Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

 

Summary (from the publisher): “Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

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.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Review: Jason Dessen is happy with his life. Sure, he didn't achieve the great scientific research goals he dreamed about as a young man. But he's married to Daniella, the love of his life, enjoys his job as a college professor, and adores his son, Charlie. Until one day, a masked abductor knocks him unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds himself on a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat. In the world he finds himself in, Jason's life is altered. His wife isn't his wife. He never had a son. But he is a celebrated genius recognized for his significant scientific achievements. 

Jason is desperate to make it home. As he slowly pieces together what is going on, he is forced to embark on a terrible, other-worldly journey to try to make it back home to his wife and child, one that forces him recognize the darkest parts of his own self. 

This is a dark scientific fiction novel that challenges the idea of multiple realities and the path not taken. I came to this novel having already watched the show and found it remarkable how true the show stayed to the original text. There's obviously a lot about this that feels implausible, but I loved the exploration of how one person can embrace the good or the bad that lies within them and how good a person you are is truly up to you. I also loved how faithfully Jason loves his wife. 

Stars: 4