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threemonkeysHybrid vigor. Its when you breed two distinct populations and end up with a stronger offspring. It works for good solid mathematical and somewhat less solid but also good genetic reasons. But either way you validate it, not all the offspring actually are enhanced. Sometimes you end up with duds. The mathematics pretty much dictate it. And by extension, there are a whole bunch of results in between.
It doesn't quite work the same way when you try to make literary hybrids. There aren't the same mathematics that you can apply. But then the starting populations are never that separate anyway. But there is one thing that animal populations and literary forms have in common. Yes there are strong outcomes, but there are also duds.
This stuff is what came to mind as I started reading Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds. Space Opera plus Steampunk is what we are talking here. Plus some other bits I guess. But why the focus on the dud end of the hybrid outcomes? No, it isn't really a dud - it's just that it isn't strong either, its well down the dud end. Not as strong as Reynold's other work. Sometimes things don't come together the way you want.
It doesn't quite work the same way when you try to make literary hybrids. There aren't the same mathematics that you can apply. But then the starting populations are never that separate anyway. But there is one thing that animal populations and literary forms have in common. Yes there are strong outcomes, but there are also duds.
This stuff is what came to mind as I started reading Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds. Space Opera plus Steampunk is what we are talking here. Plus some other bits I guess. But why the focus on the dud end of the hybrid outcomes? No, it isn't really a dud - it's just that it isn't strong either, its well down the dud end. Not as strong as Reynold's other work. Sometimes things don't come together the way you want.