Theodore Sturgeon

A company of unusual, nearly monstrous people, each of whom possesses a particular extraordinary talent or faculty, acts in concert as a single superhuman, realizing a power that cannot corrupt. Winner of the International Fantasy Award. Reprint. 12,500 first printing.

More Than Human

Matthew Royal

Coincidentally picked up this book about an emerging gestalt lifeform while watching Sens8 on Netflix. The author, Theodore Sturgeon, is the creator of Sturgeon's Law -- "90 percent of everything is crap." The narrative voice jumps around a bit, as does the actual line of the narrative. Perspective shifts occur 3 or 4 times during the story, but they're done with skill, representing progressive stages of awareness or awakening. 

The conclusion -- building on the characters comprising the gestalt being's discovery of a new ethos for themselves -- is inspiring, spiritual, humanistic, satisfying, and ultimately inevitable, and a powerfully optimistic insight into what our relationship could be with the super-intelligent AI's humanity will someday build.

Cindy Lieberman

Interesting (and slightly weird) though experiment about a gestalt-consciousness composed of a handful of societal misfits in the 1950s who find each other and “blesh” (blend+mesh) their complimentary skills. Narrated in three distinct parts, the book covers themes of loneliness, family, memory, and belonging.

More Than Human

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