6. A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge
Vinge’s brilliant 1992 novel is a space opera spanning most of the galaxy, but a good portion of the action is set on a pre-industrial world dominated by a dog-like species called the Tines. The Tines form hive minds out of small packs — singleton Tines are essentially disabled, while massive packs of hundreds become dim-witted and chaotic. Each pack functions as a single mind, but its members have their own personalities and can influence the pack personality and memories. Vinge does an incredible job imagining how these hive minds would create political empires, as well as what kinds of technology they’d want to invent.
via 10 Books That Will Change the Way You Understand the Mind.
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