Ask the Author: Chris Reher
Answered Questions (1)
Chris Reher
(minor spoilers)
Hello David!
The idea came about when I was writing The Kasant Objective short story. In there, an alien species adapts itself to a new environment to blend in. I didn't have room in the story to go into rich detail.
We humans have used genetic modification through selective breeding for centuries and, more recently, by directly tinkering with DNA. So then why not use it for stealth, or instead of wearing protective suits?
I started to look into possible mechanisms such as epigenetics or horizontal gene transfer and, of course, using a virus to introduce foreign DNA into an organism. I list a few online resources for this information on my web site. I wanted this species to be as organic as possible, using natural methods rather than our own clinical ones.
Using a species that already undergoes a significant metamorphoses seemed a logical place to start. Rounding out the idea for my metamorphs came from the lowly tardigrade, one of the most interesting species on Earth (then again, who's to say where they came from.... ) and a master of horizontal gene transfer. I'm so fascinated by them that I even mention them in the story.
Of course, evolving an entirely new species from a few stolen cells would take time and a lot of trial and error, especially if you don't know much about the donor species. But, heck, this is space opera, I did it in less than a hundred years :)
Hello David!
The idea came about when I was writing The Kasant Objective short story. In there, an alien species adapts itself to a new environment to blend in. I didn't have room in the story to go into rich detail.
We humans have used genetic modification through selective breeding for centuries and, more recently, by directly tinkering with DNA. So then why not use it for stealth, or instead of wearing protective suits?
I started to look into possible mechanisms such as epigenetics or horizontal gene transfer and, of course, using a virus to introduce foreign DNA into an organism. I list a few online resources for this information on my web site. I wanted this species to be as organic as possible, using natural methods rather than our own clinical ones.
Using a species that already undergoes a significant metamorphoses seemed a logical place to start. Rounding out the idea for my metamorphs came from the lowly tardigrade, one of the most interesting species on Earth (then again, who's to say where they came from.... ) and a master of horizontal gene transfer. I'm so fascinated by them that I even mention them in the story.
Of course, evolving an entirely new species from a few stolen cells would take time and a lot of trial and error, especially if you don't know much about the donor species. But, heck, this is space opera, I did it in less than a hundred years :)
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