Our Hideous Progeny

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

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 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

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

Darkly brilliant and sumptuously gothic, this atmospheric debut left me reeling

C.J. COOKE, author of THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES

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

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'

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

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

'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 wonderfully rich, emotionally engaging tale with the flavour and appeal of a great 19th-century novel.

Guardian

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

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 opened its glorious mouth and swallowed me whole. I absolutely loved it.

JOANNE BURN, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE and THE BONE HUNTERS