Our Hideous Progeny

In this gothic adventure, debut novelist McGill builds on Shelley's iconic story by adding sharp-minded female protagonist Mary, who sets out to discover the truth about her great-uncle Victor Frankenstein's disappearance in the Arctic. * STYLIST, 'The best new feminist retellings of classic stories to read in 2023' *
McGill's prose is rich and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the eerie and foreboding tone of the Gothic tradition. The characters are complex and layered . . .Our Hideous Progeny is a masterful work of Gothic horror that will leave readers on the edge of their seat. * GLAMOUR *
Evocatively and compassionately, Our Hideous Progeny seeks a way to tell the stories of those whose tales cannot fit in one book, those poor creatures who remain lost or forgotten * NEW YORKER *
Our Hideous Progeny takes inspiration from Mary Shelley's masterpiece along with the Victorian fascination with scientific innovation and the prehistoric world. This wonderful debut evolves into a gripping Gothic tale of grief and ambition, passion and intrigue. * JESS KIDD, author of THE NIGHT SHIP *
A wonderful book; dark, passionate, multi-layered and rich with enticing detail. * JOANNE HARRIS, author of CHOCOLAT and THE STRAWBERRY THIEF *
Compelling and utterly absorbing, Our Hideous Progeny is an artfully crafted debut that echoes the dark essence of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein while maintaining a fascinating originality all of its own. * SUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN, author of PANDORA *
Darkly brilliant and sumptuously gothic, this atmospheric debut left me reeling * C.J. COOKE, author of THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES *
A wonderfully rich, emotionally engaging tale with the flavour and appeal of a great 19th-century novel. * Guardian *
A fantastic read: I felt everything about Mary, her simmering anger and her intellectual delight, so very clearly. * FREYA MARSKE, author of THE LAST BINDING TRILOGY *
Exquisitely written, brimming with imagery both beautiful and shocking, this daring debut makes the rivalries of the Victorian scientific establishment thrilling and urgent, bringing us a story worthy of Mary Shelley. * SEAN LUSK, author of THE SECOND SIGHT OF ZACHARY CLOUDESLEY *
A gut busting adventure to escape into. I loved it. Loved the setting, the characters, the high stakes. What an exceptionally talented writer. Can't wait to talk about this to everyone. * ERICKA WALLER, author of DOG DAYS *
Our Hideous Progeny opened its glorious mouth and swallowed me whole. I absolutely loved it. * JOANNE BURN, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE and THE BONE HUNTERS *
Witty, dark and sharp as a scalpel, it's a dazzling exploration of the macabre ambitions of Victorian science and a moving meditation on grief. C.E. McGill brilliantly captures what it's like to be a woman in a man's world. * LIZZIE POOK, author of MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER'S DAUGHTER *
'A real treat: a Victorian adventure novel cloaked in gothic imagery that dives into the museums and debate halls of London . . . a rollicking read' * SFX *
A very tightly-written creative spin off of the tale of Frankenstein that beautifully captures the themes in the original, while adding more that will delight readers of historical fiction. Without a doubt, this is one of my favourite reads of the year. * FANTASYBOOKCRITIC.COM *
Fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and historical horror with a queer feminist twist will not be disappointed. * LIBRARY JOURNAL *
For fans of queer fiction, imaginative historical fiction, admirers of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (of course!), and readers fascinated by dinosaurs and paleontology. * BOOKLIST *