Hive Propolis

Plot summary

In 2023, millions connect to Hive, an augmented-reality technology that projects a holographic visual display from the user's mind and creates a collective consciousness with virtual telepathy. Those unable to connect, called The Disconnected, are forced into a primitive lifestyle on the outskirts of Hive cities. Nine-year-old Samantha Plessis, who suffers from Bruton's disease and cannot connect to Hive, watches her family opt into beta testing the product to receive health insurance benefits for her immune disorder. As her family's communication shifts to thought-based methods, they become neglectful and alienating, leading to choices that threaten her safety.

During the Hive Day update in 2025, Samantha sees her family and many townspeople collapse and die. She moves to her grandfather's farm, where he predicts an upcoming war. Meanwhile, HiveTech CEO Miles Parker struggles for control of his company with his father, Dr. Lewis Dean Parker, who exists as a digital copy of his consciousness on the Hive servers. After millions die from the update, Dr. Parker uploads a sedative called propolis.

Main characters

Samantha Plessis, also called Camellia, is a nine-year-old girl from southern New Jersey with Bruton's disease, which prevents her from connecting to Hive. She loves nature and shows intelligence beyond her age, but grows darker and depressed as her family's communication becomes thought-based. She distrusts Jared Plessis after learning he is her adoptive father and seeing his callousness after connecting to Hive.

Jared Plessis, husband of Joan and father to Samantha and Melody, acts on emotion and an inferiority complex that manifests as jealousy and pride. He becomes obsessed with Hive, feeling it pulls his consciousness into another world, which he desires due to resentment of his dull life. Joan Plessis, a caring mother, begins neglecting verbal and physical communication with Samantha while using Hive.

She overuses her beta version, runs out of data transfer, and becomes catatonic; when Jared temporarily disconnects her, she suffers intense withdrawal. Miles Parker, CEO and spokesperson of HiveTech, is motivated to continue his late father's work. Dr. Lewis Dean Parker, Miles's father and inventor, exists only as a digital copy of his consciousness on HiveTech servers but still controls most product development. Melody Plessis, Samantha's sister, struggles with peer acceptance.

Alexa Thierry is Joan's best friend and Samantha's pediatrician. Lucien Thierry, Alexa's husband, is a painter and philosopher whose paintings inspire Samantha. Emerson Thierry, their nine-year-old son, is connected to the full version of Hive because his older brother Michael is an application developer at HiveTech.

Did You Know?

• Geekadelphia described the book as '21st century science fiction that escapes the page itself.'
• Rep Radio called Propolis 'Beautifully written and incredibly unique with its incorporation of multi-media.'
• The book contains scannable QR codes that provide soundtrack, video, animation, and interactive story clues leading to real-world places and events.