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"I realized there was a heavy-duty change coming in biology, and I could write a really compelling novel about catastrophic evolution, punctuated equilibrium."
- Greg Bear
 |
| Hive-Mind | ||
| A group mind. |
Very early use of this phrase, probably the first if you look at the mainstream science fiction magazines.
| "Many very efficient life-forms aren't physically complicated, you know," she went on, letting the sound of her voice ripple steadily into its mind. "Parasitical types, particularly. It's pretty certain, too, that the Halpa have the hive-mind class of intelligence, so what goes for the nerve systems of most of the ones they send through to us might be nothing much more than secondary reflex-transmitters." |
| From Second Night of Summer,
by James Schmitz. Published by Galaxy Science Fiction in 1950 Additional resources -
|
If you poke around, you can find earlier usage of the idea, but not in science fiction. For example, in The Philosophy of a Commoner published in 1928, there is this idea:
Compare to the ring-table from The Universe Wreckers (1930) by Edmond Hamilton, a device which creates a group mind among participants. See also the group ego from Methuselah's Children (1941) by Robert Heinlein.
Concerted action of ants, bees, indicates an intelligence not the aggregate of individuals—one intelligence apart directing—a hive mind instead of a bee mind.
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'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
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'Once the target is confirmed, it uses an IR laser to send a coded signal back to the parent, clearing it to attack.'
'I filled your bullet hole with flesh putty and the lattice.'
'... it will be easy to form an alphabet which shall enable us to converse with the inhabitants of the moon.'
'From the tower's huge octagonal base radiate wide silvery strips...'
'It was about five feet long... a black bullet head and red camera eyes.'
'The Law Society has strict rules on the use of pseudo-intelligent software...'
