Good idea. Bad idea.

[Shaun]

I had an idea I was considering adding into a book outline. I really don't know though. Done right, it could be awesome, done wrong, it could easily kill an otherwise good book.

What with this group of horror fans, I figured this would be as good a place as any to bring up such a discussion.

Now, as a disclaimer, any authors who want to offer an idea do so at their own risk, as once an idea is out there, anyone can run with it.

Of course, we can also discuss what you all think were some of the best and worst ideas that people have actually executed in horror. Santa Claus Vs. The Martians perhaps.

Anyway, the idea I had in mind which I am curious about is this:

It is a common idea of Aliens splicing their genes together with humans to form hybrids. What about experimenting with other Earth-based forms of life, though? For instance, combining their genes with those of a bear to create something bigfoot-esque?

Good idea? Or bad idea?

[Christina]

why choose a bear? would the aliens study all animals and pick one of the largest land dwellers for kicks?

[Holly]

I don't know, human/animal hybrids could be unintentionally hilarious.....the half human/half peacock from Cold Heart Canyon was more ludicrous than frightening.

Animal/animal hybrids could be creepy, though. Remember the pigdogs from the movie Willow?

[Lee]

Maybe not with aliens, but it's been done a few times - Tremors The Series, Peter Benchley's Creature and so.

[Ken B]

Maybe there would be some sort of specific genetic advantage for the alien choosing one animal over another.

[Gregor]

What makes this idea either good or bad is the answer to the question of "why are the aliens doing this?" You don't have to reply with the answer here. Just some food for thought.

[Shaun]

Well, one thought that comes to mind is that it was an early experiment, before humans actually became "civilized". They might experiment with animals looking for a hybrid which could simply dominate, in which case it would make sense for them to look at the top predators.

Also, note I'm not talking about a human/animal hybrid, but an animal/alien hybrid.

[Ken B]

Shaun wrote: "Well, one thought that comes to mind is that it was an early experiment, before humans actually became "civilized". They might experiment with animals looking for a hybrid which could simply domina..."

Sounds a bit like "2001: A Space Odyssey".

[Jon Recluse]

If you apply the human factor to the aliens intent, could be just because they could, and wanted to see what would happen, just for the giggles.

[Robb]

It's possible for an alien species to have evolved in such a way that they only survive by combining their DNA with that of other creatures. Perhaps a group of this bizarre species left their planet somehow, either as part of an intelligent race or as stowaway, and wound up on earth, forging themselves with earth creatures to continue their unique form of evolution.

That might sound a bit too much like Alien?
I suppose, if they are a form of the creature mixed with sentient alien DNA, they may actually operate as scientists.
If they arrive on space junk or something, they would be more like a parasite/symbiotic life form?

[Gregor]

I must have missed this point earlier:

I had an idea I was considering adding into a book outline. I really don't know though. Done right, it could be awesome, done wrong, it could easily kill an otherwise good book.

So, you've already got a book outlined that stands on its own without adding this element (alien/animal hybrid)?

[Shaun]

@ Gregor

Not quite, I've got a basic outline started, and I'm just trying to figure out different ideas I could incorporate into it to fill it out.

A common idea among alien conspiracy theorists is that Aliens (Greys) are creating human/alien hybrids in order to infiltrate society/government and control the planet from within. My idea, given how old the stories of bigfoot are within native cultures, is that in the past, when humans were still roaming in small tribes or family groups, aliens experimented with hybrids of alien/top predators in order to wipe the humans out as they could see the threat our burgeoning intelligence would create later on. Though for whatever reason, things didn't work out that way.

[Gregor]

Shaun wrote: "@ Gregor

Not quite, I've got a basic outline started, and I'm just trying to figure out different ideas I could incorporate into it to fill it out.

A common idea among alien conspiracy theorists..."

Seems like you'd have to figure out a reason why--if the aliens just wanted to wipe humans out--they just didn't unleash a plague or some other faster extermination technique.

[Robb]

Yeah, I'm with Gregor on that one...
The conspiracy theories work (as fiction anyway) on the basis that the alien goal is not to destroy but to control us, either as part of an empire or, if you follow the really loony ones, to prevent our spiritual transcendence (I used to read a lot of conspiracy theorists; it was a strange time in my life).

To wipe people out with animal hybrids seems a bit indirect.
I would figure the better motive for creating animal hybrids would be just pure experimentation; maybe just seeing if they could mesh their genes with earth creatures.
From there, they could either be observing or they just lost interest and left... or maybe their colony was wiped out by their creations? Or humans? Perhaps humans killed the aliens and thus inadvertently killed the only people who could keep the animal hybrids from wreaking havoc?