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Arbai #2
Raising the Stones
The author of The Gate to Women's Country and Grass weaves a moving story of one man's coming to accept his role in a far future universe, providing a brilliant exploration of relations between the sexes, the value of religion, and mankind's place in the universe.
530 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Sheri S. Tepper
66 books1,039 followersSheri Stewart Tepper was a prolific American author of science fiction, horror and mystery novels; she was particularly known as a feminist science fiction writer, often with an ecofeminist slant.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
January 16, 2018
This book is one I picked up as I wanted to continue reading some older SF by ladies, and it did not disappoint. It's also my first foray into Sheri S Tepper's work and will no doubt be the first of many as I definitely enjoyed this one.
This is largely set on two different planets: Hobbs land, and Voorstod. Hobbs Land is a farming community which was one the home of the Owlbright cultures but was abandoned by them and is now take over by the Hobbs food production company and various settlements made up of willing migrants who want to live a peaceful life. One of these people who has migrated to Hobbs Land is Marie Manone who moved from Voorstod with her young son Sam.
Voorstod is a brutal land which favours men over women and forbids the women from having a say, dressing how they wish or having any freedom. They also keep Gharm who are basically slaves that they conquered and brought with them to Voorstod. The Voorstlanders are not a group you would ever wish to come across as they believe they are working the name of their God and they do not care what other races think. They're brutal and they're allowed to be, and they even like it.
We also have other parts of the planets and the moon included as settings at some points. There's a Queen who has a territory bordering the Voorstod lands and she is most unhappy with their treatment of women and slaves and is doing what little she can to help escapees.
We have a council who are based on the moon and oversee many of these planets and make the rules for some elements of their daily life.
Overall, this is mostly a book which focuses on the brutal nature of religion and how some religions are crafted by people to fit their own evil desires, whilst others will blossom and grow because they nourish the good sides of humanity and allow peaceful and happy lives. There's a lot of discussion throughout the book on the various ways that these religions (Voorstod and Hobbs Land) clash and how these two cultures would not be able to co-exist, and we also follow a sub-plot of Marie Manone who is trying to live freely on Hobbs land, but the people of Voorstod want her back and are willing to stop at nothing to convince her to return...
The characters of this book were strong and interesting, but for me I think there is a sense that this is about more than just characters. I usually read books to connect with the characters and enjoy their adventures, but in this case I feel like this was exploring a bigger picture and the characters were just the way to start this dialogue off. I do think that some of the characters we meet are well-developed, but I didn't have the emotional connection I sometimes want from them.
Overall, a really strong opening look at Tepper and although I started with a book in the middle of a series (I didn't realise) this could certainly be read as a standalone and is, I believe, just set in the same universe as the other Arbai books. I would give this a very solid 4.5*s overall and certainly would recommend it :)
This is largely set on two different planets: Hobbs land, and Voorstod. Hobbs Land is a farming community which was one the home of the Owlbright cultures but was abandoned by them and is now take over by the Hobbs food production company and various settlements made up of willing migrants who want to live a peaceful life. One of these people who has migrated to Hobbs Land is Marie Manone who moved from Voorstod with her young son Sam.
Voorstod is a brutal land which favours men over women and forbids the women from having a say, dressing how they wish or having any freedom. They also keep Gharm who are basically slaves that they conquered and brought with them to Voorstod. The Voorstlanders are not a group you would ever wish to come across as they believe they are working the name of their God and they do not care what other races think. They're brutal and they're allowed to be, and they even like it.
We also have other parts of the planets and the moon included as settings at some points. There's a Queen who has a territory bordering the Voorstod lands and she is most unhappy with their treatment of women and slaves and is doing what little she can to help escapees.
We have a council who are based on the moon and oversee many of these planets and make the rules for some elements of their daily life.
Overall, this is mostly a book which focuses on the brutal nature of religion and how some religions are crafted by people to fit their own evil desires, whilst others will blossom and grow because they nourish the good sides of humanity and allow peaceful and happy lives. There's a lot of discussion throughout the book on the various ways that these religions (Voorstod and Hobbs Land) clash and how these two cultures would not be able to co-exist, and we also follow a sub-plot of Marie Manone who is trying to live freely on Hobbs land, but the people of Voorstod want her back and are willing to stop at nothing to convince her to return...
The characters of this book were strong and interesting, but for me I think there is a sense that this is about more than just characters. I usually read books to connect with the characters and enjoy their adventures, but in this case I feel like this was exploring a bigger picture and the characters were just the way to start this dialogue off. I do think that some of the characters we meet are well-developed, but I didn't have the emotional connection I sometimes want from them.
Overall, a really strong opening look at Tepper and although I started with a book in the middle of a series (I didn't realise) this could certainly be read as a standalone and is, I believe, just set in the same universe as the other Arbai books. I would give this a very solid 4.5*s overall and certainly would recommend it :)
December 8, 2023
I'd forgotten quite how amazing this book is. Tepper when she is on form writes grippingly and her characters are really well formed. The Grass/Stones/Sideshow trilogy is my absolute favourite of hers, and of the three books, I think Stones is the best. The plot is multi-layered and intriguing, and I LOVE the idea of the Hobbs Land Gods (and the reasons why some people/cultures/religions might think that they might not be a good thing). I just wish they were real as to be honest, the world could do with some Hobbs Land God's induced harmony and co-operation at the moment.
