Why has no one thought of this before?!

Flying Squid@lemmy.worldmod to Lemmy Shitpost@lemmy.world – 894 points –
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There is a German novel where something like this happens over night for no reason. It's called "Miami Punk" and worth a read but I'm afraid there are no translations. It's written by an anthropologist and he investigates the question how people would react, including people out of work, conspiracy theories, scientists, ...

That sounds interesting. It looks like you're right, though; I couldn't find an English translation, at any rate. Luckily, the search reminded me how much I loved The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, and now I'm planning to hit the bookstore when it opens.

Is The Water Knife something for my reading list, too? Convince me if you like but I can obviously google it myself otherwise

Sorry to take so long to respond! It's a novel set in a plausible near-future in which existing power structures have been fragmented by the effects of climate change. It follows a handful of disparate characters in the western US, and talks a lot about the water politics of the Colorado river. It's very well-written (claims random internet guy, but hey—you asked!). Can also recommend The Windup Girl by the same author. Same eco-dystopian timeline, set in Thailand. Delves more into issues surrounding AI and genetic engineering.