The Carrying Capacity of Paradise (Luna Novella #22), by Deborah L. Davitt
7 Feb 2025The Book
Synopsis:
The asteroid 4 Vesta has been colonised as a nature preserve by eccentric billionaire Benjamin Donovan Sr.-a refuge intended as much for creating a model of how humans can live, as for the animals and plants it hosts.It is a paradise, removed from the pressures of overpopulation, social media, and the incessant, draining demands of modern life.
Now, Donovan Sr. lies murdered, and his son is either the prime suspect in his death. . . or the next target on the killer's list.
Liane Sheridan, the station's security chief, must find the answers while navigating a web of corruption.
My Review
The Carrying Capacity of Paradise is a sci-fi novella, standalone but part of the Luna Novella series, written by Deborah L. Davitt, and published by Luna Press Publishing. A murder mystery story that explores some interesting ideas as part of the puzzle, with a great cast of characters into a setting that picked my curiosity.
The eccentric billionaire Benjamin Donovan Sr. has created a colony in a Vesta asteroid for those that seek to have a life without the AI enhancements that connect most people on Earth, and that he played a crucial role in its development; a paradise removed from the pressure of overpopulation and modern life. However, when his body is found being eaten by a tiger, Liane Sheridan, the station's security chief will have to use her old police skills; the immediate suspect is Benjamin Donovan Jr, his son and former movie star. But as his life is also at risk, Paradise soon proves to not be that safe.
While it is a competent novella, I cannot stop thinking about how some parts feel rushed, especially towards the end; some interesting ideas are presented by the mouth of the characters (some will Malthusian ties), and they are effortlessly woven in between the actual plot. As a thought-sparking piece around some nowadays themes such as social media, it makes a great job.
The Carrying Capacity of Paradise is a good novella, one that I recommend if you are enthusiastic of sci-fi that is not afraid to explore new realities or if you want a bite-sized murder mystery!
The Author/s
Deborah L. Davitt
Deborah L. Davitt was born at an Army hospital in Washington state, but spent the first twenty-two years of her life in Reno, Nevada.
She graduated first in her class from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1997 (under her maiden name, McRann), and took her BA in English Literature with a strong focus on medieval and Renaissance literature. In 1999, she received an MA in English from Penn State.Since then, she has taught composition, rhetoric, and technical writing, and created technical documentation on topics ranging from nuclear submarines to NASA’s return to flight to computer hardware and software.
Her prize-winning poetry has garnered her Pushcart and Rhysling nominations, and has appeared in over fifty journals including Asimov's and Fantasy and Science Fiction; her short fiction has appeared in Analog and Galaxy’s Edge.
Her critically-acclaimed Edda-Earth novels are available through Amazon. She's also known for the well-received, 3.5 million word fanfic called Spirit of Redemption that exposed her to a global audience.
In 2019, her Elgin-nominated full-length poetry collection, The Gates of Never, was published by Finishing Line Press; in 2022 she self-published her second collection, Bounded by Eternity, which has been nominated for the Elgin as well. In 2023, her chapbook, From Voyages Unreturning was published by Aqueduct Press.She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and son.