This is one of those books which I wish was longer, I want to know more about the characters and more about the impact of the Gods on human societies. It was with great regret that I closed the book after finishing the last page. And I think that is the sign of a really excellent novel, it leaves you wanting more.
This is one of those books which I wish was longer, I want to know more about the characters and more about the impact of the Gods on human societies. It was with great regret that I closed the book after finishing the last page. And I think that is the sign of a really excellent novel, it leaves you wanting more.
April 28, 2021
This book is blurbed as the follow up to Grass (which I also love). Narratively, it isn't, really - this story is set at least 1000 years later, and it stands alone. Spiritually (pun intended) it's a worthy successor; more of Tepper's bonkers naming convention, a much more complex inter-planetary society, more creeping horror, more philosophical discussion of religion and ethics; more of everything I loved about Grass, but done better, I think.
Favourite elements included the talking cats, the badass women, the pseudo-flesh soldiers filling a whole moon, and I have to repeat, the names - seriously, she MUST have been high.
The only part of this I really didn't get on with was Sam. Saaaaaaam. Ugh I hated him. There were worse characters but we weren't supposed to like those, whereas I think this guy is meant to have a redemption arc and I didn't really want him to have it.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable narrative - if you liked the themes and writing style of Grass well enough but want more complexity and less psychic murderhorses, definitely have a go at this one.
Favourite elements included the talking cats, the badass women, the pseudo-flesh soldiers filling a whole moon, and I have to repeat, the names - seriously, she MUST have been high.
The only part of this I really didn't get on with was Sam. Saaaaaaam. Ugh I hated him. There were worse characters but we weren't supposed to like those, whereas I think this guy is meant to have a redemption arc and I didn't really want him to have it.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable narrative - if you liked the themes and writing style of Grass well enough but want more complexity and less psychic murderhorses, definitely have a go at this one.
July 18, 2015
Sheri S. Tepper's "Raising the Stones" is sometimes billed as the second part of her "Arbai" trilogy, but that's a misnomer, as this book easily stands on its own. It shares the same universe as its predecessor, "Grass," but is otherwise set one thousand years later and with very few exceptions has no apparent connection to the earlier novel.
That said, it's definitely a thematic cousin to "Grass" and much of Tepper's other work in that it deals with religion and women and male privilege. Tepper is a feminist writer in the best sense of the word: she tells a deep and engaging story about women and their struggles in societies that are dominated by men and archaic world views. Her one failing is a tendency to be didactic, but it's a minor drawback at most; the story tells itself through its characters and, once it gets there, rocks on toward a conclusion.
There are two different stories that are not obviously connected. One concerns Sam Girat, the leader of an agricultural colony on the world of Hobbs' Land. The other concerns the land of Voorstod, a militant theocracy from which Sam's mother Maire escaped with Sam when he was young, and a conspiracy unfolding there to hasten their religion's end times.
Seemingly unconnected to these are the Gods of Hobbs' Land, a possibly intelligent form of life that was worshiped by the Owlbrit, an alien race on the world that died out shortly after humans arrived. The Gods have an uncanny effect on the colonists of Hobbs' Land, in that those people nearby live rather harmoniously with each other. When the children of the settlers pick up where the Owlbrit left off in building temples to the Gods, it's seen as a perfectly natural undertaking. It's only outsiders who consider this a threat.
The underlying theme of this book is, in Tepper's phrase, "fooling with your heads." The violent and patriarchal Faithful of Voorstod were obviously drawn from radical Islam. In 1990 when "Raising the Stones" was first published, this might have been seen as hyperbole. In this day of the Islamic State, however, the savagery of Voorstod seems ripped from the headlines. But if the Voorstod achieve their aims through violent repression of women and slavery, there are other forms of influence as well: the High Baidee, another religion, plays a significant role, and although their religion is specifically conceived as not authoritarian, the contradictions inherent in their doctrine -- as in all religions -- leave open wide opportunities for interpretation to achieve less-than-holy goals. Left unsaid is whether the God-worship of Hobbs' Land is a real religion, and whether its adherents' heads have been "fooled with," or even if free will exists in this world.
Against this background the drama unfolds through various characters: Sam Girat is a romantic idealist, acutely aware of being taken from his father and desperately seeking some kind of heroic narrative for himself, so much so that he begins to hallucinate. Jeopardy and Saturday Wilm are cousins on the cusp of adulthood who reintroduce the Gods to Hobbs' Land and take up the spread of this new system. Maire Girat, Sam's mother, is now old, but was once a famed singer in Voorstod. Maire wants nothing more than to care for the children of the settlement, and tries to impart a bit of knowledge to her willfully naive son. And on Voorstod, a group of fanatics hatch a plan to bring Maire back as a symbol to other women of Voorstod who would seek to escape.
