In the very near future a space crew uses dark matter to power a trip to explore disturbances in dark matter they believe represents a signal from another planet's intelligent life.
The ship’s designer is an expert in dark matter who had embraced Orthodox Judaism and brought his prayer group on board, and claims to be using dark matter to create wormholes in space. The ship is financed and controlled by an IT billionaire and germophobe. The ship’s captain, and the principal protagonist, Lucy Howard, is a young female ex-astronaut who becomes close to the ship’s science officer, a veteran astronaut and an African-American woman physician. Other crewmembers include an Indian-American IT technician haunted by the recent death of his pregnant wife in an auto accident, and a security officer plagued by his guilt in the death of a young girl in Afghanistan.
The crew is half-way through the voyage when they hit a patch of intense dark matter that causes the crew to relive the most traumatic points of their lives. They emerge transformed by that experience—e.g., the germophobe billionaire transfers his consciousness to the ship’s computer, his administrative assistant is possessed by the dybbuk spirit of her dead brother.
The crew then learns the scientist’s secret—dark matter, the unknown stuff that makes up 95 percent of the universe, is the sefirot, the mystical body of God. The prayer group are the real engine of the ship, moving it through spiritual space using Kabbalistic meditation techniques amplified by concentrated dark matter. The aliens they visit have learned to harness dark matter for power, and their science is torturing the soul of their planet--The signal that drew them to this other world was the sound of the soul of a planet screaming.
When they arrive on what seems to be a dead planet, they lose their link to earth. When they explore a large earthen mound near the ship, something in the mound starts to take possession of the crew. The IT billionaire, who has transferred his consciousness to the ship’s quantum computer, joins forces with this alien threat. Lucy, the captain, has to fight both the ship’s computer and an alien force that threatens not just the crew, but the future of Earth.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Dark Forever is a mysterious sci-fi novel set in the near future with various characters forced to reevaluate their life choices. Gorsky excellently coordinates the team's expedition to The Hive planet, enabling a tense and gripping atmosphere to permeate as the plot unfolds.
Prose: Gorsky's text is clearly written in an accessible and straightforward manner, The Dark Forever's simplicity and sharp attention to detail work in its favor, allowing the tense and thrilling story to unravel naturally.
Originality: The Dark Forever is a fairly conventional sci-fi thriller, but strong writing and an intriguing exploration of concepts in physics make the reading experience consistently engaging. The characters in the crew, who are from various ethnic backgrounds, are expertly observed and presented.
Character/Execution: Lucy Howard is The Dark Forever's enigmatic protagonist, spearheading an eclectic range of characters. The characters are all well rounded with interesting and detailed backstories that enhance the overall arc of the plot.
Blurb: A tense and well orchestrated sci-fi thriller.
Date Submitted: May 14, 2024
