discussion that I appreciated. The main character was decent to follow, but while he frequently mentions his love for his wife Danielle, I didn't latch on to the chemistry between them. I wanted him to find her and Charlie, but I was also interested in seeing where the book would go if he didn't get back to them. Both Charlie and Danielle were a little flat as characters. There's also not a lot that happens in this book. Well, there is but there also isn't. A lot happens, but it didn't necessarily impact the next piece of story. I was also wanting more interiority, despite the book being in first person POV. It's a shorter scifi book (despite the ~340 pages length, the numerous short sentences make it seem longer than it is), so there's only so much that can happen I suppose. I think I would have preferred a different angle on this exact story, but that's just my taste. I'm certainly being too harsh. It's not in any means a bad book. I would definitely recommend it and I can see why so many people love it. But it's just a like for me, not a love.

After watching the remarkable TV series, I had to read the book. And I wasn't disappointed. I always consider book, movie, and television versions simply alternate media universes. And reading the Crouch book gave me the wonderful alternate experience.

Because seriously, I kind of feel like I've earned it after reading this book. (And I mean that in the best possible way). With this book, the fifth of his that I've read, Blake Crouch has officially made the list of my Top Ten Favorite Authors. I'm not certain which author he kicked off the list, but someone else has gotta go to make room for him. I got a little more than halfway through Dark Matter reading like a normal person, but then got to a point where I had to postpone/ignore everything else in my life to keep reading until the end. I HAD to know how what happened next and how Jason was going to extricate himself from the seemingly impossible situation he found himself in. Shortly after I reached my "MUST KEEP READING" point, Dark Matter took a pretty sharp turn from the direction I was expecting (which of course made the "MUST KEEP READING" feeling that much stronger). I wasn't expecting that particular twist in the story, even though my husband (who had already read the book) kept asking me if things had gotten "really weird" yet. (And I'm hard to surprise with plot twists even without forewarning.) I told him yes, and where I was in the book, and he told me "No, you're not there yet. I mean where it gets REALLY weird." And he was right. The book was "weird" right from the start. And then it got REALLY weird. (And when you think you're at the really weird part, you're probably wrong – it gets weirder. And then even weirder than that). Again, that's meant in the best possible way. Dark Matter is delightfully weird and mind-bending. And in a very strange way, it's also a powerful love story. How far will one man go to save not just his own life, but that of his wife and child? To provide the best possible life and future for them and ensure their ongoing safety? Very far indeed, as it turns out – into places both light and very, very dark. Dark Matter relies on concepts from theoretical physics for its plot structure, but you don't have to understand (or even like) physics to enjoy the story. Some of the concepts and terminology are heavy on the science, but Blake Crouch does a great job of explaining them for the layperson (through the character of physicist/teacher Jason Dessen). You don't need to have a deep understanding of what "placing a macroscopic object into a state of quantum superposition" means (I certainly don't!) to follow the plot. (Side note: Personally, I'm fascinated by theoretical physics and theories like string theory and M-theory. If you like the physics aspects of Dark Matter and want to learn more, I highly recommend looking into the nonfiction physics books by Dr. Michio Kaku – I read his Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel on a whim years ago and loved it, which is how my interest in theoretical physics began. Dr. Kaku is even mentioned in the closing acknowledgments of Dark Matter). The twists and turns in Dark Matter took me to unexpected places and kept me guessing right up until the final pages. (People say that about books pretty frequently, but I really mean it this time!) In conclusion, I'll leave you with a quote from the book that rather sums up the entire novel: "A terrifying spin on the Prisoner's Dilemma that asks, Is it possible to outthink yourself?"

