A Dark Matter

By: Peter Straub

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The incomparable master of horror and suspense returns with a powerful, brilliantly terrifying novel that redefines the genre in original and unexpected ways.

The charismatic and cunning Spenser Mallon is a campus guru in the 1960s, attracting the devotion and demanding sexual favors of his young acolytes. After he invites his most fervent followers to attend a secret ritual in a local meadow, the only thing that remains is a gruesomely dismembered body - and the shattered souls of all who were present.

Years later, one man attempts to understand what happened to his wife and to his friends by writing a book about this horrible night, and it’s through this process that they begin to examine the unspeakable events that have bound them in ways they cannot fathom, but that have haunted every one of them through their lives.

As each of the old friends tries to come to grips with the darkness of the past, they find themselves face-to-face with the evil triggered so many years earlier. Unfolding through the individual stories of the fated group’s members, A Dark Matter is an electric, chilling, and unpredictable novel that will satisfy Peter Straub's many ardent fans, and win him legions more.

©2010 Peter Straub (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

“Peter Straub's...novel is a terrifying story of innocents - high school students in the turbulent 60s - who stumble into horrors far beyond their understanding. A Dark Matter is populated with vivid, sympathetic characters, and driven by terrors both human and supernatural. It’s the kind of book that’s impossible to put down once it has been picked up. It kept me reading far into the night. Straub builds otherworldly terror without ever losing touch with his attractive cast of youngsters, who age beautifully. Put this one high on your list.” (Stephen King)

"Part Rashomon, part The Turn of the Screw. Peter Straub may well be the most important voice in suspense fiction today." (Lincoln Child)

"American master Peter Straub takes the sweep of our freaky history over the past forty years, subjects it to all the elegant gifts of madness and arts of haunting of which he is the wicked king, and finds himself in possession of a masterpiece." (Michael Chabon, author of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and Manhood for Amateurs)

Not very good

I didn’t like this book. There wasn’t really any continuity to the book. I read Ghost Stroy which was good but this book didn’t have Umph to it.

Not as bad as you might think.

Seems like most people reviewing this book just hated it, but I'll give a lukewarm affirmative. While his flashbacks seem to wander and the plot limps along bit, I have no regrets on purchasing the audiobook. Narrator was good, plot interesting, just not transcendent.

Adults relive traumas from their youth

Like many popular horror novels in the last four decades, A Dark Matter's plot is the reunion of childhood friends who together must face the ramifications of a horrific supernatural event that occurred when they were in high school in the late 1960s. Straub uses this plot device to explore trauma, recovery, and competing and conflicting memories. It is an ambitious and well-written novel.

OK, but poor narration

I thought the book itself wasn't all that bad, what ruined it for me was the narrator. There was not enough differentiation in his voice to easily follow which character was speaking at any given time. I had a very hard time picking up when one character stopped speaking and the next started. I think if the narration had been better, the book would have been much more enjoyable to listen to and the plot more easily followed.

Confused

Any additional comments?

This book is just weird and pointless. basically a bunch of kids go out to a field and have a mild acid trip. Not even a bad acid trip just a mild one. And of some reason 40 years later they decided to talk about it, but only in tiny unintelligible fragments.

Uneven

Interesting, but uneven attempt to make this into a horror story. Never was I even slightly worried that its characters were in harms way.

ok but....

I was turned off as soon as he said "boys attracted to men". Should have been men attracted to boys. That sounds like a pedophile thing to say.

Waste of a credit.

I really wanted to like this book. I loved older books written by Straub, like Ghost Story and Koko. Ghost Story is still one of the best horror stories I've ever read.
But Peter Straub began to slip some time in late 80's or early 90's. His books became strained, vague, and uninteresting. He completely changed genres. So I basically gave up on Straub.
With A Dark Matter, I decided to give him another shot, hoping that he had returned to some form of horror. I shouldn't have wasted my credit. I should have known better.
This story is boring and repetitive. It simply explores several characters' bizarre dreams and imaginations (I think). It was frankly difficult to follow. I gave up on the book before I finished it. I just couldn't hang in there. I can't tell you if the ending was any better because I never got to the end.
The only good thing about this book is the narrator. Robertson Dean is excellent, I've listened to some of his other narrations, and he never dissappoints.

Not a good choice for an introduction to Straub

I was looking forward to exploring Peters work. So many people said good things about him that i thought what the hell? I was extremely disappointed after listening to this story. The characters are okay and the narration is great, but the entire book just drags on and on. I felt there was no climax of the story. If you're reading this far, or have read the other reviews, take heed.

Great story idea... and that's it

I loved Straub's idea for the story, but unlike his other horror stories, this one fell flat. he took too long telling it from too many viewpoints, which makes it drag on way too long. the narrator also had a slow, easy voice and tone, which made it seem even longer.