Earthlings
Autistic people often live in a state of anxiety and confusion about the social world, running into misunderstandings and other barriers. This book unlocks the inner workings of neurotypical behavior, which can be mysterious to autistics. Proceeding from root concepts of language and culture through 62 behavior patterns used by neurotypical people, the book reveals how they structure a mental map of the world in symbolic webs of beliefs, how those symbols are used to filter perception, how they build and display their identity, how they compete for power, and how they socialize and develop relationships--
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From childhood, Natsuki has believed she is from another planet, with her stuffed hedgehog as her ally. Years later, she takes her conscientious-objector husband to her grandparents' mountain home, with serious plans.
Earthlings was written by Sayaka Murata, originally published in Japanese in 2018 and translated into English by Ginny Tapley Takemori in 2020. It is the follow-up to her breakthrough Convenience Store Woman.
Earthlings contains depictions of child sexual abuse, incest, cannibalism, and severe psychological trauma. The content is disturbing and explicit. Readers should approach with significant care and avoid if sensitive to any of these themes.
Earthlings is 218 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Earthlings takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
Earthlings is a standalone novel by Ian Ford, not part of a series.
Earthlings is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.