When a desperate doctor unearths a hidden water source in the heart of the Sahara, he inadvertently triggers a massive ecological transformation that forces him into a dangerous quest for control. Dr. Mallory, a disillusioned physician, seeks to redeem his failed clinic by engineering a new river to revitalize the arid landscape. His obsession drives him to navigate the rapidly expanding waterway aboard a decaying ferry, where he encounters competing factions vying for power over the newly fertile territory. The narrative unfolds through a detached, observational lens that emphasizes the surreal intersection of human ambition and environmental upheaval.

This work is frequently analyzed for its characteristic Ballardian focus on the intersection of technology, landscape, and the fractured human psyche. Readers often note the dreamlike quality of the prose, which treats the impossible ecological event with a clinical, detached precision. The novel is recognized for its critique of the colonial impulse to reshape foreign environments to suit Western ideals of progress. Critics often highlight the protagonist's descent into madness as a central element that elevates the story beyond a simple adventure narrative. The text remains a significant example of the author's ability to render the uncanny through the lens of environmental catastrophe.