The Hive Mind in Science Fiction

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The "hive mind" is a concept that many science fiction writers have toyed with. A swarm of living things that are neurologically connected to each other - whether it be through a telepathic link (sharing each other's thoughts), or acting as one big body that can all see and feel whatever the others experience. In Merrick's case, hurting the "queen" ended up killing all the other creatures (good thing for him, too!)

The hive mind is a simple concept. Countless beings, who may or may not at one point have had full autonomy, now function as parts of one interconnected whole. This could be the result of a nightmarish invasive species, which infects and colonizes the living beings it encounters. It could also be an agreement between willing participants who form a single collective organism. 

A ton of science fiction is dedicated to exploring the theoretical galaxy and making up fantastical alien creatures. Imagining the biological and sociological functions of the denizens of far outer galaxies is one of the most interesting aspects of the genre. 

Many hive minds feature a central figure who acts as leader and representative, but others treat every member as equal. The collective consciousness concept is very rarely portrayed with any positivity, almost always seen as either pitiful or villainous. Those that do mean well are still seen as viscerally unpleasant. Themes of conformity and individuality are generally common in stories featuring the trope.

In his 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon, H.G. Wells introduced the hive mind to science fiction with his alien race the Selenites. Many other examples of the hive mind followed in popular sci-fi:

- The Borg in the Star Trek series

- The Cybermen in the Doctor Who series

- The Arachnids in the movie Starship Troopers

- In the TV series Stranger Things, every creature and plant in the "Upside-Down" world were connected by sight and touch, under the collective control of Vecna.

Source: https://gamerant.com/hive-mind-trope-sci-fi-explained/