Books like the water knife

The water knife hardcover tattered cover book store. Many of you may be familiar with some of his other books like the. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar approach to an inorganic substance without which human life wouldnt exist. This study guide refers to the kindle edition of the water knife, published may 26, 2015. The city of phoenix in the water knife is a grim place. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar approach. The water knife takes place in a nearfuture united states, where the southwestern states compete with each other for access to a reliable water supply during a period of extended and disastrous drought. When youre writing about things like drought or climate change, or water or. Paolo bacigalupi, new york times bestselling author of the windup girl and national book award finalist, delivers a nearfuture thriller that casts new light on how we live todayand what may be in store for us tomorrow. Although one is set in the past and the other in a dystopian future, both are neonoir tales with jaded antiheroes and ruthless kingpins who wield water as lethal weapons to control lifeand mete out death. Sweat was a bodys history, compressed into jewels, beaded on the brow, staining shirts with salt. Water is power in the near future, the colorado river has dwindled to a trickle. Out today, the water knife centers on a vicious fight over water rights in a near future.

The water knife by paolo bacigalupi is the writers second science fiction novel for adults, after a slew of young adult novels, and his first since the hugo and nebula award winning debut the windup girl in 2009. Although one is set in the past and the other in a dystopian future, both are neonoir tales with jaded antiheroes and ruthless kingpins who wield water. In his sixth novel, bacigalupi the doubt factory, 2014, etc. Supreme court to enforce it, even though much of the social and political life of this future america is. A las vegas water knife, angel cuts water for his boss, catherine case, ensuring that her luxurious developments can bloom in the desert, so the rich can stay wet while the poor get dust. It told you everything about how a person had ended up in the right place at the wrong time, and. A stunning thrillerfantasyscifi chimera like nothing ive read before. Paolo bacigalupis water knife carves a richly imagined, dystopian plot in a. Printz awards, and has been nominated for the national book award. In the american southwest, nevada, arizona, and california skirmish for dwindling shares of the colorado river. Out today, the water knife centers on a vicious fight over water rights in a nearfuture. So for his next trick, bacigalupi started writing books for kids.

Angel velasquez is the water knife of the title, a canny, deadly catspaw for catherine case, the queen of nevada water dealings. Paolo tadini bacigalupi born august 6, 1972 in paonia, colorado is an american science fiction and fantasy writer. Scarcity and survival reign in the water knife high. It takes place in the near future, where drought brought on by climate change has devastated the southwestern united states. Scarcity and survival reign in the water knife high country. The rbooks bookclub selection for may is the water knife by paolo. Use the alphabetical lists below to look up a favorite book or author and then click see readalikes to discover similar books. Although one is set in the past and the other in a dystopian future, both are neonoir tales with jaded antiheroes and ruthless kingpins who wield water as. Into the fray steps angel velasquez, legbreaker, assassin, and spy. It is bacigalupis sixth novel, and is based on his short story, the tamarisk hunters, first published in the environmental journal high country news.

This book moves like a highoctane thriller but includes a wealth of warnings about where america and the world at large may be headed. I look at data points and ask what the world could look like. Bacigalupi, who writes for kids and adults in books such as the. Or perhaps books like the water knife will actually help us change what we do. Like bacigalupis the water knife, claire vaye watkins sets her novel in an american southwest thats been ravaged by drought. Republish like tweet email print books climate change. The water knife is climate science wrapped in pulpy goodness. His debut novel the windup girl, also published by night shade books in. The american southwest has been decimated by drought. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi paolo bacigalupi, new york times bestselling author of the windup girl and national book award finalist, delivers a nearfuture thriller that casts new light on how we live today and what may be in store for us tomorrow.

Campbell, compton crook, theodore sturgeon, and michael l. The conditions that make cooperation more favorable are important, especially in considering how we might avoid a future like the water knife. Review, best books of 2015 npr book concierge, best books of 2015 kansas city star, best fiction of 2015 paste magazine, best fiction of 2015 a fresh, genrebending thriller. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a. Water is power paolo bacigalupi, new york times bestselling author of the windup girl and national book award finalist, delivers a nearfuture thriller that casts new light on how we live todayand what may be in store for us tomorrow. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi june 5, 2015 by clay bonnyman evans one of the great traditions in dystopian fiction is the if this goes on story, in which an author plays out a current trend to its extreme conclusion as a kind of warning. The compact is still on the books in the water knife, and theres still a u. Reading paolo bacigalupis richly imagined novel the water knife brings to mind the movie chinatown. Imagining a thirsty future in paolo bacigalupis the. What will the world be like, and how will we live in it. The water knife is a noirtinged, apocalyptic vision of the nearfuture.

