Scan barcode
A review by kris_mccracken
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
4.0
"Dark Matter" follows the surreal journey of Jason Dessen, whose ordinary life as a physics professor takes a sharp turn into the extraordinary when a mysterious assault leaves him stranded in an unfamiliar version of reality. The premise hooks you from the first chapter, combining classic sci-fi elements with a deeply personal story of identity and choice. It's a mind-bending tale that grapples with the slippery nature of reality, the allure of roads not taken, and the disquieting notion that the life you cherish can be shattered and rearranged in the blink of an eye.
The narrative moves at speed, and the book reads as an extended chase sequence as Jason navigates one escape after another. The relentless pacing creates a sense of urgency that keeps you glued to the pages, even when the plot careens perilously close to implausibility. This is high-concept storytelling at its most frenetic, and while the velocity is exhilarating, it does at times verge on the freneticism of a fever dream.
The middle section shines brightest, where Jason and Amanda's exploration of parallel worlds showcases Crouch's imaginative prowess. While some worlds lean into spectacular disaster, the most unsettling are those that feel almost right, where the subtle wrongness of familiar spaces creates a deeper psychological unease than any apocalyptic scenario could.
Crouch uses Schrödinger's famous thought experiment as a launching pad into the wider implications of quantum mechanics and parallel universes. Rather than exploring theoretical physics, the story propels us through these concepts at warp speed, sacrificing deeper philosophical exploration for momentum.
"Dark Matter" favours exhilaration over rumination. It's a visceral experience that dazzles with its audacity, even if it doesn't quite satisfy one's deeper philosophical needs. Stikk, the emotional undercurrent of Jason's quest, his yearning to reclaim a life that is slipping like sand through his fingers, grounds the story.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
The narrative moves at speed, and the book reads as an extended chase sequence as Jason navigates one escape after another. The relentless pacing creates a sense of urgency that keeps you glued to the pages, even when the plot careens perilously close to implausibility. This is high-concept storytelling at its most frenetic, and while the velocity is exhilarating, it does at times verge on the freneticism of a fever dream.
The middle section shines brightest, where Jason and Amanda's exploration of parallel worlds showcases Crouch's imaginative prowess. While some worlds lean into spectacular disaster, the most unsettling are those that feel almost right, where the subtle wrongness of familiar spaces creates a deeper psychological unease than any apocalyptic scenario could.
Crouch uses Schrödinger's famous thought experiment as a launching pad into the wider implications of quantum mechanics and parallel universes. Rather than exploring theoretical physics, the story propels us through these concepts at warp speed, sacrificing deeper philosophical exploration for momentum.
"Dark Matter" favours exhilaration over rumination. It's a visceral experience that dazzles with its audacity, even if it doesn't quite satisfy one's deeper philosophical needs. Stikk, the emotional undercurrent of Jason's quest, his yearning to reclaim a life that is slipping like sand through his fingers, grounds the story.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2