THE WATER CARRIERS

In Greunke’s novel, the global distribution of fresh water on an Earth devastated by climate change relies on two oligarchic families.

In the future, scorching, lethal heat waves bear names like tropical storms, and fresh water has become a valuable, limited commodity (akin to fuel oil) for most of the planet. In a poorly understood meteorological quirk, rainwater now falls in continuous cascades in only two places: Southeast Asia and Africa. In these areas, two once-humble families manage to control a global water-distribution network, dividing the parched population between themselves as clients. The Seng family of Cambodia is led by patriarch Preap, who says, “Water is not a luxury. It is a right. My success is built upon my obligation to bring water to the world as cheaply as possible.” The Sengs are on friendly terms with their peers, the Labonnes of Ivory-Coast Africa. Preap’s fabulously privileged son and heir Kasemchai Seng (who can buy a whole distillery on a whim because he enjoys their liquor) has a casual sexual relationship with Angélique Labonne, daughter of water-tycoon Philippe, who styles himself as a religious leader and broadcasts sermons on God’s role in all of this. Despite his playboy exterior, Kasemchai yearns to do something truly great. When he meets attractive Dutch energy engineer Liv Anselm, they collaborate to replace filthy diesel-oil engines used on water tankers with sustainable solar electricity and rechargeable batteries. Kasemchai encounters unexpected resistance and treachery when he floats the scheme with the aged water barons, who start seeming far less benevolent after this challenge to their established order. First-time author Greunke crossbreeds “cli-fi” SF with the “business novel” genre, in which quests for investors, product rollouts, and the occasional corporate-sabotage crisis provide the drama—such concerns receive more emphasis in Greunke’s yarn than incidents like the harrowing depiction of heatstroke death that raises the curtain here. The reader is occasionally reminded of how high the stakes are, but this is talk-heavy material in which maneuvering in an elite CEO conference propels the climax. Still, the narrative is disquietingly persuasive; read with a cool beverage on hand for best effect.

Business-centered SF about managing a drought-choked world that works at a slow boil.