Recently I was very excited (as I’m just a bit of a fan) to get to ask Blake Crouch a few little questions about his latest release – Dark Matter – an absolutely addictive thriller that will mess with your head. Review and book details follow also. Thanks so much to the author for taking the time.
First, thanks so much for taking the time – I’ll attempt to keep it short and sweet much as I’d like to ask you endless questions about everything you’ve written (Abandon and Snowbound being two of my favourites) we’ll stick with Dark Matter which, frankly, has kept me up at night since finishing it thinking of all the endless possibilities. Which I guess is the true intent of speculative fiction – so from your end having written it do you still think about it? Or does writing it, plotting it, kind of get the idea out of your system? I guess you could apply that question to a lot of your novels…
Interesting question. I feel like once I’ve finished writing and editing a book, it is officially out of my system and I rarely think about it again. Part of the reason I write a book is because a certain idea takes hold, and it’s the process of writing it and trying to realize the idea that ultimately gets it out of my head.
In Dark Matter the other strong narrative theme apart from the speculative element is one of identity and what makes us who we are. Experience, decisions, all the little things adding up to a whole personality – Jason has time to consider the path he chose in life – indeed must. I’m interested in how you made such a complex plot so easy to follow – and extraordinarily addictive I COULD not put that book down. There is no disconnect between character drama and thriller so do you start with character or start with theme? How do you build the blocks?
As with Wayward Pines, I started Dark Matter because of a subject I was interested in: quantum mechanics. I spent a long time (a decade actually), researching a thinking about this very complex, convoluted field of physics before I ever started thinking about character or plot. Next came a handful of story idea, and then the character of Jason himself. I didn’t really set out to write a book about the road not taken (in fact, I think writing a novel with a theme in mind is dangerous), but it became readily apparent that my subconscious was fixated with this idea about halfway through.
The Wayward Pines novels have been adapted into an (excellent and popular) television show and Dark Matter looks set for the big screen – as a novelist and screenwriter what is it like seeing your stories in a visual medium? And just as a little bit of fun who would you cast in the roles of Jason and Daniela?
It is surreal and humbling and thrilling to see amazing filmmakers and actors bring my characters to life. One of the coolest moments of my life was the first time I walked on set in Wayward Pines in Vancouver, British Columbia. The first set I saw was the sheriff’s office, and it’s amazing how they brought it to life, right down to the detail of the snow globe that sits on Sheriff Pope’s desk.
It’s difficult to speculate publicly about who I’d like to see play Jason and Daniela, since I’m so closely involved in the film production.
Finally tell us a little about you in 4 easy soundbites
* If you could live anywhere in the world you would live…
Right now… a quaint, isolated village in Scotland sounds perfect.
* Sun worshipper or Night owl?
Night owl.
* If not a writer your dream job would be….
Astrophysicist!
* One person in your real life who inspires you..
My writing partner, Chad Hodge
Thank you so much
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is published 11th August by Macmillan, price £12.99 in hardback
About the book:
Source: Review Copy
“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.
Dark Matter is an incredibly addictive thriller – one I was up all night with and then spent the next several days pondering. What if? In fact its several weeks later now and still I think about it every now and then. Its possible I’ll still be doing that in a decade…
Jason has a reasonably quiet but very happy life, shattered by the actions of a stranger, he finds himself in a place he does not recognise but that seems to recognise him – so begins both a fight to find his way “home” and a very personal journey of discovery.
The thing about Blake Crouch is, he not only writes beautifully, plots superbly and creates brilliant characters but the man is forever driving you crazy. In a good way. Dark Matter does that tenfold because the further Jason descends into his nightmare the more you are going “what the all heck?” and trust me don’t start this one until you have a good few hours because putting it down becomes pretty impossible pretty quickly.
In the aftermath you’ll rethink every life decision you made ever. I’m just saying.
Reading Dark Matter is like playing that game where you are blindfolded, spun around madly then have to try and walk straight. Hmm. If you like your novels to be thought provoking, mad good page turning awesomeness then Dark Matter is definitely for you.
Find out more HERE
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Happy Reading!
Astrophysics & identity – what an unlikely pair! But you make this book sound totally fascinating
I love one of his answers here – that after finishing a book, he drops it and doesn’t think about it again. I do the same thing. But for me, I drop too early and never finish anything. 🙂 I just finished Dark Matter. OMG!
Rebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
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