Slice the Water
Synopsis
Born on the lush, island nation of Mahana, Fred lives under the tyrannical rule of a book-burning king. Under the king’s rule, Mahanians are controlled by a military dictatorship and threatened with forced starvation, while people with disabilities are exiled. After Fred’s father suddenly disappears, Fred joins an underground movement of dissenters and becomes an unwitting global icon in the fight for Mahanian freedom. When he is recruited and relocated by an organization that seems sympathetic to Fred’s cause, he arrives in a seemingly peaceful foreign nation, where the impact of social media and technology create a new, stranger struggle.
A dystopian thriller and a speculative fiction coming-of-age story, Wong’s prose thrums with biting bursts of staccato, which fittingly accompany this fascinating exploration of contrasting political systems. As Fred unpeels layers of truth and sees beyond the optics of altruism and the illusion of choice, Slice the Water unpacks the myriad, amplifying impacts of technology, addiction, and complacency. All while prompting trenchant questions about the effects of social media and Artificial Intelligence on societies around the globe.
SLICE THE WATER is such a refreshing read. It’s a twisty adventure story with endearing, heart-melting characters. It’s also a biting Swiftian satire that critiques both book-burning despots and well-meaning techno-progressive elites. PP Wong sweeps her readers up in a fictional universe that feels uniquely alive and wondrously imagined—one that brilliantly reveals our own world. —Kevin Chong, Giller Prize Judge 2024 and Giller Prize Finalist for THE DOUBLE LIFE OF BENSON YU
Marketing Information
Praise for author’s debut novel, Women’s Prize for Fiction finalist The Life of a Banana:
‘Revealing in its exploration of cultural and generational conflicts and moving in its optimism.’ — The Guardian, UK
‘Deeply insightful… Tragedy and trauma are juxtaposed with a jokey colloquialism.’ — Bare Fiction Magazine, UK
‘Life of a Banana is so refreshingly distinct. Read it, and you will soon find yourself wanting more.’ — The Daily Mail, UK
‘Life of a Banana can make people think in intimate and silent reflection. What we are all called to do is essentially understand that there must not be any form of judgment or condemnation of those who look different. We need tolerance and full acceptance without any prejudice, which makes us more human.’ — Vanity Fair, Italy