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2019 | Vol 2 | Issue 1 

 

 

DRYLANDS: THE CLIMATE CRISIS OF NEAL 

SHUSTERMAN AND JARRODS. 
 SWATHI 

Ph.D. Research Scholar, Rathnavel Subramaniam College of Arts and Science, 

Sulur, Coimbatore.  

Dr.M. KALAIARASAN 

Assistant Professor of English, Rathnavel Subramaniam College of Arts and Science, 

Sulur, Coimbatore.  

 

 

ABSTRACT: 
Most works of climate fiction (Cli-fi) have some kind of catastrophe, thriller, or apocalyptic 

setting while simultaneously tackling scientific or environmental concerns. The projection of 

the climatic transition in the biosphere and the promotion of awareness to the wider population 

via climate fiction is also a new development in the recording of literary materials brought on 

by the current climate change issue. This current research examines Neal Shusterman and his 

son Jarrod Shusterman's book Dry, which is set in the climate fiction genre. The environmental 

catastrophe that brought to California's terrible drought is front and center. This story for 

young adults is considered a compelling dystopian work because of the way it portrays the 

future world's water shortage. However, the heroine Alyssa Morrow and her friends take on 

the dreadful condition of people suffering from dehydration and how they manage to turn the 

situation around as it worsens in their nation. It shows a group of young people (the "Tap-

Out") addressing the issue of a water shortage. The viewpoint of climate change and the 

significance of resource conservation are addressed in this book. 

Keywords: Loss of Humanity, Desertification, Drought, Water Scarcity, and Climate Change. 

 

 

 

 

 

People have high hopes for the safety of 

future generations despite concerns about 

the effects of global warming. The 

existential problem of a warming planet is 

already being revealed by climate change. 

As a result of climate change, natural 

resources have been depleted, air quality 

has deteriorated, and fresh water supplies 

have been threatened. The environment is 

undergoing rapid transformations that will 

eventually result in a catastrophic 

explosion on a massive scale. The term 

"Eco-disaster fiction" might also be used 

to this book. The book takes place in and 

around California, in the United States. 

The whole story takes place over the 

course of six days. The southern region of 

California has been hit by a severe 

drought, and the state government has 

declared a state of emergency. Due to the 

terrible drought and high degree of water 

shortage in the metropolitan metropolis, 

the state's taps will not pour water for an 

indeterminate amount of time. Many 

residents have taken to using the term 

"Tap-Out" to describe the current water 

crisis, which refers to the full and total loss 

of access to municipally supplied drinking 

water. The story delves on the question of 

what would happen if humans suddenly 

stopped having access to water. The tale 

starts with Alyssa's mother unsuccessfully 

trying to fill the family kitchen sink with 

water from a dry tap. Her dad just puts off 

mailto:Coimbatore.kalai.spk@gmail.com


 

 

fixing the faucet. What starts as a local 

problem in your home rapidly becomes a 

crisis for the whole state. This topic 

exemplifies the widespread lack of 

planning and naive confidence that 

characterizes human response to 

catastrophe, since the whole town is 

unprepared for the Tap-Out. 

Alyssa Morrow, the protagonist, is a 16-

year-old girl who lives with her family, 

who are more kind and tenacious than 

other people. She watched every television 

report on the unfolding situation with 

extreme care. She explains that a water 

issue cannot be seen on a radar screen. 

There are no waves or debris fields caused 

by the Tap-Out. Since there is nothing 

interesting to report, it is being ignored by 

the media. 

 23). Alyssa, her 10-year-old brother 

Garrett, and their uncle Basil go to the 

local Costco to stock up on bottled water 

after hearing the news on television. When 

they learn that the department store is 

running low on water, they begin to grasp 

the scope of the catastrophe. Alyssa has 

the spur-of-the-moment idea to load up 

their shopping cart with bagged ices, 

which, when melted, would provide them 

with potable water. Kelton McCracken, a 

neighbor and classmate of Alyssa's, helps 

cover the bags of ice with paste to keep 

them from melting in the tub.The 

McCrackens seem to be more cautious and 

ready for whatever disaster may come 

next. Kelton seems to be a survivalist 

adolescent, having been taught rescue 

techniques by his father. Preparations for 

the end of the world were already prepared 

by his family. They beefed up all of the 

safety measures, made sure there was 

enough water on hand, and set up a 

generator in case the main power source 

failed. This demonstrates the need of 

ensuring basic necessities are met and 

taking precautions to mitigate stress during 

times of crisis. 

 

Every day, the situation becomes more 

dire, with devastating consequences for all 

forms of life. The McCrackens' neighbors 

have been a source of frustration despite 

the fact that they were prepared for the 

worst. The locals gathered outside 

McCracken's home to beg for a drink from 

his emergency water supply. Kelton's 

father Richard, who has barely enough 

water for his own family during the 

drought, has no intention of sharing. The 

head of the homeowners' association 

personally visits their home and presents 

them with expensive gifts in return for a 

portion of their water supply. The 

significance of the word "water" is shown 

by this event. It has no equivalent among 

the available resources. Trying to picture a 

world without water is futile. In a word, 

no. It is the most valuable resource on the 

planet. Richard McCracken, wise to the 

value of water and the need of a strategic 

approach to survival, politely declined all 

offerings made to him. In fact, Richard 

used analogies, dividing humans into 

"herders," "sheep," and "others." 

 

„wolves‟. He boasted that he was the 

herder who had successfully kept his herd 

together. 

 

requirements and in a position to steer 

those oblivious to impending danger, like 

sheep, whereas wolves were seen as 

traitors or as those who preyed on sheep. 

