Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Summerland

 Summerland
type
TVTItem
 Summerland
label
Summerland
 Summerland
page
Summerland
 Summerland
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Summerland is a 2002 juvenile/young adult novel by Michael Chabon about a group of young children who seek to save the world by playing baseball. It interweaves elements of a parallel-universe road trip, The Quest and a World Series. It was a popular children's book.Its less basic premise is this: Summerland is a magical place where the local Little League gathers to play baseball on a perfectly manicured lawn, and the sun is always shining in a flawless blue sky. However, the small beings known as ferishers, who ensure this perfect weather, are threatened by an ancient enemy and need a hero—a baseball star, in fact—to vanquish their foe.The ferishers recruit Ethan Feld, possibly the worst ballplayer in the history of the league, as their leader. No one is more surprised than Ethan at their choice, but their faith spurs him on. Also, the prophecy of an oracular clam.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Accompanied by his friends Jennifer T. Rideout, a boy named Thor Wignutt who thinks he's an android named TW03, and a motley crew of creatures that includes a Sasquatch and a werefox, Ethan struggles to defeat giants, bat-winged goblins, and one of the toughest ball clubs in the realms of magic to save the Summerlands, and, ultimately, the world.Not to be confused with the 2004-2005 CW show of the same name, the 2009 tabletop game, the 2012 book by Elin Hildebrand, or the 2018 book by Hannu Rajaniemi, all of which share the same name.
 Summerland
fetched
2022-06-06T11:27:37Z
 Summerland
parsed
2022-06-06T11:27:37Z
 Summerland
processingComment
Dropped link to Hellboy: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Summerland
processingComment
Dropped link to MagicalRealism: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Summerland
processingUnknown
MagicalRealism
 Summerland
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Summerland / int_116a941b
type
Applied Phlebotinum
 Summerland / int_116a941b
comment
Applied Phlebotinum: Picofibers, the material that Ethan's dad uses to make his airship, and that Coyote plans to use to destroy the Lodgepole.
 Summerland / int_116a941b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_116a941b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_116a941b
 Summerland / int_1240ff57
type
Thinking Up Portals
 Summerland / int_1240ff57
comment
Thinking Up Portals: There is a whole subclass of people, called "Shadowtails," who can do this either to teleport from place to place (called "scampering") or to teleport to different worlds on the Lodgepole (called "leaping"). Thor Wignutt turns out to be one, and he uses his power to take himself and his companions to the Summerlands.
 Summerland / int_1240ff57
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_1240ff57
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_1240ff57
 Summerland / int_154aa477
type
Big, Screwed-Up Family
 Summerland / int_154aa477
comment
Big, Screwed-Up Family: Jennifer T. comes from one.
 Summerland / int_154aa477
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_154aa477
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_154aa477
 Summerland / int_177a6464
type
Genre Shift
 Summerland / int_177a6464
comment
Genre Shift: Starts out as Magic Realism, but becomes High Fantasy once the Save the World plot begins.
 Summerland / int_177a6464
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_177a6464
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_177a6464
 Summerland / int_1c3423d6
type
The Quest
 Summerland / int_1c3423d6
comment
The Quest: If you strip the book down to its bare bones, this is essentially the plot.
 Summerland / int_1c3423d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_1c3423d6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_1c3423d6
 Summerland / int_1ee0948e
type
Artificial Human
 Summerland / int_1ee0948e
comment
Artificial Human: Thor Wignutt is convinced that he's one. He's actually a Changeling.
 Summerland / int_1ee0948e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_1ee0948e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_1ee0948e
 Summerland / int_21f3e32e
type
Chekhov's Boomerang
 Summerland / int_21f3e32e
comment
Chekhov's Boomerang: Splinter comes in use several times throughout, and to an extent the Knott and the pain it causes, too.
 Summerland / int_21f3e32e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_21f3e32e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_21f3e32e
 Summerland / int_22ecc839
type
Kryptonite Factor
 Summerland / int_22ecc839
comment
Kryptonite Factor: All Ferishers can be poisoned by the touch of iron.
 Summerland / int_22ecc839
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_22ecc839
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_22ecc839
 Summerland / int_2673425b
type
Kid Hero
 Summerland / int_2673425b
comment
Kid Hero: Ethan, Thor and Jennifer T. are these; subverted slightly in that two of them do drive during the course of the story.
 Summerland / int_2673425b
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Summerland / int_2673425b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_2673425b
 Summerland / int_294ed981
type
Bilingual Bonus
 Summerland / int_294ed981
comment
Bilingual Bonus: On the team listings near the end, we learn that Cutbelly the werefox's last name is "Reynard."
 Summerland / int_294ed981
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_294ed981
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_294ed981
 Summerland / int_2bdae2ae
type
Awesome, but Impractical
 Summerland / int_2bdae2ae
comment
Awesome, but Impractical: What the general public thinks about Mr. Feld's family airships. As Ethan and his friends find out, they're actually very practical if you need to traverse miles and miles of mountainous terrain, but they seem pointless to the average American family.