In the telling, these various threads of the tale wend and weave their separate ways until it becomes clear how they are all intertwined. The book is rich, but starts slow, and only picks up pace about halfway in, when it becomes apparent where the lines of conflict are being drawn. It early chapters are quiet, pastoral even, with a bit of alien strangeness taking place that remains unexplained until much later. But as always, the real threat to peace and tranquility comes from other people. Initially the Voorstod conspirators come across as bumbling fools, in that their religion draws upon the most savage and worst stereotypes of radicalism; how could such a set of extremists accomplish a goal of domination of the universe when it seems they can barely get organized enough to carry out a simple kidnapping. And yet, even bumbling bad people can inflict a lot of damage when good people don't heed the warning signs.
If there's a lesson in "Raising the Stones," it's against all forms of authority, and the Gods of Hobbs' Land certainly seem to stand in for a kind of communitarian ideal. But that's secondary to what is overall a ripping good read. The menace of the Voorstod is similar in some ways to that of the hippae of "Grass," but all the more dangerous for the cold calculation that drives it. This book can be read both as a sequel or on its own. Either way, it's wonderful.
That said, it's definitely a thematic cousin to "Grass" and much of Tepper's other work in that it deals with religion and women and male privilege. Tepper is a feminist writer in the best sense of the word: she tells a deep and engaging story about women and their struggles in societies that are dominated by men and archaic world views. Her one failing is a tendency to be didactic, but it's a minor drawback at most; the story tells itself through its characters and, once it gets there, rocks on toward a conclusion.
There are two different stories that are not obviously connected. One concerns Sam Girat, the leader of an agricultural colony on the world of Hobbs' Land. The other concerns the land of Voorstod, a militant theocracy from which Sam's mother Maire escaped with Sam when he was young, and a conspiracy unfolding there to hasten their religion's end times.
Seemingly unconnected to these are the Gods of Hobbs' Land, a possibly intelligent form of life that was worshiped by the Owlbrit, an alien race on the world that died out shortly after humans arrived. The Gods have an uncanny effect on the colonists of Hobbs' Land, in that those people nearby live rather harmoniously with each other. When the children of the settlers pick up where the Owlbrit left off in building temples to the Gods, it's seen as a perfectly natural undertaking. It's only outsiders who consider this a threat.
The underlying theme of this book is, in Tepper's phrase, "fooling with your heads." The violent and patriarchal Faithful of Voorstod were obviously drawn from radical Islam. In 1990 when "Raising the Stones" was first published, this might have been seen as hyperbole. In this day of the Islamic State, however, the savagery of Voorstod seems ripped from the headlines. But if the Voorstod achieve their aims through violent repression of women and slavery, there are other forms of influence as well: the High Baidee, another religion, plays a significant role, and although their religion is specifically conceived as not authoritarian, the contradictions inherent in their doctrine -- as in all religions -- leave open wide opportunities for interpretation to achieve less-than-holy goals. Left unsaid is whether the God-worship of Hobbs' Land is a real religion, and whether its adherents' heads have been "fooled with," or even if free will exists in this world.
Against this background the drama unfolds through various characters: Sam Girat is a romantic idealist, acutely aware of being taken from his father and desperately seeking some kind of heroic narrative for himself, so much so that he begins to hallucinate. Jeopardy and Saturday Wilm are cousins on the cusp of adulthood who reintroduce the Gods to Hobbs' Land and take up the spread of this new system. Maire Girat, Sam's mother, is now old, but was once a famed singer in Voorstod. Maire wants nothing more than to care for the children of the settlement, and tries to impart a bit of knowledge to her willfully naive son. And on Voorstod, a group of fanatics hatch a plan to bring Maire back as a symbol to other women of Voorstod who would seek to escape.
In the telling, these various threads of the tale wend and weave their separate ways until it becomes clear how they are all intertwined. The book is rich, but starts slow, and only picks up pace about halfway in, when it becomes apparent where the lines of conflict are being drawn. It early chapters are quiet, pastoral even, with a bit of alien strangeness taking place that remains unexplained until much later. But as always, the real threat to peace and tranquility comes from other people. Initially the Voorstod conspirators come across as bumbling fools, in that their religion draws upon the most savage and worst stereotypes of radicalism; how could such a set of extremists accomplish a goal of domination of the universe when it seems they can barely get organized enough to carry out a simple kidnapping. And yet, even bumbling bad people can inflict a lot of damage when good people don't heed the warning signs.
If there's a lesson in "Raising the Stones," it's against all forms of authority, and the Gods of Hobbs' Land certainly seem to stand in for a kind of communitarian ideal. But that's secondary to what is overall a ripping good read. The menace of the Voorstod is similar in some ways to that of the hippae of "Grass," but all the more dangerous for the cold calculation that drives it. This book can be read both as a sequel or on its own. Either way, it's wonderful.
July 5, 2010
This book was pretty uneven. There were parts of it that I loved, and (usually longer) parts I was bored by. It could have benefited from some tightening up; the parts that bored me seemed to be just waiting for the plot to catch up with the exposition.
