Dallas Down — Richard Moran

Dallas, former fount of wealth and prestige, is on its uppers in this tale of imminent doom. The author of Cold Sea Rising , about melting polar icecaps, here makes Dallas the victim of a reverse fate. A paralyzing drought afflicts the city. Strict rationing is in force; the vast underground caverns once supported by abundant water now threaten to collapse; huge sinkholes require evacuation of millions of residents. A synfuels magnate in Dallas plots to divert the Rio Grande to sustain his water-hungry technology. Eventually, after Mexico has been goaded by the theft of its water supply, a lone spelunker stands between the magnate and Mexico's nuclear revenge. The scientific back-up, whiff of romance, and an amazing but satisfying end add up to great white-knuckle entertainment. Barbara Conaty, Library of Congress