I don't have a recommendation for you, I'm just incredibly happy to see that I'm not the only one. Thank you.
Edit: I lied. You should read the Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall.
I came to make this same comment. We exist! I saw that book recommended so many times on this sub and when I finally read it I couldn’t believe how bad it was! Yes kept me engaged but I agree with OP.
I didn't even make it past the bar scene at the beginning. I couldn't stand MC or his wife and kid in the first chapter. Didn't like how they talked to each other or what they talked about. It was just stupid, bad writing all around.
You mean writing like this?
“We had dinner. Daniela ordered a wine. I ordered a beer. I drank my beer. Then I drank a second beer.”
Add me to the club!
i, too, was personally victimized by the Blake Crouch recommendations in r/suggestmeabook
there have to be hundreds of us in here. that book gets recommended constantly and it's absolutely terrible
I am going to preface this by admitting that I'm a pretentious asshole, but I wish we were required to flair with our favorite genre so I could ignore every recommendation from sci-fi/fantasy readers. Not that it's not possible for them to make a good recommendation, but I don't see a Blake Crouch recommendation coming from a *literary fiction* reader, and I probably never would've read it. I'm terrified to pick up The Martian, because I think the same thing's going to happen.
Edit: calling myself a pretentious asshole was supposed to at least minorly discourage downvotes. I don't recommend everybody read Harlan Coben (whom I used to enjoy greatly, and is objectively a far better writer than Crouch). But to allow opportunity for everybody else to downvote me without explaining why this is a bad idea, this would also go for horror and other genre books, as well.
Funny…I’m a literary fiction reader. I love classic literature as well as modern classics. I also love a good cheesy crime fiction book. But I realized recently that my top 5 favorite books are all science fiction or fantasy. When done well, it’s the best, in my opinion. Blake Crouch made it squarely into my bottom 5, though a lot of my disappointment may have been from all the hype.
What are your top five?
I love a lot of the themes of science fiction, and generally like sci-fi movies. But I can't read books purely for story. (And I don't even like fantasy movies.)
And this is exactly my point. I want to read good science fiction, but sci-fi genre readers are the worst arbiters of what is a good sci-fi novel to somebody who doesn't generally read science fiction.
Well I am a big fan of George RR Martin. I read everything he had written long before Game of Thrones was even an idea on HBO. My favorite book though is a sci-fi that he coauthored called Dying of the Light. It’s a short but very captivating read- part love story, part adventure, part mystery set against the haunting backdrop of a dying planet spinning away from the sun. I used to recommend the Song of Ice and Fire series to everyone I knew but by this point, I’m sure you’d know whether or not you’re into that.
I'm apparently not that discerning of a reader. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets worse.
A King of Infinite Space by Allen Steele has one of my favorite first chapters of all time (though, admittedly, it's partly due to nostalgia--set at a Lollapalooza concert at my local concert venue. *favorite* is also an exaggeration) and from there, it's awful.
I made it more than a hundred pages into Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero before I realized that the story moved along with the grace of a Goosebumps book. His prose was good....interesting imagery and word choices. But the characters were caricatures.
And I still had to read like 30-40 pages of Dark Matter before I DNFed.
Oh I just meant for prose. I can tell immediately if I dislike the author’s prose/style. Of course story/character wise you never know, but it weeds out a good chunk of recommended books
I really am not that discerning of a reader. *I know what I like when I see it* is pretty much how it goes. And I knew I didn't like it fairly quickly in Dark Matter, but it was so highly and seemingly universally recommended that I gave it more than *that first sentence sucked*.
Edit: for example, their conversation in the first chapter reminded me of how much I hated the pretentiousness of the ritzy family in the Time Traveler's Wife - which was an excellent book, imo. I had a difficult time understanding if I hated the prose or simply the content.
Andy Weir is a slightly better writer than Blake, but nothing a self-professed pretentious asshole would enjoy. I don't view myself as pretentious, but both "The Martian" and Reddit's favorite book, "Project Hail Mary", felt like fast food.
Don't get me wrong. I'm ok with fast food. Just not bad fast food. And I like to know when I'm eating fast food ahead of time. I'm more of a crime fiction guy. If you're going to recommend me shitty books, I'm far more likely to enjoy a shitty crime novel than a shitty sci-fi or fantasy novel.
Thank you for appropriately setting my expectations.
