It takes place in the near future, where drought brought on by climate change has devastated the southwestern united states. The american southwest has been decimated by drought. Npr book concierge, best books of 2015 kansas city star, best. Sweat was a bodys history, compressed into jewels, beaded on the brow, staining shirts with salt. When rumors of a gamechanging water source surface in droughtravaged phoenix, angel is sent to investigate. Republish like tweet email print books climate change. 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. Last, we come upon maria villarosa, one of the proles struggling to make it from day to day.
In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a. Into the fray steps angel velasquez, legbreaker, assassin, and spy. Paolo tadini bacigalupi is an american science fiction and fantasy writer. This study guide refers to the kindle edition of the water knife, published may 26, 2015. 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. His debut novel the windup girl, also published by night shade books in. What will the world be like, and how will we live in it. Three very different charactersan orphaned texan teen marooned in phoenix. Scarcity and survival reign in the water knife high country. See robert axelrods book, the evolution of cooperation for more on this. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar. The water knife is a 2015 science fiction novel by paolo bacigalupi. Campbell, compton crook, theodore sturgeon, and michael l.
The water knife is the dark, actionpacked story of a hired gun getting tangled up with a scrappy young girl and a semiidealistic journalist in the catastrophically water starved american. 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. But where the windup girl takes place hundreds of years from now in southeast asia, the water knife hits closer to home for u. Or perhaps books like the water knife will actually help us change what we do. Here you can find handpicked readalike recommendations for more than 4000 contemporary books and 3000 authors. The rbooks bookclub selection for may is the water knife by paolo. I look at data points and ask what the world could look like. 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. 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. 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. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar approach to an inorganic substance without which human life wouldnt exist. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi 2016, paperback for. Next is lucy monroe, a freelance internet journalist chronicling the slow demise of phoenix, arizona. Printz awards, and has been nominated for the national book award.
It is a book ive been looking forward to for some time and one which does not disappoint, though it does defy expectations. That might sound like philip marlowe boilerplate, but bacigalupi. We are very excited to be reading the water knife and talking to paolo bacigalupi this month. Out today, the water knife centers on a vicious fight over water rights in a nearfuture. 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 conditions that make cooperation more favorable are important, especially in considering how we might avoid a future like the water knife. In an american southwest devastated by severe drought, angel velasquez is a water knife for one of the most powerful people in the region. It is bacigalupis sixth novel, and is based on his short story, the tamarisk hunters, first published in the environmental journal high country news. Supreme court to enforce it, even though much of the social and political life of this future america is. Like bacigalupis the water knife, claire vaye watkins sets her novel in an american southwest thats been ravaged by drought. 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. 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.
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. The water knife oscillates between nightmarish fantasy and. 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. Like the best scifi, the water knife has its own vocabulary and rituals but is rooted in a familiar world. Nevada and arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the colorado river, while california. It told you everything about how a person had ended up in the right place at the wrong time, and. A las vegas water knife, angel cuts water for his boss, catherine case, ensuring that her lush, luxurious arcology developments can bloom in the desert, so the rich can stay wet, while the poor get nothing but dust. Angel velasquez is the water knife of the title, a canny, deadly catspaw for catherine case, the queen of nevada water dealings. The city of phoenix in the water knife is a grim place. Theres sort of a mix of lawlessness and martial law, which means basically, those with the most guns have the water. 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.
Many of you may be familiar with some of his other books like the. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Paolo tadini bacigalupi born august 6, 1972 in paonia, colorado is an american science fiction and fantasy writer. In phoenix, the chinese have built the taiyang arcology, but most people are out of water and out of luck. 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.
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. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi by curlygeek04, may 14, 2015 despite the violence, i loved this book. The water knife by paolo bacigalupi, paperback barnes. In the american southwest, nevada, arizona, and california skirmish for dwindling shares of the colorado river. The water knife may turn out to be 2015s most talked about book. In his equally powerful sophomore novel, the water knife, he takes a similar approach. Amid a real drought, thriller water knife cuts to the quick. There are rei dust goggles, the kindle post and hashtags. So for his next trick, bacigalupi started writing books for kids. His new book, the water knife, grew from a short story. 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. Similar themes run through his book the water knife, where a future. 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.
In his sixth novel, bacigalupi the doubt factory, 2014, etc. Out today, the water knife centers on a vicious fight over water rights in a near future. The water knife by paolo abebooks passion for books. About this book water is scarce in the american southwest. Use the alphabetical lists below to look up a favorite book or author and then click see readalikes to discover similar books. Paolo bacigalupis water knife carves a richly imagined, dystopian plot in a. Find books like the water knife from the worlds largest community of readers. 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. The water knife is a noirtinged, apocalyptic vision of the nearfuture. 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. Water is power in the near future, the colorado river has dwindled to a trickle. Bacigalupi, who writes for kids and adults in books such as the.
The water knife book by paolo bacigalupi thriftbooks. The water knife is climate science wrapped in pulpy goodness. Under the right conditions, mutual cooperation becomes not only possible, but preferable. Goodreads members who liked the water knife also liked. Scarcity and survival reign in the water knife high. When youre writing about things like drought or climate change, or water or. Imagining a thirsty future in paolo bacigalupis the water knife. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Into the fray steps las vegas water knife angel velasquez. 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. Imagining a thirsty future in paolo bacigalupis the.
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