However, even though it probably contributed to the book's length, I liked the fact that the story was told from so many characters' perspectives. Especially because this isn't a story about individuals, but about societies, it seems necessary to have many characters' interpretation of the same huge, earth-shaking events.
This is also possibly the funniest, wittiest book by Sheri S. Tepper that I've read yet, as well as containing some really thoughtful discussion of religion and patriarchal cultures.
The plot, as brief as I can make it: on a sparsely populated farming planet called Hobbs Land, the settlers notice that one of the settlements is becoming unusually prosperous. Its harvests are always good, and its people get along really, really well together. As it turns out, this is due to the presence of a temple built by the previous inhabitants of the planet; a real god lives in that temple. The god (actually a sort of sentient, telepathic fungus) adopts the settlers and spreads to all of their towns, which attracts off-planet visitors to Hobbs Land to check it out. At the same time, religious fundamentalists on another planet are trying to overthrow the interstellar government, and this plot intersects with the other plot by the last few chapters.
I've seen the idea of a living god before, in some of Frank Herbert's books, where the deity is called "Avata" and is a kind of sentient kelp. I think a fungus is a better choice than a plant, though: fungi, with their extensive mycelial nets, are likelier candidates for joining people together into some kind of hive-mind.
However, even though it probably contributed to the book's length, I liked the fact that the story was told from so many characters' perspectives. Especially because this isn't a story about individuals, but about societies, it seems necessary to have many characters' interpretation of the same huge, earth-shaking events.
This is also possibly the funniest, wittiest book by Sheri S. Tepper that I've read yet, as well as containing some really thoughtful discussion of religion and patriarchal cultures.
The plot, as brief as I can make it: on a sparsely populated farming planet called Hobbs Land, the settlers notice that one of the settlements is becoming unusually prosperous. Its harvests are always good, and its people get along really, really well together. As it turns out, this is due to the presence of a temple built by the previous inhabitants of the planet; a real god lives in that temple. The god (actually a sort of sentient, telepathic fungus) adopts the settlers and spreads to all of their towns, which attracts off-planet visitors to Hobbs Land to check it out. At the same time, religious fundamentalists on another planet are trying to overthrow the interstellar government, and this plot intersects with the other plot by the last few chapters.
I've seen the idea of a living god before, in some of Frank Herbert's books, where the deity is called "Avata" and is a kind of sentient kelp. I think a fungus is a better choice than a plant, though: fungi, with their extensive mycelial nets, are likelier candidates for joining people together into some kind of hive-mind.
January 31, 2019
I read 'Sideshow' before this, and reading this book actually made some of the things in Sideshow easier to understand. This is my favorite book out of the trilogy, though the trilogy overall is good and I recommend all three books. The premise is very interesting, and it's easy to see that the strictly patriarchal religion of Voorstod is a combination of fundamentalist Christian and Islamic teachings. Not surprising since Ms. Tepper has very strong feminist feelings and this shows up a lot in her work, though she dies have a lot of pertinent messages to share. One of the things I remember from this book that applies to the real world is that while some people are happy to leave a fundamentalist religion if they are shown/taught something better, there are some people who will absolutely refuse to change and actually WANT to discriminate and hate for the sake of feeling powerful/superior. How true that is when I see some of the people in our world!
March 28, 2014
Sheri Tepper has written over 20 books, and in my opinion, this is one of her best. It's not mentioned anymore in her current back jacket blurb and seems to be overlooked. It's also out of print, which is a shame. Tepper is known for polemical writing and sometimes it overwhelms her story, but here she gets the balance just right. It has a wonderful, unusual premise: what if you had a god that worked? Her world-building is perfect, logical, and fascinating, and the characters are memorable.
January 16, 2013
Pretty much everything I look for in SF/F. The plot was lively and kept me interested. The characters were multi-dimensional. The sci-fi ideas made sense and served the story, the Big Ideas were meaningful and dealt with some relevant philosophical questions and there were just enough oddball things (like the Porsa) that the story will stick with me.
However, I can see this one being not for everyone. There are almost as many characters as Game of Thrones and it doesn't seem like their stories will tie together...until they do. It also might be a little too magical for what starts off seeming pretty low fantasy.
However, I can see this one being not for everyone. There are almost as many characters as Game of Thrones and it doesn't seem like their stories will tie together...until they do. It also might be a little too magical for what starts off seeming pretty low fantasy.
July 3, 2020
Here is my video review for both Grass and Raising the Stones, if anyone is interested 😉: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xEpG....
January 21, 2016
More sociologically complex than Grass, the first in the Arbai series, Raising the Stones is an unsettling exploration of the effects that various forms of religious belief have on societies, from the apparently benign, to the avowedly malevolent.
I can't be the only recent reader who sees the Taliban and ISIS/ISIL/Daesh in the doctrine of the men of Voorstod.
I look forward to Sideshow, the next in the sequence.
I can't be the only recent reader who sees the Taliban and ISIS/ISIL/Daesh in the doctrine of the men of Voorstod.
