Dark Matter cover art

Dark Matter

The compulsive alternate-universe thriller, now on Apple TV+

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Dark Matter

By: Blake Crouch
Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom
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About this listen

'Brilliant' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series.

'Masterful' – Harlan Coben, author of I Will Find You.

Jason Dessen has been abducted. His life has been stolen. To get it back, he will go on a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could have possibly imagined. Dark Matter is a relentlessly surprising alternate-universe sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch.


Now a major Apple TV+ series starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly.

'Are you happy in your life?'

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before the man he's never met smiles down at him and says, 'Welcome back.'

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.

In this other life, Jason has created a box. Transport into infinite alternate universes – every possible outcome of his life, one behind each door. In this other life, Jason chose a door. And he stole the life he wanted.

If Jason Dessen wants his life back, he will have to find it among infinite possibilities. And he will have to battle a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe: himself.

'Exceptional' – Andy Weir, author of The Martian.

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Ready Player One.

Fans love Dark Matter:


'Crouch surprised me again and again'
'The narrator is excellent and brings life to the characters'
'OMG. I loved. Inception + Severance + Interstellar = this book'
'Very original and hugely enjoyable'
'MIND-BLOWING'
'I couldn't stop listening!'

Psychological Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Time Travel Fiction Thriller Romance Suspense Technology Exciting Dream Marriage Parallel Universe

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Critic reviews

Brilliant. A book to remember. I think Blake Crouch just invented something new (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series)
It's been a long time since a novel sucked me in and kept me turning pages the way this one did. Exceptional (Andy Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian)
A masterful, truly original work of suspense. Crouch delivers laser-focused prose . . . and a touching, twisted love story that plays out in ways you'll never see coming (Harlan Coben)
Wow. I gulped down Dark Matter in one sitting and put it down awed and amazed by the ride. It's fast, smart, addictive - and the most creative, head-spinning novel I've read in ages (Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Gravity)
It also might be the most helter-skelter, race-to-the-finish-line thriller you'll read all year
Terse prose, strong characterisation and clever twists make for a quick, smart, engrossing read
Blake Crouch's Dark Matter is a mind-bending thriller of the first order, not merely a rollicking entertainment but a provocative investigation into the nature of second chances. I dare you to put it down, because I sure couldn't (Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage Trilogy)
Dark Matter is the kind of book the word "thriller" was coined for - it's a shooting star through multiple genres, posing fundamental questions about identity and reality before revealing itself as, at its core, a love story (Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Guilty Minds and Suspicion)
An addictive read! You're in for an intelligent, breath-taking ride (John Lescroat, New York Times bestselling author of The Fall)
A mind-blowing sci-fi/suspense/love-story mash-up
Excellent characterization and well-crafted tension . . . the rousing and heartfelt ending will leave readers cheering
Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant
Crouch keeps the pace swift and the twists exciting. Readers who liked his Wayward Pines trilogy will probably devour this speculative thriller in one sitting [as will] those who enjoy roller-coaster reads in the vein of Harlan Coben
All stars
Most relevant
Fast paced, excellent listen, and superb story. A lead character that you care about and a fantastic glimpse into the multiverse

Gripping

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This was a great listen. It is a thriller that keeps going because the author cleverly let's the original conceit keep driving the story. Thus instead of a conventional thriller that just uses a sci fi idea for the setup and then becomes ordinary; it stays interesting because if that idea.

Takes an idea, and doesn't stop developing it

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Found myself thinking about this storyline long after I finished the book. Really gets you thinking ... and, if you have an interest in mindfulness but have lapsed in this discipline then it'll remind you of the importance of staying in the now. It'll help you appreciate that it's often the little, unnoticed and seemingly trivial actions and words we engage in from moment to moment, that can change the course of your life. Perhaps we really are the creators of our own destiny and are capable of so much more than we know ! More than just a story, it's a munual for living. Hope there's a sequel!

More than just a story, it's a munual for life!

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DM takes exciting scientific ideas and runs with them in way that can be thrilling if a bit silly. However, the protagonists emotional wants and needs, (he just loves his wife so much) are one dimensional and saccharine. The plot keeps you interested but has few surprises. Good background noise, but listen too intently and you'll want to punch 'Jason' in the face yourself.

Fun but has the emotional depth of a bad soap opera

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book was great, well worth it. a fantastic exploration into some captivating fiction based on some of the weirder but nonetheless sound theories in the quantum physics world.

satisfying ending after an addictive plot. at times a tiny annoying early on due to you guessing easily something the main character is trying to work out, but stick with it as it rewards soon enough.

performance was a little wooden, and maybe it's me but the way he acted the female characters in a female voice just sounded a bit off. But again, it didn't stop me enjoying the book. well worth it!

overall 8/10

great book, great story, performance ok

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