tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post967806419334230005..comments2023-09-07T07:16:10.305-04:00Comments on Flights of Fantasy: Hive mindsMarian Pererahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700524210146863718noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post-73018966905347450562009-08-03T17:47:08.468-04:002009-08-03T17:47:08.468-04:00One of the better depictions I've seen of huma...One of the better depictions I've seen of humans in a sci-fi hive mind thingy actually was from a video game, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. In that game there's a faction called 'the Hive.' They start out as a fairly conventional communistic police state, with some bizarre metaphyisical additions to their ideology. As their technology improves, however, the society transforms. They live in subterranean tunnel complexes, and individuals are controlled by drugs and chemicals introduced in the air and food etc. Eventually they get hooked up with cybernetic implants and such so that they are more or less completely dependant. The leader of the Hive controls the chemicals and such, and they respond to his moods, causing the people to be skittish when he is upset, and downright cowering when he's in a rage or something. It was quite a good bit of writing, for a computer game.Sarpedonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post-38218189393494317082009-08-01T16:04:19.802-04:002009-08-01T16:04:19.802-04:00Hey Randall,
That sounds fascinating. I read anot...Hey Randall,<br /><br />That sounds fascinating. I read another book of Michael Swanwick's, <i>The Iron Dragon's Daughter</i>, and that was good, so I'll see if the library has <i>Vacuum Flowers</i>.Marian Pererahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15700524210146863718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post-91375376086861289932009-08-01T16:03:01.049-04:002009-08-01T16:03:01.049-04:00That's a good point, Tasha. Once they start ta...That's a good point, Tasha. Once they start talking - which is what happened in <i>First Contact</i>, they're suddenly more accessible. Closer to humanity.<br /><br />Want to make them really scary? As you said, remove even the chance of reasoning with them. They should be more similar to the Cybermen of <i>Doctor Who</i>.Marian Pererahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15700524210146863718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post-54576864484486154292009-08-01T14:59:10.983-04:002009-08-01T14:59:10.983-04:00I agree the Borg were so much creepier when they w...I agree the Borg were so much creepier when they were totally faceless. Their utter drive and fanaticism to assimilate everyone is what made them so frightening. There wasn't even the chance of reasoning with them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2125325709844932289.post-87128902428501356992009-07-31T22:40:10.464-04:002009-07-31T22:40:10.464-04:00In Michael Swanwick's Vacuum Flowers, Earth wa...In Michael Swanwick's <i>Vacuum Flowers</i>, Earth was a hive mind, as the result of a combination of neural-implants and an internet suddenly gone sentient. One of the heroes saw it as the bad guy, but Earth saw itself as just another being.Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13636853512160544410noreply@blogger.com