Dark Matter

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

By: Blake Crouch

Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom

'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!'

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

A tale of infinity love and determination

This book is so intense and nerve racking. The Author takes you down the rabbit hole of Jason wonderland and if you do not "tie" yourself to Jason you will get lost.

The narrator Jon Lindstrom does an outstanding job. Brings that story and characters alive.

For those who enjoyed the movie Inception or shutter island this book will blow you away...hint get the audio book.

Great book, keep me on edge, exhilarating story

Love Blake Crouch, the story line was intriguing, made I feel that my life is perfect.

One out of the box - pun intended.

I loved the premise of this book and, unlike a number of books that promise so much, this one delivered on the concept. I feel there is a lot to be learned from the messages contained within.

Not my favourite tako on paralel universe

I rather liked the first half of the book. I am also a big fan of Schrödinger's cat experiment and I read a lot abour that. But somewhere by the time when Jason starts travelling through multiverse, this book kind of lost me. I hoped for a good twist at the end of the book an was dissapointed. I've read Someone like me by Mike Carey two months ago and I liked it much better.

A great Thriller

The story builds up nicely. There is a vivid description given from the narrator that sucks you into the story almost immediately. This is done by good character descriptions where within a few chapters you really feel immersed in the main character plight and situation. From here the suspense builds to where you really are engaged to that state where you’re feeling. “ What’s going to happen next?”