Other meanings of Dark matter
Novel
Dark Matter is a 2016 science-fiction thriller novel by American author Blake Crouch. It follows Jason Dessen, a physics professor who is abducted and thrust into a multiverse of alternate realities, forcing him to confront the choices he made and the lives he could have led.
Jason Dessen, a college physics professor in Chicago, lives a contented life with his wife Daniela and teenage son Charlie. One night, after celebrating his friend's achievements, he is abducted by a masked man and injected with a drug. He wakes up in a world where he is a celebrated genius who has achieved the breakthrough in quantum superposition that he had abandoned years earlier. This alternate Jason, who has built a device that allows travel between parallel universes, has kidnapped the original Jason to force him to swap lives. Jason must navigate a labyrinth of realities, each a variation of his own life, to find his way back to his family.
The novel explores the theme of regret and the 'road not taken,' as Jason confronts versions of himself that made different choices. It also examines the nature of identity and consciousness, questioning what defines a person when infinite copies exist. The multiverse concept is grounded in the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, which Crouch researched to lend scientific plausibility. The narrative also touches on the ethics of scientific ambition, as the alternate Jason's obsession with his work leads him to sacrifice his family life.
Dark Matter received positive reviews, with critics praising its fast-paced plot and emotional core. It became a bestseller and was nominated for the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction. In 2024, Apple TV+ released a television adaptation starring Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen, which expanded the story over nine episodes. The series was well-received, with a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 83%. The novel has been translated into over 30 languages.
Crouch has stated that the idea for the novel came from a personal fear of losing his family, and he wrote the first draft in a burst of creative energy. The book's title is a reference to the unseen substance that makes up most of the universe, paralleling the hidden lives Jason could have lived. A notable detail is that the character of Charlie, Jason's son, is a nod to Crouch's own son. The novel's structure, with its shifting realities, was influenced by the film 'Sliding Doors' and the works of Philip K. Dick. Additionally, the book includes a cameo by a character named 'Leighton Vance,' a reference to Crouch's friend and fellow author.
This article is about the 2016 novel by Blake Crouch. For the physical concept, see Dark matter.
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