 Summerland / int_2bdae2ae
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_2bdae2ae
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_2bdae2ae
 Summerland / int_2ec87029
type
Sadly Mythtaken
 Summerland / int_2ec87029
comment
Sadly Mythtaken: (taken from the page) Summerland takes place in a world that cheerily mashes together Native American and Norse mythology. This leads to the reveal, utterly brain-breaking if you know your mythology, that Coyote Changer is also Loki and the Devil. Seriously. (And for its next trick, the rules of the Universe are based on those of baseball.)
 Summerland / int_2ec87029
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_2ec87029
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_2ec87029
 Summerland / int_334a404
type
Bungling Inventor
 Summerland / int_334a404
comment
Bungling Inventor: Subverted with Ethan's dad. He's actually a very competent inventor...he just can't find a market for his big project (affordable family airships) because nobody sees the point of it.
 Summerland / int_334a404
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Summerland / int_334a404
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_334a404
 Summerland / int_38a57680
type
Flying Car
 Summerland / int_38a57680
comment
Flying Cars: The Ferishers regularly get around in flying buses.
 Summerland / int_38a57680
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_38a57680
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_38a57680
 Summerland / int_3f70415
type
Because Destiny Says So
 Summerland / int_3f70415
comment
Because Destiny Says So: The reason Ethan was brought to the Oracular Clam in the first place.
 Summerland / int_3f70415
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_3f70415
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_3f70415
 Summerland / int_41d5f145
type
Fluffy the Terrible
 Summerland / int_41d5f145
comment
Fluffy the Terrible: One of Ethan's companions is a hulking, monstrous Sasquatch named..."Taffy."
 Summerland / int_41d5f145
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_41d5f145
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_41d5f145
 Summerland / int_50cc01e1
type
Do Not Call Me "Paul"
 Summerland / int_50cc01e1
comment
Do Not Call Me "Paul": Jennifer T. gets irked when people just call her "Jennifer" or "Jenny."
 Summerland / int_50cc01e1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_50cc01e1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_50cc01e1
 Summerland / int_641cf81d
type
Viewers Are Geniuses
 Summerland / int_641cf81d
comment
Viewers Are Geniuses: Most of the references to Norse mythology likely went right over the head of the target audience.
 Summerland / int_641cf81d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_641cf81d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_641cf81d
 Summerland / int_68cf9795
type
Ironic Nickname
 Summerland / int_68cf9795
comment
Ironic Nickname: Chiron Brown is nicknamed "Ringfinger" because his ring finger is missing.
 Summerland / int_68cf9795
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_68cf9795
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_68cf9795
 Summerland / int_6b35bdff
type
Serious Business
 Summerland / int_6b35bdff
comment
Serious Business: Baseball is the way to save the universe, and its laws are based on those of the universe.
 Summerland / int_6b35bdff
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_6b35bdff
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_6b35bdff
 Summerland / int_6b4f4350
type
Zeppelins from Another World
 Summerland / int_6b4f4350
comment
Zeppelins from Another World: Ethan's dad has developed a new type of zeppelin that the average American family can use for transportation in lieu of a car. This is our first hint that not everything in Ethan's life is quite normal.
 Summerland / int_6b4f4350
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_6b4f4350
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_6b4f4350
 Summerland / int_6d7026fa
type
Punny Name
 Summerland / int_6d7026fa
comment
Punny Name: Ethan's nickname on his baseball team is "the Dog," because he's always hoping for a "walk" when he goes up to bat.
 Summerland / int_6d7026fa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_6d7026fa
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_6d7026fa
 Summerland / int_90d5b651
type
Our Fairies Are Different
 Summerland / int_90d5b651
comment
Our Fairies Are Different: The Ferishers. They're just miniature-sized humans who dress like Native Americans, play baseball obsessively, and have limited access to magic. And they get around using flying buses.
 Summerland / int_90d5b651
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_90d5b651
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_90d5b651
 Summerland / int_93c3c1a0
type
Monster Modesty
 Summerland / int_93c3c1a0
comment
Monster Modesty: Averted with Cutbelly the werefox, who prefers to go around naked. Ethan understands that werefoxes aren't obligated to wear clothes, but he finds himself wishing that Cutbelly would at least put on some pants.
 Summerland / int_93c3c1a0
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Summerland / int_93c3c1a0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_93c3c1a0
 Summerland / int_9a3c3d17
type
The Omniscient
 Summerland / int_9a3c3d17
comment
The Omniscient: The Oracular Clam. Pity he has to spit out all his prophecies.
 Summerland / int_9a3c3d17
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_9a3c3d17
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_9a3c3d17
 Summerland / int_a4f2570d
type
Muggles
 Summerland / int_a4f2570d
comment
Muggles: To Ferishers and other creatures from the Summerlands, humans from The Middling (our world) are called "Reubens."
