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Our Hideous Progeny
It is not the monster you must fear, but the monster it makes of men. . .
For readers of Circe or Ariadne, a brilliant literary revisiting of Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein with a fresh, queer, provocative twist.
Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but she doesn't know why or how...
The 1850s is a time of discovery, and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of science alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited.
But when Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle's past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing their future... Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland, to Henry's intriguing but reclusive sister Maisie, and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret.
Our Hideous Progeny is a sumptuous tale of ambition and obsession, of forbidden love and sabotage; an adventure story that blends classic, immersive storytelling with contemporary themes.
For readers of Circe or Ariadne, a brilliant literary revisiting of Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein with a fresh, queer, provocative twist.
Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but she doesn't know why or how...
The 1850s is a time of discovery, and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of science alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited.
But when Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle's past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing their future... Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland, to Henry's intriguing but reclusive sister Maisie, and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret.
Our Hideous Progeny is a sumptuous tale of ambition and obsession, of forbidden love and sabotage; an adventure story that blends classic, immersive storytelling with contemporary themes.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2023
About the author
C.E. McGill
2 books262 followersC. E. McGill is a writer of fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and — ideally — all three at once. McGill's short fiction has appeared in Fantasy Magazine and Strange Constellations, and they are a two-time finalist for the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing. Born in Scotland and raised in North Carolina, they now live back in Scotland with their family, two cats, and a growing number of fake succulents (the real ones keep dying).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,044 reviews
December 30, 2022
The only thing that Mary knows about her great uncle, Victor Frankenstein, is that he went missing in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, other than that she knows nothing - well not yet anyway!
We’re transported back to the 1850’s, where Mary is desperate to make a name for herself and her geologist husband Henry in the world of science, but in a time where wealth and the right connections count for everything, (neither of which they have), they’re unlikely to have any success at all, added to that is the fact that women weren’t even allowed as members of these great scientific societies, so wouldn’t even be heard.
However, their luck could be about to change, when Mary discovers old family papers pertaining to great uncle Victor Frankenstein’s disappearance, together with an earth shattering secret - a secret so profound that it could change not only the future of the world, but their own future too, with unimaginable wealth and great renown.
In ‘Our Hideous Progeny’ we certainly get a sense of how poorly women were treated way back in the 1850’s, especially in the world of academia, but Mary makes for a strong protagonist, very much prepared to argue her point, having had years of experience in paleaeontology.
Although the story seemed to drag a little at times, it was nevertheless beautifully written, and was a great homage to Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ with a wonderfully gothic feel to it, and an engaging atmospheric storyline. Recommended.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld publishers, Doubleday, for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
We’re transported back to the 1850’s, where Mary is desperate to make a name for herself and her geologist husband Henry in the world of science, but in a time where wealth and the right connections count for everything, (neither of which they have), they’re unlikely to have any success at all, added to that is the fact that women weren’t even allowed as members of these great scientific societies, so wouldn’t even be heard.
However, their luck could be about to change, when Mary discovers old family papers pertaining to great uncle Victor Frankenstein’s disappearance, together with an earth shattering secret - a secret so profound that it could change not only the future of the world, but their own future too, with unimaginable wealth and great renown.
In ‘Our Hideous Progeny’ we certainly get a sense of how poorly women were treated way back in the 1850’s, especially in the world of academia, but Mary makes for a strong protagonist, very much prepared to argue her point, having had years of experience in paleaeontology.
Although the story seemed to drag a little at times, it was nevertheless beautifully written, and was a great homage to Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ with a wonderfully gothic feel to it, and an engaging atmospheric storyline. Recommended.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld publishers, Doubleday, for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
June 28, 2024
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March 25, 2024A hugely involving take on Frankenstein, in which Mary (descendant of Victor) and her husband attempt to recreate the famous experiment, only they're palaeontologists, so this time they're trying to make a pleiosaur. Frankenstein meets Jurassic Park. Amazing. (It's not really that, I'm just astonished the publishers didn't slap on that tagline.)
Really, it's very much about: being a woman scientist in the Victorian period, being a woman scientist at all, being a woman, with the expectations of motherhood and wifeness, being pleasant, always pleasant, smoothing over situations, self effacement, never having anger or pride. And very much about the endless capacity of men to be a massive selfish disappointment and then be completely baffled when called out for what they did. Mary is a ferociously angry, bitter woman choking on the injustice of it all, and this makes for a pretty emotional, cathartic read. With hand-stitched dinosaur. Plus the author tackles endemic racism inclusing 'scientific' racism, chronic pain, and child loss, and there's a low-key sapphic romance starting, so there is a lot going on here.
