Dark Matter

“Until everything topples, we have no idea what we actually have, how precariously and perfectly it all hangs together.”

“It’s like we get so set in our ways, so entrenched in those grooves, we stop seeing our loved ones for who they are."

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

My thoughts on Review spoilers, and ratings may be relevant before you venture below the spoiler line. Click the [Back] button there to return here if you take a look. Review 800± words

My Rating:

I recommend this interesting character driven 3.5-star science fiction quasi-quest novel where our protagonist and antagonist is Jason Dessen. Jason is not just Jason. (Yes, sounds confusing. Read it & it's not confusing.)

Our protagonist Jason has chosen a road less traveled. He could have been somebody. Awards, accolades, admiration of his professional peers. No one doubted that Jason was brilliant and likely would fast track to the top. Even Jason knew it and in rare moments regretted it.

Instead of fame and fortune, he chose instead, Danielia and his son Charlie. Rather than winning fantastic awards, being admired as the best among his profession, he chose family nights, wine, and warm fires on cold nights. He'll wash, Danielia can dry the dishes.

What Blake Crouch does in Dark Matter is peek behind this veil we think of as reality.

Generally: --- Possible Spoiler Line ---
There has long been a hypothesis that everything that can happen, has happened. In this theory, every time anyone makes a life altering choice, a new universe is born. Each choice opens a door in a maze of universes.

When our antagonist Jason Dessen kidnaps our protagonist Jason Dessen, and via his breakthrough invention, "trades places" with him(self), he entirely breaks our protagonist Jason Dessen.

Our protagonist Jason's understanding of identity is shattered—he is one facet of an infinitely faceted being called Jason Dessen who has made every possible choice and lived every life imaginable. (Yes, sounds confusing. Read it & it's not confusing.)

My Notable Notes:
Man is kidnapped, taken to warehouse, humiliated, injected with "unknown". He wakes up confused and in the process of being rescued. When he goes home, no one he loves lives there... (Due to conversation during the kidnapping it may be similar to"The Family Man" in the way that he's transported into "what could have been".

Quote: “I can’t help thinking that we’re more than the sum total of our choices, that all the paths we might have taken factor somehow into the math of our identity.”

I scrapped my draft review after a day of simmering and thinking that, in a big way, this novel is not about science fiction. It is more about love and passion. For Danellia and Charlie, and for a brilliant successful career.

And about regrets.

Likes and Dislikes:
I'd think, "You're stretching my ability to suspend disbelief." Then think, "No... the reality of possibilities are scary enough that I don't want to think about it." This novel will likely cause you some thinking... during and after reading it.

On the negative ledger, this novel is so focused on "regrets" it nearly becomes annoying. That may be unique to me. I have plenty of things in my life I could regret, but I've always made it a point to recognize "decision points" and vow not to regret the decision that will cause me some regret. Like Jason, my only nagging regrets, which are rare, is about a love I had and lost.

The Technical: About the writing critique?
I thought it started too slow for too long, then when it picked up, it became bumpy, wordy, and repetitive. On the brighter side of the repetitive issue, that's sort of the point. Things are cyclic and infinity is a long time to keep doing the same thing while expecting different results.

A minor character who becomes a rather major character just vanishes. When you write from a first person point of view this can become unavoidable and creates unresolved issues the reader wants closure about.

Interesting (to me) is that the story is entirely from Jason's point of view, so you're inside Jason completely. But the book is really about Danellia and Charile.

Conclusion
If you like Blake, this genre, or character driven suspense stories, you'll not think your time was wasted reading this book.

I can't say this is a boring book. I literally missed a turn off on the freeway because I was so involved in the book. I did continue reading when I absolutely should have attended more important things. So, an exciting book I didn't actually "feel" very excited about. I could rant about feelings. I'll spare you.

I want to say I liked Recursion by Mr. Crouch better. I had just finished Quantum Lens by Douglas E. Richards. I intended to read Les Miserables next. I read Recursion instead. I thought it was some weird sign as they seemed to be the same book written off of the same vague outline that the Collective Consciousness assigned to two different authors.

Just the idea that I "accidentally" read two very similar books in a row, increased my "wow" factor with Recursion.

Read on: Apr 4, 7, 2021
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Author: Blake Crouch
Narrator: Jon Lindstrom
E-book/Audiobook Retailer: Dark Matter Retail Sales Links 15 Chapters, 354 pages
Audiobook Runtime: 08:12:51