Mind-melting is the specialty of author Blake Crouch, known for his Wayward Pines trilogy that was adapted into a television series in 2015–2016. The series revolved around a puzzling mountainside town that had an air of impossibility when it came to leaving. During this time of professional success, Crouch began working on his novel Dark Matter, which he describes as his midlife crisis book. Filled with personal doubts and questions about happiness, Crouch used the novel as a way to explore these themes, drawing from his own experiences, including going through a divorce.
Contrary to the typical solutions found in a laboratory, Crouch delved into the idea of shifting realities, portraying it as a means to explore everyday issues through a speculative lens. Influenced by figures like biologist Robert Lanza, who supports the biocentrism theory linking consciousness and reality, Crouch found inspiration in the idea of infinite possibilities being reduced to one due to the mind’s influence. In Dark Matter, he portrays the mind as determining what lies beyond the door to this metaphorical box of reality.
To ensure the scientific aspects of his work were accurate and plausible, Crouch enlisted the help of Clifford V. Johnson, a theoretical high-energy physics professor at the University of Southern California. Johnson played a critical role in shaping the science behind the novel and the television series adaptation, helping the characters navigate and discuss complex scientific concepts. By collaborating with Johnson, Crouch was able to maintain a sense of authenticity and avoid straying into unrealistic territory, ensuring the scientific aspects of his work remained grounded in reality.