Accelerated Growth Environment, by Lauren C. Teffeau
23 Mar 2026The Book
Synopsis:
Dr. Jorna Benton is proud to be the Principal Scientist for the Climasphere, a massive, sea-going ecological nursery capable of supporting nearly every biome on Earth. On its inaugural mission to restore and re-wild collapsing ecosystems along the Atlantic coast, Jorna manages the Climasphere’s habitat and harvest, while her colleague—and inconveniently attractive commander—Ava Kaysar directs the rest of the vessel’s critical operations.
When an explosion rocks the Climasphere, Jorna’s carefully-managed world is thrown into chaos, threatening both her personal and her professional future. And worse: she’s the prime suspect.
To clear her name, save the mission, and preserve her chance at a future with Kaysar, Jorna must finally confront the secret she’s been running from all these years: a family and a faith that could destroy her.
My Review
Accelerated Growth Environment is a cli-fi novella written by Lauren C. Teffeau, published by Shiraki Press. A well-executed and fast-paced proposal full of mystery with a certainly interesting main character at the center of everything, and enveloped by an excellent worldbuilding that goes along with the themes of the novella.
Dr. Jorna Benton is the Principal Scientist for the Climasphere, a massive sea-going ecological nursery capable of supporting nearly every biome on Earth; its inaugural mission is to restore the collapsing ecosystems of the Atlantic coast. A series of minor glitches start to build into something bigger, and Jorna will have to discover what's going on before it's too late, especially as she's pointed as the main suspect.
Jorna is a really intriguing character, as unraveling the mystery behind the glitches also means getting to understand her past: escaped from an anti-technology cult, and a firm believer in the cause she's working on. A strong lead character, with a sidekick personal assistant AI that serves to ease a bit the tension across the narration.
The bits of sapphic romance with Commander Kaiser are also a nice touch to the novella, especially those maybe yes-maybe not moments until everything goes to hell.
In general, we have an enjoyable read, with those elements of solarpunk that help create such a unique setting as the Climasphere. While a bit short, if you like mysteries in the sci-fi genre, I would totally recommend this novella by Lauren C. Teffeau.
The Author/s
Lauren C. Teffeau
Lauren C. Teffeau was born and raised on the East Coast, educated in the South, employed in the Midwest, and now lives and dreams in the Southwest. When she was younger, she poked around in the back of wardrobes, tried to walk through mirrors, and always kept an eye out for secret passages, fairy rings, and messages from aliens. She was disappointed. Now, she writes to cope with her ordinary existence.
Her work focuses on environmental issues, examines the role of technology in our lives, and centers women’s voices through fantastical adventures and immersive worlds. Her novel Implanted (2018, Angry Robot) was a finalist for the 2019 Compton Crook award for best first SF/F/H novel and named a definitive work of climate fiction by Grist. Her environmental fantasy novella A Hunger with No Name was published by the University of Tampa Press in 2024. Her eco-thriller novella Accelerated Growth Environment comes out March 3, 2026 from Shiraki Press. Her short fiction can be found a variety of professional and semi-pro speculative fiction magazines and anthologies.