I enjoyed it very much. The writing is great and has a strong period feel, Mary is a fascinating character, making no effort to be 'likeable', and Henry depressingly plausible in that he's not even a villain, just a typical selfish man. It starts a little bit slowly, with a lot of childhood, in the way of Victorian novels, but stick with it: it's a really entertaining tale.
Really, it's very much about: being a woman scientist in the Victorian period, being a woman scientist at all, being a woman, with the expectations of motherhood and wifeness, being pleasant, always pleasant, smoothing over situations, self effacement, never having anger or pride. And very much about the endless capacity of men to be a massive selfish disappointment and then be completely baffled when called out for what they did. Mary is a ferociously angry, bitter woman choking on the injustice of it all, and this makes for a pretty emotional, cathartic read. With hand-stitched dinosaur. Plus the author tackles endemic racism inclusing 'scientific' racism, chronic pain, and child loss, and there's a low-key sapphic romance starting, so there is a lot going on here.
I enjoyed it very much. The writing is great and has a strong period feel, Mary is a fascinating character, making no effort to be 'likeable', and Henry depressingly plausible in that he's not even a villain, just a typical selfish man. It starts a little bit slowly, with a lot of childhood, in the way of Victorian novels, but stick with it: it's a really entertaining tale.
October 13, 2022
C. E. McGill’s debut novel’s a wonderfully creative spin-off from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Inventive, feminist, queer, deliciously subversive, and tinged with a hint of gothic, it’s set in England in the 1850s. The story’s narrated by Mary Frankenstein, great-niece of the infamous Victor Frankenstein. Mary is a would-be palaeontologist, but the fact that she’s a woman coupled with a lack of formal education means her work’s been overshadowed by her talented but feckless husband Henry. Then Mary finds evidence of her long-lost great-uncle’s research and the history of his strange creation, and wonders if she might just make her name by recreating his experiment.
McGill’s narrative features an intricate reworking of Shelley’s themes around science and ethics, reproduction, mortality, motherhood and loss. But McGill builds on these for a moving, intelligent exploration of prejudice, gender and queer identity. I thought this was incredibly compelling, accessible but well-researched, with echoes of Sarah Waters, Sarah Moss and The Essex Serpent - although I’m lukewarm about Moss and not so keen on Perry either but loved this. Fluid, thoughtful, and exceptionally entertaining.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Random House for an ARC
Rating: 4.5
McGill’s narrative features an intricate reworking of Shelley’s themes around science and ethics, reproduction, mortality, motherhood and loss. But McGill builds on these for a moving, intelligent exploration of prejudice, gender and queer identity. I thought this was incredibly compelling, accessible but well-researched, with echoes of Sarah Waters, Sarah Moss and The Essex Serpent - although I’m lukewarm about Moss and not so keen on Perry either but loved this. Fluid, thoughtful, and exceptionally entertaining.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Random House for an ARC
Rating: 4.5
May 31, 2023
The author of Our Hideous Progeny, C.E. McGill, is only 23 years old. To be a published author at such a young age is quite an accomplishment. But even more impressive is that they have written a debut that is far better than many seasoned writers’ second, third, or fourth novels.
Our Hideous Progeny is a continuation of the Mary Shelley classic, Frankenstein. The year is 1853, and Victor Frankenstein’s great-niece, Mary Sutherland, and her husband, Henry, are desperate to break into the science of paleontology. But together, they have neither money nor good reputation – both of which they need for their academic peers to take them seriously.
The tide begins to change, however, when Mary finds old documents belonging to her Uncle Victor. After reading them, she decides to follow in his footsteps, thereby devising a plan to create life. She and Henry, in time, construct a patchwork creature, made from pieces and parts of deceased animals; a creature that will ultimately drive the couple apart due to Mary’s love for it and Henry’s desire to exploit it.
Through Mary’s fight for acclaim and acceptance in the scientific world, McGill does an excellent job of showing the trials of women in the 19th century, particularly for women as intelligent and outspoken as Mary. The men sure do try to keep her down.
In two aspects, though, I wished for a bit more from the novel: pacing and the creature. The tempo of the story is sometimes too slow, too steady, and I never understood the true nature of the creature. Is it dangerous? Gentle? A threat to society? Aside from a few glimpses of its behavior here and there, the creature itself is only a secondary character in the story when it should’ve played a larger role, it being the Frankenstein monster.
