The Water Knife is a science fiction novel written by New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist Paolo Bacigalupi. This text was published by Alfred A. Knopf Inc. on 26 May 2015.
The book is based on Bacigalupi's short story, The Tamarisk Hunters, and revolves around the effects of climate change in the near future. The water supply has been drastically reduced and control of the supply has been taken over by corrupt business magnates. Angel Velasquez is the main protagonist and is a spy/assassin, known as a “water knife" – his job is to sabotage the water supply of his employer’s competitors. He encounters many conflicts on his journey and meets the mysterious journalist Lucy Monroe and refugee Maria Villarosa along the way.
The Los Angeles Times wrote, “The book's nervous energy recalls William Gibson at his cyberpunk best . . . But this is no pastiche; Bacigalupi weaves an engrossing tale all his own, crackling with edgy style.”
