A review by stuartjrodriguez
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

5.0

This is one of my all-time favorite science fiction novels. Set in a 2060’s drought-ravaged Southwestern United States, Bacigalupi conjures a terrifyingly real vision of a future where serious action on climate change was never taken, so the states and cities in the Southwest are left to fight over the meager water that remains. This is a dark and grittily realistic story with fantastic, fully developed, complex characters, excellent worldbuilding, and a gripping, perfectly paced plot. I couldn’t put it down, and I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone looking for a great near-future environmental science fiction read.