What happens 100 years from now when, if climate change has brought us to a point where water has become one of our scarcest resources, and more precious than oil or gold? We've asked fiction writers to imagine the Great Lakes region a century or more on, and help us paint an audio portrait of that world. In her story, "World After Water", Chicago author Abby Geni brings us to a city flooded by dirty, toxic water. We follow the struggle of four boys, forced to steal clean water from their wealthy neighbors to survive. 

(Illustration by Abby Geni) 

After Water Fiction: World After Water

science+art+journalism... Time is running out to rescue and repair the planet, climate scientists keep telling us. They say that soon fresh water will be more precious than gold. They warn that no one will be untouched. But is anyone really listening? In After Water, scientists, writers and journalists to peer into the future—100 years or more—and imagine when water scarcity is a dominant social issue. It’s a cosmic blend of art and science.

Front and Center is funded by The Joyce Foundation: Improving the quality of life in the Great Lakes region and across the country. 