Mmm I read Recursion and Dark Matter within weeks of each other and I have to say I agree with the broad strokes as presented.

Some authors use the same hammer on multiple books, and it shows.

The [science concept + psychedelic] formula was there for both books, enough to the point that I’d considered it to be his “thing”.

I haven’t read the one that is the subject of the OP yet but if the pieces are there then we may have a pattern.