I look forward to Sideshow, the next in the sequence.
May 12, 2009
Loved it. Samasnier Girat, the narrator, is irritating as crap for a good bit of the book, but the things he's irritating about help you understand life on Hobb's Land.
There's a scene I particularly love, about the aftermath of a terrorist attack against Hobb's Land, where Mysore Hobbs tries to find out what happened and why, and runs up against a bureacracy to end all bureacracies. After the tragedy of the killings in the previous chapters, this restrained and slyly funny interlude was very welcome. Anyone who has ever run up against the impenetrable blank unresponsiveness of a government bureaucracy will appreciate Hobbs' actions. His solution is not only effective, it's terribly elegant and just.
There's a scene I particularly love, about the aftermath of a terrorist attack against Hobb's Land, where Mysore Hobbs tries to find out what happened and why, and runs up against a bureacracy to end all bureacracies. After the tragedy of the killings in the previous chapters, this restrained and slyly funny interlude was very welcome. Anyone who has ever run up against the impenetrable blank unresponsiveness of a government bureaucracy will appreciate Hobbs' actions. His solution is not only effective, it's terribly elegant and just.
May 18, 2019
Hobbs Land is the science fictional world I would most want to live on. Tepper's examination of religion here is beautiful and exacting, with wonderful characters. Her examination of myth and the conclusion she came to was unexpected. I liked Grass a little more than this book, but it was still excellent, and I plan to continue reading through Tepper's work.
July 8, 2020
I'm almost certain I read this one, back in the day. Yup, per my 1991 booklog, with the cryptic note "make a God." I remember almost nothing of it. Those are the Hobbs World gods, if that helps (nope). Maybe I should reread it?
December 14, 2016
4.5 stars, review to follow
May 17, 2024
Read this last week and then re-read large chunks on a plane because I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Yes Sam is terrible and yes it sucks that that’s “The Point” but biggest takeaway for me is the ways we are conditioned/forced/led to be kind to one another. Is it God? Sometimes it feels like it!
October 11, 2021
3.5
Complex, interesting plot, neat observations made about how we use stories, and I enjoyed the connection(s) to Grass. I definitely had trouble putting it down once the momentum built up, but I didn't love it like I did Grass and I'm not sure I'll be thinking about it for as long. I do wish to read the third Arbai book, Sideshow, though.
Complex, interesting plot, neat observations made about how we use stories, and I enjoyed the connection(s) to Grass. I definitely had trouble putting it down once the momentum built up, but I didn't love it like I did Grass and I'm not sure I'll be thinking about it for as long. I do wish to read the third Arbai book, Sideshow, though.
January 3, 2024
So glad I've discovered her writing. Uncanny and absorbing as always.
March 10, 2015
A black-and-white tabby cat came into the room with a live ferf in her jaws. She jumped onto the plinth and laid the animal against the base of the mass, then jumped down and left the room, purring loudly.
Two other cats came in with similar burdens.
"That was Gotoit's cat," Jep remarked after a time. "That stripey one. She calls it Lucky."
Saturday nodded and brushed the surface of the plinth with her bare palm, cleaning away the few scraps of scruffy ferf hair that remained on the stone. The bodies of the ferfs had disappeared silently into the
mass before them.
"The God was hungry," said Jep. "We're the Ones Who have to take care of that."
"I think the cats will take care of that," returned Saturday.
"How come the cats didn't take care of it before? With Bondru Dharm?"
"Bondru Dharm didn't know about cats," Saturday answered. "There weren't any cats here when Bondru
Dharm was raised. But we know about cats, and Birribat was one of us, so the cats will take care of
that. We're the Ones Who have to take care of all the rest of it."
I was fairly sure that I had read either this book or "Sideshow" a long time ago, as I was aware of the Hobbs Land Gods when I first read "Grass", and thought of them as being related even though the Gods are not mentioned in that book. So I was not surprised when an accident with a fuel pod in an early scene rang bells, and that other scenes seemed familiar as I continued. "Raising the Stones" is not a direct sequel to "Grass", and although the Arbai are mentioned, it is only as a lost race who died out long ago. When I got to the part about the Baidee religion being founded by a prophetess with an invisible dragon who came through a door from another world, I turned the page, then stopped and thought, 'What did it say her name was?' and 'A dragon-like creature that you can't see properly?' and turned back to read it again to confirm that it really was a link to the previous book.
The matriarchal society of Hobbs Land and the other planets was interesting, and I liked the subtle influence of the Gods on the people, although I wasn't keen on Sam. His conversations with with Theseus and roaming about the countryside with a sword at night confused me, and he was my least favourite character, but by the end I realised that the Hobbs Land Gods had seen him as redeemable but needing special handling to get rid of the parts of him that were warped by Voorlander influence and being parted from his father at a young age.
The Porsa made me laugh, especially when they were lured into the Noxious Substances waste disposal. If ever there was a species that could be classed as a noxious substance it would definitely be the Porsa!
Two other cats came in with similar burdens.
"That was Gotoit's cat," Jep remarked after a time. "That stripey one. She calls it Lucky."
