Dark Matters by Michael Dow

Dark Matters (Dark Matters #1) is the debut novel by Michael Dow. Funded through Kick Starter and subsequently self-published, this is a novel that has an interesting premise and is not your typical action orientated sci-fi adventure, instead looking at events from a more corporate and scientific point of view.

Set in the not-too-distant future, Dark Matters is a novel about corporate power and how, behind the scenes, the wealthy guide the world in the direction of their choosing. Why? Quite simply to maintain the status quo and not cause too many ripples in the worldwide economy. After the death of the current CEO at General Resources, Incorporated, Rudy Dersch is selected as the next in line to run the company, a goal he has been working towards for many years. However, the job comes with an unexpected revelation: the Consortium also require his services. With responsibilities that now involve decisions that not only affect his company, but matters all over the world, Rudy is not quite as prepared as he’d imagined.

Meanwhile, Jonas Hanssen is the lead at Hanssen Scientific, a company working for GRI by using algorithms to find a mineral rich asteroid that can be harvested to replenish Earth’s dwindling supplies. In his spare time he is also conducting research into dark matter through a link to the Planck III probe that is now heading out of the solar system for interstellar space. When he makes a discovery that he has been hoping for he can scarcely believe it, but it must take a back seat when GRI starts applying pressure to find them what they want.

The independently wealthy and headstrong art curator Monique Durand has been experiencing visions for some time, and it is through her meditations that she is discovering more and more to them. Finally taking a step that she has been hesitant to make, she discovers that the visions are guiding her to specific people, one at a time. With a strong feeling of rightness, Monique begins her journey to discover just what these visions – and other powers that are making themselves known – actually mean.

So, Dark Matters is a novel with some interesting ideas going on within its pages. The Consortium is a conglomerate of wealthy individuals that work behind the scenes to push through the policies they want, to influence the right people in a way that suits them best, and even working to change the wealth of entire nations though various acts. It’s all very cloak-and-dagger, though through Rudy’s eyes we get a rather balanced view of the situation. He wants to know more about what he’s asked to do, and isn’t afraid to push for information that will give him the context he needs to make those decisions. It’s not until the last third that events and plans lead to much more interesting places, really solidifying the Consortium as the antagonist that is hinted at throughout.

While both Jonas’ and Monique’s plot threads are interesting, they do have their issues. Character relationships that go from nothing to everything in such a short space of time are the biggest culprits here. Jonas meets and quickly trusts Kat, a PhD student directed his way by a former colleague, and promptly spills all details about his work into dark matter – details that he hasn’t shared with anyone else. The same goes for Monique and the way she meets those in her visions, though due to the more otherworldly nature of those experiences, and of the deeper connection at the heart of her relationships, it’s easier to forgive.

The pacing and prose of Dark Matters is one of its strongest points. The chapters are relatively short and sharp, moving the story forward, even if only by small increments. However, this is a novel that uses the majority of its page count setting up events that come to fruition in the finale. Even then, it feels somewhat underwhelming, mainly due to the lack of any real explanations at its conclusion. It’s a shame that the hints that are dropped aren’t more thoroughly explored.

For a novel that doesn’t contain much in the way of action, I found myself drawn into the plot and characters very easily. The narrative picked me up and carried me along almost from the get-go, and I was eager to see where all the threads would lead. Despite being left wanting after the somewhat abrupt and subdued ending, I’m certainly looking forward to see where the story goes from here.

Publisher: Self-Published
Author: Michael Dow
February 2016, 337 Pages
Hardcover, ISBN: 9780996937528
Review copy received via Netgalley