Nevertheless, the book is a superb debut. McGill sure has a sunny career ahead of them. I’m jealous of their talent.
My sincerest appreciation to C.E. McGill, Harper, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
Our Hideous Progeny is a continuation of the Mary Shelley classic, Frankenstein. The year is 1853, and Victor Frankenstein’s great-niece, Mary Sutherland, and her husband, Henry, are desperate to break into the science of paleontology. But together, they have neither money nor good reputation – both of which they need for their academic peers to take them seriously.
The tide begins to change, however, when Mary finds old documents belonging to her Uncle Victor. After reading them, she decides to follow in his footsteps, thereby devising a plan to create life. She and Henry, in time, construct a patchwork creature, made from pieces and parts of deceased animals; a creature that will ultimately drive the couple apart due to Mary’s love for it and Henry’s desire to exploit it.
Through Mary’s fight for acclaim and acceptance in the scientific world, McGill does an excellent job of showing the trials of women in the 19th century, particularly for women as intelligent and outspoken as Mary. The men sure do try to keep her down.
In two aspects, though, I wished for a bit more from the novel: pacing and the creature. The tempo of the story is sometimes too slow, too steady, and I never understood the true nature of the creature. Is it dangerous? Gentle? A threat to society? Aside from a few glimpses of its behavior here and there, the creature itself is only a secondary character in the story when it should’ve played a larger role, it being the Frankenstein monster.
Nevertheless, the book is a superb debut. McGill sure has a sunny career ahead of them. I’m jealous of their talent.
My sincerest appreciation to C.E. McGill, Harper, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
May 17, 2023
I’m going to need every to drop what they’re doing and add this to their TBR right now. This was absolutely everything I was hoping for and more.
Plot: As someone who really wanted to like Frankenstein but just couldn’t get into the writing style, I appreciated the way the plot both took inspiration from the source material while adding a commentary all its own! Having the central story revolve around the great niece* of Frankenstein was so interesting, and a huge strength of this book.
Characters: They definitely weren’t all lovable, bu they were real. Mary was so witty and easy to root for, Henry was INFURIATING, and Maisie was super sweet (plus that chronic illness rep!!)
Overall: I enjoyed this book so much, and I almost had to go buy more sticky tabs after reading it. Highly recommend to both lovers of the classics, and those like me (the inept at reading academic writing)
Content warnings: misogyny (challenged), homophobia (challenged), sexual assault, murder, racism (challenged)
—————————————
I am absolutely transfixed by this cover, description, everything!! Thank you Harper Collins for the early copy
Plot: As someone who really wanted to like Frankenstein but just couldn’t get into the writing style, I appreciated the way the plot both took inspiration from the source material while adding a commentary all its own! Having the central story revolve around the great niece* of Frankenstein was so interesting, and a huge strength of this book.
Characters: They definitely weren’t all lovable, bu they were real. Mary was so witty and easy to root for, Henry was INFURIATING, and Maisie was super sweet (plus that chronic illness rep!!)
Overall: I enjoyed this book so much, and I almost had to go buy more sticky tabs after reading it. Highly recommend to both lovers of the classics, and those like me (the inept at reading academic writing)
Content warnings: misogyny (challenged), homophobia (challenged), sexual assault, murder, racism (challenged)
—————————————
I am absolutely transfixed by this cover, description, everything!! Thank you Harper Collins for the early copy
May 12, 2023
A subversive, feminist, queer spin-off of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein set in the 1850s and narrated by Mary Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s great-niece. AND THAT COVER.
I liked it so much I picked it for May 2023 Nightmares from Nowhere book club.
I liked it so much I picked it for May 2023 Nightmares from Nowhere book club.
April 21, 2024
✰✰✰✰
“𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕,
𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆 - 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏 𝒖𝒔
𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕?
✍︎✍︎✍︎
feminine rage meets nineteenth century standards with a dash of repressed sexuality and using science to resurrect a creature dead for thousands of years.
i’d expect nothing less from the great-niece of victor frankenstein.
✍︎
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
i think i pretty much felt exactly what was supposed to be felt for each character we meet, pity; offence; hope; hatred. with the nineteenth century setting, there were plenty of occasions in which i found it very easy to root for our main character, the grand-niece of frankenstein, she may be a disaster at times but i was very invested in her story and her goals.
other side characters also held my attention, whether that be good or bad.
i do, in fact, support women’s rights AND women’s wrongs, even if that includes an unhealthy relationship with palaeontology and playing god.