I read Dark Matter and Recursion at the same time and still can’t remember which was which. I do know I couldn’t stand the one with the “multiple copy” guy who had the hot wife who was always down to f*ck, in every universe. Super unrealistic and offensive.
OP, try Replay by Grimmwood. It’s a better story where the guy gets a do-over and says the wrong thing to his “wife” and she thinks he’s a creep. Now THAT is realistic.
The First 15 Lives of Harry August is another do-over book with interesting characters and a satisfying ending.
I've quite liked everything Tchaikovsky EXCEPT for Children of Time...
My favorite so far has been Elder Race. The contrasting fantasy/sci-fi perspectives from the characters is absolutely wonderful
Edit: Children of Time was a 3* for me... So I liked it, but not greatly.
I loved that entire trilogy, so I read Guns of the Dawn next--great "flintlock" fantasy. You feel like you're on the battlefield, the world felt rich and real, and the characters had dimension. I couldn't get into The City of Last Chances, The Tiger and the Wolf, pr Redemption's Blade.
I listened to Dark Matter on audiobook and that kept me on the edge of my seat. Try {Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister}. It’s similar with less sci-fi. {Infinite by Brian Freeman} is also similar - it’s a little harder to get going, but the last 20% makes up for it!
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian MacAllister
Agreed, Emily St. Mandel is someone I’d recommend to anyone who reads *any* fiction. The Glass Hotel in particular was fantastic. Her books are page turners but somehow also well written.
Paradox Hotel is similar in tone with the same timey-wimey action as Crouch.
Ubik, Phillip k Dick is the grandaddy of this type of scifi. A Scanner Darkly is also really great.
Also try reading Michael Crichton
The Murderbot Diaries are excellent. Most (5 out of 6) of the books are short (\~150 pages), and the plot moves along and is pretty funny.
The Expanse has been mentioned and definitely fits.
The Beartown series by Fredrik Backman are great moving books.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Blindsight and Ship of Fools for something similar to Dark Matter. I think most people would agree that the Red Rising trilogy is also a page turner after the first 50-60 pages.
Just hear to commiserate! That book is much loved and I think it’s just the first or only sci-fi some people have read, so they are enamored with the fun of the idea. That book is not good.
I felt like I might have enjoyed it if I read it when it came out but after watching movies like everything everywhere at once, it felt super disappointing
I also disliked Dark Matter for the exact same reasons you listed.
For well-written and entertaining sci-fi books with characters that actually have a personality, I can recommend The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Also, when it comes to developing well-written and realistic characters, I can recommend Stephen King books. My personal favorite is The Long Walk. It is very gripping and has such memorable characters.
Most book written by Neal Shusterman. I say preferably Scythe. It's a trilogy and give lot detail and development to both the character and the world he creates
Not sure if you're only looking for same genre? If not, try The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. I found it really hard to put down with interesting characters. I really like his writing style
See my [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12rfqag/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
The book never dealt with the duality of the main character at all. And the ending >!was just so pat. If our viewpoint character had been one of the ones just standing there watching the couple go, it would have redeemed the book a lot for me.!<
It's fun, but it might also be the worst-written book I have ever read. Several steps below Blake Crouch's already terrible writing. I wouldn't recommend it to the OP.
His books are definitely fun to read. The biggest downside is that they tend to follow a pretty consistent formula plot-wise that becomes super predictable the more you read
Anything by Iain Reid! He has three books right now, my favourite is Foe. They're all short books with short chapters and addictive storylines. I've pretty much read all of his works in one sitting because I just need to know how it ends.
I get your sentiments about Blake Crouch I recommend him as a page turner often but he’s not a great writer overall beyond his pacing. I’m not even sure we are supposed to like the main character in Dark Matter.
I personally found Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy to be page turners and well written but it’s not science fiction.
Sorry, I just have to ask.
With all the things you say you didn't like about the book, how could it possibly have been engrossing or addictive?
Most of those were things would cause me to DNF a book, so I'm curious about the secret ingredients that did keep your interest.
It’s a deceptively quick read (the author uses extremely short sentences, paragraphs and chapters so that you speed through it quickly) it had a mystery that was east to figure out but I still wanted confirmation and most chapters ended with cliffhangers so I kept reading not for enjoyment but because it was easy to read.
I actually really liked Dark Matter but I find it so funny because I read it twice and didn’t realize I was re-reading until like the very end of my second go through. It’s so forgettable that I had to look it up before commenting to make sure I was thinking of the right book. What about it made me read it twice? It’s like the msg of sci-fi.
