Tangled River is a 316-page color science fiction graphic novel; story and art by Michael Cohen writing under the pseudonym snowshadow.
It tells the story of Tanya, a young teenager growing up on an island outpost on a distant planet called Mehra. Tanya is the offspring of space pioneers who traveled from Earth decades ago to found Earth’s first interstellar colony. The settlers attempted to create a new society, only to have all their technology mysteriously fail shortly after their arrival. Over the course of the book, Tanya learns the story behind the event that forced the settlers to live a primitive lifestyle.
When Tanya sees an unknown object in the sky, it begins a series of surprising events that affect the fate of the entire planet. Tangled River is a coming-of-age story that offers commentary on cultural appropriation, mother/daughter relationships, and the art of storytelling itself. It is aimed at a YA audience, with no adult content.
Available in Kindle format on Amazon or in paperback from Indy Planet.
“It’s an intriguing tale, and not your usual science fiction yarn; more like a young adult drama that just happens to be set on a (really not very) alien planet. The tone is light and the tempo is paced. What happens between the characters – their relationships with each other, how they influence each others’ development, what they allow each other to be – is at least as central to the story, if not more, than what happens to the characters. This is a journey through inner space much more than it is an odyssey through outer space.”