Sheri S. Tepper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheri S. Tepper
Born	Shirley Stewart Douglas (1929-07-16)July 16, 1929 near Littleton, Colorado, U.S.
Died	October 22, 2016(2016-10-22) (aged 87) Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.
Genre	Horror, mystery fiction, feminist science fiction
Notable works	The Gate to Women's Country, Beauty, Grass
Notable awards	World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, Locus Award in 1992 for Beauty

Sheri Stewart Tepper (born July 16, 1929 – died October 22, 2016) was an American author. She wrote many books, including science fiction, horror, and mystery stories.

Tepper was best known for her unique style of feminist science fiction. Her books often explored big ideas about society, gender equality, and how people treat the environment. She liked to call herself an "eco-humanist," which means she cared deeply about both people and nature. Even though her stories were often set in amazing, imaginary worlds, they always dealt with real-life problems and unfairness. She also used different names for her books, like A. J. Orde, E. E. Horlak, and B. J. Oliphant.

Early Life and Reading Habits

Sheri S. Tepper was born Shirley Stewart Douglas near Littleton, Colorado. When she was a child, she loved to read. She enjoyed science fiction and fantasy books by authors like A. Merritt and C.S. Lewis. She also liked the 'Oz' books by Frank Baum and other classic fantasy stories. She said these were the books she kept going back to again and again.

Sheri Tepper's Writing Journey

Before becoming a full-time writer, Sheri Tepper worked many different jobs. She was a single mom raising two children. One of her jobs was helping out at CARE, a group that provides help around the world.

She started by writing poetry and stories for children. After a break, she began publishing science fiction novels in the mid-1980s. Some of her early works include The Revenants (1984) and books from her True Game series.

Famous Eco-Feminist Novels

Tepper became very well-known for her "eco-feminist" novels. These books often combined ideas about women's rights with environmental concerns. Two of her most famous books from this time are The Gate to Women's Country (1988) and Grass (1989). These were part of a series called the Arbai Trilogy.

In the 1990s and 2000s, she continued to write many popular novels. Her book Beauty (1991) even won a special award called the Locus Award. Other notable books include Shadow's End (1994), The Family Tree (1997), and The Margarets (2007).

Awards and Public Appearances

In 1998, Sheri Tepper ran a guest ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. That same year, she made a rare public appearance. She was the special guest at WisCon, a science fiction convention focused on feminist themes.

In November 2015, she received a very important honor: the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. This award recognized her amazing contributions to fantasy literature throughout her career.

Personal Life

Sheri Tepper got married at age 20. She later divorced in her late twenties. In the late 1960s, she married Gene Tepper. She passed away on October 22, 2016, at the age of 87.

Sheri Tepper's Books

Sheri S. Tepper wrote many novels, both as part of series and as standalone books.

Novel Series

• The True Game (a huge series made of three smaller trilogies)
  • The Peter series was published first.
    • King's Blood Four (1983)
    • Necromancer Nine (1983)
    • Wizard's Eleven (1984)
      • The True Game (all three together) (1985)
  • The Mavin series tells stories that happened earlier.
    • The Song of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)
    • The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)
    • The Search of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)
      • The Chronicles of Mavin Manyshaped (all three together) (1985)
  • The Jinian series happens around the same time as the Peter series, sometimes showing the same events from a different view.
    • Jinian Footseer (1985)
    • Dervish Daughter (1986)
    • Jinian Star-Eye (1986)
      • The End of the Game (all three together)
• The Marianne Trilogy
  • Marianne, the Magus, and the Manticore (1985)
  • Marianne, the Madame, and the Momentary Gods (1988)
  • Marianne, the Matchbox, and the Malachite Mouse (1989)
    • The Marianne Trilogy (all three together)
• Ettison Duo, featuring a character named Badger Ettison
  • Blood Heritage (1986)
  • The Bones (1987)
• The Awakeners:
  • Northshore (1987)
  • Southshore (1987)
    • The Awakeners (both together) (1989)
• Plague of Angels:
  • A Plague of Angels (1993)
  • The Waters Rising (2010)
  • Fish Tails (2014)
• The Arbai Trilogy
  • Grass (1989)
  • Raising the Stones (1990)
  • Sideshow (1992)

Standalone Novels

• The Revenants (1984)
• After Long Silence (1987)
• The Gate to Women's Country (1988)
• Beauty (1991) – This book won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel!
• Shadow's End (1994)
• Gibbon's Decline & Fall (1996)
• The Family Tree (1997)
• Six Moon Dance (1998)
• Singer from the Sea (1999)
• The Fresco (2000)
• The Visitor (2002)
• The Companions (2003)
• The Margarets (2007)

Books Written Under Other Names

Sheri Tepper also wrote books using different pen names:

• As E. E. Horlak (for horror stories):
  • Still Life (1987/1988)
• As B. J. Oliphant (for mystery stories):
  • Shirley McClintock Mysteries (about a rancher who used to be an advisor in Washington, D.C.):
    • Dead in the Scrub (1990)
    • The Unexpected Corpse (1990)
    • Deservedly Dead (1992)
    • Death and the Delinquent (1993)
    • Death Served Up Cold (1994)
    • A Ceremonial Death (1996)
    • Here's to the Newly Dead (1997)
• As A. J. Orde (for mystery stories):
  • The Jason Lynx Mysteries (about an antiques dealer in Colorado and his police officer partner):
    • A Little Neighborhood Murder: A Jason Lynx Novel (1989)
    • Death and the Dogwalker: A Jason Lynx Novel (1990)
    • Death for Old Time's Sake: A Jason Lynx Novel (1992)
    • Looking for the Aardvark (1993)
    • A Long Time Dead (1994)
    • A Death of Innocents: A Jason Lynx Novel (1996, 1997)