✍︎
𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅-𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈
limited, in that the setting is the same as from mary shelley’s ‘frankenstein’ - switching between the grim streets of London and the fresher air of Inverness. mcgill’s writing was often very beautiful, and made visualising every piece of equipment or pool of water very easy.
✍︎
𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
not the most plot driven story, but what it has is very connected with the main cast of characters and their attempts to prove themselves to society and solidify their place in history. a medium-to-slow pace, allowing for the ambiance and character development to take place.
✍︎
𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔
mary frankenstein wins the prize for her unprecedented ability to pull people with her science brain, truly off the charts. i wanted to scream run away from that man right now he is not what you need girl, he does not respect you like he should.
mary and maisie were amazing, they would’ve loved the twenty-first century.
𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
x
“𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕,
𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆 - 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏 𝒖𝒔
𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕?
✍︎✍︎✍︎
feminine rage meets nineteenth century standards with a dash of repressed sexuality and using science to resurrect a creature dead for thousands of years.
i’d expect nothing less from the great-niece of victor frankenstein.
✍︎
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
i think i pretty much felt exactly what was supposed to be felt for each character we meet, pity; offence; hope; hatred. with the nineteenth century setting, there were plenty of occasions in which i found it very easy to root for our main character, the grand-niece of frankenstein, she may be a disaster at times but i was very invested in her story and her goals.
other side characters also held my attention, whether that be good or bad.
i do, in fact, support women’s rights AND women’s wrongs, even if that includes an unhealthy relationship with palaeontology and playing god.
✍︎
𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅-𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈
limited, in that the setting is the same as from mary shelley’s ‘frankenstein’ - switching between the grim streets of London and the fresher air of Inverness. mcgill’s writing was often very beautiful, and made visualising every piece of equipment or pool of water very easy.
✍︎
𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
not the most plot driven story, but what it has is very connected with the main cast of characters and their attempts to prove themselves to society and solidify their place in history. a medium-to-slow pace, allowing for the ambiance and character development to take place.
✍︎
𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔
mary frankenstein wins the prize for her unprecedented ability to pull people with her science brain, truly off the charts. i wanted to scream run away from that man right now he is not what you need girl, he does not respect you like he should.
mary and maisie were amazing, they would’ve loved the twenty-first century.
𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
x
April 21, 2023
4.5 Stars
C.E. McGill’s richly detailed and utterly compelling debut was a deliciously gothic and feminist exploration of ambition, obsession, betrayal and love that I couldn’t get enough of!
It’s set in 1851, at the height of the Victorian era’s fascination with all things dinosaur and follows Elizabeth (the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein) who (having spent the better part of her life being looked down on for being a woman interested in science and palaeontology) yearns to find scientific acclaim beyond the footnotes of other people’s research. But without any powerful connections or wealth, neither Mary or her husband stand a chance of ever succeeding.
Armed only with letters containing snippets of her great uncles’ past —of creating life from death (which ultimately led to his own), Mary decides to use what little of his research remains to take the scientific community by storm. And, with her husband Henry, attempt to bring life to a creature never before seen by human eyes.
But on the precipice of success, Mary begins to question the ethics and morality surrounding their creation and the love that she has developed for the creature.
I loved every second of this! It’s such an electrifyingly creative and wholly original take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
The writing is lush and beautifully atmospheric, as intricately woven as the stitches that adorn the eponymous ‘creature’, which I felt definitely showcases the gothic/horror genre to perfection!
I was in absolute awe of just how immersive the descriptions were and loved that it really delves into the inequalities of the Victorian era and the classist, sexist and racist attitudes which were prevalent and still very much relevant today.
I adored Mary, who’s character takes inspiration from not one but three impressive women of the 19th C: Mary Shelley, Mary Anning (the self-taught palaeontologist who found the first Ichthyosaur fossil) and Mary Somerville (one of the first women admitted into the Royal Astronomical Society), and really enjoyed discovering just how much of their stories connected to our refreshingly bold and sharp-tongued protagonist—especially Mary Anning, who seemed to have to the most in common with our plesiosaur-obsessed MC.
With what we see of Mary’s childhood and isolated upbringing with her grandmother (a woman who seemed to despise Mary simply for existing) I couldn’t help but be endeared to her (and root for her to succeed.)
I was less enamoured of her husband (or any of the male characters aside from Mr. Jamsetjee who was such a sweetheart) though the realism and accuracy to the contemporary attitudes of the day were spot on and really highlighted how remarkably strong Mary (and others like her) had to be to persevere in such a harsh, discriminatory environment.
