Dark Matter

By Michelle Paver,

Book cover of Dark Matter

Book description

'What is it? What does it want? Why is it angry with me?'

January 1937.

Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

3 authors picked Dark Matter as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In 1937, 28-year-old Jack volunteers for a remote expedition to Gruhuken, the former whaling station on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. He, his four companions, and eight huskies journey north through the brief Arctic summer, their spirits high. At first. As winter approaches, Jack’s companions are forced to leave, until he is utterly alone in a land of never-ending darkness. Bad enough, you might think, but as Jack learns, another presence shares his claustrophobic world of night-time, and the sea is icing over. Soon, it will be impossible to leave. Part horror, part ghost story, this is one of the…

It’s 1937 and the horrors of the Second World War are looming. Young Jack Miller, bored and in search of escape, volunteers to join a scientific expedition to the Arctic. When, one by one, Jack’s companions are forced to leave their camp, he chooses to stay through the long dark winter. But, Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark... Brrrr! If that doesn’t send shivers down your spine, nothing will! The atmosphere in this book is spectacular. Paver did her research, spending time in an Arctic cabin during the dark winter months, and it pays off in…

From Katherine's list on historical ghost stories.

I'm a great fan of ghost stories, especially the disturbing, subtly creepy sort, ones which rely on the gradual building-up of tension rather than gore. Dark Matter is one of the best I've ever read. Hero Jack, who is already on the back foot because he is poor and everyone else is privileged, is part of an expedition to the Arctic Circle. Undeterred by the apparent unease of the captain who drops them off, the team arrive in Gruhuken, on the coast of Svalbard – the scene of an appalling past tragedy. The crew members succumb to accidents and illness,…

Want books like Dark Matter?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 84 books like Dark Matter.

Browse books like Dark Matter

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Svalbard, the Arctic Circle, and the arctic?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Svalbard, the Arctic Circle, and the arctic.

Svalbard Explore 3 books about Svalbard
The Arctic Circle Explore 14 books about the Arctic Circle
The Arctic Explore 59 books about the arctic