Book Cover Contest - The Toxicity of Water: A Rising Waters Short

The Toxicity of Water: A Rising Waters Short

Ralph Walker

Ralph Walker is an architect and writer, living in New Jersey with his wife and two kids. He has been writing speculative fiction consistently since 2012. You can find him on twitter at RW_Igloo, facebook at Ralph Walker or at his website http://www.ralphwalkerauthor.com

The Toxicity of Water is the third installment in my Rising Water series. All of these stories are near future science fiction dealing with issues of climate change and rising technology. In this story a grown boy, Hunter, scavenges in a flooded Philadelphia for the only inheritance his family left behind.

Here is a link to the series to date:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B…rw_dp_labf

This short story is aimed at an adult science fiction audience who might also read Clarkesworld, Asimov or Ray Bradbury. These stories are also generally read by Hugo and Nebula voters.

Darker, moodier, but with sharp contrast. Blues, greys, and purples.

Much of this story takes place in submerged area of Philadelphia. Imagine underwater brownstones with only their roofs poking above a flooded river, elevated highways that have become docks for small boats, drowned trees, etc. The water is also always moving, so it is bluer and cleaner than what you might see in a normal flood. I'd like to see an image of a young man in scuba gear swimming down a flooded street towards a traditional row house. I think the view should be as if the reader is underwater with the swimmer.

Bring your creative ideas. Everything is open to interpretation.

Please don't show the character's face. I want to see the character from behind.

Please use similar fonts to the ones used in the previous stories in the series (see the link earlier in the brief).