THE EDEN PARADOX

In this SF novel, sabotage, conspiracy, and malevolent aliens threaten a colonization mission.

Some 30 years from now, after global nuclear war, lingering radiation, nano-plague, and climate devastation from rocketing high temperatures, the Earth is in dire peril. Humanity must find a habitable planet, something made possible with recently developed faster-than-light spaceship technology and the discovery of Eden, a planet with forests, lakes, and a breathable atmosphere. Two previous missions have failed. Now the Ulysses is making a final possible attempt with a four-person crew: Capt. Blake Alexander, pilot Zachariah “Zack” Katain, science officer Pierre Bertrand, and Katrina “Kat” Beornwulf, communications. On Earth, Eden Mission Control monitors and supports them, led by Eden Mission Director Keiji Kane. As a telemetry analyst for the project, Micah Sanderson spends his days tracking the ship’s sensor information. He learns—from indications of tampering in the data streams and threatening events aboard ship—that someone has tried to sabotage their efforts. Perhaps this is why previous missions failed. It could be the work of the fundamentalist Alicians, terrorists and zealots who oppose technology, the postwar armistice, and the Eden project. The Chorazin Interpol, a powerful agency that is anti-terrorist but also ruthless toward citizens, investigates their involvement. The Sentinels, a shadowy group of trained assassins, or Cleansers, are yet another concern. One such Cleanser is Gabriel O’Donnell, tasked with carrying out deadly killings, their purpose at first unclear. On Earth, Kane’s assassination triggers dramatic events that endanger Micah; meanwhile, the astronauts manage to land on Eden, but all is not well. Startling discoveries on both planets indicate an ancient, long-hidden plan that could wreck humanity’s chances for survival with or without Eden.

Kirwan, who has also written several thrillers, turns his hand to SF in this first novel of a series of four. He’s adept at conjuring up a dense, convincingly three-dimensional universe packed with historical baggage, technology, politics, competing factions, conspiracies, and multiple agendas that extend beyond the terrestrial. Kirwan’s writing is crisp and vivid, whether describing taut battle scenes, unfamiliar technology, or interpersonal moments, often creating striking metaphors: “She felt an icy shiver abseil down her spine.” Even small details shine; cemeteries, for example, no longer exist, “every last scrap of decent soil used for crops.” Cremated remains are vitrified into a palm-sized “dusky glass teardrop,” a fitting and poignant image. As for the larger picture, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher, with the fate of all humanity in doubt. In many ways, Kirwan’s imagination seems boundless, so it’s unfortunate that his female characters feel like holdovers. The only ones in positions of authority are she-devils like Louise, a Chorazin agent. Others occupy assistant positions to more powerful men; adult women are condescendingly called girls; and the plot seemingly goes out of its way to sexualize female characters.

Complex, involving, and well realized, though female characters are stereotypes.