From the Bookshelf of Beyond Reality…

Grass (Arbai, #1)

Sheri S. Tepper

Start date: April 1, 2016

Finish date: April 30, 2016

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Oct 15, 2012 mark monday rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-60s-70s-80s

'tis the season...

13 T A L E S O F T E R R O R: BOOK 4

once upon a time there was a delightful young story named Grass by Sheri S. Tepper. this story seemed to know exactly what i was longing for: Horror in Space! and so she provided it to me. a fascinating planet full of strange multi-colored grass, bizarre fauna, the ruins of an alien civilization. a backdrop based around a particularly esoteric and semi-totalitarian theocracy. an expertly portrayed and atypical heroine who felt alive and real (and who r ...more

116 likes · Like · see review

Oct 10, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

When a plague sweeps humanity, a diplomatic mission is sent to Grass, the only human-settled planet without signs of the sickness. Grass is nominally run by the bons, a patriarchal society modeled after old European nobility. But the bons are far more interested in the Hunt than in the running of the planet, or even the certain extinction of humanity. The ambassadors are as ill-suited to saving humanity as the bons are. Lady Marjorie Westriding Yrarier is consumed with guilt, and her husband Rod ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2009 Stephen rated it liked it

Shelves: award-nominee-hugo, award-nominee-locus, multiple-award-nominee, ebooks, sf-alien-planets-and-societies

3.0 stars. Even thought I liked this book, I was surprised that I didn't like it more. It has a lot of things that I look for in book including, quality prose, well developed characters, an interesting plot and solid world building. At the end of the day, the story just progressed too slowly for me and I found myself anxious for the story to move along. That said, after finishing the book I am impressed by the story that the author created, I just didn;t enjoy it enough to rate it higher. Good, ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2009 Richard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, 5-stars, sffbc

A wonderful book, with beautifully realised characters and a totally involving setting. It put me in mind of the SF classic 'Dune', but reduced to a more personal, less epic scale with a cogent human future and accessible characters. The planet of Grass and its societies are finely crafted and its alien inhabitants are some of the most intriguing I've come across. The storyline is interesting from the very beginning and continually develops and accelerates. I very rarely give a book a 5 stars (i ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Oni rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

As any good sci-fi novel, it ponders a lot on the human nature; it questions religion and philosophy. The Grass has done a great job in this.

Grass is planet which the predominant vegetation is (not surprisingly) grass! Grass is located on the rim of galaxy wide-spread human civilization, which given its unique sociology.

The intro is a bit surprising, it does not give you any orientation. You get confused, or even let down, but once you finished the entire chapter, you are hooked (it's a spoiler, ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 11, 2009 Frank Taranto rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Excellent book with great characters. Feminist as usual from this author, but all the characters were believable and fleshed out enough so they were indivduals and not stereotypes.

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