‘Dark Matter’ turned out to live up to all the hype I’ve been hearing. Although I was starting to doubt the great reviews I’d read because it takes half of the novel for things to get heated up, but when they do, it takes off in a fiery blast. The protagonist, Jason, was the type of character that took me a while to warm up to. I guess because he flailed about so much. Reacting to the bizarre. But what else could he do? There was so much of it thrown at him in the first half that we didn't get to know him. It wasn't until his strength and hope started to get tested (along with his sanity) that I started to connect with him. Amanda, fellow traveler, I felt could have been more poignant to the story – she added some psychologist wisdom as to the psyche and the multiverse, and even about the impact of facing infinity... I feel there was a missed opportunity to drive home a point at the heart of this novel - fear, inevitability and infinitesimally small nature of things. Mind blown. Instead she felt more or less like a non-event. With enjoying her take on the situation I wanted more of her in the story than we got. Jason’s wife and son really make the narrative with their added perspective. And it's needed because this novel gets hella cray-cray. You’ll understand when you read it. ‘Dark Matter’ got waaay better after the half way mark, as I mentioned earlier, getting to know Jason, and setting up the premise of the science behind ‘Dark Matter’ takes a while. But once you get past that hump it is extremely engaging - I stayed up late to finish it. The tension and pacing were expertly crafted. I had difficulty with any predictions on how it was going to turn out- the nature of the science and the bleak tone of the novel just leaves you with a feeling of despondency. Why? And it's a marvelous experience to be kept on the edge of your seat. Bravo Blake Crouch! It still only feels like we've scratched the surface too - that's how massive the concept to this novel is. I think I sat there staring off into space for a while after finishing, trying to take it all in. ‘Dark Matter’ has a brilliant ending. Very satisfying. Highly entertaining. I'd been told it was great, and it certainly did not disappoint. There is even a little moral lesson from Jason’s wife that I thought added something extra. There is something distinctly masculine and dry about Blake’s writing style – I found myself frequently putting this book down for a rest. The story is certainly amazing, action packed, and science nerd porn. Chock full of all the elements I love in a story, but there was something about the narrative which didn’t grab me straight away when I started reading ‘Dark Matter.’ Definitely recommend it though, especially if you like your more obtuse science fiction references.

Dark Matter combina ficção científica, suspense e romance na mesma história. O que achei mais legal é como o autor aborda os multiversos fazendo uma reflexão com as escolhas que fazemos na vida. Único ponto negativo é que do meio para frente o livro parece que caminha “com pressa” para um desfecho e algumas coisas não são muito bem explicadas. No entanto, vale a leitura mesmo assim.

A PLOT TWISTING must read ! An exceptional book with amazing twists. I loved the starting and thought this was a normal science-fiction… but after reading half of the book I was thrilled with the twists. I completed reading this book in 3 days only! The first half of the book did not kept me that hooked, but when reading the other half of the book, I was hooked all the time, can’t keep it down. If you’re looking for a science-fiction, fast-paced book; go for it! I purchased another popular book of Blake Crouch (Recursion) as soon as I completed reading this one cause I heard it’s a science-fiction too! Definitely gonna write a review for that one too. Thanks.

WOOOOW! How should I start? This was one of the best books I have read this year and probably in my life, I was completely hooked from page 13 and it's been non-stop ever since. ❤️ With a very dynamic rhythm, this story captivates you, makes you dream and makes you wonder many things; how shocking would it be meeting different versions of yourself?! I highly recomend it for several reasons: a unique story, the characters make you feel different emotions, I find the ideal of the multiverse fascinating and not too far from reality... I'm pretty sure this story won't be forgotten for a long time

Een leuk idee dat prima is uitgevoerd, was mijn gedachte tot vlak op het einde. Maar dan volgt er een twist die ik niet zag aankomen maar toch zo slim is dat het hele verhaal opeens een extra diepte krijgt. Sowieso is Crouch wel goed in net voldoende spanning toevoegen zodat je verder wilt, dus het boek leest lekker weg. Aanrader.

A fast-paced science fiction thriller, proposing a multi-verse with alternate realities. Surprising plot twists are abundant. I enjoyed the provocative themes regarding life choices: career or family; stay or go. Stick with the devil you know, or gamble with the devil you don’t? I look forward to the TV adaptation in 2024.