Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · 2016 · Novel
It popularized the 'multiverse' concept through a thrilling, personal narrative, exploring how different choices create divergent realities and identities.
What it is
A physics professor is abducted into an alternate reality where a different version of his life unfolded, forcing him to fight his way back to his own world. It explores the multiverse concept and the impact of choices on identity.
↑Inherited from(6)
Crouch's novel directly explores the existence of countless parallel Earths, a concept foundational to 'Ring Around the Sun' which established the narrative potential of multiple, subtly different versions of our world.
The core premise of 'Dark Matter', a protagonist experiencing a reality where different choices led to a divergent life, is a direct exploration of the alternate history concept popularized by Dick, but applied to personal choices rather than grand historical events.
The narrative focus on a single individual's journey through a divergent reality, grappling with the consequences of choices and the nature of self across timelines, resonates with the psychological and speculative themes explored in 'Donnie Darko'.
'Dark Matter' popularizes the multiverse concept through a thrilling, personal narrative, building upon earlier explorations of parallel universes and alternate realities seen in works like 'Donnie Darko'.
Features a protagonist facing alternate versions of himself and making difficult choices about identity and reality across timelines.
The show's casual depiction of parallel selves and the consequences of 'swapping' or interacting with them directly precedes and influences the core premise of 'Dark Matter,' where the protagonist is replaced by an alternate version of himself.
The film's central premise of multiple, nearly identical versions of people and situations co-existing and interacting, and the psychological horror stemming from this, directly influenced Blake Crouch's 'Dark Matter,' which similarly features a protagonist encountering alternate versions of his life.
↓Passed on to(2)
Builds upon Crouch's previous work exploring alternate realities and the profound impact of choices on one's identity and life path, but with a different temporal mechanism.
The film directly popularizes the 'multiverse' concept for a wide audience, much like 'Dark Matter' did in novel form, exploring the impact of different choices on identity and the meaning of existence across infinite possibilities.