Editing Half Past Human (section)

{{Short description|1971 novel by T. J. Bass}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book | 
| name          = Half Past Human
| title_orig    = 
| translator    = 
| image         = File:HalfPastHuman(1stEd).jpg
| caption       = Cover of first edition (paperback)
| author        = [[T. J. Bass (author)|T. J. Bass]]
| illustrator   = 
| cover_artist  = 
| country       = [[United States]]
| language      = [[English language|English]]
| series        = The Hive series
| genre         = [[Science fiction]] 
| publisher     = [[Ballantine Books]]
| release_date  = 1971
| english_release_date =
| media_type    = Print ([[Paperback]])
| pages         = 279
| isbn          = 0-345-02306-4
| oclc = 2437954
| preceded_by   = 
| followed_by   = [[The Godwhale]]
}} 
'''''Half Past Human''''' is a [[fixup]] [[science fiction]] novel by American author [[T. J. Bass (author)|T. J. Bass]], published in 1971. Two short stories were combined and fleshed out to form this novel: "Half Past Human", first published in ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]'' in December 1969, and "G.I.T.A.R.", first published in ''[[If (magazine)|If]]'' in November and December 1970. The novel belongs to the Hive series, which also includes ''[[The Godwhale]]''.

Bass' Hive series of stories are replete with obvious and not-so-obvious references to [[nomenclature]] commonly used in pathology, including [[eponym]]ic puns (note a male character's observation of a female character's attractive "[[Howell-Jolly body]]").

''Half Past Human'' was nominated for the [[Nebula Award]] for [[Nebula Award for Best Novel|Best Novel]] in 1971.