Saturday nodded and brushed the surface of the plinth with her bare palm, cleaning away the few scraps of scruffy ferf hair that remained on the stone. The bodies of the ferfs had disappeared silently into the
mass before them.
"The God was hungry," said Jep. "We're the Ones Who have to take care of that."
"I think the cats will take care of that," returned Saturday.
"How come the cats didn't take care of it before? With Bondru Dharm?"
"Bondru Dharm didn't know about cats," Saturday answered. "There weren't any cats here when Bondru
Dharm was raised. But we know about cats, and Birribat was one of us, so the cats will take care of
that. We're the Ones Who have to take care of all the rest of it."
I was fairly sure that I had read either this book or "Sideshow" a long time ago, as I was aware of the Hobbs Land Gods when I first read "Grass", and thought of them as being related even though the Gods are not mentioned in that book. So I was not surprised when an accident with a fuel pod in an early scene rang bells, and that other scenes seemed familiar as I continued. "Raising the Stones" is not a direct sequel to "Grass", and although the Arbai are mentioned, it is only as a lost race who died out long ago. When I got to the part about the Baidee religion being founded by a prophetess with an invisible dragon who came through a door from another world, I turned the page, then stopped and thought, 'What did it say her name was?' and 'A dragon-like creature that you can't see properly?' and turned back to read it again to confirm that it really was a link to the previous book.
The matriarchal society of Hobbs Land and the other planets was interesting, and I liked the subtle influence of the Gods on the people, although I wasn't keen on Sam. His conversations with with Theseus and roaming about the countryside with a sword at night confused me, and he was my least favourite character, but by the end I realised that the Hobbs Land Gods had seen him as redeemable but needing special handling to get rid of the parts of him that were warped by Voorlander influence and being parted from his father at a young age.
The Porsa made me laugh, especially when they were lured into the Noxious Substances waste disposal. If ever there was a species that could be classed as a noxious substance it would definitely be the Porsa!
February 27, 2017
This book has almost nothing in common with the first book of the series, Grass. I suppose they're in the same universe where people have colonized various planets, but that's about where the commonalities end. The plot of this book revolves around a planet where living gods have started to grow from the earth from the bodies of the dead. With every god comes an unconscious desire of the people (often the children) to build a temple for the god. And with the god and the temple comes real peace. People just don't want to treat their neighbors badly. People work harmoniously together. And it's not because their living god commands it because the god is silent; it's because the god brings a true peace to the people's hearts. The next logical step is to bring peace to all the planets by bringing the gods elsewhere. But always there's a villain or villains that don't want peace because peace is suspect and a threat to their warring, hateful way of life.
Tepper writes from a feminist point of view, demonizing an entire planet full of the most horrible men. And she writes from a perspective of distaste for what men do to contaminate religion:
"Man was always being jerked around between different people's ideas of god, depending on who'd won the most recent war, or palace coup, or political battle. This meant mankind was always being asked to accept deities foreign to his own nature. I mean, if your prophet was sexually insecure, or if his later interpreters were, that religion demanded celibacy or repression or hatred of women; if the prophet was a homophobe, he preached prosecution of homosexuals; and if he was both lecherous and greedy, he preached polygeny. If he was luxurious, he preached give-me-money-and-God-will-make-you-rich; if he felt put upon he preached God-of-Vengeance, let's kill the other guy; and no matter how much well-meaning ecumenicists pretended all the gods were one god under different aspects, they weren't any such thing, because every prophet created God in his own image, to confront his own nightmares."
I like that Tepper has created here a god that is not a religion or a set of beliefs but a god that truly changes the nature of man. I really wanted to like this book better. It has a really interesting concept, but I had to pull myself (for months) through the last half of the book. I'm not sure that I'll go on to the next book in the series since it has lower ratings than the first 2 books. We never do meet the Arbai in this book unless the secret is that the Arbai are the gods. Eh. Not sure I want to know badly enough to go forward.
Tepper writes from a feminist point of view, demonizing an entire planet full of the most horrible men. And she writes from a perspective of distaste for what men do to contaminate religion:
"Man was always being jerked around between different people's ideas of god, depending on who'd won the most recent war, or palace coup, or political battle. This meant mankind was always being asked to accept deities foreign to his own nature. I mean, if your prophet was sexually insecure, or if his later interpreters were, that religion demanded celibacy or repression or hatred of women; if the prophet was a homophobe, he preached prosecution of homosexuals; and if he was both lecherous and greedy, he preached polygeny. If he was luxurious, he preached give-me-money-and-God-will-make-you-rich; if he felt put upon he preached God-of-Vengeance, let's kill the other guy; and no matter how much well-meaning ecumenicists pretended all the gods were one god under different aspects, they weren't any such thing, because every prophet created God in his own image, to confront his own nightmares."
I like that Tepper has created here a god that is not a religion or a set of beliefs but a god that truly changes the nature of man. I really wanted to like this book better. It has a really interesting concept, but I had to pull myself (for months) through the last half of the book. I'm not sure that I'll go on to the next book in the series since it has lower ratings than the first 2 books. We never do meet the Arbai in this book unless the secret is that the Arbai are the gods. Eh. Not sure I want to know badly enough to go forward.