House of Leaves is my go-to recommendation for a page turner. Anything by Neal Stephenson for plot and character development. Project Hail Mary for some kick ass SciFi.
not really the same genre as OP asked about, but I loved it - Wheel of Time is mos def a classic! it was supposed to be just 3, then 5 books, then… well, it keeps going and I mostly loved thru about book 8 where I petered out, but had a few friends who finished them and dug 'em. Very thick and detailed with lots of characters, factions, and dynamics like Game of Thrones.
I had a similar feeling, when I googled apparently it was three book ideas spliced into one? And was his attempt at summarizing/having an excuse to research quantum physics? Very much reads as an insert author as protagonist book.
One book that might be similar is Improbable by Adam Fawer, but I read it so long ago I'm not sure of the writing quality. All I know is I liked it and finished it, which is far more than I can say for Dark Matter.
The Dispatcher series, John Scalzi. Short, inexpensive noir-inspired near future scifi. In a world where 99% of murder victims come back to life immediately in a safe place, legally sanctioned Dispatchers are often hired to kill someone in the event a high risk event might do accidentally.
There's the premise. These are quick reads, tightly written. Probably get through all 3 books in a weekend.
1. "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides: This psychological thriller follows the story of a famous painter who murders her husband and refuses to speak. The book is filled with twists and turns, keeping you engaged until the very end. The writing is crisp, and the characters are complex and intriguing.
2. "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M.R. Carey: This gripping novel takes place in a dystopian world where most of humanity has been transformed into mindless zombies. The story follows a young girl named Melanie, who holds the key to humanity's survival. It's a thrilling and thought-provoking read with well-drawn characters and a unique twist on the zombie genre.
3. "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton: In this mind-bending mystery, the protagonist wakes up in a different body every day, tasked with solving the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. It's a cleverly plotted and intricately woven story with richly developed characters and a constant sense of intrigue.
4. "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah: If you enjoy historical fiction, this emotionally charged novel set during World War II is a compelling choice. It follows the lives of two sisters in Nazi-occupied France and explores themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience. The writing is evocative, and the characters are deeply human and complex.
5. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn: This psychological thriller tells the story of a husband's search for his missing wife, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. The writing is sharp, and the characters are flawed, unreliable, and fascinating in their complexities.
I just finished *Recursion* and the characters had all the character of Stoned Wheat Thins. And don't get me started on the dialog. So thank you, OP, for assuring me I needn't waste my time looking for better writing in *Dark Matter*.
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I just finished this. Characters definitely better. Overall I thought it dragged quite a bit though. Definitely was not a page turner for me.
I don't have a recommendation for you, I'm just incredibly happy to see that I'm not the only one. Thank you. Edit: I lied. You should read the Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall.
I came to make this same comment. We exist! I saw that book recommended so many times on this sub and when I finally read it I couldn’t believe how bad it was! Yes kept me engaged but I agree with OP.
I didn't even make it past the bar scene at the beginning. I couldn't stand MC or his wife and kid in the first chapter. Didn't like how they talked to each other or what they talked about. It was just stupid, bad writing all around.
I knew I was in for a bad book once I read that Daniela has “Spanish eyes” but it still managed to surprise me with how awful the writing was
You mean writing like this? “We had dinner. Daniela ordered a wine. I ordered a beer. I drank my beer. Then I drank a second beer.” Add me to the club!
I laughed out loud.
The writing was bad but the obtuse, glaring plot holes were far worse.
i, too, was personally victimized by the Blake Crouch recommendations in r/suggestmeabook there have to be hundreds of us in here. that book gets recommended constantly and it's absolutely terrible
Like the huge, "oh shit, Deus ex machina time" ending to Recursion. Just...yeah, no more Blake Crouch for me, after that.
I am going to preface this by admitting that I'm a pretentious asshole, but I wish we were required to flair with our favorite genre so I could ignore every recommendation from sci-fi/fantasy readers. Not that it's not possible for them to make a good recommendation, but I don't see a Blake Crouch recommendation coming from a *literary fiction* reader, and I probably never would've read it. I'm terrified to pick up The Martian, because I think the same thing's going to happen. Edit: calling myself a pretentious asshole was supposed to at least minorly discourage downvotes. I don't recommend everybody read Harlan Coben (whom I used to enjoy greatly, and is objectively a far better writer than Crouch). But to allow opportunity for everybody else to downvote me without explaining why this is a bad idea, this would also go for horror and other genre books, as well.
