In the late twenty-first century, the richest man in the world, Rudy Garinger, has hired a group of intelligent engineers and biologists to research, build, and use a cryogenic chamber for space exploration, as the world is suffering from climate change. Through trial and error, scientists Tom Forsythe and Natasha (Tasha) Volkov work alongside other intrepid specialists to construct the system, and in doing so, they fall in love. However, during the launch of the project, called Project Noah, a catastrophic accident destroys much of the planet, and nearly three hundred years later, the people involved in Project Noah awake from cryogenic sleep to see a new, terrifying Earth. The accident caused pockets of fluctuating gravity across the planet, animals have changed, and some individuals working on the project who were left behind have gained near-immortal status from radioactive materials. The awakened crew navigates this new Earth while a gang of Russians and a tribe of people in the American West battle to save the planet and to survive.

The science in the first half of the book as the crew of Project Noah research and build the cryogenic chambers feels real and concrete through Cohen’s confident prose. While some facets of the future world in the book’s second half, like giant horses and extended lifespans, are little more far fetched, the authoritative language and vivid prose puts these inventions in the context of the more realistic aspects of the story to bring the two halves of the book together into a strong, cohesive work.

The merging of the science fiction and western genres is imaginative and unique. The intriguing dystopian setting of the twenty-first century evolves in a feasible way into the old West-style frontier as the new physics and destruction of resources forces people to explore uncharted territory and fiercely protect themselves. Dynamic and precise language brings the brutal setting to life, and the characters’ interactions with their world shape both the setting and the people.

The large cast of characters is balanced with empathetic, cruel, funny, and stern people. Tom and Tasha are likable, and it is easy to root for the success of their love story. Even minor characters who appear in only a few scenes have distinct personalities that make them memorable and entertaining.

Kevin Cohen’s science fiction western novel UNTETHERED is an imaginative peek into a chaotic future.

~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader