Post 2: Paths not taken (A brief review of the novel "Dark Matter")

"Dark Matter", a novel with a simple yet intriguing title, focuses on parallel universes and explores the path not taken in life. The story starts off in the suburban home of Jason, a former scientist who is happy with his quiet life with his family but also often wonders about what his life could have been like if he had continued his gruelling research. He gets his answer when a man in a mask abducts and drugs him.

When he wakes up, he is revealed to have been missing for weeks, but when he realizes that the people keeping him in a lab have their own ulterior motives, he breaks out, and enters a confusing world in which he never married, but has obtained astounding success in his pursuit of science, culminating in his invention of a mysterious box that can allow access to alternate universes. He eventually realizes that the Jason of this world was the person who abducted him, so he could get a chance at living his life as a happily married man with a loving family. And so begins a journey across several alternate universes as Jason ponders the meaning of his own existence, his own life, what makes him "him"?

This is a brilliant sci-fi thriller that poses questions about the nature of life and its many choices. Sure, the concept may not be wholly original, but the execution was excellent nonetheless. Are there things/events that may seem better in hindsight? The reality might be a lot harsher than that. Ultimately, the real message of the story is to be thankful for what you have, and while there might be regrets regarding the roads not taken and the choices not made, always look forward, and try not to dwell too much on the past.

All in all, "Dark Matter" is a superb novel with a nice message, a lot of thrilling sequences, and an deep exploration of regrets and other parallel worlds.