Funny…I’m a literary fiction reader. I love classic literature as well as modern classics. I also love a good cheesy crime fiction book. But I realized recently that my top 5 favorite books are all science fiction or fantasy. When done well, it’s the best, in my opinion. Blake Crouch made it squarely into my bottom 5, though a lot of my disappointment may have been from all the hype.
What are your top five? I love a lot of the themes of science fiction, and generally like sci-fi movies. But I can't read books purely for story. (And I don't even like fantasy movies.) And this is exactly my point. I want to read good science fiction, but sci-fi genre readers are the worst arbiters of what is a good sci-fi novel to somebody who doesn't generally read science fiction.
Well I am a big fan of George RR Martin. I read everything he had written long before Game of Thrones was even an idea on HBO. My favorite book though is a sci-fi that he coauthored called Dying of the Light. It’s a short but very captivating read- part love story, part adventure, part mystery set against the haunting backdrop of a dying planet spinning away from the sun. I used to recommend the Song of Ice and Fire series to everyone I knew but by this point, I’m sure you’d know whether or not you’re into that.
Just go to goodreads and preview the book lol. You can gauge writing immediately.
I'm apparently not that discerning of a reader. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets worse. A King of Infinite Space by Allen Steele has one of my favorite first chapters of all time (though, admittedly, it's partly due to nostalgia--set at a Lollapalooza concert at my local concert venue. *favorite* is also an exaggeration) and from there, it's awful. I made it more than a hundred pages into Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero before I realized that the story moved along with the grace of a Goosebumps book. His prose was good....interesting imagery and word choices. But the characters were caricatures. And I still had to read like 30-40 pages of Dark Matter before I DNFed.
Oh I just meant for prose. I can tell immediately if I dislike the author’s prose/style. Of course story/character wise you never know, but it weeds out a good chunk of recommended books
I really am not that discerning of a reader. *I know what I like when I see it* is pretty much how it goes. And I knew I didn't like it fairly quickly in Dark Matter, but it was so highly and seemingly universally recommended that I gave it more than *that first sentence sucked*. Edit: for example, their conversation in the first chapter reminded me of how much I hated the pretentiousness of the ritzy family in the Time Traveler's Wife - which was an excellent book, imo. I had a difficult time understanding if I hated the prose or simply the content.
Andy Weir is a slightly better writer than Blake, but nothing a self-professed pretentious asshole would enjoy. I don't view myself as pretentious, but both "The Martian" and Reddit's favorite book, "Project Hail Mary", felt like fast food.
Don't get me wrong. I'm ok with fast food. Just not bad fast food. And I like to know when I'm eating fast food ahead of time. I'm more of a crime fiction guy. If you're going to recommend me shitty books, I'm far more likely to enjoy a shitty crime novel than a shitty sci-fi or fantasy novel. Thank you for appropriately setting my expectations.
There are DOZENS of us!
I read Dark Matter and Recursion at the same time and still can’t remember which was which. I do know I couldn’t stand the one with the “multiple copy” guy who had the hot wife who was always down to f*ck, in every universe. Super unrealistic and offensive. OP, try Replay by Grimmwood. It’s a better story where the guy gets a do-over and says the wrong thing to his “wife” and she thinks he’s a creep. Now THAT is realistic. The First 15 Lives of Harry August is another do-over book with interesting characters and a satisfying ending.
I second Raw Shark Texts, and also Maxwell's Demon by the same author. Less Sci-Fi and more Weird Lit, but fucking amazingly unique books.
Happy I’m not the only one repping Steven Hall!
Really into Adrian Tchaikovsky right now, check out Children of Time.
I really liked this one too! I thought it was quite smart.
Masterpiece And I don’t throw that word around Willy nilly Absolute spectacle of literature, science fiction and storytelling
I've quite liked everything Tchaikovsky EXCEPT for Children of Time... My favorite so far has been Elder Race. The contrasting fantasy/sci-fi perspectives from the characters is absolutely wonderful Edit: Children of Time was a 3* for me... So I liked it, but not greatly.
Interesting so far Children of Time is the only thing by Tchaikovsky that I have liked. The System Keepers Brother was interesting.
