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Dark Matter: A Novel
Unavailable
Dark Matter: A Novel
Unavailable
Dark Matter: A Novel
Audiobook10 hours

Dark Matter: A Novel

Written by Blake Crouch

Narrated by Jon Lindstrom

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy

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"Are you happy with your life?"

 
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
 
Before a man Jason'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.
 
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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 26, 2016
ISBN9781101924488
Unavailable
Dark Matter: A Novel
Author

Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His novels include the New York Times bestseller Dark Matter, and the international bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, which was adapted into a television series for FOX. Crouch also co-created the TNT show Good Behavior, based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He lives in Colorado.

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Reviews for Dark Matter

Rating: 4.060441758393574 out of 5 stars
4/5

2,490 ratings308 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is a great concept, and the conclusion mind-blowing. I did not see it coming. The book reminded me of Replay by Ken Grimwood. I wish another author wrote the book. The character development and action scenes just didn't do it for me. I could place myself in the lead character's situation, but the writing didn't make it enjoyable. Too bad. Good candiate for the 'Not recommended but want similar novels' collection I have, but seldom use.2,277 members; 4.01 average rating; 5/20/2019
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story is inventive and well thought out. At times is gets a little too melodramatic, but overall its very gripping and suspenseful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Much better than I expected, especially the last hundred pages. Fun read, would make a very good movie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you read the Pines book by Crouch, you will be familiar with his "dark tone" in this one. And the way he adds a "twist" that changes the nature of the story.I actually quite liked it. I didn't think too deeply about the plausibility (it is science fiction, for sure) and just went with the story. It does make one appreciate how one decision *could* alter your entire life path. Is it good? Or bad? Or just different? We can never know, but this book does explore this.Suspend your disbelief. Go for the ride. It might make you think differently about that coffee date you turned down 15 years ago.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Are you happy with your life?" These are the last words of Jason Dessen, a college physics professor, before he is abducted and knocked unconscious. He wakes to a world where his wife is not his wife and his son was never born. How can Jason make it back to the family he loves? This sci-fi thriller is about choices, paths not taken and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of. Even though sci-fi is not my normal genre, this book made me think and was a bit of a mind-bender. It is well written and the characters felt real. I found the theory of quantum mechanics fascinating. I look forward to reading his next book and I would highly recommend this to those who love sci-fi mystery thrillers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If nothing else, this novel gets high marks from me because of how unbelievably addictive it was. On a week night, with an early wake up time the next day, I was still reading with my heart pounding in my chest at 2am refusing to quit this puppy until I was finished. Even though I’ve known about the author’s Wayward Pines series years now, I’ve never read it nor have I watched the TV show based on it. But if those books are anything like Dark Matter, I just might have to go check them out now because Mr. Crouch has a new fan.But first, how to describe Dark Matter? This is definitely one of those “the less you know going in, the better” kind of novels. It’s enough to say that I was hooked from the first page, and the story’s premise was both intriguing and a punch in the gut. Imagine yourself in protagonist Jason Dessen’s shoes. It’s family night. Jason’s heading out to see a friend, then to pick up some ice cream from the store for his wife and son. All of a sudden, a masked man comes out of nowhere, brandishing a gun and threatening to kill Jason unless he does exactly as he’s told. The abductor makes him take them to an isolated area, then knocks him out by injecting him with some kind of drug. The next thing Jason knows he’s waking up strapped to a gurney, in a sterile room, surrounded by people he’s never met. And it’s the weirdest thing, but all these strangers seem to have been expecting him.Then Jason returns to his house and discovers everything about it is different. He was never married to his wife. They never had a son. He’s not a college professor, but an award winning physicist responsible for the biggest scientific breakthrough the world has ever known. Years ago, before he met his wife and became a dad, this was the life Jason always dreamed of, but now, alone in a world he doesn’t recognize, all he wants is his family back.This story was both thrilling and terrifying. Its premise reminded me so much of a recurring nightmare I still have sometimes, in which find myself waking up in the crappy old apartment I had in college and learn that the last six or seven years never happened. The thought that my husband, my kids, my whole life since getting married could be all a dream is the most devastating feeling I could ever imagine, and I’m always filled with a breathless kind of relief when I wake up for real and get all my senses back. It’s probably no surprise then, that I felt an immediate connection to the main protagonist Jason Dessen. The opening scenario in this book really struck a chord with my deepest fears, and I found myself unable to tear my eyes away, wondering what might have happened to Jason, and hoping against hope that he will find the answers he seeks.Of course, we eventually find out the truth. But since it’ll be difficult to discuss this book further without spoiling, I’m just going to describe my experience with the rest of the story in the broadest of terms. The pacing was great, and other than just a slight slowdown in the middle, Dark Matter was pretty much perfect in its execution. Even in his darkest moments, Jason was a protagonist I found I could root for, because Crouch made it easy for me to sympathize with the character’s desperation and anguish. The best part of the book was probably the last section, with its incredible mind-bending twist. I know it’s a bit of a cliché to call a book “unputdownable”, but in this case, I really can’t think of a better way to describe the ending. Not even the late hour or the unpleasant prospect of spending the next day as a sleep-deprived zombie could stop me from devouring the last few chapters.It’s been a long time since a book has filled me so much excitement, or that amazing feeling of “Just one more page, just one more I swear…” This was simply fantastic. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, exhilarating read for the summer, look no further than Dark Matter, a flawless blend of science fiction, mystery, and thrilling suspense.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While returning home from a celebratory drink with an old student who has been awarded a prestigious science award, Jason Dessen is abducted and forced at gunpoint to drive to an abandoned warehouse by a masked assailant. Fearing the worst he is injected with a mystery substance and is surprised when he wakes up on a gurney surrounded by strange people he’s never met before but who all seem to know him. It soon becomes apparent that he has awoken in an alternate version of his world where instead of marrying his pregnant girlfriend and starting a family he chose to continue his scientific research instead. All he wants now is to return to the family he’s lost.This is a very readable and exciting thriller of the “what if…?” variety. Using quantum theory to gain access to a multiverse of your life where each choice you make creates a different version of you. What would you do if you have the chance to live a life that you could have had? The scientific principles are handled in a very accessible way and the story is driven on ramping the tension up as it goes until the final climactic scenes. Some decent action scenes also help to keep the pace at a speedy clip and you can tell that this as written with a movie adaptation in mind. But don’t let that put you off as it’s still a pretty good read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jason has a wonderful life with his wife and son--that is, until he is kidnapped on his way home from buying ice cream and finds himself in an unhinged situation. His profession as a physicist plays an integral part in the plot which involves alternate universes, all Chicago in the present, but the present is a different world in each one depending on different past histories. Jason is desperate to return to the life he has left behind, but it seems there are infinite portals with slim chances of choosing the right one. The tension builds at the end when it turns out that many versions of Jason exist, all as eager to get "home."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I do not read Science Fiction very often, and when I began this book I didn't realize it was Science Fiction, but I did enjoy the book for the most part.

