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Epigenes: The Clone Soldier Chronicles - Book 1
About The Clone Soldier Chronicles and the Author
The central theme of The Clone Soldier Chronicles is…will normal humans become extinct? Will scientists be able to extend life, fix genetic defects, and make perfect humans, and, will they still be humans? The answer is mostly yes, but some no’s. We will still be mostly human, but unless we stop the progress of Econo-medicine, there will be levels of humans; there will be those who can and cannot afford the fix. We already see that now…individuals in third world countries are blind from cataracts, while we can afford the fix. And in first world countries, some go blind from macular degeneration while others can afford the biologicals. And now scientists can change our genes.
This is the central theme of The Clone Soldier Chronicles…will we still be human? It follows the history of a single family in their progression from normal human to a new species.
The first book, Epigenes begins in current times, with a flu pandemic, structuring of economic zones, and rationing of medicines. It is during that time that humans become epigenetically modified. That’s when your DNA becomes modified from your environment, including from what you eat. Those with access to enough medicines and foods become different from the rest of the population. (Available on Kindle)
In book two, a class of super scientists emerges, the Gene Designers, those licensed to modify and clone humans. They want super athletes for The Clone Games. The rulers know they can control the situation…keep those clones from escaping. That is, until Dina infiltrates their complex and escapes with Dorian, their half-human super computer. (Available on Kindle).
Book three, is entitled Gene Drifters. That is the process of genetic drift; it is the change in DNA which can occur from contact with life, or in the next generation. It is what takes, becomes permanent enough to be part of an altered order. And the planet is vastly changed by global warming by the time we get to book three. (Available on Kindle).
Book four deals with what will happen when all those nanoparticles get out into the environment. In Nanogenes, the bacteria inside some nanoparticles do get out, altering both humans and the planet. (Available on Kindle).
Book five describes a newly emerging human population, those that can bridge the gap between the various mutant species by inserting large gene segments into their DNA; these are the Gene Jumpers.
Book six, Babel Genes, occurs in the distant future. I don’t want to say too much, but when so many different subspecies of humans exist on one planet…well, we could have a genetic Tower of Babel.
I am a Professor of Biochemistry. My area of research is in the eye, hence the eye on all six of the Clone Soldier Chronicles covers. For over 32 years in the lab, I have watched the change in the human species…some from my own research into the delivery of enzymes into the human eye using nanoparticles (http://www.k-state.edu/bmb/department...).
I attended Ball State University, receiving my BS in 1971 in Biology. I learned skiing, backpacking, Microbiology, and Chemistry, in random order, at Colorado State University, obtaining the MS in Microbiology in 1973. But California called me home…we Californians are not unlike salmon. I attended the University of Southern California, receiving a PhD in Molecular Biology in 1979. I accepted an offer as faculty in Biochemistry, back in the Midwest again, and away from my home. But, the salmon instincts took over once more, and in 2011, I retired and returned home to California. I do miss my lab, but find that I can do much more cutting edge research at my computer, in my novels, and in a global warming future.
The central theme of The Clone Soldier Chronicles is…will normal humans become extinct? Will scientists be able to extend life, fix genetic defects, and make perfect humans, and, will they still be humans? The answer is mostly yes, but some no’s. We will still be mostly human, but unless we stop the progress of Econo-medicine, there will be levels of humans; there will be those who can and cannot afford the fix. We already see that now…individuals in third world countries are blind from cataracts, while we can afford the fix. And in first world countries, some go blind from macular degeneration while others can afford the biologicals. And now scientists can change our genes.
This is the central theme of The Clone Soldier Chronicles…will we still be human? It follows the history of a single family in their progression from normal human to a new species.
The first book, Epigenes begins in current times, with a flu pandemic, structuring of economic zones, and rationing of medicines. It is during that time that humans become epigenetically modified. That’s when your DNA becomes modified from your environment, including from what you eat. Those with access to enough medicines and foods become different from the rest of the population. (Available on Kindle)
In book two, a class of super scientists emerges, the Gene Designers, those licensed to modify and clone humans. They want super athletes for The Clone Games. The rulers know they can control the situation…keep those clones from escaping. That is, until Dina infiltrates their complex and escapes with Dorian, their half-human super computer. (Available on Kindle).
Book three, is entitled Gene Drifters. That is the process of genetic drift; it is the change in DNA which can occur from contact with life, or in the next generation. It is what takes, becomes permanent enough to be part of an altered order. And the planet is vastly changed by global warming by the time we get to book three. (Available on Kindle).
Book four deals with what will happen when all those nanoparticles get out into the environment. In Nanogenes, the bacteria inside some nanoparticles do get out, altering both humans and the planet. (Available on Kindle).
Book five describes a newly emerging human population, those that can bridge the gap between the various mutant species by inserting large gene segments into their DNA; these are the Gene Jumpers.
Book six, Babel Genes, occurs in the distant future. I don’t want to say too much, but when so many different subspecies of humans exist on one planet…well, we could have a genetic Tower of Babel.
I am a Professor of Biochemistry. My area of research is in the eye, hence the eye on all six of the Clone Soldier Chronicles covers. For over 32 years in the lab, I have watched the change in the human species…some from my own research into the delivery of enzymes into the human eye using nanoparticles (http://www.k-state.edu/bmb/department...).
I attended Ball State University, receiving my BS in 1971 in Biology. I learned skiing, backpacking, Microbiology, and Chemistry, in random order, at Colorado State University, obtaining the MS in Microbiology in 1973. But California called me home…we Californians are not unlike salmon. I attended the University of Southern California, receiving a PhD in Molecular Biology in 1979. I accepted an offer as faculty in Biochemistry, back in the Midwest again, and away from my home. But, the salmon instincts took over once more, and in 2011, I retired and returned home to California. I do miss my lab, but find that I can do much more cutting edge research at my computer, in my novels, and in a global warming future.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2015
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 13, 2018
This book was too far into the sci fi genre for my taste but you sci fi fans might really like it.