The water knife oscillates between nightmarish fantasy and. Theres sort of a mix of lawlessness and martial law, which means basically, those with the most guns have the water. Despite being a desert nevada is an oasis, ruled as it is by a developer who runs a ruthless network of water knifespeople who go and cut water rights from their. Like the best scifi, the water knife has its own vocabulary and rituals but is rooted in a familiar world. When rumors of a gamechanging water source surface in droughtravaged phoenix, angel is sent to investigate. The water knife book by paolo bacigalupi thriftbooks. There are rei dust goggles, the kindle post and hashtags. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar. Into the fray steps las vegas water knife angel velasquez.

The depleted colorado river has become one of the last lifelines and the object of armed conflict among the residents of arizona, california, and nevada. In phoenix, the chinese have built the taiyang arcology, but most people are out of water and out of luck. Next is lucy monroe, a freelance internet journalist chronicling the slow demise of phoenix, arizona. Find books like the water knife from the worlds largest community of readers. Here you can find handpicked readalike recommendations for more than 4000 contemporary books and 3000 authors. About this book water is scarce in the american southwest. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi by curlygeek04, may 14, 2015 despite the violence, i loved this book. Goodreads members who liked the water knife also liked. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi, paperback barnes. The introduction, author biography, discussion questions, and suggested reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of the water knife, an arresting new novel by paolo bacigalupi. Angel velasquez is a water knife, a sort of mercenary factotum, whose job is to secure as much water as possible for. The water knife is an exemplary text of this trend, depicting a future so near that we almost see it materialize before our eyes, like a mirage seen in desert heat.

Angel velasquez, one of the book s three protagonists, is an exprison inmate smart, ruthless, a water knife who works for catherine case, cutting other peoples water. We are very excited to be reading the water knife and talking to paolo bacigalupi this month. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. See robert axelrods book, the evolution of cooperation for more on this. Nevada and arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the colorado river, while california. The water knife is set in the near future, in a time when drought in the western u. The state of texas has more or less collapsed, caught between the water. Reading paolo bacigalupis richly imagined novel the water knife. Similar themes run through his book the water knife, where a future. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi 2016, paperback for. Npr book concierge, best books of 2015 kansas city star, best.

Last, we come upon maria villarosa, one of the proles struggling to make it from day to day. It is a book ive been looking forward to for some time and one which does not disappoint, though it does defy expectations. In an american southwest devastated by severe drought, angel velasquez is a water knife for one of the most powerful people in the region. In the world of the water knife, arizona and nevada skirmish over resources as california eyes a grab of the entire colorado river while local government agents knives steal cut water. The water knife may turn out to be 2015s most talked about book. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Three very different charactersan orphaned texan teen marooned in phoenix. Those questions inspired bacigalupi to write the water knife, a noirish, cinematic thriller set in the midst of a water war between las vegas and phoenix. Nevada and arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the colorado river, while california watches, deciding if it should just take the whole river all for itself. But where the windup girl takes place hundreds of years from now in southeast asia, the water knife hits closer to home for u. Paolo tadini bacigalupi is an american science fiction and fantasy writer. The water knife by paolo abebooks passion for books. That might sound like philip marlowe boilerplate, but bacigalupi. Just finished paolo bacigalupis the water knife and it was so good, it made me start thinking about next years hugos.

Amid a real drought, thriller water knife cuts to the quick. In the windup girl, paolo bacigalupis bestselling, hugo and nebulawinning debut, the author imagines a 23rd century in which the forces of commerce have run amok over the basic, biological building blocks of life. The water knife opens in lawless times when the only goal is to get out of the states without natural aquifers and rainfall and get to the safety of those that still have water. The water knife is a 2015 science fiction novel by paolo bacigalupi. Under the right conditions, mutual cooperation becomes not only possible, but preferable. Paolo bacigalupis second novel for adults takes us to a phoenix that is derelict, povertyridden and lawless, a place where most of the.