Dark Matter
by S. W. Ahmed
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Book Summary Information
Author: S. W. AhmedEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-04
ISBN: 0981526306
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Brane Science Fiction
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780981526300
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Dark Matter
Book Review: A fairly original sci-fi fantasy
Summary: 4 Stars
Dark Matter is partly the story of a young man named Marc as he goes from a graduate student at MIT, working on time travel, to the savior of an alien species. It is also partly the story of Dumyan, an Alien called an Altaran that goes on a journey to save his father's honor and restore him to a position of leadership among his people.
It is an interesting science fiction story that leaves virtually no cliché-rock unturned. The author often blatantly decries the clichés surrounding aliens in the science fiction genre when he says, "He had considered it a waste of time to read science fiction stories or watch movies about creatures from outer space with drooling, insect-like faces and slimy tentacles," But then he embraces them himself by having female aliens with human female characteristics and vice versa for males.
The book is a novella that struggles to find a niche at times as if it is meant to be for educated and curious adults, with long-winded descriptions of the science involved in black holes, time travel, and dark matter, but at other times, the writing style and simplistic imagery seems more suited for young adults.
The book is, by all accounts, self-published, but is listed as being published by Bane Science Fiction. The publisher has no web page, only an e-mail. The book has become widely popular on the websites that sell it, such as Amazon, where I purchased it. However, its humble roots are all too apparent at times. The author does a great deal of telling us what is unfolding, and almost never shows us. On the second page alone, the narrator gives us a long description of Marc, several parts make me laugh out loud. One line reads, "His head was filled with short, spiky dark brown hair." So where his brains should be, there was spiky brown hair?
The book takes pride in a unique and detailed story that actually skirts the border of fantasy as it barrels through space. Magic is suddenly thrown into the mix abruptly. Dark Matter seems to be an attempt to overshoot the clichés that litter the science fiction genre, but ultimately finds itself comfortably fitting between the others. Not that the storyline isn't unique, it is engaging and fresh, but the devices used in this story can be seen in many others. It's a recommended read for anybody that enjoys alien science fiction and the science behind our universe.
Summary of Dark Matter
Dark matter, the invisible substance that constitutes the bulk of all matter in the universe, remains one of science's greatest mysteries. But what if it actually is nothing more than ordinary matter purposely hidden from our view? What if we are only allowed to see a small fraction of the stars in our galaxy, because the vast majority of star systems are teeming with aliens who wish to remain unseen? Marc Zemin, a brilliant student of astrophysics, is the first human to ever stumble upon this startling secret, when his experiments with wormhole travel cause aliens to land on Earth and whisk him away into space. To his astonishment, the aliens want his help in fighting a colossal galactic war that is rapidly spiraling out of control. But as he struggles to survive from battle to battle across the farthest reaches of the galaxy, he begins to uncover a horrifying conspiracy at play, striving to keep the warring civilizations in continuous conflict with each other. A desperate race against time ensues, as he and a handful of newfound alien friends try to stop the war and confront this mysterious, powerful force bent on destroying all life in the galaxy. But any hope of their success surprisingly appears to hinge on just one thing - whether or not Marc has the strength to overcome his own demons and face the shattering truth about who he really is.NOTE: Dark Matter is a classic style space opera combined with elements of fantasy. It is not a pure or hard science fiction book. You can always preview it first to see if it's the kind of story or writing style you'll like. On Google Books, nearly a third of the book can be previewed for free.
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