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This week, New Scientist staff share their favorite books, TV shows, games, and more
By Alison Flood
Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
I have a soft spot for vintage sci-fi novels adorned with oddball covers that are so bad they are good. I often daydream about someone designing a wallpaper featuring these artworks for my bathroom.
Recently, while exploring a charity shop, I stumbled upon a gem: Sheri S. Tepper’s Grass. Originally published in 1989, the edition I discovered (shown above) dates back to the 1990s and sports a wonderfully bizarre cover.
The narrative proved to be captivating, infused with the thoughtful, “message-driven” style characteristic of 1980s sci-fi. Set in a distant future where humanity inhabits numerous planets, a deadly plague threatens their existence, prompting a quest to uncover why the inhabitants of a world named Grass, vibrant with multicolored prairies, remain unaffected.
The Grassians, peculiar and reclusive, display an odd fascination with hunting the planet’s extraterrestrial “foxen.” The chilling intricacies of their hunting practices add a layer of intrigue, while Tepper’s world-building is simply exquisite. I’m eager to seek out more of her works—especially those boasting eye-catching covers.
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