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My Story Evolved
The Water Carriers is a climate fiction novel that throws readers into a world ravaged by water scarcity, unrelenting heatwaves, and technological overreach. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Over the past seven years, my family and I moved from California to Florida and then back to California. We experienced hurricanes, droughts, forest fires, and a global Covid lockdown. What stood out to me was that no matter how catastrophic a situation became, people always wanted to return to normalcy. As a result, my story evolved into a post-post-apocalyptic narrative.
During this time, I read more than a few news articles that said climate change would hit poor developing nations first and more severely than first-world nations. What if the opposite happened? I decided to bring the most powerful nations to ruin and handed all the power to two families; one in the Ivory Coast and one in Cambodia.
But In truth, the environment is simply the background in my novel. The world is portrayed as absurd, with all the water falling in only two countries, and yet, this is unnervingly plausible. After all, the earth has been known to do surprising things.
The real tension in the novel lies between two individuals who hold all the power in the world. This narrative encourages readers to reflect on the government duopoly we face in the US today. I want the reader to think about who wins when we are a divided nation.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
In my novel, set in the near future, libraries exist without books. Characters use their AI companion to create personalized stories, music, and games. What will humans do when AI can create entertainment more easily than humans? This isn’t just a question for the future; it’s happening today.
If you’ve ever doom-scrolled through social media or TV channels, you’ve likely felt the dilemma of experiencing entertainment without a genuine connection. When you read a story written by a human author, you immerse yourself in their imagination for the period of that story. Books are unique in that they allow, and even encourage, you to pause and let your imagination explore different ideas before returning to the main storyline. It is this human connection that makes excellent fiction truly special.
What themes were important for you to explore in this book?
Many science fiction novels portray technology as a villain. We need to recognize that humans, not technology, often make poor and selfish decisions. I believe technology can be harnessed to bring us closer to nature and create a world that is less harmful to humanity. As Star Trek did for the mobile phone, I imagined the solution for a seemingly impossible task: ocean tankers powered by batteries.
Right now, AI and government are evolving more rapidly than we can comprehend. In the short term, this progress can lead to troubling outcomes, which worries me as a parent of young children. However, in the long run, we have the potential to achieve better outcomes for everyone, which gives me hope. As I mentioned earlier, people often seek a return to normalcy.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The Water Carriers is the second book in a three-part series. My next project will be the start of a YA thriller more than 100 years in the future, exploring a more classic dystopian society theme.
My project name for The Water Carriers series is, quite understandably, Rain. I refer to the young adult series as The Grove. I am a dedicated plotter and have outlined all six stories using the Blake Snyder Save the Cat method. The first book in The Grove series is expected to be ready by 2026.
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Multiple Five-Star Reviews from Readers’ Favorite – A trusted source for top indie books.
When two parties control all the water in the world, how far will they go to stay in power?
In a future ravaged by climate catastrophe, water is no longer a human right—it’s a commodity controlled by two powerful families.
Kasemchai Seng grew up in luxury, the heir to a global water empire built on desperation and greed. But while his ruthless father expands their grip on the world’s dwindling resources, Kasemchai dreams of something different—a future where innovation, not exploitation, determines survival. When he meets Liv Anselm, a Dutch engineer developing solar-powered water tankers, he sees a chance to change the game.
But power is never surrendered willingly.
As Kasemchai pushes for a revolution in water distribution, he finds himself locked in a high-stakes battle with Angélique Labonne, the calculating heir to the rival water dynasty. While Angélique weaponizes faith and fear to cement her family’s rule, Kasemchai faces an impossible choice: uphold the status quo or risk everything—including his own life—to build a better world.
With vivid world-building and razor-sharp social commentary, The Water Carriers is a dizzying, dazzling depiction of a thirsty Earth (BlueInk Review). Fans of The Windup Girl and The Power will be captivated by this gripping, character-driven vision of a future where water is power—and those who control it will do anything to keep it.
Read The Water Carriers for free with Kindle Unlimited, or click Buy Now to dive into this gripping sci-fi thriller today!
The Water Carriers
The Water Carriers is a gripping near-future climate fiction novel that throws us into a world ravaged by water scarcity, unrelenting heatwaves, and technological overreach. It follows multiple interwoven storylines across continents—from two teenage girls trapped in a car during a deadly heatwave in the U.S., to a Cambodian boy swept away by a flood, to the power-hungry elite shaping the world’s water economy. The book explores the terrifying consequences of environmental collapse and the human drive to survive, control, and commodify the planet’s last lifeline—water.
What hit me hardest right from the first chapter was how visceral and claustrophobic the heat felt. That opening scene with Naomi and Bai, stuck in a smart car that shuts down in the middle of nowhere, was brutal. It’s not just dystopian—it’s suffocating. The tech is clever (like the personalized AIs and the “AugWatch”), but it’s the raw panic, the hallucinations, the horrible quiet when Bai stops screaming, that stayed with me. When Naomi screams at her AI companion Evelyn, “You’re not real!” it gave me chills. That whole scene was devastating and way too plausible.
Greunke’s writing really shines when he digs into the contrasts. Like how Kasemchai, once a starving kid in flood-ravaged Cambodia, grows into a polished water tycoon living in luxury while people outside his empire choke on dust. Now he’s making deals in a towering, marble office and cruising around in a shimmering AI-controlled Bugatti. The dude has serious Bond villain energy, but with just enough backstory that you’re not totally sure if you hate him or feel bad for him. That moral grayness I loved.
There is great worldbuilding in this book. You’ve got AI companions being “paid” commission for purchases, people picking dating “PrefXs” based on virtual personalities, and massive desalination plants replacing coastlines. And the humor is subtle but there—like the snarky banter between Liv and her AI Noa, or that scene where she plays a dating game by guessing if a guy is “on it, in it, or under it.” It’s all so absurdly futuristic, but it feels like a natural extension of where we’re heading. That blend of bleak and weirdly funny was my vibe.
This book made me feel everything: anxious, sad, angry, hopeful, even inspired. It’s a slow burn in parts, but the payoffs are worth it. If you’re into stories like The Ministry for the Future or Black Mirror, you’ll enjoy this story. I think The Water Carriers is a must-read for anyone who’s worried about climate change, fascinated by AI, or just loves a good survival story with brains and heart.
Pages: 398 | ASIN : B0DTT6YZW1
LITERARY TITAN 