 

Meanwhile, Alyssa's uncle Basil packs up 

his vehicle and drives away to a new 

location, citing a desire to avoid using up 

the family's remaining supplies as his 

justification. On the third day, Garrett 

accidentally pours bleach into their ice-

filled bathtub. Since he is just a child and 

does not understand the gravity of the 

situation, his parents did not punish him. 

He's under pressure to grow up soon 

despite his tender age. Garrett runs away 

from home and takes refuge at one of his 

friend's abandoned properties because he 

feels guilty. Kelton accompanies Alyssa on 

her quest to locate her missing brother and 

the two end up tracking him down. At the 

same time, the Morrows are packing to 

leave their children behind and move to 

Laguna Beach, where desalination 

machinery has been erected to convert 

saltwater into drinkable water. 

Desalination, the process by which the 



 

 

salinity (i.e., salt content) in sea water is 

filtered and cleansed to transform it into 

drinking water, is a particularly bleak 

method in which the author conveys the 

severity of water shortage. 

 

Alyssa, Garrett, and Kelton, three 

teenagers, band together to assess their 

chances of survival. Kelton goes out of his 

way to assist her out, including cleaning 

their sewage drainage system, since he has 

a crush on her and wants to make sure she 

and her family are safe. So, he approaches 

his father with a plea to share the family 

home. The boy's request is granted by his 

kind father. Kelton's willingness to serve 

others and share his resources despite the 

dire circumstances he found himself in is 

evidence of his selflessness. The gang is 

later joined by Jacqui Costa, a 19-year-old 

woman who is both the strongest survivor 

and the most aimless of the bunch. Kelton 

administers first aid by slathering some 

antibiotic cream on her cut hand. Jacque 

agrees to transport the other three to 

Kelton's house in exchange for refuge. 

 

In contrast, the author paints a vivid 

picture of the inhumane methods used by 

individuals to steal water from one 

another. You feel like you've left your 

regular self behind and are experiencing 

something new. Act in a different way. 

What happens, therefore, when all around 

you are a sea of water-crazed zombies, 

each of whom is also parched? You merge 

into oneness" (128). He even went so far 

as to dub the assembled masses "Water 

Zombies." It's a devastating blow to those 

who neglected to bring their morals along. 

The intended definition of zombies is 

common knowledge. These are tales in 

which the dead are brought back to life and 

fed upon by the living. In a similar vein, 

the author referred to persons who gamble 

for water as "Water Zombies." They 

seemed to be little more than a dead 

corpse, drained of all color, roaming 

thirstily. Their spit has dried and become 

white at the corners of their lips. The 

intensity of their expression verges on 

ferocity. This book imagines possible 

futures in which modern civilization has 

completely disintegrated. This is because 

of how intrinsically intertwined the notions 

of humanity, natural law, and civilization 

are with one another. Most of the people 

are so desperate to stay alive that they'll 

risk their lives for something as little as a 

drink of water; Henry is one of them 

because he betrays his pals in order to 

ensure his own life. After claiming to have 

a large sealed case of Agua Viva bottles, 

Henry sneaks into Alyssa's squad. In 

reality, it's just a bunch of Agua Viva 

pamphlets. To protect himself from the 

other members of the organization, he 

decided to join them. 

 

But Charity's camp shows that individuals 

may work together for the benefit of many. 

Charity is presented as a nurturing lady 

who runs a service camp to help the needy 

during times of need, earning her the 

nickname "Water Angel." When the 

teenagers find themselves near Charity's 

camp, she generously provides for their 

needs. Charity really refuses to give Jacqui 

any water since she has "elastic" skin and 

the other residents of the commune, 

including a newborn, have more need.  

 

child. The others agree with us that the 

commune would fail in the long run due to 

people's inherent selfishness. Charity, on 

the other hand, is convinced that teamwork 

is essential for human survival. Teens 

thirsty for water move about looking for a 

source. Their way around the dense forest 

becomes engulfed in flames, leaving them 

tired on the edge of the cliff with nowhere 

to go. They had no strength left to fight 

and had given up hope. Suddenly, they see 

a miracle unfold as a chopper dumps water 

on the blaze. It satisfies their thirst and 

prevents them from becoming dehydrated. 

Finally, this research has emphasized the 

value of natural resource conservation. 

 

"water" and the consequences of global 

warming. It portrayed the intensity with 

which humans suffer from severe thirst 

and dehydration. When you're young, you 

look up to your parents as if they were 

God.  but then there's that second 

 



 

 

If you think they're heroes or villains, 

you'll be disappointed. They embody all 

the shortcomings and frailties of being 

human, to the point that it hurts (p. The 

author defines the truth of humanity as the 

fact that no superheroes will appear to save 

the day. As a species, we'd look to 

conservation of natural resources as a 

means of addressing these problems. The 

tale also shows how climate problem 

might be true in the future. 

 

 

References: 

Editors Gerry Canavan and Kim Stanley 

Robinson present Green Planets, an 

anthology of ecological science fiction. 

Released in 2014 by Wesleyan University 

Press. 

The 7th of August, 2020: Livingstone, Jo. 

A Guide to Writing About Global 

Warming. Republic, New. 

ISSN 0028-6583. Get this on February 

15th, 2022. 

Neal, and Jarrod Shusterman authored this 

scholarly work. Without any moisture. 

2018 Simon & Schuster Books for Young 

Readers. 

Nattanont Yolsirivat. Neal Shusterman, he 

is Wonderful. 2018: Year of the Panther 

Nation. 

 

 

 