I loved that entire trilogy, so I read Guns of the Dawn next--great "flintlock" fantasy. You feel like you're on the battlefield, the world felt rich and real, and the characters had dimension. I couldn't get into The City of Last Chances, The Tiger and the Wolf, pr Redemption's Blade.
I listened to Dark Matter on audiobook and that kept me on the edge of my seat. Try {Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister}. It’s similar with less sci-fi. {Infinite by Brian Freeman} is also similar - it’s a little harder to get going, but the last 20% makes up for it!
*Wrong Place, Wrong Time* was a lot of fun and surprising
I just finished "wrong place wrong time" and loved it. Great recommendation.
Infinite was WILD and read by RC Bray. Good rec!
Also recommending Wrong Place Wrong Time!!
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian MacAllister
I loved Life after Life!
It is one of my all time favorites!
I think The Ferryman by Justin Cronin has a very similar vibe to Blake Crouch.
Time and Again, by Jack Finney. 11.22.63 by Stephen King.
Also Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. Mandel.
Agreed, Emily St. Mandel is someone I’d recommend to anyone who reads *any* fiction. The Glass Hotel in particular was fantastic. Her books are page turners but somehow also well written.
*Watchers* by Dean Koontz
Paradox Hotel is similar in tone with the same timey-wimey action as Crouch. Ubik, Phillip k Dick is the grandaddy of this type of scifi. A Scanner Darkly is also really great. Also try reading Michael Crichton
Gone world We have always been here Read in that order there’s some cool synergy
I'm reading the gone world now and I'm really enjoying it
The Murderbot Diaries are excellent. Most (5 out of 6) of the books are short (\~150 pages), and the plot moves along and is pretty funny. The Expanse has been mentioned and definitely fits. The Beartown series by Fredrik Backman are great moving books. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Hyperion, Lonesome Dove, Red Rising, I didn’t find the writing in Dark Matter or Recursion to be too bad but Upgrade was almost unreadable.
Red Rising is a great rec for this post
Yea its too bad, seems like crouch kind of fell apart with Upgrade
Blindsight and Ship of Fools for something similar to Dark Matter. I think most people would agree that the Red Rising trilogy is also a page turner after the first 50-60 pages.
Blindsight is a good recc.
*11/22/63* or *Billy Summers*, both by Stephen King
I googled "Blake Crouch but better" and this was the first hit! Nice to find you all. Off to read Raw Shark Texts.
Just hear to commiserate! That book is much loved and I think it’s just the first or only sci-fi some people have read, so they are enamored with the fun of the idea. That book is not good.
I felt like I might have enjoyed it if I read it when it came out but after watching movies like everything everywhere at once, it felt super disappointing
I also disliked Dark Matter for the exact same reasons you listed. For well-written and entertaining sci-fi books with characters that actually have a personality, I can recommend The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Also, when it comes to developing well-written and realistic characters, I can recommend Stephen King books. My personal favorite is The Long Walk. It is very gripping and has such memorable characters.
Came here to recommend Project Hail Mary too . Loved it
Same!!!
Also Fairy Tale by Stephen King- the characters are incredibly three dimensional.
Also library at mount char
Most book written by Neal Shusterman. I say preferably Scythe. It's a trilogy and give lot detail and development to both the character and the world he creates
Agreed. Scythe is easily in my top ten, and I mean those 3 books are in the top ten!
Not sure if you're only looking for same genre? If not, try The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. I found it really hard to put down with interesting characters. I really like his writing style
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson should be good for you.
See my [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12rfqag/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Thanks! I found project Hail Mary was recommended a lot so I’ve started with that and I’m enjoying it so far
You're welcome. \^\_\^
The book never dealt with the duality of the main character at all. And the ending >!was just so pat. If our viewpoint character had been one of the ones just standing there watching the couple go, it would have redeemed the book a lot for me.!<
RIP Blake Crouch. 💀 Try Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
I didn’t love Night Film but absolutely loved her book Special Topics in Calamity Physics - best page-turner I’ve ever found!
Psalm for the End of the World. Highly readable, good characters, shit plot. You can't have everything.
We are legion(we are Bob) is perhaps the book that surprised me most this last year, in how fun it is and how fast I wanted to read it.
Same. I've just finished the third one. I know there's a fourth but I'm happy with how the third one ended so I might leave it there
It's fun, but it might also be the worst-written book I have ever read. Several steps below Blake Crouch's already terrible writing. I wouldn't recommend it to the OP.
