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Dark Matter

Crouch, Blake. August 2025.

What are we if it is not the culmination of our decisions? Externally, it is surely our actions that paint ourselves on the canvas of an observing eye. Each action a countour of character in our own renditions. Yet there is a firework of neural activity that explodes to define new pathways every moment. Perhaps a decision lets us view the continuous change of ourselves in a discrete manner. A freeze-frame of the million consequences.

Undoubtably we can all pick many moments in our life (however critical or mundane) where we decided to do something (with regret or pride). Together with hindsight, we can lay the irresitible bricks of reason to make a structured path from the decision to who we are today. It is equally irresitible to imagine the different paths built.

Dark Matter places you in a world where can imagine those different paths. What differentiates you now from the versions of yourself that walk another path? What makes you, you? It allows you to relive your decisions, stipulating any better outcomes. Or perhaps deeper, what would your other self consider the best outcome?

This persistent theme is presented throughout a gripping thriller. The world is not within the realistic speculative fiction that I love, nonetheless, I found it impossible to not place myself in Jason’s shoes. To live and calculate through all of the possible outcomes.

In the end, you will be reminded of how remarkably unique your path through existence is.

Daemon

Suarez, Daniel. August 2025.

Much of the graphic nature throughout the book cast a line of two forms: either a dazzling hook to bite, or, a dull lead stone crashing into the water with a distracting splash. However, the core conceptual ideas proposed, both in techological- and social-engineering stand the test of time.

Daemon reminds us of the gravitational power given to social networks and the flow of information through them. It provokes us to think about the possiblities available when these networks and information can be manipulated. Extrapolating this to now, where we have since seen the advent of bot hordes, retention algorithms, and endless generated content (personally tailored to you), it stands as another stark reminder of the manipulation we must ward off every single mouse-click.

Overall, the novel presents a compelling case to the power of social manipulation and was my most thought-provoking aspect of the novel. This of course blows past the spectrum of described technologies (AR glasses, self-driving cars, etc), and, interesting points in world order and governance (decentralized). If you can stomach the more graphic scenes, this novel provides an action filled view into a thought-provoking world.

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