When London journalist Philip Wade learns that his article on nuclear weapons testing has been censored by the British government, his interest turns to the attempted cover-up. Wade’s investigation leads to a mysterious job offer in a newly-formed government department, and here the truth of the oncoming catastrophe is revealed. The country is rife with uncertainty and distrust – then the water levels start to drop. Originally published in 1958, this gripping apocalyptic novel poses pertinent questions about censorship and the potential for violence in the face of dwindling resources. How much of the truth is too much? Who can you really trust? And what happens when the water runs out? Charles Eric Maine was the pseudonym of David McIlwain (1921-1981), a prolific writer of science fiction novels in the 1950s and 1960s. Maine was renowned for fast-paced thriller plotlines, which explored the unintended consequences of scientific progress.