Assessment:
Overall rating (3 votes)
No recommendations.
Dark Matters
A serialized novel, updating twice weekly.
ChoCho and Jynx are two young lovers facing down a world almost completely devoid of human life after an undefinable event destroys nearly every city and township on the planet.
Dark Matters
Earth's Cities Are Graveyards
— contains some graphic sex —
Tags: apocalyptic online novels present tense romance science fiction sex teenagers third person
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Editorial Reviews
So much for the so-called physical laws
I had a very hard time getting past the first five chapters in this story: I’m not particularly fond of present tense and its use in Dark Matters jarred me. The extensive use of passive was also a factor, but I found that easier to overlook.
But what kept me from really identifying with the story was, I think, the constant "head hopping" — you know, where you get a glimpse of all the thoughts/emotions of each character constantly — a form of omniscience if you will.
This happened extensively in the first five chapters. However the omniscience seems to dwindle off a little bit as the story continues, to my profound relief.
It was easier to look past those aspects when I discovered the FAQ answer in which the author explains why the story is written that way. I did not personally feel the sense of "now" that the author attempted to portray, but I suspect that has more to do with my personal taste than Gibbons’ skill.
The story itself is intriguing. It was different than normal apocalyptic tales and that was rather refreshing. The author has obviously done his homework and I admire that kind of dedication.
Their survival is, of course, at stake but that theme, that aspect, is not the spotlight: gender and personal rights are.
And that is very nice to see.
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Most Helpful Member Reviews
When the Sky Falls
Dark Matters is a styled post-apocalyptic yarn that stretches from hither-to-thither with a great deal of emotions and sex to tension the line. The main characters, Jynx and ChoCho, thrust the reader into a new world, not just the ultimately changed one that has fallen into strange shards around them, but worlds born entirely from their psyches.
The survival-technology aspect of these stories is certainly interesting. And while it’s not my forte—nor what I’m looking for in a story—it certainly drives it forward in a Mad Max near-end-of-the-world sort of hayride. And it was worth the read. I’ve certainly gleaned some wacky trivia about surviving the fall of civilization from Jynx’s balls-to-the-wall independent streak.
The tense psychological fires drag out the inner worlds of our two characters with stunning proficiency. Some sections are steeped in the deep damage or dark adorations of the characters by dipping into past abuses and relationships that have forged them into the creatures they are today.
Between learning to love the characters and wondering what the hell happened to the Earth during its apocalyptic throes, it is enough to keep me reading. Or at least, coming back for more.
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