Water in the Desert Fire in the Night

by Gethan Dick

Because the thing about the end of the world is that it happens all the time. Someone leaves and it's the end of the world. Someone comes back and it's the end of the world. Somebody puts their cock in you and it's the end of the world. Somebody stops putting their cock in you and it's the end of the world. Here is a novel about mothering, wolves, bicycles, midwifery, post-apocalyptic feminism, gold, hunger and hope. It's about an underachieving millennial, a retired midwife and a charismatic Dubliner who set out from London after the end of the world to cycle to a sanctuary in the southern Alps. It's about the porousness of the female bodily experience, the challenges of being an empiricist with a sample size of one, what's worth knowing, what's worth living, and the necessity of irrationality. It's about the fact that the world ends all the time, and it's about what to try to do next.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

Published May 15, 2025

Reviews

[Annemarie Naughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially struggled to get into this book. There are no chapters and narrator weaves back and forth in time. However I enjoyed it and it is thought provoking as we see people/ survivors cope with “end of world” type scenario- heading into the unknown future…. But then isn’t the future always unknown?

[Amory · Rating 1 out of 5]

What little plot there is jumps back and forth like a kangaroo on acid and makes as much sense as a drunk irish man - or should that be woman?

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A recommendation from my Mum's book club! It was so good! Really interesting narrative, and so well paced. A semi non depressing dystopian <3

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this in a frenzy during my 2 week Scottish highland camping trip - absolutely delightful. Loved the poetic language, loved the way a plot line runs into the next thought just like a road trip feels like, or what your thoughts tend to do if you don’t happen to have your notes app ready, because it is the end of the world, duh. An excellent reminder that the world is ending every day and there is nothing extraordinary about it.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urgent writing. Great book.

[Kane henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it’s set in a post-pandemic world, this story feels more like a philosophical reflection on life than a typical dystopian thriller. The idea that “the world ends all the time” is explored beautifully, making it relatable even outside the apocalypse setting. It made me think about personal endings and new beginnings in my own life, which is rare for fiction in this genre.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stands out most is that the journey itself is the heart of the story. The group traveling from London toward a hopeful sanctuary represents more than survival, it symbolizes purpose. The writing keeps you engaged not through action alone, but through the evolving relationships and inner growth of the characters. It’s slow in places, but intentionally so, allowing reflection.

[Grace faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike many dark, hopeless dystopian stories, this novel carries an undercurrent of optimism. Even in a world devastated by a pandemic, the story highlights resilience, companionship, and the will to move forward. It’s refreshing to read something that balances realism with hope instead of leaning entirely into despair.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing style is fluid and almost poetic, sometimes moving between memories and present moments seamlessly. It may take some getting used to, but once you settle in, it feels natural, like being inside the narrator’s mind. This style adds emotional depth and makes the reading experience more immersive.

[Justine L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner, perhaps because if the way the actions, or memories of past, present and future actions intertwine and seem to spill out of the book. I am amazed how the author managed to make a book about the end of the world into an ode to life and love

[Frederick gate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book touches on big ideas like motherhood, survival, community, and identity, yet it never feels overly dense. Instead, these themes are woven naturally into the story. It encourages reflection without overwhelming the reader, which is a delicate balance that the author handles well.

[Kately · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most powerful aspects is how strangers become companions. The characters begin as neighbors with little connection but are forced to rely on each other. This transformation into a chosen family is touching and realistic, highlighting the importance of human bonds during uncertain times.

[Wiiliams jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t a fast-paced, action-driven novel. It requires some patience, especially with its nonlinear storytelling. However, readers who stick with it will find a rewarding and thought-provoking experience that stays with them long after finishing.

[Cary Tennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was absolutely amazing.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book to review in some ways, it flits around a lot and at times you never know where you are, this may be the intention of the Author though. None of us know how we would cope and at times flit around a lot in a sense of panic like a headless chicken.

I have enjoyed the book, as I do enjoy books set in the future like this one is. It makes you think what life would be like living in a post apocalyptic era and how you would cope if you survived an apocalypse. Would you rather lose your life or be a survivor? I have a feeling that I know my answer to that.

Quote
' So maybe Julie’s labour began when she saw the baby at the bonfire, or maybe it began a few mornings later while Martin and I were out fishing and fucking, so when we got back she had started having contractions and everyone was a little wired. Or maybe it began much later that day, because after a morning of contractions Julie ate some lunch and then lay down and slept while we rattled about the house, uneasy and unable to think about doing anything because we kept expecting it to start again. Sarah did not rattle about. She quietly got a couple of things ready and sat down and had a cup of tea while we all walked around bumping into each other, and then when we’d been doing that for about half an hour, Pressure Drop said, ‘Right then, let’s go and find the rock.

'So we were all, ‘Rock? What rock?’

And he said that in Ireland, out in the sticks and back in the day, if a birth was difficult the men of the house went out and found the biggest rock they could lift and carried it three times round the edge of the farm, and that was supposed to help. Sarah got a good laugh out of that, and then said that, rocks aside, if Julie’s body was resting itself now then it’d be a long night, and the best thing any of us could do was get some rest. '

The above made me laugh. If only the man of the house lugging a rock round a field, would make a pregnancy go easier. It would make life so much easier for the lady giving birth.