Books: “Earthlings” by Sayaka Murata

I dove straight into Earthlings, without having read Convenience Store Woman, which I think worked out well for me. I went into the story without any preconceived notions and readily accepted ANYTHING. Or maybe that is the Haruki Murakami effect; I have been trained to take in the outlandish as it comes.

It starts off, umm, ‘normally’? in that it is yet tangible. As a young girl, the protagonists’ family senses she is a bit odd and bullies her about. She creates a fantasy planet with a hamster like soft-toy as its emissary. She has superpowers that allows her mind to cocoon itself in the midst of physical and sexual abuse. The novel skips to adulthood. Natsuki is married to Tomoya who is also of her alien planet. They pretend to be part of “the baby making factory,” which is the backbone of Earth’s culture.  

Things go topsy turvey when Natsuki and Tomoya visit her ancestral home up in the mountains for a vacation away from the Factory. There, Natsuki is reunited with Yuu her first cousin, who used to believe he too was an alien, but is now living as a responsible Earthling.
Not wanting to spoil much more, I will end by saying, the three are eventually found by the Factory’s envoys – naked, gaunt and gnawing on human bones.

Some parts are hilarious in its absurdity, yet Murata’s talent lies in that it also speaks the truth. I found Murata’s Popinpobopia planet to be a twin to Robert A. Heinlein’s Mars in his novel, Stranger in a Strange Land. Both have a terrible reaction to violence, and similar outlook to not wasting any meat. Both question the conventions of social rule and so-called cultural wisdoms. The 60’s vibe of Mars is just groovy and is still one of my favourite planets, but I did like getting to know the Popinpobopians that reflect the modern Earth’s subculture.

Descartes says “I think, therefore I am.” Both Murata and Heinlen say the same – you are an alien if you think you are. You will be chastised for being weird or selfish, but the reward is total freedom. I remember in that same philosophy class, my professor brought in aliens to make an ethical point. We can get so caught up in our Earthling ways, mistaking custom for morality. We talk of cultures and accepting differences yet shun a system reboot of social ‘norms.’ And just think; from their alien point of view, Earthlings are the irrational weirdos.
I leave you to visit both planets.

“The feeling of being a Popinpobopian existed within us receptacles. It has just been dormant. Rather than gaining a new sensibility, it felt as though we were recovering one we’d always had.”