Book Review: The Water Knife

I guess I really do like books about dystopian post-apocalyptic futures. I was talking to an old college friend of mine the other day, and we realized how much we've changed with what we do during our free time. Before medical school, I would read books like House of God, pursue philosophy treatises, try to understand the movies critics liked. Now, I read and watch a lot more fantasy. Escape is an important form of well-being, of decompression. There was a time when I thought I ought to fill up the entirety of my day with productive work, and sometimes I wish I had that kind of commitment. But then I realize how necessary it is for me to simply retreat into something I enjoy, something apart from the emotional tenacity of patient care. It's not that I need something mindless - I don't own a TV - but I need something that sparks the other faculties I enjoy: creativity, art, movement, wonder, imagination.

In The Water Knife, Paolo Bacigalupi paints a vivid picture of a world without water. This hits close to home as California weathers drought after drought. The world is a cutthroat every-man-for-himself situation where each state and city vies for rights to water. It touches on environmentalism, culture and society, espionage, and technology, but ultimately the story is about a journalist, a spy, and a refugee, all struggling to survive. It's beautifully written and tantalizingly addicting, though the world created is harsh and violent. It's not a must-read, but I did thoroughly enjoy it.

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