Dark Matter: Tales from the Darker Side of Science Fiction

by John Chapman

Dark Matter, a diminutive tome that contains the darkest of tales, dredged from the darkest of minds. The sole survivor of an alien apocalypse recounts the events that led to the end of the world. A geologist surveying an uncharted crater becomes host to a murderous parasite. A portal to another universe hides a terrifying secret… these tales and more await the curious and the desperate.

LAST MAN
It had waited countless millennia for Commander Eric Wilson to climb into its crater. Together, they would accomplish great things.

APARTMENT
A housewife living in a luxury apartment of the far future becomes obsessed with the artificial intelligence running her home.

TESTAMENT
In the summer of 1986, the world as Dr James Williams knew it, ended. The apocalypse had come without warning, taking everything he held dear. But worse still, only he had survived.

WONDERWORLD
When three teenagers discover a portal to another world, they embark on an adventure beyond their wildest dreams. But as their curiosity carries them ever deeper, a hefty price must be paid.

THE FAIRFIELD SEEKERS
Following a life changing encounter with an alien craft, Adam receives a mysterious invitation to join a bizarre group of ufologists.

THE CHILDREN OF TRAPPIST 5
The last enclave of humanity struggles for survival on a remote alien world. For decades they have been unable to conceive children. And then one day, a child emerges from the wilderness.

145 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2022

About the author

John currently lives in the city of Exeter in the south west of England. At the age of 21 he lived for a year in a remote village in the mountains of Okayama, Japan, where he worked as a gardener, teacher and illustrator for the local newspaper. In his late twenties, he rekindled his love of art and completed a BA in Fine Art at Plymouth Art College and a subsequent MA in Fine Art from Bath School of Art. He self-published his first book, Raining Sushi and Donuts, in his early thirties, a piece of travel writing about a 1,600 mile bicycle ride across Japan. He published his first full length novel at the age of 40, the fantasy epic, James of Galendar. The sequel, Temple of the Kloven, was published the following year. Dark Matter is the first publication of his short science fiction work. These days, he divides his time between his two passions: writing and oil painting. You can find him most Fridays on his YouTube channel, News from the Gelding.

Reviews

[Brendan Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye read 2026
7.5/10 i think it was an interesting collection. I had read dark matter not that long ago and thought it the best collection of horror stories. I wasn’t sure if these stories from jimmy were better or worse. I’m going to say they are equal, but as that other book has twice as many stories i think maybe 0.5 points more worth for it…? I don’t know maybe this is a 8/10. Honestly I'm not a big reader and was relieved to finish this more so than dark fantasies. Both collections i couldn’t really remember the stories, and had to read blurbs to get the gist of them again in writing this review (but that might just be because of my terrible memory, as i find most stories hard to remember in much detail). I’d recommend this collection to those that like science fiction with a dash of scariness. Also john’s background into how each of the stories at the end of the book was fascinating.

[Josh Bizeau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay: Last Man; Testament; Wonderworld

Poor: Apartment; The Fairfield Seekers; The Children of Trappist 5

Some fun ideas and engaging setups undermined by awkwardly craning narrative conclusions in the lesser three while the better half avoid said contortions to embrace the strange in more satisfying ways. Nothing amazing even at its best but Chapman's imagination and writing are dependable with room to grow.