The pace was quite slow to begin however, it definitely helped to build up that tense, anticipatory feeling that gothic fiction is known for—and by the half way point the pace really kicked into gear and ‘things’ got super interesting.
If you love dark, gothic-esque historical fiction, queer horror, justifiably angry women or Silvia Moreno-Garcia then you absolutely must check this out, it’s fantastic!
Also, a massive thank you to Izzie Ghaffari-Parker and Doubleday books for the wonderful proof.
C.E. McGill’s richly detailed and utterly compelling debut was a deliciously gothic and feminist exploration of ambition, obsession, betrayal and love that I couldn’t get enough of!
It’s set in 1851, at the height of the Victorian era’s fascination with all things dinosaur and follows Elizabeth (the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein) who (having spent the better part of her life being looked down on for being a woman interested in science and palaeontology) yearns to find scientific acclaim beyond the footnotes of other people’s research. But without any powerful connections or wealth, neither Mary or her husband stand a chance of ever succeeding.
Armed only with letters containing snippets of her great uncles’ past —of creating life from death (which ultimately led to his own), Mary decides to use what little of his research remains to take the scientific community by storm. And, with her husband Henry, attempt to bring life to a creature never before seen by human eyes.
But on the precipice of success, Mary begins to question the ethics and morality surrounding their creation and the love that she has developed for the creature.
I loved every second of this! It’s such an electrifyingly creative and wholly original take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
The writing is lush and beautifully atmospheric, as intricately woven as the stitches that adorn the eponymous ‘creature’, which I felt definitely showcases the gothic/horror genre to perfection!
I was in absolute awe of just how immersive the descriptions were and loved that it really delves into the inequalities of the Victorian era and the classist, sexist and racist attitudes which were prevalent and still very much relevant today.
I adored Mary, who’s character takes inspiration from not one but three impressive women of the 19th C: Mary Shelley, Mary Anning (the self-taught palaeontologist who found the first Ichthyosaur fossil) and Mary Somerville (one of the first women admitted into the Royal Astronomical Society), and really enjoyed discovering just how much of their stories connected to our refreshingly bold and sharp-tongued protagonist—especially Mary Anning, who seemed to have to the most in common with our plesiosaur-obsessed MC.
With what we see of Mary’s childhood and isolated upbringing with her grandmother (a woman who seemed to despise Mary simply for existing) I couldn’t help but be endeared to her (and root for her to succeed.)
I was less enamoured of her husband (or any of the male characters aside from Mr. Jamsetjee who was such a sweetheart) though the realism and accuracy to the contemporary attitudes of the day were spot on and really highlighted how remarkably strong Mary (and others like her) had to be to persevere in such a harsh, discriminatory environment.
The pace was quite slow to begin however, it definitely helped to build up that tense, anticipatory feeling that gothic fiction is known for—and by the half way point the pace really kicked into gear and ‘things’ got super interesting.
If you love dark, gothic-esque historical fiction, queer horror, justifiably angry women or Silvia Moreno-Garcia then you absolutely must check this out, it’s fantastic!
Also, a massive thank you to Izzie Ghaffari-Parker and Doubleday books for the wonderful proof.
June 13, 2023
https://instagram.com/p/Ctbzfy9L0Wp/
A gorgeous interpretation of one of literature's finest classics. This beguiling debut is dark, poetic, and filled with ambition, grief, and innovation. It highlights the struggle for women to gain rightful credit in a society that favors the voices of men, especially in the fields of scientific discovery. Our Hideous Progeny simmers with the passion for hidden knowledge, and the blazing desire to harness the unknown, to challenge the finality of death, no matter the cost. This novel was so enjoyable from beginning to end, its pages filled with rebellion, love, and yearning for those secret histories, mind-bending futures, those dark ripples beneath the surface.
A gorgeous interpretation of one of literature's finest classics. This beguiling debut is dark, poetic, and filled with ambition, grief, and innovation. It highlights the struggle for women to gain rightful credit in a society that favors the voices of men, especially in the fields of scientific discovery. Our Hideous Progeny simmers with the passion for hidden knowledge, and the blazing desire to harness the unknown, to challenge the finality of death, no matter the cost. This novel was so enjoyable from beginning to end, its pages filled with rebellion, love, and yearning for those secret histories, mind-bending futures, those dark ripples beneath the surface.