July 2, 2023
My least favorite of the Tepper novels I've read. I liked the philosophical musings, commentary on religion, and substantial aspects of the science fiction world building, but there were sections I found dull, and I hard a hard time engaging with several of the characters. Worth reading, but not something I would go back to.
November 5, 2007
This was good stuff. Like lots of Tepper's books, it grappled with issues of gender roles and spirituality.
The story takes place in a solar system where there are several occupied worlds. One of these worlds, a relative backwater, has some indigenous gods. They look like big stones that live in little houses, and are tended by the Ones Who. The Ones Who are people who just start to feel as though they would like to take care of the local god. On this planet, there is little conflict or struggle in the local population. Sometimes people get disgruntled and leave, but mostly life is pretty contented.
On another world, there is a conservative religious society that believes that women are chattel and have also enslaved the native inhabitants. This group of men are extremists who can't seem to stop fighting, with their wives, with their slaves, or with each other.
You may guess that these two societies are going to come into contact. And something is going to happen.
The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is because I think it could have benefitted from one more edit. It's a little too long and a little too wordy - but it really made me think, and I was entertained while I was doing it.
The story takes place in a solar system where there are several occupied worlds. One of these worlds, a relative backwater, has some indigenous gods. They look like big stones that live in little houses, and are tended by the Ones Who. The Ones Who are people who just start to feel as though they would like to take care of the local god. On this planet, there is little conflict or struggle in the local population. Sometimes people get disgruntled and leave, but mostly life is pretty contented.
On another world, there is a conservative religious society that believes that women are chattel and have also enslaved the native inhabitants. This group of men are extremists who can't seem to stop fighting, with their wives, with their slaves, or with each other.
You may guess that these two societies are going to come into contact. And something is going to happen.
The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is because I think it could have benefitted from one more edit. It's a little too long and a little too wordy - but it really made me think, and I was entertained while I was doing it.
August 21, 2018
Magnificent.
September 5, 2023
so good! absolutely love the way religion is expounded by Tepper in seeming contradictions that don't need to contradict. metaphysical - physical, cause - effect, custom - free will. what is good? is it what brings freedom, or what brings the most benefits for all (utilitarian)? or maybe they can coexist? all these contradictions and questions are for the reader to uncover and fill in. everything is intertwined in a beautiful way, and it is never 'on the nose'. sam as a man is naive, but it never gets annoying. women are celebrated or hounded, but it never gets 'too much'.
another thing i LOVE what Tepper does: she, at any point, references an occurance, a custom, a history which has not been referenced or explained before. then, after another 100 pages, that same occurance, custom, history is again touched upon and this time explain thoroughly. however, at the first appearance of the topic you are never left with questions - the way it is described (or not described, just mentioned) at the first occurance just makes sense, you take it as it is. she has this magic way of writing were she can touch upon topics and not need to expound them on the spot as if to say: yes be curious! continue reading! it will all make sense! every time i come across the same topic that i read but don't really know anything about yet, i get so excited because 'this might be the time where i get to know more!'. it is like there are 4 little mystery novels inside a novel.
another thing i LOVE what Tepper does: she, at any point, references an occurance, a custom, a history which has not been referenced or explained before. then, after another 100 pages, that same occurance, custom, history is again touched upon and this time explain thoroughly. however, at the first appearance of the topic you are never left with questions - the way it is described (or not described, just mentioned) at the first occurance just makes sense, you take it as it is. she has this magic way of writing were she can touch upon topics and not need to expound them on the spot as if to say: yes be curious! continue reading! it will all make sense! every time i come across the same topic that i read but don't really know anything about yet, i get so excited because 'this might be the time where i get to know more!'. it is like there are 4 little mystery novels inside a novel.
April 4, 2024
Sheri Tepper really outdid herself with this one. I wish I could give it a sixth star. Like many of her books, it takes a looong time to get going and you just have to be patient that she knows where she's going and what she's doing, because the reward is so worth it. Grass is good, like really good, and this one blows it out of the water. Probably one of the best she ever did.
October 25, 2023
Years later on a re-read, I am still giving this a solid four stars. Classic Tepper from her best period.
I decided to read this following on from The Word for World Is Forest, as I recalled it dealt with certain similar issues. Tepper focuses much more on feminist driven ideas that Le Guin did in her book, but combines them with religion and power. Slavery is again a theme, but again I felt that it was more of a side issue - a result, rather than a root cause. Tepper also touches on family and fatherhood, free will, and goes into some detail on the subject of the need for legends. However, there are general parallels in dealing with unreasoning bigotry from one group towards another.
Tepper explores the reasons behind these attitudes, and comes to some conclusions, whether right or wrong. Something science fiction does very well is explore the human condition and let it play out on other stages, which while not real are interesting thought experiments about how things could be, which then can shed light on our own lives. There are plenty of good points to be made here, and wrapped up with an interesting story and in a very readable style there is a lot to recommend this. Lighter in tone and somewhat less deep than The Word for World if Forest, it is probably rather more accessible, despite being longer.
