Peter Straub’s Dark Matter, should be left in the dark
Straub’s story revolves around a group of college friends, whom during the turbulence of the sixties engaged in an occult ritual. The Ritual led by a nomadic charlatan-guru named Mallon, who insinuates himself into the group of teenagers. This ritual results in the death of one student and effects the rest of the group in subtle ways, such as blinding one member over a period of years. The story is initially told from the perspective of Lee, a successful author who abstained from taking part in the ritual that his now wife and friends participated in. His wife who has refused to speak of the event to him leaves town to attend a meeting and Lee decides to investigate. He reaches out to first one friend and then others, slowly piecing together the events of that day. Through the friends we are given a different perspective with each narrative and each story of course revealing something of the witness. The writing is good and parts of the story are terrifying