Vivid world-building and distinctly unique concepts propel Gregory Greunke’s impressive debut—a cautionary science fiction tale about the consequences of unrestricted fossil fuel use and unchecked greed.

This whirlwind, globe-hopping adventure opens in a near-future as two college students driving to Athens, Georgia, die of heatstroke when their car breaks down. Readers encounter a world very different from their own: AugWatches display augmented reality; personalized AI functions as a companion; the dead landscape is devoid of trees; and daily temperatures reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Greunke then introduces Kasemchai Seng, age 10, when his Cambodian family nearly drowns in the early days of the Rain Wall, a years-long torrential downpour centered on the west coast of Africa and Cambodia that obliterates nations and populations. Sixteen years later, though, Kasemchai’s father Preap Seng and Philippe Labonne of the Ivory Coast are vastly wealthy from shipping water worldwide via fleets of tankers.

Their children hope to someday take over, and predatory Angélique Labonne is already burnishing her father’s image as a man of God and water evangelist. Playboy Kasemchai is more interested in tech and fast cars, however, until he meets Liv Anselm, an engineer working for a company developing solar-powered tanker ships. Kasemchai invests in the company, hoping to create a world-changing industry, but learns that every decision has its consequences.

Compelling science fiction is character-driven, not just idea-driven, and Kasemchai’s evolution from thoughtless dilettante to responsible leader is credible and well plotted. Greunke’s cultural depictions of a parched Earth, right down to the greeting “Are you thirsty?” vs. “How are you?” are quietly brilliant. The Labonnes’ opulent, egg-shaped headquarters—“a lacy frame of white steel that trapped glass panels reflecting the dark grey sky”—and the Sengs’ lavish orchid-and-vine draped interiors contrast starkly with the thick-walled tenements where residents live without running water.

Greunke is a splendid writer. Adroitly crafted, The Water Carriers is a dizzying, dazzling depiction of a thirsty Earth, a kick-in-the-pants reminder of what’s at stake if we don’t act now.

Highly recommended for fans of Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl and Naomi Alderman’s The Power.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.