Dark Matter

I've not read anything by Blake Crouch before. He writes in a clear and concise manner with few repeats and very little filler and I'm really impressed.

If you read the acknowledgements page and the final call out to his family - they are the most important people in his life. Dark Matter is a book about the importance of family bonds and love.

This romantic element may not be for everyone but I'm giving it five stars for its heart, depth and for reminding me of The Matrix and the playground fighting scene with (more me) Agent Smith.

It's not a perfect book. After 20% I figured out what what was going on, which made some of the action feel a little dry. Blake Crouch isn't the most accomplished action writer and occasionally rushes and jigsaws scenes together. There's a lack of pulse and grit in places.

What Blake Crouch does do exceptionally well is philosophise and make you think. His commitment to research and imaginative ideas are exceptional. Even though far-fetched and rather fantastical at times, no problems from me accepting Schrodinger's cat theories and other scientific implausibilities. I fully bought into it and that's the skill of a quality author.

I read this as the March 2024 group read for Horror Haven, but let's clarify a minor caveat! This is not horror but a mix of sci-fi and thriller with massive amounts of existentialism and philosophy thrown in.

Dark Matter is entertaining and thought provoking and what could have been a horrible hodgepodge of mish-mashed ideas turned into a really satisfying thriller.