Girl in Landscape

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name = Girl in Landscape
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author = Jonathan Lethem
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country = United States
language = English
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genre = Science Fiction
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media_type = Print (Hardback/Paperback)
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isbn = ISBN 0385485182
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Girl in Landscape is a science fiction novel by Jonathan Lethem. It is meant to evoke the classic Western film "The Searchers" (1956) (Citation needed).

Plot Summary

Pella Marsh is the only daughter and eldest child in a family that is leaving behind New York, in a near-future where the Earth has sustained severe damage from climate change. Before they can leave, Caitlin, Pella's mother, dies of a brain tumour, leaving Clement, her ineffectual father, to try to care for Pella and her brothers, Raymond and David.

After twenty months of cryogenic suspended animation, the Marshs reach the Planet of the Archbuilders. This oceanless planet is inhabited by an advanced but alien species known only as the Archbuilders, who are hermaphrodites. They also built arches, but abandoned this practice after they successfully terraformed their planet to provide an equitable climate. They are also sophisticated at bioengineering, and most foodstuffs are available in legume form. The Archbuilders themselves are furry and scaled creatures, with frond-like tentacles. There are also small burrowing mammals called "household deer," who seem to fulfil an ecological niche comparable to rodents on our own world, which also seem to be telepathic. Despite their apparent lack of high technology, the Archbuilders are skilled communicators, and have twenty thousand indigenous languages on their world. They also rarely give birth, implying considerable longevity.

Like the other colonists, Pella is instructed to take acclimatisation pills, ostensibly to ward off indigenous Archbuilder viruses, but refuses to do so, in defiance of the colony's autocratic leader, Efram Nugent. After some time, rather like Ethan Edwards and Debbie in "The Searchers" (1956) (Citation Needed), Efram and Pella develop a love/hate relationship as she resists his misanthropic and speciesist attitudes toward both his fellow colonists and the Archbuilders.

After she has decided to stop acclimatisation, she discovers that she has a rapport with the Archbuilders, and becomes increasingly influenced by their culture, civilisation and ecology, "going native". Her brother David and fellow teenager Doug Grant are similarly affected, as is the infant Melissa Richmond-Concorse. The four of them discover that one side-effect of adaptation to their new environment is telepathic communication with the household deer. Ultimately, other colonists either leave the planet (like the Kincaids, after a mistaken child sexual abuse incident); die, like Efram Nugent (assassinated); or become similarly absorbed by Archbuilder culture. The latter are transformed into semi-nomads who dwell in the ruins of their former houses, as apparent entropy consumes their abortive colony- like Pella, David, Morris, Raymond and Doug. As for the Archbuilders, Truth Renowned sets the fire that destroys Hugh Merrow's abandoned house and art studio, killing itself, and Hiding Kneel is injured after Efram imprisons it in a shed. However, their community survives as a cohesive group, belying human perceptions of their alleged weakness and 'decay' of their civilisation and culture.

Characters

Human Colonists:

*Pella Marsh: Thirteen. Central protagonist.
*Clement Marsh: Father. Thirty three. Former politician, failed to prevent Earth's ecological deterioration. Abandons caring for children, becomes recluse.
*Raymond Marsh: Ten. Pella's younger brother.
*David Marsh: Eight. Youngest member of Marsh family.
*Caitlin Marsh. Mother. Dies from brain tumour before she can travel to the Planet of the Archbuilders with her family, due to surgical misadventure related to the tumour's excision.

*Joe Kincaid. Teacher. Removes family from Planet of Archbuilders after mistaken case of child sexual abuse that involves Martha, David Marsh and Kneeling Halt.
*Ellen Kincaid. Baker.
*Bruce Kincaid. Thirteen.
*Martha Kincaid. Eight. Teases David mercilessly.

*Snider Grant: Alcoholic.
*Laney Grant: Alcoholic.
*Doug Grant: Fifteen. Like Pella, does not take acclimatisation pills. Kills Efram. Itinerant.
*Morris Grant: Eight. Bullies David and Martha, but eventually settles down with Pella and David.

*Llana Richmond: Lesbian. Partner of Julie Concorse.
*Julie Concorse: Lesbian. Partner of Llana Richmond.
*Melissa Richmond-Concorse. One. Infant daughter of above.

*Efram Nugent: Misanthropic settlement leader. Killed by Doug Grant before he can kill Pella.
*Ben Barth: Labourer and associate of Nugent. Leaves for Southport settlement.
*Diana Eastling: Anthropologist. Has abortive affair with Clement Marsh.
*E.G.Wa: Shopkeeper.
*Hugh Merrow: Artist. Leaves for Earth. After departure, Truth Renowned sets a house fire, which kills it.

Archbuilders:
*Hiding Kneel. Imprisoned by Efram after mistaken case of child sexual abuse that involves Martha Kincaid and David Marsh. Eventually freed.
*Truth Renowned. Dies in house fire that it sets in Hugh Merrow's abandoned house and art studio.
*Lonely Dumptruck
*Gelatinous Stand
*Coral Dope
*Unimportant Lust
*Grinning Contrivance
*Notable Beast
*Specious Axiomatic
*Somber Fluid