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Charis Jones

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://charisjonesbooks.com

Genre

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller

Influences

Peter Watts, Kim Stanley Robinson, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Ursula ...more

Member Since

June 2022

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Charis Jones (aka Charis Himeda, PhD) is an award-winning author and biomedical researcher. She is a research professor and co-founder of Renogenyx, a company dedicated to developing treatments for Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. She won the FSHD Society's inaugural Young Investigator award, and has been interviewed by The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and The Boston Business Journal for engineering FSHD therapeutics using CRISPR gene modifying technology. At night, Dr. Himeda doffs her lab gloves to pen speculative fiction about renegade scientists who do things she would never dream of doing. She is a three-time winner in the PNWA literary contest, a semifinalist for the BookLife Prize, and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer F ...more

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Charis Jones’s books

Average rating: 3.78 · 681 ratings · 125 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Best American Mystery And Suspense 2021: The Year's Best Crime Noir and Psychological Thriller Stories by Alafair Burke (Goodreads Author) (Editor / Introduction), Steph Cha (Goodreads Author) (Editor / Foreword), Jenny Bhatt (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.65 avg rating — 524 ratings — published 2021 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	CRISPR Evolution 4.16 avg rating — 133 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wild: Uncivilized Tales from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers by Rachel Delaney Craft (Goodreads Author) (Editor, Author), Natasha Watts (Editor), Carina Bissett (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2020 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Finding the Gift: Book Two of the CRISPR Evolution Series 4.58 avg rating — 12 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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CRISPR Evolution

by Charis Jones (Goodreads Author)

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Charis Jones said: " EDITOR'S PICK: This gripping and accomplished debut novel imagines a near future where, after the initial jolts of a revolution in gene editing, the federal government centralizes biomedical research and development, and independent geneticists like EDITOR'S PICK: This gripping and accomplished debut novel imagines a near future where, after the initial jolts of a revolution in gene editing, the federal government centralizes biomedical research and development, and independent geneticists like Howard Wake go underground.

Jones spins this heady story in smart, engaging prose, attuned to her casts’ individual perspectives, alive to the surprising details of an increasingly automated American future. The science is clear and persuasive—Jones is a biomedical researcher—but presented with an emphasis on its application. For all its family drama and on-the-run suspense, this is a novel about where we’re headed—and how we might not be able to control what changes. It’s a thriller but anchored in the literary wing of science fiction, driven by character, given to colloquies, and often evocative in its descriptions of diners and the mushrooms that, in a well-plotted jolt, prove essential to both the development of the story and our species.

Through it all, Jones is committed to capturing what this future feels like—and to dramatizing the evolutionary imperative with both exciting scenes and grand revelations of the sort readers of serious science fiction will find thrilling.

Takeaway: This superb science fiction novel finds a family on the run—and on the cusp of an evolutionary leap.

Great for fans of: Sarah Gailey’s The Echo Wife, Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl.

- BookLife Reviews

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.

- Shrabastee Chakraborty for Readers' Favorite

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.

- IndieReader ...more "

Mar 19, 2023 04:48PM · see review

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Charis’s Recent Updates

Charis Jones is now following Marla Himeda's reviews
Jan 23, 2026 09:18AM · like
Charis Jones rated a book it was amazing Rider of the Wind: Book 3 of The Bardic Isles Series by Marla Himeda (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm always a little disappointed to get caught up in a series only to be jerked away from the characters I love and forced to play with new ones - but in this case, that disappointment was short-lived and completely unwarranted. This book - a worthy ...more
Dec 10, 2025 02:09PM · 1 like · like · see review
Charis Jones made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — please remove these books from my profile topic " Can you please remove the following books which I did not author from my profile: The Rise of Poise: Fallen Angels (2 books) and The Rise of Poise: A ...more "
Nov 22, 2025 01:53PM
Charis Jones rated a book it was amazing Cry of the Kestrel (The Bardic Isles, #2) by Marla Himeda (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Writers always fear that their second book won't be received as well as the first, but this author should have no worries at all on that score. "Cry of the Kestrel" is, if anything, even better than "Master of Music." The first book in this series is ...more
Aug 15, 2024 09:36AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cry of the Kestrel by Marla Himeda. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cry of the Kestrel by Marla Himeda <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Charis Jones and 1 other person liked Andy Giesler's blog post: One year anniversary, and an interview "It's hard to believe Three Grams of Elsewhere has already been out for a year. I'm grateful it's been well received. Besides good reviews, it's a finalist for both the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC) and the Foreword Indies Awa..." Read more of this blog post »
Aug 15, 2024 09:34AM