June 17, 2023
Yet another popular book not worth reviewing. Where I'm concerned, an author needs to engage the reader with plot, premise, characters and pacing and this one lacks all three. Needless to say I didn't bother finishing it. On to the next one Jeeves! :)
Read
January 15, 2023Every once in a while something comes my way that makes me slow down to a crawl in order to enjoy it to the full. OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY did that; a clever, feminist riff on the Frankenstein story, which stitches together the Gothic, the modern, the historical and the scientific without ever seeming contrived. The characters are fully human; the style elegant and precise; a fitting tribute to Mary Shelley and Wilkie Collins. Loved it.
April 18, 2024
A raging manifesto of creation and unmaking at the hands of a woman trapped in the bindings of Victorian misogyny. What a treat!
Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★
Characters: ★★★★
If you are a fan of The Death of Jane Lawrence, you're going to love this book. If you are a fan of Mary Shelley and her early science fiction horror genius, you're going to love this book. And if you're someone filled with rage at the patriarchy and the hypocrisy of cis-het men—especially Victorian men—you're going to LOVE this book.
I enjoyed the hell out of this reading experience. (I also fit all three of those bills above, so that shouldn't be a surprise.)
Mary Frankenstein is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. Yes, that Frankenstein, the one who created the monster and died in the Artic along with his creation.
This novel takes the premise of Shelley's original and asks: what if we followed a woman, and what if it was at the height of the paleontology boom in Victorian London? What creature would a woman fascinated by dinosaurs try to create if given the notes of one overlooked horrific genius?
Oh yeah, folks. This combines Frankenstein with dinosaurs. And not in a hoaky, campy way—in a Gothic, academic, and distinctly sinister way.
Our Hideous Progeny was a novel I didn't know I wanted until I started reading it. Following a distinctly queer and feminine lens, this was a different kind of Gothic reading experience and grounded in an intriguing blend of real history—the scientists and research mentioned are real—and the fantastical with the infusion of Frankenstein and his family picking up on the legacy of brutal creation.
The themes of this novel hit HARD. Be warned that the author pulls very few punches when it comes to misogyny, female rage, unresolved queer identities, the dead and dying, ethics of creation, murder, and more.
I appreciated the author's deft hand at these topics and the utter ruthless and occasionally impotent rage of our protagonist, Mary. Mary was so viscerally depicted—I felt like I knew her, I was her, and I also wanted to soften her in order to see her succeed (which was honestly part of the problem that was highlighted in this novel: Mary didn't need to be soft, she needed to be treated with equality and she had no desire or ability to soften her rage).
The only thing that kept this novel from reaching an easy favorite read/five star reading experience was the pacing. Let's be honest... Our Hideous Progeny took a long time to get off the ground. And was quite slow in doing so. I wish the pacing had led to more plot, earlier, so that it was less of a slog to become invested in the characters.
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Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★
Characters: ★★★★
If you are a fan of The Death of Jane Lawrence, you're going to love this book. If you are a fan of Mary Shelley and her early science fiction horror genius, you're going to love this book. And if you're someone filled with rage at the patriarchy and the hypocrisy of cis-het men—especially Victorian men—you're going to LOVE this book.
I enjoyed the hell out of this reading experience. (I also fit all three of those bills above, so that shouldn't be a surprise.)
Mary Frankenstein is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. Yes, that Frankenstein, the one who created the monster and died in the Artic along with his creation.
This novel takes the premise of Shelley's original and asks: what if we followed a woman, and what if it was at the height of the paleontology boom in Victorian London? What creature would a woman fascinated by dinosaurs try to create if given the notes of one overlooked horrific genius?
Oh yeah, folks. This combines Frankenstein with dinosaurs. And not in a hoaky, campy way—in a Gothic, academic, and distinctly sinister way.
Our Hideous Progeny was a novel I didn't know I wanted until I started reading it. Following a distinctly queer and feminine lens, this was a different kind of Gothic reading experience and grounded in an intriguing blend of real history—the scientists and research mentioned are real—and the fantastical with the infusion of Frankenstein and his family picking up on the legacy of brutal creation.
The themes of this novel hit HARD. Be warned that the author pulls very few punches when it comes to misogyny, female rage, unresolved queer identities, the dead and dying, ethics of creation, murder, and more.
I appreciated the author's deft hand at these topics and the utter ruthless and occasionally impotent rage of our protagonist, Mary. Mary was so viscerally depicted—I felt like I knew her, I was her, and I also wanted to soften her in order to see her succeed (which was honestly part of the problem that was highlighted in this novel: Mary didn't need to be soft, she needed to be treated with equality and she had no desire or ability to soften her rage).
