Benet Kolman’s debut collection of short stories is a rare opportunity for readers of literary fiction and and its theological underpinnings to explore themes related to what Immanuel Kant called the “crooked timber of humanity.” Although each of the stories creates a distinct world of its own, Kolman’s characters share a tendency toward human disarray, the “dark matters” in the title. Love, confusion, doubt and hope coincide in deeply felt tales that ultimately convince readers that our struggles, however individual, are universal as well.