Samaki (left) and Kory (right).
Waterways is an anthropomorphic novel by Kyell Gold, with cover and interior illustrations by Cooner
. Taking place in the Forester Universe, the story focuses on Kory, an otter, and Samaki, a black-furred red fox, fumbling through their friendship and more throughout their last years in high school. However, when Kory starts to have feelings for the fox, his entire world collapses into itself, and he, with the help of his brother Nick, friend Malaya, and Father Joe, needs to pull himself out of the rapids into the new waterways that make up his life.Waterways was released in 2008, winning the 2008 Ursa Major Award for Best Novel.
There is an upcoming short film adaptation of Waterways by the same name. Waterways
The novels contain examples of:
- Closet Key: Samaki is this for Kory.
- Coming-Out Story: Less "coming-out" and more "coming-to-terms," however.
- Crash-Into Hello: How Kory and Samaki meet.
- Cure Your Gays: Discussed, but not part of the story. Kory suspects that his mother had several camps for this lined up, among other behaviour camps.
- Deadpan Snarker: Malaya is this, full stop. Kory and Samaki both get their moments in as well.
- The Fundamentalist: Kory's mother, Celia.
- Family of Choice: Kory eventually finds one after he's kicked out of his mother's house for being gay.
- Gayngst: Kory goes through quite a bit at varying stages.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: As soon as Celia learned that Kory was gay, she promptly kicked him out. Sal too, ended up kicking Kory out after Kory refused to give him a hand-job. Although Kory tried to make up with the latter, he doesn't reciprocate.
- Prom Is for Straight Kids: Kory gets invited to Samaki's prom, but Kory's fears about this trope lead him to backing out at the last minute.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Every character engages in this with someone else. Usually it's Kory, Samaki and/or Malaya.
- Straight Gay: Pretty much every gay character in the story are pretty normal and un-campy.
- We Used to Be Friends: How Kory and Sal act after their falling out.
- Wham Line: There's several of these in this book...
- One terrifying one after several stressful days in Kory's life:
Samaki: "Malaya’s in the hospital."
