Darkish Matter: A Novel
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A “mind-blowing” (Leisure Weekly) speculative thriller about an odd man who awakens in a world inexplicably completely different from the fact he thought he knew—from the writer of Improve, Recursion, and the Wayward Pines trilogy
“Are you cheerful together with your life?”
These are the final phrases Jason Dessen hears earlier than the kidnapper knocks him unconscious.
Earlier than he awakens to seek out himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat fits.
Earlier than a person he’s by no means met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome again, my good friend.”
On this world he’s woken as much as, Jason’s life isn’t the one he is aware of. His spouse isn’t his spouse. His son was by no means born. And Jason isn’t an odd school professor however a celebrated genius who has achieved one thing outstanding. One thing unimaginable.
Is it this life or the opposite that’s the dream? And even when the house he remembers is actual, how will Jason make it again to the household he loves?
From the bestselling writer Blake Crouch, Darkish Matter is a mind-bending thriller about selections, paths not taken, and the way far we’ll go to assert the lives we dream of.
From the Writer
A Dialog with Blake Crouch writer of DARK MATTER
Q. In your individual phrases, are you able to introduce readers to the premise of Darkish Matter?
A. An excellent physicist named Jason Dessen resides in Chicago along with his spouse, Daniela, and son, Charlie. He’s a real genius, and whereas there was a degree in his late twenties when his analysis might have made him a star in his discipline, he as a substitute selected a family-focused life. One night time, whereas strolling house, he’s kidnapped by a mysterious masked man and injected with a drug. When he subsequent awakes, his world has fully modified. He’s not married, doesn’t have a son, and has achieved skilled success past his wildest desires. This units him on an exhilarating, mysterious, and at instances terrifying journey to study what has occurred to him, and to seek out his manner house to the individuals and the life he loves.
Q. The place did the thought for the novel originate?
A. For the final decade, I’ve wished to jot down a narrative that hinges on quantum mechanics. I attempted a number of instances to jot down a model of Darkish Matter – moving into Spoiler Territory Right here. Three completely different story strains had been teasing me, and I’d tried and failed to jot down all of them individually. One story line concerned the field. One other concerned the thought of assembly your self. And the final was a couple of man being hopelessly misplaced in time. The novelist Marcus Sakey is certainly one of my good pals, and we at all times meet up on the inception stage of a brand new guide to pressure-check one another on our concepts. Whereas we have been in Chicago two years in the past, I used to be pitching every of those concepts to him individually when it occurred to me they have been really all a part of the identical story. They out of the blue clicked collectively, like puzzle items, and I used to be off and operating. I discover the writing course of endlessly mysterious and great.
Q. Hundreds of thousands of readers will acknowledge you because the writer of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy and on your suspense novels and quick tales. Darkish Matter is a brand new path for you. Are you able to inform us a bit about what sparked the change?
A. In a manner, Darkish Matter could be very very like the Wayward Pines trilogy in that it’s a thriller with a spine of speculative science. However with this guide, I wished to push myself to do one thing greater and higher than I’d ever written earlier than. The story opens up a lot sooner than Wayward Pines and is bigger in scope — about as massive because it’s doable to get, actually, on condition that it takes place (Spoilers Forward!) within the multiverse. And the quantum-mechanics underpinning for the premise was an enormous problem to deal with. Attempting to grasp that science, even on a primary stage — not to mention incorporate it right into a story with out dragging the narrative down into incomprehensibility — appeared so daunting. However I knew that if I pulled it off, it could let me play with some actually huge concepts about our day-to-day existence and the alternatives we make that hang-out us. It allowed me to construct a extremely cool, far-out thriller plot round themes that felt very grounded and significant to me.
Q. Darkish Matter is grounded in very actual scientific idea and rules — quantum mechanics, superposition, and so forth. How did you go about weaving the science so seamlessly into the narrative and making it comprehensible to a lay viewers?
A. I hope it’s seamless, thanks! I’m undoubtedly not a physicist. In actual fact, I took as few science and math programs as I presumably might on my strategy to my English diploma on the College of North Carolina. If the science is comprehensible to a lay viewers, it’s as a result of I’m a lay viewers. To arrange, I learn a ton of books on the topic and pulled out the weather of quantum mechanics that intrigued me — and that I might really comprehend. Some of the fascinating issues I stumbled throughout was a Ted Speak by Aaron O’Connell entitled “Making Sense of a Seen Quantum Object.” In contrast to most materials on quantum mechanics, which focuses on subatomic matter and may really feel very summary, O’Connell’s speak is about how quantum mechanics would possibly really be at work on the macro stage. At our stage. And what which may suggest concerning the world round us. His presentation (which is brief and simply findable on YouTube) is price viewing.