The only thing that kept this novel from reaching an easy favorite read/five star reading experience was the pacing. Let's be honest... Our Hideous Progeny took a long time to get off the ground. And was quite slow in doing so. I wish the pacing had led to more plot, earlier, so that it was less of a slog to become invested in the characters.
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September 13, 2023
4,5 ✨✨✨
(Audiobook)
Let's keep on daring.💜
(Audiobook)
Let's keep on daring.💜
June 19, 2024
4,5 stars
Buckle up, literary adventurers, and prepare for a wild array of historical misogyny, harassment, scientific rivalries, and the psychological battlefield of a woman with a daughter lost. Our Hideous Progeny is a collection of human capabilities, scientific advancements and ethics, and the question what it means to truly cure, care for, and love.
Let me start by saying you need some commitment and devotion for this book. The story starts off slow, maybe a little bit dull even, and nothing much is going on, which makes the narrative drag somewhat. While I don’t normally like that, it was rather fitting for this book, since it creates a very solid foundation for what was to come. It showed the character, Mary, in her… let’s call it “natural habitat”, to stay within the book's theme, and the obstacles in her life that she’d already had to endure. She was a woman so fleshed out, that I felt like I truly knew her, and she was a person I’d like to have in my life. The slow start of the book also portrayed the other characters in the book; it showed perfectly how they related to Mary, and how they shaped her to be the woman she ultimately was. It made the twists in the book that much more compelling and shocking. It was this solid foundation that made me truly curl my toes and grab the edge of my dining room table, when certain ass-hats came to throw a wrench in the works and ruin what was ultimately Mary’s dream.
As mentioned before, the story picks up slowly, and it’s only the second half of the book that truly managed to capture me. Since it took a while to grab my attention, I was hesitant to continue, especially because the story is narrated with a rather stiff choice of words and language. It fit the setting of the book, but the pacing did take a beating because of that, and especially in the first half of the book it was difficult to look past that. What kept me reading in the end, was the way McGill stabbed me in the gut with their chapter endings, and while certain scenes didn’t have a whole lot of “body”, McGill truly knows how to pack a punch and keep the reader’s attention. And in the end, I was glad I continued reading the book, since the pay-off is immense.
While content-wise the story was good, but nothing ground-breaking, the book is so much stronger thematically. Set in the 19th century, it shows the advancement of biological sciences, chemistry and geology, and it perfectly interwove the related paradigms with the story itself. Spontaneous generation of life, the person-to-person transmission of cholera, and pure rot and decay in dead or living tissues. With even a brief mention of Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, it ties the fictitious with the real-world scientists seamlessly. (Hah. See what I did there?)
Besides previous scientific discoveries and paradigms, the story was also centred around the position of women in science, featuring Mary in an almost activist-y role. It was aggravating to see how her knowledge and intelligence was constantly undermined, ridiculed and shoved aside, and how her position became more and more vulnerable each day. It was maddening to see how men were favoured in high societies, just for gender reasons, and although I myself have not seen this from up-close, I felt the rage in Mary’s narration, and it has been long since I lived through a fictional character so vicariously.
The ending itself was fitting, although bitter-sweet. The tale concluded with a sour taste in my mouth, but I realized it couldn’t have ended any other way. Mary’s new friendship gave me hope, and especially since she had to fight so hard for it (not just the outside world, but also her inner insecurities after a past so traumatic and saddening) and there was nobody more deserving of that friendship than Mary herself. I call this “friendship”, but who has read the book, knows there is much more to it than that; and I salute McGill for narrating this so delicately and beautifully.
The only reason I’m not giving this a full 5 stars, is the far-fetched display of Mary’s connection with her scientific creation. It seemed rushed and over-the-top, and while I do think that animals are capable of immense love and affection, I didn’t entirely buy Mary’s attachment to what she had put together and what they meant to each other.
Ultimately, it was a wild ride especially in the second half of the book, and the blend of historical accuracy and fictional elements was perfectly executed. Beware, this is not a horror story, but a love letter to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a historical twist to it, and its moral implications. With that expectation management, I think this is a close-to-perfect tale of science, women, and ethics.
Buckle up, literary adventurers, and prepare for a wild array of historical misogyny, harassment, scientific rivalries, and the psychological battlefield of a woman with a daughter lost. Our Hideous Progeny is a collection of human capabilities, scientific advancements and ethics, and the question what it means to truly cure, care for, and love.
