Dark Matter, the fifth novel in Ian Douglas's Star Carrier series, pushes humanity's struggle into new cosmic territory where intelligence, evolution, and divinity blur. Admiral Trevor "Gray" Grayman leads his fleet against not only alien forces but also the unsettling prospect that consciousness itself may be a cosmic weapon.
The premise is ambitious but uneven. The vast scale of the multiverse and its alien hierarchies promises awe, yet the story sinks under repetition and pseudo-science. Physics, sociology, and psychology appear as hollow exposition rather than tools that move the plot or deepen character. The best parts—the space combat and the mystery of the "posthuman" entities—are buried beneath long detours on AI, memeplexes, and vacuum energy.
The novel aims for transcendence but rarely achieves coherence. I may continue the series for its scope, but this volume disappoints. 2/5 stars.
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