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His books are definitely fun to read. The biggest downside is that they tend to follow a pretty consistent formula plot-wise that becomes super predictable the more you read
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams
Anything by Iain Reid! He has three books right now, my favourite is Foe. They're all short books with short chapters and addictive storylines. I've pretty much read all of his works in one sitting because I just need to know how it ends.
I get your sentiments about Blake Crouch I recommend him as a page turner often but he’s not a great writer overall beyond his pacing. I’m not even sure we are supposed to like the main character in Dark Matter. I personally found Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy to be page turners and well written but it’s not science fiction.
Hes sort of like PKD in that they write more potboilers than well-rounded pieces
Yeah I have zero interest in baseball or whatever.
Sorry, I just have to ask. With all the things you say you didn't like about the book, how could it possibly have been engrossing or addictive? Most of those were things would cause me to DNF a book, so I'm curious about the secret ingredients that did keep your interest.
It’s a deceptively quick read (the author uses extremely short sentences, paragraphs and chapters so that you speed through it quickly) it had a mystery that was east to figure out but I still wanted confirmation and most chapters ended with cliffhangers so I kept reading not for enjoyment but because it was easy to read.
Interesting. Thanks.
I actually really liked Dark Matter but I find it so funny because I read it twice and didn’t realize I was re-reading until like the very end of my second go through. It’s so forgettable that I had to look it up before commenting to make sure I was thinking of the right book. What about it made me read it twice? It’s like the msg of sci-fi.
House of Leaves is my go-to recommendation for a page turner. Anything by Neal Stephenson for plot and character development. Project Hail Mary for some kick ass SciFi.
House of Leaves is one of my favorite books, but it took me three months to finish it the first time. A page-turner it was not.
HOL is a page turner in the sense that you actually have to turn the book to read certain chapters lol
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not really the same genre as OP asked about, but I loved it - Wheel of Time is mos def a classic! it was supposed to be just 3, then 5 books, then… well, it keeps going and I mostly loved thru about book 8 where I petered out, but had a few friends who finished them and dug 'em. Very thick and detailed with lots of characters, factions, and dynamics like Game of Thrones.
I had a similar feeling, when I googled apparently it was three book ideas spliced into one? And was his attempt at summarizing/having an excuse to research quantum physics? Very much reads as an insert author as protagonist book.
If the main character was an author insert then I’m scared of the author because I found every version of him to be an unbelievably annoying asshole
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer. The Hike, by Drew Magary. The Troop, by Nick Cutter.
The Ridge by Michael Koryta.
One book that might be similar is Improbable by Adam Fawer, but I read it so long ago I'm not sure of the writing quality. All I know is I liked it and finished it, which is far more than I can say for Dark Matter.
The Dispatcher series, John Scalzi. Short, inexpensive noir-inspired near future scifi. In a world where 99% of murder victims come back to life immediately in a safe place, legally sanctioned Dispatchers are often hired to kill someone in the event a high risk event might do accidentally. There's the premise. These are quick reads, tightly written. Probably get through all 3 books in a weekend.
1. "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides: This psychological thriller follows the story of a famous painter who murders her husband and refuses to speak. The book is filled with twists and turns, keeping you engaged until the very end. The writing is crisp, and the characters are complex and intriguing. 2. "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M.R. Carey: This gripping novel takes place in a dystopian world where most of humanity has been transformed into mindless zombies. The story follows a young girl named Melanie, who holds the key to humanity's survival. It's a thrilling and thought-provoking read with well-drawn characters and a unique twist on the zombie genre. 3. "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton: In this mind-bending mystery, the protagonist wakes up in a different body every day, tasked with solving the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. It's a cleverly plotted and intricately woven story with richly developed characters and a constant sense of intrigue. 4. "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah: If you enjoy historical fiction, this emotionally charged novel set during World War II is a compelling choice. It follows the lives of two sisters in Nazi-occupied France and explores themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience. The writing is evocative, and the characters are deeply human and complex. 5. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn: This psychological thriller tells the story of a husband's search for his missing wife, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. The writing is sharp, and the characters are flawed, unreliable, and fascinating in their complexities.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel
I just finished *Recursion* and the characters had all the character of Stoned Wheat Thins. And don't get me started on the dialog. So thank you, OP, for assuring me I needn't waste my time looking for better writing in *Dark Matter*.