Grass
by Sheri S. Tepper · first published 1989
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Feminist science fiction with a fresh, original voice and well-drawn characters that linger long after the last page. Works as a standalone, though it is the first book of a trilogy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Generations ago, humans fled to the cosmic anomaly known as Grass. But before humanity arrived, another species had already claimed Grass for its own. It too had developed a culture...... Now a deadly plague is spreading across the stars, leaving no planet untouched, save for Grass. But the secret of the planet's immunity hides a truth so shattering it could mean the end of life itself.
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…Let's fix that: The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Among Others by Jo Walton Feed by Mira Grant The Hunger Games! The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin Grass by Sheri S Tepper Gate of Ivrael and Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh And the fabulous space opera: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
on “What are your favourite sci-fi books?” ↗…but it's interesting reading all these comments to think about "science fiction" vs. "speculative fiction" and then the lump category of science fantasy. Anyway, one title I didn't see mentioned was Grass by Sheri Tepper, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_(novel).
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite sci-fi books?” ↗…majority of the book. Banks' Inversions is a Culture novel (SF) that intentionally reads as fantasy if you don't know the Culture setting, while leaving the reader to infer the SF setting if you do. "Grass" by Sheri Tepper, or "Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula Le Guin are other examples. Both happen on other planets, but while both have SF settings, most of the stories fits better into fantasy tropes. Vernor…
on “My favorite cult sci-fi and fantasy books you may not have heard of before” ↗…organization responsible for that is called "Special Circumstances". Another author I find great is Sheri Tepper. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheri_S._Tepper SciFi with a feminist bent. Examples are Grass / and the Margarets. If you want something more acid, anything by Victor Pelevin. Buddha's little finger is brilliant.
on “Ask HN: Summer Reading Recommendations?” ↗Let me throw my hat in the ring. I'd recommend Grass by Sheri S Tepper. It felt fresh and original in a way few science fiction books are, the characters are really well done and it just stays with you. Despite being the first book of a trilogy, it works…
on “Sci-fi books that you may never have heard of, but definitely should read” ↗