    Jason Dessen is a physics professor at a small college. He is married to a beautiful woman Daniela (Dani) and has a teenage son, Charle. One night, on the way home from a celebration with a friend at the local bar, Jason is abducted. He is forced into a SUV at gunpoint, Jason is and told to drive to an old, abandoned powerplant. After being told to strip, he is forced to the basement of the building where he is given different clothes to put on followed by an injection. When he wakes up, he is no longer in the powerplant. He is no longer in his own world, he is in a secret scientific laboratory where he is not married, does not have a child and apparently invented a box, that enables you to visit alternative worlds. You do not go forward or backward in time, just to another alternate world of the same place where you entered the box. In the alternate world he is in, Jason didn't marry Daniela, but stayed in academia and perfected his thesis until it became possible. He wants to return home to Daniela and Charlie but there is a problem. This infinite universe is filled with forks in the road with each fork leading to a different life for Jason Dessen. With a limitless number of paths, how does Jason find the path to lead him back home?

    I got sucked into this story right from the start. I wanted to know what was going to happen and how would Jason get back home. The multiple lives he visited were amazing, some sad, some scary and some boring. Towards the end it went a little off the rails, but it is Science Fiction. It makes you think about your own life and what it would be like if you had made different choices along the way. As I said in the beginning, I am not a Sci-Fi reader so that is why I gave it 4 stars, but I am sure if that is your genre or choice, you would have given it 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Smart and mind-bendy... I knew early on what was going on, but I still had no idea what was going to happen next. Love the play with different times.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    W-O-W!

    I have absolutely no idea how he came up with this -- but I'm oh so glad he did!!
    This was a fabulous "Wait-what???" kind of book! Brilliant!! It gets deep into your mind and dreams. You feel yourself start at that once harmless thoughts of "what might have been."

    ...are you happy with your life?? :-)

    Bravo!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Will probably review shortly but, shortly, there's very interesting theory bolstering this story and it's made me want to dive into the nearest physics book.