When the guide was performed, I employed an excellent professor from USC named Clifford Johnson to learn the manuscript and ensure I hadn’t gone too far off the rails. That is speculative fiction, and there’s nonetheless a sure leap the reader needs to be keen to make, however I wished to current the ideas behind the story with as a lot accuracy as I might.
Q. Do you your self imagine there may very well be different Blakes on the market residing in alternate realities?
A. In accordance with the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, each alternative we make and each occasion that impacts us actually does trigger actuality to department into alternate timelines. So, as loopy because the idea sounds — positive, it’s completely doable. The thought of various variations of myself residing completely different lives, with completely different careers, spouses, youngsters, and so forth., was really my principal inspiration for scripting this guide.
Q. For those who had the prospect to enter “the field” and discover parallel universes, would you?
A. By no means! I can’t think about a extra harmful place to be. The possibilities of discovering one other world like ours are unimaginably slim. The chances of stepping right into a world of smash and worry and destruction are large.
Q. Whereas Darkish Matter actually has parts of science fiction and is a vivid suspense thriller, themes of affection and household additionally appear to be on the coronary heart of the story. Would you say that’s a good evaluation?
A. Completely. Darkish Matter is a thriller, after all, nevertheless it’s additionally the primary love story I’ve ever written, and I labored arduous to strike a steadiness amongst thrills, science fiction, and real emotion. To me, it’s the love and household parts that make up the beating coronary heart of Darkish Matter.
Q. Daniela’s character can also be important to not solely the plot of the novel however to the tone and emotional really feel. What was the inspiration behind her character?
A. With Daniela, I wished to discover the flip aspect of Jason’s expertise. What would it not be like to fulfill one other model of your partner? What in the event that they have been married to another person or labored a unique job otherwise you two had by no means met? Would there nonetheless be a flicker of electrical energy? Would there be some recognition? Would the depth of your relationship in your world bleed over, on some small stage, into others?
Q. Do you see any of your self in your characters?
A. Very a lot so. It by no means actually happens to me till I’ve completed a guide, however all of my novels are in the end remedy and reflective of what I’m coping with personally in the course of the writing. The previous few years have been insanely busy for me on the skilled entrance, and I usually really feel the stress between me the author and me the daddy and husband. The pull of each worlds. It’s not so simple as both/or, however every single day we make selections concerning the individual we wish to be, the life we wish to have. So Jason’s story hits near house, as a result of I really feel like I’ve been wrestling currently with the identical push and pull between household and profession, and looking for that steadiness.
Q. Talking of being busy, along with being a novelist, you’re at present adapting the screenplay of Darkish Matter for Sony, producing for the Wayward Pines TV sequence on FOX, and writing/producing Good Conduct, a brand new TV sequence (based mostly on one other of your novels), for TNT. How can you transfer so fluently throughout mediums? And the way do you discover the time?
A. I view myself primarily as a novelist, however I like the method of taking a guide and turning it into movie and tv. The mediums are fairly completely different, nevertheless it’s all about story construction on the finish of the day. The movie/TV enterprise lights up the extroverted a part of my character, whereas the novel writing very a lot speaks to my introverted self.
Time is turning into a difficulty, as a result of I by no means imagined I’d be fortunate sufficient to have two TV reveals going into manufacturing concurrently and this script adaptation of Darkish Matter to cope with. As a lot as I’m having fun with it, I additionally discover myself getting increasingly more enthusiastic about that second after I get to return to the fundamentals of being a novelist and work out my subsequent guide. The brainstorming technique of a brand new novel is my favourite a part of writing. All potential and chance.
Q. You’re initially from North Carolina and spend quite a lot of time in New York and Los Angeles on your movie and TV work, however you reside in Durango, Colorado. What drew you there?
