A never ending drought that has weakened the federal government, created deadly living conditions in multiple states and changed the very nature of life in the United States.

It's a horrifying vision of the new normal explored in the new sci-fi novel, "The Water Knife."

Set in the near future of a drought ravaged American Southwest, author Paolo Bacigalupi walks readers through a fictional reality of future power struggles over the precious liquid commodity.

Bacigalupi joined the show to talk about where he got his inspiration, and if the plot will have any effect on how people think about California's current drought.