Dark Matter in Fiction

Dark Matter In Fiction

Dark matter is defined as hypothetical matter that is undetectable by its emitted radiation, but whose presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter. It has been used in a variety of fictional media, including computer and video games and books. In such cases, dark matter is usually attributed extraordinary physical or magical properties. Such descriptions are often inconsistent with the known properties of dark matter proposed in physics and cosmology. For example in computer games, it is often used as material for making weapons and items.

Dark matter regularly appears as a topic in hybrid periodicals that cover both factual scientific topics and science fiction, and dark matter itself has been referred to as "the stuff of science fiction". A review of The Physics of Star Trek discusses dark matter before noting that "the best modern science fiction borrows heavily from cosmology". In literary discussion dark matter has been used metaphorically to discuss Black science fiction.