Curiously, in the spirit of comparing books and linking from one to another, I am put in mind of Children of Ruin, not at all because of the themes, but rather due to the mycelial plot device and the very different way in which these things are presented. It seems that mycelial themes have popping up in recent years more frequently - or perhaps I have just noticed them more - but this is one of the oldest books I can remember having read which used this conceit. I wonder if there is any link...
I decided to read this following on from The Word for World Is Forest, as I recalled it dealt with certain similar issues. Tepper focuses much more on feminist driven ideas that Le Guin did in her book, but combines them with religion and power. Slavery is again a theme, but again I felt that it was more of a side issue - a result, rather than a root cause. Tepper also touches on family and fatherhood, free will, and goes into some detail on the subject of the need for legends. However, there are general parallels in dealing with unreasoning bigotry from one group towards another.
Tepper explores the reasons behind these attitudes, and comes to some conclusions, whether right or wrong. Something science fiction does very well is explore the human condition and let it play out on other stages, which while not real are interesting thought experiments about how things could be, which then can shed light on our own lives. There are plenty of good points to be made here, and wrapped up with an interesting story and in a very readable style there is a lot to recommend this. Lighter in tone and somewhat less deep than The Word for World if Forest, it is probably rather more accessible, despite being longer.
Curiously, in the spirit of comparing books and linking from one to another, I am put in mind of Children of Ruin, not at all because of the themes, but rather due to the mycelial plot device and the very different way in which these things are presented. It seems that mycelial themes have popping up in recent years more frequently - or perhaps I have just noticed them more - but this is one of the oldest books I can remember having read which used this conceit. I wonder if there is any link...
July 7, 2021
Early Tepper really is the best. This is (loosely) connected to Grass, a book that I love but don't LOVE if that makes sense. Raising the Stones is the one I really LOVE. (The Marianne Trilogy I also adore but there is no denying they are much lighter than the Arbai books). Sideshow I hardly ever re read.
Raising the Stones has so much going on, so many different takes on religion and what it does to people, as well as all the lies we tell each other to avoid really facing up to the truth. And the plot just goes on and on, looping together. And it finishes on a really positive note (which is probably why it's my favourite). Grass finishes on a question, and I'm always in tears at the end of Sideshow.
I noticed this line today which had never jumped out at me before. If you've read Sideshow you'll know what this refers to - I didn't see the link between the books except for the obvious one, although I was starting to have vague suspicions and when sneaky Tepper finally drew back the curtain it just totally caught me by surprise. Anyway this is the quote: "The God would not do that. A visitation, yes, but not reanimation. Such would not be proper except in a case of great need". *sob*
Raising the Stones has so much going on, so many different takes on religion and what it does to people, as well as all the lies we tell each other to avoid really facing up to the truth. And the plot just goes on and on, looping together. And it finishes on a really positive note (which is probably why it's my favourite). Grass finishes on a question, and I'm always in tears at the end of Sideshow.
I noticed this line today which had never jumped out at me before. If you've read Sideshow you'll know what this refers to - I didn't see the link between the books except for the obvious one, although I was starting to have vague suspicions and when sneaky Tepper finally drew back the curtain it just totally caught me by surprise. Anyway this is the quote: "The God would not do that. A visitation, yes, but not reanimation. Such would not be proper except in a case of great need". *sob*
April 10, 2009
I'm rereading this for what must be the fourth or fifth time. I know other people love Grass and Beauty, but this is my favorite of Tepper's books. It has everything: an interesting world (well, universe), well-written and amusingly named characters, humor, illuminating social commentary, AND the god that makes enables society to run peaceably and happily is a fungus! A fungus! Why didn't anyone think of that ages ago? I've read almost everything by Tepper and sometimes, unfortunately, her social commentary veers into the land of polemic. Too bad, because she is a more intelligent and subtle writer than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2020
4.5 stars. Second novel in a trilogy but can absolutely be read independently. This book is out of print and was exceptionally difficult to find. I bought a reissue from the UK but the print was so tiny and blurry I couldn’t read it. Finally I paid $53 for this from an old Books site. it was a used copy of the original 1990 publication. The story is set on another planet in a system of four other planets. This is really a book about religion, and how man makes God in his image rather than the other way around. Great philosophical musings, great world creation, reflections on oppression of women and ‘others’. good story entirely. old-school sci-fi.
August 2, 2010
Beautifully written. This is the first book I've read by this author; I love her philosophy and theology and admire how she presents it through a wonderful story. I appreciated her pacing; not rushing from action scene to action scene, plenty of time to get to know the characters and come to care for them. Good suspense building toward the end, with some fine humor thrown in.
September 7, 2010
This is one hell of a good book. Her previous novel, _Grass_ was quite good, but this one is better. I like the depth of imagination, the world-building, the multiple serious issues Tepper raises. This is as close to literature as science fiction gets, usually (and unfortunately).
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