    I have a vision of a fun Game Theory professor chuckling as he recommends this book to his students who've asked for an edge or some extra reading.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nicely written and paced, and bleakly twisted in a very satisfying way. Wasn't sure what to expect, but enjoyed it a lot. Has some nice things to say about determinism, and always nice to see a book where the protagonist is also the antagonist! Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    That was interesting. Now I'm gonna second guess every decision for next week.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I tell people that this novel is my worst sci-fi nightmare come to life.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good fun. "It's a wonderful life" meets quantum physics. alternate universes ensue. There was a lot of fuss about this book when it came out. I really did enjoy it but I also didn't quite get the superlatives being thrown around about the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The start of the book is a bit slow, especially if you've heard spoilers about the central concept, but the second half really sizzles as the author plays around with the ramifications of the concept. This would be a really good episode of Black Mirror or Twilight Zone. As I read, I got stuck on imagining Steven Yeun (Glenn from Walking Dead) playing the lead.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I so enjoyed this book! I could not put it down. I have often wondered about alternative universes going at the same time as the one I am in. This book gave me the chills on some of the ideas. What if? Another friend of mine is listening on audio and is really enjoying it as well. Very good modern Sci Fi.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My brain feels a bit scrambled. The idea behind this book scares the crap out of me. The story line with its twist and turns kept me on the edge the entire time wanting to know what was next. I did find myself worrying that there were not enough pages left to give me the kind of resolution and ending I was looking for. I do feel the end was rushed and it didn't completely answer all my questions, but maybe there is another book to come. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not badly written, but having a story set in the multiverse brings so many possible complications, that it's difficult for every details to be completely logic.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dark Matter by Blake Crouch should come with it’s own seat belt. It’s a fun, fast and slightly bumpy story about an atomic physicist named Jason Dessen. Jason has settled for his job as a professor at a small college and a quiet life with his beautiful wife, Daniela and teenage son, Charlie. But what might have he become if he had dedicated his life to his science? One night as he goes out for ice cream, he is kidnapped, drugged and wakes up in another world. He is mistaken for another Jason, one that stayed with science and developed his theory of quantum superposition that allows him to jump through space into an infinite number of universes. All Jason wants to do is get back home to his family but instead he finds himself embarked on a nightmare journey to different versions of Chicago many peopled with variations of himself, Daniela and Charlie. When he does manage to land in his world his ordeal is far from over, not only does he have to deal with the scientist Jason who has taken over his life, he also finds a variety of other Jasons who have the same goal.Dark Matter is a thriller that relishes it’s silliness. The author is obviously having a lot of fun with the science, from his Schrodinger’s Cat Experiment to the mysterious psychoactive compound that is used to bounce people around. What did strike me was the love Jason had for his wife and son, this centered the story and gave it a ring of truth. It is also obvious that this story is meant for the big screen as much of the book reads like stage settings and directions. Clever, twisty, and gleeful, Dark Matter grabs the reader and send them on a speedy thrill ride.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wowza. That was some book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Total page turner, read this in about 5 hours. Cannot wait to see the movie! If you like science fiction and fast paced action, pick this up! So far my favorite book of the year, not sure if anything will top it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Holy shit. Intense, original and mind-blowing. Read it in less than 24 hours.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    a fun book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is fitting, considering the content: this book is an alt-universe version of Version Control that's pegged as a summer blockbuster instead of an indie mindbender. Or maybe it's the other way around.Crouch sets the pace early on and pulls off a couple of massive reversals-of-fortune for our hero, and he even delivers a humdinger of a final problem... but the book's early bravado wears after a while and the ending is more of "I guess this has to end somehow..." and less of anything earned or logical. And the science, while fascinating and exciting and initially well-presented, always turns into a plot device instead of the plot working to the science.Still, it's a hell of a ride. I'd been looking for a good ol' page-turner and I ripped through this in a long afternoon in the park, not because I was reading fast but because the book just goes that way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Blake does it again. This thriller has plenty of twists and turns, each unpredictable. The concept of quantum superposition is interesting thought provoking. This is a thriller that is hard to put down.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I typically do not read and enjoy the sci-fi genre, but I loved the Wayward Pines series, so thought I'd give this book a try, and I'm so glad I did! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and was entranced from the beginning. This book didn't slow down at all and was so full of twists and turns in so many directions. This book comes with the highest recommendations for anyone with any taste at all! Well done!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was intense! I'm not a big sci-fi fan, however this had so many twists and turns and read more like a thriller than science, I was captivated. It was almost scary to read that there might be parallel universes, alternate realities, and versions of ourselves trying to kill our other selves. Perhaps one day we might meet our smarter, happier selves and ask if we want to trade lives, not knowing what's out there and all we have to do is open a door. Looking forward to more of this author.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dark Matter is an intense psychological science fiction thriller that you will not be able to put down. With plenty of suspense that will keep you reading into the wee hours you will devour this book. Jason is a normal married man and father where one day his life is turned upside down and inside out. Blake Crouch draws you into this story and doesn't let up until the very last page. With a topic that almost seems a little crazy but at the same time it makes you wonder it definitely makes for a great story.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Blake Crouch for the opportunity to read this novel.