Goldsmiths University Prize for “a novel that pushes the boundaries of literary form.” Nomination for the British Science Fiction Association Award. New Statesman Book of the Year. Shaw's whole life is a clumsy attempt to understand who he is. A rented room, a mother with dementia and rare meetings with a woman named Victoria - this is the semblance of life, or would be if Shaw had not become involved in a conspiracy theory, which on dark nights by the river seems less and less theoretical... Victoria renovates the house of the deceased mothers, trying to find new friends. But what happened to her mother? Why did the local waitress disappear into the shallow pond? And why is the city so obsessed with the old Victorian fairy tale "Children of the Water"? While Shaw and Victoria try to save their relationship, the sunken lands rise again, unnoticed by the bustle of everyday life. "Anxious and insinuating, fabulously attentive to all the nuances, Harrison is a chronicler unrivaled tense, unstable state we find ourselves in.” – The Guardian “This is a book of alienation and an atmosphere of half-hidden revelation, like reading Thomas Pynchon deep under the sea. One of the most beautiful pieces you will ever come across." – Daily Mail “Harrison is a linguistic artist, constructing sentences that envelop you and weave into a stream of consciousness... every sentence is a decadent bite and a new sensation.” – Sci Fi Now “M. John Harrison has created a literary masterpiece that will continue to be read 100 years from now, if the planet survives that long.” – Goldsmiths University Prize Jury “A bewitching, mysterious book... Haunting. Disturbing. Beautiful." – Russell T. Davies, Doctor Who showrunner “The Magic Book.” – Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods “An extraordinary experience.” – William Gibson, author of Neuromancer “The author draws a clear line between realism and fantasy, and paints a portrait of post-Brexit Britain that is chilling with both concern and recognition.” - Jonathan Coe, author of Midland "One of the strangest and most disturbing novels of the year." – The Herald “A beautifully written, utterly compelling book. It, like many of Harrison's works, contains scenes of such a level of strangeness that they remain in the memory long after the end of the novel." – Fantasy Hive “Harrison's psychogeographical prose is exquisite and precise. 9.4/10.” – Fantasy Book Review