August 6, 2018
I have very mixed feelings on this book, there were parts I thought were great and others I thought not so much. I can see the things in this book being our future which I am very thankful I won’t be around to see it. It is a story based genetic defects and making the prefect human, those that have prefect DNA to those with disease or DNA that isn’t the highest. The higher your DNA is to prefect the higher up in the zone you are. You might think that is a good thing but to me not so much. You know the saying about too much of a good thing well between these pages you will find that is true. The author builds her plot around DNA from prefect which lives in the best zones, from there you go downhill to different zones where designed by their DNA all the way down to what I would call the very lower class where nothing good happens. Medicine is only for those that can pay or those in the top zone. For me zones of like the food chain the higher your DNA the higher you are in the food chain and you get the best of everything even a lot of it at no cost. The lower you are in the food chain the less you get in medicine and food that is if you get any at all. The people in the lower zones are nothing more than slaves. Then we have the repels who are fighting for change, making all humans equal. This is their story about their fight and their losses. It is a very interesting read that for the most part held my attention.
Let’s go into what I like about this story. The plot is amazing, the way it works is well-thought-out. The characters are realistic, the danger real. The author gives you a little humor, I even chuckled and laughed a few times. Some characters I really like and others not so much. I felt their pain, sorrow and cheered when they fight came. The war how it comes to be, how it is planned, and the running of it was well-thought-out. There are so many good points and at times a very good read.
What I didn’t care for was it was setup as a diary from other point of views. The author repeats a lot of things which took away from the story. There was too much filler for my liking and useless information. It is a very complex story that you really have to pay close attention to. Way to many people to keep up with which can confuse the reader. It took me a week to read this which normally I would have read in less than a day. I had to reread a few times because I was confused or misunderstood what I had read. At times, I found my mind wandering and had to pull myself back in.
I really want to give this story a 4 but am unable to due to the above. I did feel it was worth my time just not as much as I gave it. It is a story that will stick with me and make me rethink some things I am doing as time goes on. The story gives you the base to start the series on, how it all started, the past and some of the future. I feel with the author’s background she gave the story more strength than other would have that don’t have it. You have no trouble believing she is a scientist, and she knows what she is talking about. The author tried to make it interesting by doing this at time it was a little boring. This is not to say it was all boring, there were some very exciting parts, there are even some thrilling and chilling parts. She doesn’t go much into the fighting just the basics. I really didn’t care for the logs and feel it would have been much better has each character just told their story not by the grandmother as she remembers it to be through logs. My heart went out to Meme, Fargo, Gimlet but I didn’t care for her husband Shimmer, at first I liked him, but he was more into power, showing his self to be his worst enemy. Oggie was great but I didn’t care for the way she told the story, I would have loved to know more about her. Robert, Abe and Jordan will always have a piece of my heart and I look forward to seeing what their role will become in this story.
I would say the author gave us a lot to think about, life as we know it is changing every day and for the most part not good. The kids of today will be running this country one day! What do they do but let computers and games run their minds, this cannot be a good thing when it is done every minute they can spare each day. Which in truth COULD lead to mind control and fried brains. All in all even with the complex issues and taking so long due to fillers and unless information I would say it was a good read and do plan to read the rest of the series. I really do think it deserves more than a three star but as it is written I am unable to give it more.
Let’s go into what I like about this story. The plot is amazing, the way it works is well-thought-out. The characters are realistic, the danger real. The author gives you a little humor, I even chuckled and laughed a few times. Some characters I really like and others not so much. I felt their pain, sorrow and cheered when they fight came. The war how it comes to be, how it is planned, and the running of it was well-thought-out. There are so many good points and at times a very good read.
What I didn’t care for was it was setup as a diary from other point of views. The author repeats a lot of things which took away from the story. There was too much filler for my liking and useless information. It is a very complex story that you really have to pay close attention to. Way to many people to keep up with which can confuse the reader. It took me a week to read this which normally I would have read in less than a day. I had to reread a few times because I was confused or misunderstood what I had read. At times, I found my mind wandering and had to pull myself back in.
I really want to give this story a 4 but am unable to due to the above. I did feel it was worth my time just not as much as I gave it. It is a story that will stick with me and make me rethink some things I am doing as time goes on. The story gives you the base to start the series on, how it all started, the past and some of the future. I feel with the author’s background she gave the story more strength than other would have that don’t have it. You have no trouble believing she is a scientist, and she knows what she is talking about. The author tried to make it interesting by doing this at time it was a little boring. This is not to say it was all boring, there were some very exciting parts, there are even some thrilling and chilling parts. She doesn’t go much into the fighting just the basics. I really didn’t care for the logs and feel it would have been much better has each character just told their story not by the grandmother as she remembers it to be through logs. My heart went out to Meme, Fargo, Gimlet but I didn’t care for her husband Shimmer, at first I liked him, but he was more into power, showing his self to be his worst enemy. Oggie was great but I didn’t care for the way she told the story, I would have loved to know more about her. Robert, Abe and Jordan will always have a piece of my heart and I look forward to seeing what their role will become in this story.
I would say the author gave us a lot to think about, life as we know it is changing every day and for the most part not good. The kids of today will be running this country one day! What do they do but let computers and games run their minds, this cannot be a good thing when it is done every minute they can spare each day. Which in truth COULD lead to mind control and fried brains. All in all even with the complex issues and taking so long due to fillers and unless information I would say it was a good read and do plan to read the rest of the series. I really do think it deserves more than a three star but as it is written I am unable to give it more.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews