Is there something behind this premise? I’m noticing it more and more lately, between Elden ring, ender lilies, assorted flesh and/or consciousness blobs in D&D, fullmetal alchemist, etc… Have there always been stories about horrific amalgamations of humanity pulled together in a state between malignant rage and maddening existential horror? Or is this a recent thought?
I believe it’s just a view of humanity eventually evolving towards a hive mind that’s a single consciousness.
It’s not really new. The concept exists in sci fi. First case seems to be in ‘The Human Termites’ in David H. Keller’s 1929 ‘Wonder Stories’ (according to Wikipedia). The specific idea of the flesh nexus is mostly just an evolution of that.
Is there something behind this premise? I’m noticing it more and more lately, between Elden ring, ender lilies, assorted flesh and/or consciousness blobs in D&D, fullmetal alchemist, etc… Have there always been stories about horrific amalgamations of humanity pulled together in a state between malignant rage and maddening existential horror? Or is this a recent thought?
I believe it’s just a view of humanity eventually evolving towards a hive mind that’s a single consciousness.
It’s not really new. The concept exists in sci fi. First case seems to be in ‘The Human Termites’ in David H. Keller’s 1929 ‘Wonder Stories’ (according to Wikipedia). The specific idea of the flesh nexus is mostly just an evolution of that.
All things considered, that’s incredibly recent. It’s essentially modern folklore, and that’s absolutely fascinating to me. Thank you!
Some more examples of the trope: the antagonists of the Scholomance books, and of The Interface Series