“We’re more than the sum total of our choices, that all the paths we might have taken factor somehow into the math of our identity.”
Dark Matter is a mind-bending sci-fi novel by Blake Crouch. Readers follow Jason Dessen, a perfectly ordinary college physics professor who is attacked and knocked unconscious by a masked assailant on the way home one evening. When he wakes, he is shocked to find his life has completely changed; he is no longer a humble professor, but rather a celebrated genius who has accomplished the impossible. But, which of these two realities is the true reflection of him? If you loved Crouch’s bestselling thriller, join us today at What We Reading as we run you through the best books like Dark Matter! From fast-paced science fiction stories to tales that tackle the mysteries of time travel, alternate dimensions and complex psychological drama, these are the novels that push the limits of reality and step into the unknown.
Recursion – Blake Crouch
Kicking off our list of books like Dark Matter with another one of the best Blake Crouch novels, 2019’s Recursion follows Barry Sutton. The NYC cop is investigating a devastating phenomenon the media has taken to calling ‘False Memory Syndrome’ – a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories they have never experienced. At least that’s why neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. This is why she has dedicated her life to perfecting a technology that allows individuals to preserve their most treasured memories.
As Barry searches for the truth, he discovers a foe more terrifying than any disease – a force that attacks not only our minds but also the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unravel the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, stand a hope of defeating it.
The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds #1) – Micaiah Johnson
In Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds series, multiverse travel has been made possible, with the sole rule being that no individual is allowed to visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Cara’s life has been cut short on a total of 372 worlds in all.
However, on this Earth, Cara has managed to survive. Recognised as the perfect candidate for multiverse travel, she is plucked out from the dirt of the wastelands and is given a new life within the wealthy walled-off Wiley City. But trouble soon finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgangers dies in mysterious circumstances. Much like Jason in Dark Matter, Cara’s investigation into this sudden death will lead her to connect her past and future in ways she could never have imagined – and reveal her own role in a plot that puts her life, her world and the multiverse itself in danger.
All Our Wrong Todays – Elan Mastai
In Tom Barren’s 2016, humanity thrives in a techno-utopian paradise filled with flying cars, moving sidewalks and moon bases. But, Tom can’t help but feel out of place in this dazzling, idealistic reality. Then he makes a rash decision that drastically changes not only his own life but the entire fabric of the universe itself. In a time-travel mishap, Tom finds himself stuck in our version of 2016, a reality that appears to be a dystopian wasteland to him.
Yet, as he discovers wonderfully unexpected versions of his family, his career and perhaps even his true soul mate, Tom arrives at an impossible choice. Does he fix the flow of the universe and bring his utopian reality back into existence, or attempt to forge a new life for himself in this messy, imperfect world? One of the best books like Dark Matter about time travel and destiny, Elan Mastai’s All Our Wrong Todays is the story of Tom’s search for who he really is and what the future is supposed to be.
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The Long Earth (The Long Earth #1) – Terry Pratchett And Stephen Baxter
1916: the Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear the chirping of birds and the rush of winds in the distance. Where have the mud, blood and blasted landscapes of No Man’s Land gone? In Madison Wisconsin in 2015, Monica Jansson is exploring the burnt home of an eccentric – some say mad – professor when she happens upon a curious gadget. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the world forever.
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter’s The Long Earth is the Goodreads Choice Award-winning novel for Readers’ Favourite Science Fiction. Similar to Dark Matter, it is an exploration of what happens when alternate realities are within reach, and what the consequences such technology would have on humanity.
The Future Of Another Timeline – Annalee Newitz
Another one of the best books like Dark Matter explores alternate timelines and their implications from Annalee Newitz in The Future of Another Timeline. The story begins in 1992 when Beth finds herself in a car with the body of her friend’s abusive boyfriend in the backseat agreeing to help cover things up. This murder sets Beth and her friends on a path of escalating violence as they discover more young women need protection too.
In 2022, Tess has dedicated her life to utilising time travel to visit key moments in history and join in the fight for change. But, rewriting timelines isn’t as simple as altering one individual or event. And just as Tess begins to believe she’s found a way to make an edit that actually lasts, she runs into a group of dangerous travellers hellbent on stopping her no matter the cost.
The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August – Claire North
Claire North’s The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August follows Harry August, a man who is constantly reincarnated into the same life, keeping hold of all his knowledge and memories from his previous iterations. Each time he dies, he is born again as a child. He relives the same experiences until he reaches adulthood, where he dies once more. As he lives through the same events over and over again, Harry unearths a secret society of people who share his ability and grapples with a dangerous force threatening to unravel the course of history.
Much like Dark Matter, North’s novel explores themes of time, identity and alternate realities. The complex interplay of multiple realities and lives serves as a great reminder of how even the smallest of actions can have dramatic consequences, making it the perfect follow-up for anyone who loved Crouch’s work.
The Fold (Threshold #2) – Peter Clines
The residents of Mike Erikson’s small New England town would claim that he is just your average, everyday sort of man. And that is exactly what he had been hoping for when he chose this life for himself, despite the fact it’s an existence that hardly challenges his unique gifts. At least, that is until an old friend offers Mike a tantalising mystery only he is qualified to solve far out in the California desert.
A team of scientists have invented a device they have christened the ‘Albuquerque Door’. Using a cryptic computer equation, they claim it has the ability to condense hundreds of feet into just a single step for travellers. Yet, suspicion is growing that this device isn’t what it seems. As Mike investigates, he soon learns that, if he is right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys everything. With its pulsating exploration of teleportation and alternate dimensions, Peter Clines’ The Fold is one of the best books like Dark Matter for any sci-fi fans looking for another mind-bending narrative where all is not as it first seems.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
