Jason Dessen, the protagonist in the new Blake Crouch novel “Dark Matter”, is content. He has a gorgeous wife, a talented son and his career as a physics professor, though not what he originally pursued, provides a different nature of satisfaction. Perhaps it’s Jason’s ease that another man finds so appealing, or maybe it’s just his wife.

When Jason finds himself being kidnapped at gunpoint and transported to a world much like and altogether unlike his own, he begins questioning both his sanity and their veracity. Is he still the same man in this other realm? Or any other realm?

Having read “Dark Matter” in just two days, I was fascinated by his vivid settings and the depth of his characters. Indeed, Crouch, in a seemingly simple approach, explores our multidimensional nature, sense of belonging, and foundations in his fast-paced read.

The author, known for the “Wayward Pines” trilogy, talks with NPR about how his latest science-fiction novel.

Read the NPR story here.

Listen here:

http://www.npr.org/player/embed/487083575/487237302

Read an excerpt of Dark Matter at Penguinrandomhouse.com.