Dark Matter audiobook downloads are rocketing sky-high this July, a full year after Apple TV+ premiered its mind-bending adaptation. Nielsen demand data shows interest running 15× higher than the average series, and Blake Crouch’s 2016 sci-fi thriller has blasted back onto Apple Books’ mystery chart.[1] Fans who binged the show—or simply want every multiverse twist before Season 2—are queuing for Jon Lindstrom’s eight-hour narration and clogging library holds lists across the globe. Below you’ll see what’s driving the 2025 spike, whether it’s better to listen or stream first, and the smartest ways to snag the audiobook for less than a latte.

Why the Dark Matter Audiobook Is Spiking in 2025

• Show stays hot: Apple TV+ promoted the series in its mid-2025 “Best Shows” roundup alongside Foundation and Severance.[2] Parrot Analytics now ranks it 15 × more in-demand than the average U.S. title.[1]
• Season 2 confirmed: Apple renewed the show last August after “strong worldwide impact,” pushing fans back to Book 1 ahead of fresh episodes.[3]
• Streaming charts: Tom’s Guide’s July 2024 top-10 list had Dark Matter at #10; a year later it still appears in TechRadar and GamesRadar best-of compilations, proving legs beyond launch.[4][5]
• TikTok virality: #DarkMatter clips (the cube reveal scene in particular) have amassed millions of views since April, spreading spoilers—and audiobook curiosity—far beyond hard-core sci-fi circles.[6]
• Chart climb: On July 16 the PopVortex Mystery & Thriller audio chart shows Dark Matter hovering around the mid-30s—its first Top-40 appearance in years.[7]
• Library overload: Public systems from Tulsa to Maryland list waits of 10–11 weeks for the audiobook, up from three weeks pre-show.[8]

“Dark Matter combines Memento-level puzzle work with the heart of a family drama—no wonder listeners are devouring it all over again.” —AudioFile review[9]

Translation: FOMO meets quantum physics

When a prestige streamer keeps a hit visible for months, discovery loops form: social buzz ➜ audiobook sample ➜ binge listen ➜ word-of-mouth ➜ even more buzz. Add the Season 2 cliff-hanger and nobody wants to be the friend who hasn’t explored every alternate timeline.

The Story & Science in a Nutshell

Jason Dessen is a Chicago physicist turned family man who wakes up in a universe where his biggest life choice—career versus love—went the other way. A half-built research “box” lets him hop realities, meet versions of himself, and fight to return to the world that actually feels like home. Crouch keeps the quantum mechanics snack-size: quick explanations, then another twist, which makes the eight-hour listen fly.

Jon Lindstrom’s One-Man Multiverse

• Voice range: Lindstrom slides from anxious professor to swaggering alt-Jason without cartoonish excess.
• Audie-nominated pipes: He scored an Earphones Award and an Audie nomination for Thriller/Suspense after the book’s 2016 release.[9]
• New mastering: Penguin Random House’s 2024 “TV Tie-In” re-issue sweetened the audio for AirPods spatial mode, so the cube’s metallic echoes feel bigger than ever.

“Lindstrom brings an exhausted humanity that anchors the quantum craziness.” —AudioFile critic[9]

Should you listen before you stream?

| If you… | Then… | | --- | --- | | Crave every narrative crumb | Listen first—the book reveals Jason’s inner monologues the show only hints at. | | Hate spoilers | Stream first; the audiobook follows the same beats and will feel like an in-depth director’s cut. | | Want maximum tension | Alternate: watch two episodes, then queue the equivalent chapters—fresh cliff-hangers both ways. |

Either order works, but listeners report deeper emotional payoff when they hear Jason’s anxieties before seeing Joel Edgerton act them out.

[1]: Parrot Analytics, U.S. demand metric for Dark Matter, July 2025.
[2]: TechRadar, “Best Apple TV+ Shows April 2025,” April 12 2025.
[3]: Apple TV+ press release, “Dark Matter Renewed for Season 2,” Aug 16 2024.
[4]: Tom’s Guide, “Apple TV+ Top 10 Shows Right Now,” July 22 2024.
[5]: GamesRadar, “25 Best Shows on Apple TV+ (July 2025),” July 3 2025.
[6]: TikTok discover page, #DarkMatter tag analytics, July 2025.
[7]: PopVortex, “iTunes Top Mystery Audiobooks,” updated July 16 2025.
[8]: Tulsa City–County Library OverDrive listing, Dark Matter audiobook wait 11 weeks, July 2025.
[9]: AudioFile Magazine, review of Dark Matter audiobook, 2016; Earphones Award listing.