SOLVED. Land swallowed by desert, boy from gorge becomes hero [s]

[Simon]

This is a book I read sometime in the 90's, is likely to be hovering in the teen adventure dystopia genres.

Set sometime in the future, the desert has grown forcing mankind to the coasts where they are sandwiched by the sea containing nothing but a deadly black fish.

Living in a gorge or cavern, the people have video walls and a failing water supply. Banging on the pipes awoke the burrowing robots underground to dig deeper for streams.

They have a fish trap so as the tides wash out, they catch and eat the black fish.

My memory starts to fade here

There is a tower in the bay which supposedly contains a wizard or magician. Some way into the desert, there is a huge gate which contains some monster or fear which must never be opened. Naturally they open it and get abducted by aliens.

Ring any bells? It had an impact on me and I'd be interested in re-reading. Thanks for looking :)

[Sheena]

I don't know what your book is, but it certainly sounds interesting and I'd like to know what it is too.

[Dylan]

Magician by Allan Baillie

[Simon]

THAT'S IT!!! Thank you!!! This has had me for over a year!

I thought it was called magician, but I kept coming up with Feist's Magician (one I definitely want to read too but not the one from memory) so I gave up on the name after a while.