Sci-fi is definitely not one of my favorite genres of books. However, I rented Dark Matter from the library a couple of years ago and loved it. I put in a Thriftbooks order a while ago and picked it up (along with Recursion). Finally made my way back around to reading it, and it was even better the second time.

The Story

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

It starts with a man in a mask kidnapping him at gunpoint, for reasons Jason can’t begin to fathom—what would anyone want with an ordinary physics professor?—and grows even more terrifying from there, as Jason’s abductor injects him with some unknown drug and watches while he loses consciousness.

When Jason awakes, he’s in a lab, strapped to a gurney—and a man he’s never seen before is cheerily telling him “welcome back!”

Jason soon learns that in this world he’s woken up to, his house is not his house. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born.

And someone is hunting him.

My Thoughts

Like I said, I really loved Dark Matter. It’s a more scientific approach to sci-fi (rather than space travel or aliens or anything like that), which I really appreciate.

SPOILER ALERT. I see that this isn’t in the description of the book, so it might be a spoiler. Continue reading if you so choose.

I have also been incredibly interested in the concept of parallel universes. How there are entire worlds out there based on decisions you *didn’t* make…jobs you didn’t take, relationships that didn’t end, projects that worked out the way they should have.

In addition to that, each “you” on all of those different worlds still shares the same essence. The character traits that define you are blood deep, not unique to your circumstances.

(END SPOILER.)

If you’re not a fan of sci-fi, I would still recommend Dark Matter. It’s one of those books that just smacks you in the head in the best way.

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