A hybrid genre is a literary or film genre that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres. Hybrid genre works are also referred to as cross-genre, multi-genre, mixed genre, or fusion genre. Some hybrid genres have acquired their own specialised names, such as comedy drama ("dramedy"), romantic comedy ("rom-com"), horror Western, and docudrama.
A Dictionary of Media and Communication describes hybrid genre as "the combination of two or more genres", which may combine elements of more than one genre and/or which may "cut across categories such as fact and fiction".[1]
Hybrid genres are a longstanding element in the fictional process. An early literature example is William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell, with its blend of poetry, prose, and engravings.[2] In cinema, the merging of two or more separate genres attracts a broader range of audience type.[3][4]
- ^ Chandler, Daniel; Munday, Rod (2020). "hybrid genre". A Dictionary of Media and Communication (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198841838. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Oxford Reference.
- ^ M. Singer/W. Walker, Bending Genre (2013) p. 21-2
- ^ Aldredge, Jourdan (29 August 2022). "A Guide to the Basic Film Genres (and How to Use Them)". PremiumBeat. Shutterstock. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "The Psychology of Jumping Genres: Why Audiences Love Hybrid Films". Stylesphere Source. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.