“’He has never once allowed me inside his masculine skin,’ she said with a rueful smile. “She was still thinking of viruses, considering what a thinking virus might do, one whom God did not observe or command but merely allowed to do what it was created for” (Tepper 212). Aristocrats have gardens for that, if they dream at all” (Tepper 1). No aristocrat would sit in the wild grass to dream. “There are grass hills where the great plumes tower in masses the height of ten gall men grass valleys where the turf is like moss, soft under the feet, where maidens pillow their heads thinking of their lovers, where husbands lie down and think of their mistresses grass groves where old men and women sit quiet at the end of the day, dreaming of things that might have been, perhaps once were. Rating: 4!!- The plot was easy to follow and the chilling details of the ‘hunt’ will haunt your dreams.Īwards: Hugo and Locus Awards nominee, 1990 Marjorie was a strong protagonist and the connection that she had with the first foxen was an intriguing scene to read. Similar to people grass, when it is abundant in numbers gains power and the same thing can be said about the people when they join forces. there are rigid gender expectations and an aristocracy).Įvaluation: The Grass in the story almost functions as a metaphor for the common people. I was surprised at how a futurist depiction of humanity was very much attached to gender conventions (i.e. The Hippae cause the human beings to behave in a more extreme manner and use them like puppets. I realized quickly that more lurks below the surfaces then is initially apparent. Reader’s Annotation: I was struck initially by the simplicity of the planet Grass and took it to be a stand in for a utopia in the first chapter because of how its landscape is described. The Hippae within the story also have the power to manipulate the minds of the humans. The reason that the Hippae hunt the foxen is because of an evolutionary process: the peepers that the foxen eat become hounds and the hounds eventually become hippie. There is an ancient ritual that the European nobility engage on a regular basis called the ‘hunt.’ The humans use ride the Hippae during the hunt. Sancity is a rigid and archaic religion that governs earth. Rigo and Marjorie Yrarier are sent by Sancity to Grass in order ascertain if the plague has reached the planet. There is a plague that is threatening Earth and the other planets.

Summary: A long time ago the human race fled to planet known as “Grass.” However this planet was already occupied by a different species.

Grass by sheri s tepper