The Water Knife

The narrative is heavily informed by the author's background in reporting on Western water politics and was specifically inspired by the non-fiction book Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, which characters in the story cite as a prophetic text. The author also drew from his observations of real-world water management and drought conditions in the American Southwest.

While the book shares thematic concerns with the author's previous works regarding climate change and resource exploitation, it functions as a standalone story rather than a direct sequel or part of a series.

The novel was developed from the author's earlier short story titled The Tamarisk Hunter, which was first published in the magazine High Country News.