THE WATER KNIFE [UK/ANZ] is Paolo Bacigalupi’s first adult novel since his Hugo and Nebula-award winning debut THE WINDUP GIRL [UK/ ANZ]. It’s one of the must-read SF books of the year, but if you haven’t read it yet, do not despair. The paperback edition is out next month, providing an excellent opportunity to take immediate action. And so that you know exactly what to look out for, here is the cover, designed by Art Director Sean Garrehy in the UK:

PS: If you are wondering why you should read it, here are some wise words from those who already have:

‘These days are coming, and as always fiction explains them better than fact. This is a spectacular thriller, wonderfully imagined and written’ – Lee Child

‘His use of water as sacred currency evokes Frank Herbert’s Dune. The casual violence and slang may bring to mind A Clockwork Orange. 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’ – Los Angeles Times

‘A noirish cinematic thriller set in the midst of a water war between Las Vegas and Phoenix . . . Think Chinatown meets Mad Max’ – NPR

‘This is the best kind of science fiction. An intense thriller and a deeply insightful vision of the coming century, laid out in all its pain and glory. It’s a water knife indeed, right to the heart’ – Kim Stanley Robinson

‘A noir-tinged, apocalyptic vision of the near-future . . . Once I started, I couldn’t put it down’ – Kelly Link

‘Anyone can write about the future. Paolo Bacigalupi writes about the future that we’re making today, if we keep going the way we are. It makes his writing beautiful . . . and terrifying’ – John Scalzi