A. I moved to Durango out of school, sight unseen, as a result of I like every part concerning the West. The wide-open area. The historical past. The mentality. Rain curtains over the desert. How a lot deeper and extra rattling thunder sounds versus in all places else. Sage brush. Mountains. Desert. Snow. However most essential, a serene, contemplative place to jot down.
Writer : Random Home Publishing Group; Reprint version (Might 2, 2017)
Language : English
Paperback : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 1101904240
ISBN-13 : 978-1101904244
Merchandise Weight : 2.31 kilos
Dimensions : 5.18 x 0.8 x 7.95 inches
Prospects say
Prospects discover the story superior, fascinating, and admirable. They describe the guide as suspenseful, intriguing, and mind-bending. Readers reward the writing high quality as simple, well-written, and gifted. They point out the premise is attention-grabbing, the ideas are wonderful, and the guide is thought-provoking. Additionally they say the characters are well-developed and sympathetic.
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10 reviews for Darkish Matter: A Novel
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Original price was: $18.00.$9.16Current price is: $9.16.
Amazon Customer –
Truly excellent, Blake Crouch is a virtuoso of the genre.
DARK MATTER by Blake CrouchLoved this book.I know Iâm late to the party on this, but DARK MATTER is simply excellent. Iâm not typically a reader of science fiction, but that is the beauty of âspeculativeâ⦠it rides the edge of science, but ultimately is merely the backdrop, the setting for a deeply human story. Masterfully crafted with sustained, compelling conflict that grabs you, pulls you in and never lets you go until the final page. Even then, you will be left wanting to know what happens next. The characters are nuanced and all too human. And that is the core of this, the journey of a man trying to get back to the wife and son, to the life he loves.Rather than risk spoiling the story. Read it. Even if you know the essence of the plot, you wonât be prepared for the emotional journey youâre about to embark on.Truly excellent, Blake Crouch is a virtuoso of the genre. Rich, deep, complicated, and balanced by a heroâs journey that will touch your heart. Loved it.
Siddhesh Dabholkar –
Jason!!!
The title of this novel, Dark Matter, gives you very little insight into the subject matter (‘heh’) of the novel, but fills you with intrigue. That intrigue follows you through the novel, always keeping you on edge for what is to follow. I didn’t know what this novel had in store for me, and to be honest, you shouldn’t either. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect novel by any means– some characters fall to the wayside, never to be seen again, some plotlines left open, never to be resolved. But that’s the point– the novel follows a focused story, and the protagonist, Jason, has a goal that he won’t give up. That’s all I can say without spoiling the plot.SPOILERS FOLLOW AFTER THIS POINT.-When I look back on the story, I kind of think of Fallout 3 (and other Bethesda games), if the character wanted to find his father no matter what– glancing over the other subquests he could’ve taken but sticking to his main quest. Jason (9?) is kinda like that, and I understand why. His motivations, as well as Jason2’s’ are clear. They both want Daniela and Charlie. They’re willing to do whatever to get to that point. That makes sense, but this platform of the box and the ampoules that allow a person to go between different parallel universes just opens up so many ideas and so many questions that the book can’t take advantage of. The book rushes through many of the universes, giving you a taste of what “could have been” but never really fleshing them out. Look, I get why– the character rushing through the universes makes sense– he has a sense of urgency (because he has limited ampoules, and maybe limited time) because he wants to get back to his world. The plot is focused and tight.But therein lies the problem. This story maybe shouldn’t have been this focused. It plays more like a movie that needs to get the plot wrapped up in like 2 hours. I dunno. Maybe it would’ve worked if it was longer and the author explored the other universes more, or maybe not. But in its current state, it leaves you wanting more. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would definitely like to see some more world-building and exploring in a sequel (if there ever happens to be one).The tightly focused story also sacrifices some characters that were so very interesting. The cocky friend of Jason’s in the beginning. Amanda comes to mind as being pretty much abandoned towards the middle. It’s almost like the author didn’t want to deal with a love triangle later on in the novel if Amanda and Dani had to meet. But then why even introduce her? Why not have her die saving Jason right before Jason gets in the box and uses the ampoules for the first time? I feel like Crouch really wanted to do something bigger with Amanda, but realized how difficult it would be, especially when the other numbered Jasons come into play when Jason gets back into his world. I feel like keeping Amanda around would’ve been less tragic– the other Jasons could end up with their Amanda when they realize that they can’t all be with Dani.I liked how the other Jasons came into play later on in the novel. But man was it confusing to grasp at first, especially when you only have the UberChat conversation to pull from.–Otherwise, I really did enjoy this novel. The brisk pace of the novel, despite my aforementioned qualms, makes it easy to continue reading. The author has a great way of explaining complicated ideas reasonably well– things like how the multiverse works in the story (using a box and many doors because that’s how the mind of humans can understand it), to the “uncanny valley” are explained quite well. That’s why it gets a four-star review. Most of the characters were well developed and likeable; I sympathized with the plight of Jason2, I understood Daniela’s uneasiness, etc. Not sure how I feel about the end– I like how they left it up to Charlie to decide which world they would go into (because at least a world with Charlie is a world where Jason and Daniela came together), but I’m unsure if heading into a different universe is really that different from going on the run. It’s also a whole lot more dangerous. But at least it makes sense. I guess that’s what I can say about the whole novel– every critical decision, from Jason asking Amanda to not be so close to him on the bed (“I don’t want you to. But I need you to”), to more Jasons popping up in the main universe because of fragmentation in decisions in the box, makes sense.