 Summerland / int_a4f2570d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_a4f2570d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_a4f2570d
 Summerland / int_a633a438
type
Really700YearsOld
 Summerland / int_a633a438
comment
Really 700 Years Old: Chiron "Ringfinger" Brown is 109 years old, but hasn't aged in decades.
 Summerland / int_a633a438
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_a633a438
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_a633a438
 Summerland / int_ac5364fe
type
Chekhov's Hobby
 Summerland / int_ac5364fe
comment
Chekhov's Hobby: Baseball, considering how you know, the whole fate of the universe rests on it.
 Summerland / int_ac5364fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_ac5364fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_ac5364fe
 Summerland / int_b9c3de84
type
Bumbling Dad
 Summerland / int_b9c3de84
comment
Bumbling Dad: Mr. Feld is introduced as this.
 Summerland / int_b9c3de84
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_b9c3de84
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_b9c3de84
 Summerland / int_bb5126ec
type
Prophecy Twist
 Summerland / int_bb5126ec
comment
Prophecy Twist: The Oracular Clam's prophecy is not about Ethan after all; it's about his father.
 Summerland / int_bb5126ec
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_bb5126ec
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_bb5126ec
 Summerland / int_c042eee9
type
Invisible to Normals
 Summerland / int_c042eee9
comment
Invisible to Normals: The Ferishers are able to get around pretty easily because they're invisible to anyone who doesn't believe in fairies.
 Summerland / int_c042eee9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_c042eee9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_c042eee9
 Summerland / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Summerland / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Spider Rose is named after Chabon's daughter, Ida-Rose Chabon. One scene mentions that Ethan sleeps wearing an extra-large Hellboy t-shirt. This is likely a Shout-Out to Dark Horse Comics, who published a comic book spin-off of Chabon's previous novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Considering the book's use of Magical Realism and its Quirky Town setting, the burned-out baseball player Rodrigo Buendía may be named after the Buendía family of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.
 Summerland / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_c75df49a
 Summerland / int_d71d51fd
type
The End of the World as We Know It
 Summerland / int_d71d51fd
comment
The End of the World as We Know It: What Coyote is setting out to achieve.
 Summerland / int_d71d51fd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_d71d51fd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_d71d51fd
 Summerland / int_db126a0b
type
World Tree
 Summerland / int_db126a0b
comment
World Tree: The Lodgepole. Ethan and his friends are trying to fix it (by playing baseball).
 Summerland / int_db126a0b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_db126a0b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_db126a0b
 Summerland / int_dcbe8a6e
type
Chekhov's Gunman
 Summerland / int_dcbe8a6e
comment
Chekhov's Gunman: Early on, Ethan mentions that his Dad owns a baseball card of the famed ballplayer Rodrigo Buendia. Later in the book, Chiron Brown ends up recruiting Buendia (who turns out to be a cynical burn-out) to help the kids out in their quest.
 Summerland / int_dcbe8a6e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_dcbe8a6e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_dcbe8a6e
 Summerland / int_dfa1ee91
type
Changeling Tale
 Summerland / int_dfa1ee91
comment
Changeling Tale: Thor is a changeling.
 Summerland / int_dfa1ee91
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_dfa1ee91
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_dfa1ee91
 Summerland / int_e1ff8ff6
type
Fantasy Kitchen Sink
 Summerland / int_e1ff8ff6
comment
Fantasy Kitchen Sink: The Summerlands and nearby realms are based on a weird mishmash of Native American and Norse mythology and American tall tales. With wormholes, Zeppelins from Another World, and universe-destroying Applied Phlebotinum thrown in for good measure.
 Summerland / int_e1ff8ff6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_e1ff8ff6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_e1ff8ff6
 Summerland / int_e50987a9
type
Reconstruction
 Summerland / int_e50987a9
comment
Reconstruction: Reconstructs adolescent High Fantasy like The Chronicles of Narnia by giving it a fresh setting — in this case, a fantasy-world based on American culture and folklore.
 Summerland / int_e50987a9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_e50987a9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_e50987a9
 Summerland / int_e9d6eff8
type
Cool Airship
 Summerland / int_e9d6eff8
comment
Cool Airship: Ethan and his friends carry out their travels in one.
 Summerland / int_e9d6eff8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_e9d6eff8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_e9d6eff8
 Summerland / int_f9636192
type
Prophecies Are Always Right
 Summerland / int_f9636192
comment
Prophecies Are Always Right: Technically.
 Summerland / int_f9636192
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_f9636192
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_f9636192
 Summerland / int_name
type
ItemName
 Summerland / int_name
comment
 Summerland / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Summerland / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Summerland
hasFeature
Summerland / int_name
 Summerland / int_name
itemName
Summerland

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Summerland
hasFeature
American Literature (N to S) / int_519bcbe7
 Summerland
hasFeature
Reconstruction / int_519bcbe7
 Summerland
seeAlso
Summerland
 Summerland
hasFeature
Those Wily Coyotes / int_519bcbe7
 Summerland
hasFeature
World Tree / int_519bcbe7
 Summerland
hasFeature
Young Adult Literature / int_519bcbe7