CRISPR EVOLUTION by Charis Jones is a beautifully moving book centered around humanity’s relationship with genetic engineering.  With a headstrong and intelligent protagonist in Howard, the book follows the lives of a family of garage biologists in a future world where genetic engineering is severely limited and monitored by the government. Understandable scientific terminology is adroitly interwoven with an engaging plot as one unlikely family battles against tough odds for survival.

Jones’ debut SF novel sees a rogue geneticist on the run from government agencies as his illegally engineered twins reach a crisis point in their evolutionary programming. 

In the year 2050, the U.S. government centralized the funding of biomedical research and established a federal institute that focused on risk-free projects. Those working on the field’s cutting edge knuckled under, left the country, or went off-grid, operating illegally in makeshift laboratories. Gifted geneticist Howard Wake took the latter course, and by the year 2070, he has 8-year-old twins—Aurie and Py—incubated ex vivo using eggs stolen from colleague Jacqueline Witt. He’s implanted Py and Aurie with CRISPR, a virus engineered to quickly evolve the kids at a genomic level. Unbeknownst to Howard, the eggs’ special property—an embedded “kill switch,” designed to terminate pregnancies should embryos develop certain abnormalities—are in the twins’ DNA. Thus, the CRISPR evolutionary imperative is at odds with a safeguard that could kill Aurie and Py. A medical emergency pushes the Wake family into the open; on the run in New England, they seek refuge with Howard’s reclusive older brother, Abel. Jacqueline, meanwhile, discovers the theft of her eggs and tracks Howard down, determined to meet her biological children—one of whom is starting to become something beyond human. Over the course of this novel, Jones crafts a narrative that makes its concepts clear without belaboring the scientific aspects. Howard and Jacqueline are likable, deftly drawn characters, and Aurie and Py are similarly engaging—precocious, sometimes otherworldly, but still recognizably children. The society in which they live is a dark but believable extrapolation from present-day attitudes toward research funding, and the novel handles its moral questions sensitively and fairly throughout. It’s a testament to Jones’ skillful storytelling that readers may find themselves unsure how they want Aurie’s transformation to play out in the end. 

A tale that provides readers with a penetrating and thought-provoking glimpse into a possible not-so-distant future. 

A Sci-fi with strong cinematic framing that promises to reshape its genre

"CRISPR Evolution" is a heart-in-your-throat page-turner in the Sci-Fi genre by award-winning author Charis Jones. The narrative follows Howard Wake, a virtuoso in heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics in a futuristic world, who is determined to defy the government regulations and laws that have been put in place to tame genetic engineering that goes beyond the usual research scope.

There is something simultaneously fresh and traditional in the novel's comfort with omniscient narration, and its relaxed style manages to beguile new readers to speculative fiction. It conveys the spinning sense of a future that outstrips a single existence and feels synchronously optimistic, poignant, and even celebratory. With a stirring preface, Jones employs her years of experience as a research professor in this narrative, perhaps using it as a medium of choice to pass on an explosive panorama of what makes up our genetic formation.

"CRISPR Evolution" is a five-star read that provides conjectural ideation on genetic enhancement technologies, including their moral and civil implications through richly imagined characters and settings. The author is strong on atmosphere, illuminating vast tracts of imagery, and her uniquely supple and powerful style is even more clear-cut. Its enamoring ending and epilogue are decent and fulfilling, giving special send-offs to its characters. Wildly original and intelligently drawn, "CRISPR Evolution" will enthrall sci-fi fans.

This thoroughly engaging work of speculative fiction rejuvenated my love for science fiction. Set in the near future, it has a dystopian theme. FIBR closely monitors most of the ongoing biological research projects. The independently working scientists must flee underground, keeping themselves off FIBR’s radar. The beauty of the storyline is that, although imaginary, this scenario never seems far-fetched. Based on the issues the research community faces today, such a future seems all too plausible. Charis Jones shows how a combination of funding crunches, government intervention, and misinterpretation of results by the media could ultimately hinder scientific progress. At the same time, this thought-provoking story raises questions about the interplay of science and ethics. The characters are spellbinding, each shining in their own light and demanding center stage. As a brilliant and dedicated rogue scientist with a questionable sense of ethics, Dr. Howard Wake changed my outlook on a hero. 

While hardcore scientific facts form the book's foundation, Jones’ literary tweaks help it soar to unprecedented heights. I especially loved the visuals of a cell, with chromosome rafts and glittering hubs of gene transcription, the busy proteins, and enzymes having distinct personalities. In CRISPR Evolution, Jones recounts the beauty of life and imagines the unleashing of one’s full potential. I recommend it to those who appreciate science fiction. This story would be perfect for the fans of Michael Crichton’s Next.