Darren M. Reed –
An incredible, original, sci-fi masterpiece
I honestly could talk about this novel for hours and this would be an amazing book club book!What would you do if you woke up in a strange room after a traumatic event, amongst strangers, who knew you very well? Strangers who claim you work with but at the same time you did not trust. In fact, you canât even trust your reality or sanity? This mind-bending story is a page burnerâ¦The author does an amazing job detailing the complex nature of quantum physics and each character. The protagonist (Jason) is very like able and although he is a scientific genius he is very relatable.As I mentioned I could talk about this book for hours but I donât want to give too much away as this is best experienced without a lot of prior knowledge.Jason is a quantum physics professor. He had a very promising career as an experiential scientist with Grant funding. However, when he met the love of his life; Daniela, he gave it up to be a family man. In the beginning of the book, heâs a very happily married man and father. He works as a professor at a local college in Chicago.His college roommate is in town after receiving a prestigious scientific award. An award Jasonâs wife Daniela tells him he could have won. Jason decides to go to the bar to have a drink with his old roommate and friendâ¦While having drinks with his old roommate (Ryan) Jason is lambasted for giving up his career for a family. Frustrated, Jason gets up to leave and his life will never be the same.This book has found a way into my all-time top 10. It is a must read for lovers of suspense, thrillers, sci-fi and just plain excitement!!Minor SPOILER ALERT:While walking home from drinks with his friend, Ryan, Jason notices a man approaching rather fast, and before he has a chance to react, there is a gun in his face. The man is very forceful and threatening. He orders Jason to get in a nearby vehicle that has a pre-programmed GPS location and tells him to drive. Jason is scared for his life. The man is wearing a mask, but Jason feels like he knows the manâs voice, but cannot place it. The man has Jason drive them to a deserted warehouse region of the city, where he forces Jason to go to the basement by gunpoint. Once there the masked man, drugs, Jason, and apologizes for what heâs about to do. He seems kinder more empathetic all of a sudden and just states to Jason to just go with it. Jason then wakes up in a hanger into a world of strangers⦠This is where the novel gets mind-bending.I cannot promote this book enough. It is a must read!
sarah morrill –
unusual topic that is thrilling and mysterious
I got sucked into this odd sci-fi novel and it kept me interested and curious. Good descriptive scenes with high tension.
Swtmoka –
Gripping suspense!
Awesome read with lots of twists and turns. It pulled you in and didn’t let go! Can’t wait to watch the series!
Un libro hermoso, todas las descripciones te transportan a la escena que ocurre –
No lo he terminado de leer pero lo compré de 2da mano y venÃa en excelentes condiciones. Estoy feliz con mi compra
Igor D. –
Livro excelente do inicio ao fim.
Harsh –
If you love Sci-Fi novels and have a good grasp of Physics and scientific theories in general, then this book is a MUST READ ! I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I am an avid reader and I rarely find anything this interesting and deeply engaging. This book makes us look at our own lives differently⦠I cannot wait to explore more works of this author.
Sophia –
Such a great read!!! And such an incredible concept. To be able to go back inside a memory and change the outcome of the future. Loved every minute of it.
Christopher Barnard –
Loved it. Great concept. Quite well handled. Recommended.