Interspecies Relations in Grass by Sheri S. Tepper

Sheri S. Tepper (1929-2016), an award-winning American science fiction, fantasy and horror writer whose works have been relatively underexplored from an academic perspective, adeptly guided readers into the realms she crafted. Renowned for her notable novel Grass, a cornerstone of her bestselling Arbai trilogy, Tepper prophetically envisioned the perils confronting humanity in the imminent future through the portrayal of a galaxy beset by a pandemic of untraceable origin. Infused with ecofeminist nuances, Grass tells the tale from a female perspective, as a heroine is chosen to prepare the unexplored planet for the imminent influx of settlers. The newcomers intersect with inhabitants whose lives are governed by rituals and regular encounters with mysterious creatures, whose existence is inextricably linked with the process of multi-metamorphosis. The primary aim of the article is to trace how the central protagonist encounters impediments not only in facilitating communication and negotiation with the extraterrestrial species, but also in pursuing a remedy for the disease.