sci-fi / horror rec: Dark Matter

Was one of the most disappointing books I've read in the last few years.

I absolutely loved the idea/concept of the book, but thought the execution was awful. The characters were poorly developed, had no real reason to care about any of them. the science behind the box was never really developed other than just throwing out some cliches about Schroedinger's cat. Same thing with the drug that allowed the guys to use the box. The book really needed to be a couple hundred pages longer with some more scientific detail to make it somewhat believable.

The best way I can describe this book is to say it is like there is a really really incredible sci-fi story out there, and Blake Crouch's novel was just a quick summary of it. It was almost like I was just reading a hastily thrown together screenplay.

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Was one of the most disappointing books I've read in the last few years.

I absolutely loved the idea/concept of the book, but thought the execution was awful

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Completely agree.

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The best way I can describe this book is to say it is like there is a really really incredible sci-fi story out there, and Blake Crouch's novel was just a quick summary of it. It was almost like I was just reading a hastily thrown together screenplay.

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I feel like a lot of writers are doing this these days.
Was listening to a lesser know writer speak, someone who has a few novels published but isn't a household name, he said, and I quote, "My books are like blockbuster movies." I turned it off. No, you want your books to be blockbuster movies. They all do. Can't blame them though.

Glad y'all enjoyed it.

I completely agree with all your points. Wasn’t trying to justify it. It’s definitely lazy writing. Just saying I think it’s just younger authors or authors from a younger generation that have been caught up in it.

To continue your point, Stephen king comes to mind. He had mind numbing detail at times but also wrote things that adapted well to the big screen. It can be done.

Crouch wrote wayward pines which was adapted. I haven’t read it but will and will pay attention to see if it also falls in this category of lazy writing. I’m thinking he had pines adapted and was wanting the next thing to be adapted as well so he speed it up or just simply got lazy like you say and turned out a decent novel that could have been a lot better.

I definitely felt the same way you did when I read it.

Any other recs for this genre?

I really enjoyed the Brilliance trilogy

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I really enjoyed the Brilliance trilogy

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First one was good, the subsequent two went down hill.

If you liked dark matter, you might like these sci fi thrillers

Peter Clines, The Fold
Neil Stephenson, Rise and fall of DODO
Wells, All Systems Red
Lafferty, Six Wakes
elan, all of our wrongs today