Let me start by saying you need some commitment and devotion for this book. The story starts off slow, maybe a little bit dull even, and nothing much is going on, which makes the narrative drag somewhat. While I don’t normally like that, it was rather fitting for this book, since it creates a very solid foundation for what was to come. It showed the character, Mary, in her… let’s call it “natural habitat”, to stay within the book's theme, and the obstacles in her life that she’d already had to endure. She was a woman so fleshed out, that I felt like I truly knew her, and she was a person I’d like to have in my life. The slow start of the book also portrayed the other characters in the book; it showed perfectly how they related to Mary, and how they shaped her to be the woman she ultimately was. It made the twists in the book that much more compelling and shocking. It was this solid foundation that made me truly curl my toes and grab the edge of my dining room table, when certain ass-hats came to throw a wrench in the works and ruin what was ultimately Mary’s dream.
As mentioned before, the story picks up slowly, and it’s only the second half of the book that truly managed to capture me. Since it took a while to grab my attention, I was hesitant to continue, especially because the story is narrated with a rather stiff choice of words and language. It fit the setting of the book, but the pacing did take a beating because of that, and especially in the first half of the book it was difficult to look past that. What kept me reading in the end, was the way McGill stabbed me in the gut with their chapter endings, and while certain scenes didn’t have a whole lot of “body”, McGill truly knows how to pack a punch and keep the reader’s attention. And in the end, I was glad I continued reading the book, since the pay-off is immense.
While content-wise the story was good, but nothing ground-breaking, the book is so much stronger thematically. Set in the 19th century, it shows the advancement of biological sciences, chemistry and geology, and it perfectly interwove the related paradigms with the story itself. Spontaneous generation of life, the person-to-person transmission of cholera, and pure rot and decay in dead or living tissues. With even a brief mention of Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, it ties the fictitious with the real-world scientists seamlessly. (Hah. See what I did there?)
Besides previous scientific discoveries and paradigms, the story was also centred around the position of women in science, featuring Mary in an almost activist-y role. It was aggravating to see how her knowledge and intelligence was constantly undermined, ridiculed and shoved aside, and how her position became more and more vulnerable each day. It was maddening to see how men were favoured in high societies, just for gender reasons, and although I myself have not seen this from up-close, I felt the rage in Mary’s narration, and it has been long since I lived through a fictional character so vicariously.
The ending itself was fitting, although bitter-sweet. The tale concluded with a sour taste in my mouth, but I realized it couldn’t have ended any other way. Mary’s new friendship gave me hope, and especially since she had to fight so hard for it (not just the outside world, but also her inner insecurities after a past so traumatic and saddening) and there was nobody more deserving of that friendship than Mary herself. I call this “friendship”, but who has read the book, knows there is much more to it than that; and I salute McGill for narrating this so delicately and beautifully.
The only reason I’m not giving this a full 5 stars, is the far-fetched display of Mary’s connection with her scientific creation. It seemed rushed and over-the-top, and while I do think that animals are capable of immense love and affection, I didn’t entirely buy Mary’s attachment to what she had put together and what they meant to each other.
Ultimately, it was a wild ride especially in the second half of the book, and the blend of historical accuracy and fictional elements was perfectly executed. Beware, this is not a horror story, but a love letter to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a historical twist to it, and its moral implications. With that expectation management, I think this is a close-to-perfect tale of science, women, and ethics.
December 27, 2023
A gothic feminist retelling of Frankenstein with a sapphic romance? Yes, please! Unfortunately, I was bored to death.
My biggest problem with Our Hideous Progeny was just how bored I was. Nothing happened. Normally this wouldn't bother me (some of my favorite books are no-plot-just-vibes), but despite this book being marketed as gothic, the vibes, too, were nonexistent. We were left with no plot, no vibes, and some pretty bland characters. Oh, and pages and pages and pages of those characters having conversations about science. An occasional scientific debate would be fun and interesting, but this book consisted of nothing but those debates. Honestly, if I were that interested in early paleontology, I'd simply read a nonfiction book on the topic (there, at least, I wouldn't be expecting a plot).
Then there is the question of a sapphic romance. To that, I say: where? If I were looking for it with a magnifying glass, I'd still miss it. I mean, sure, the two women(trying not to spoil things) got their happily ever after, but to call those few sentences spent on establishing their relationship a romance? No. Simply no.
Our Hideous Progeny also so desperately tried to be feminist and anti-racism that at some point, I stopped seriously taking it as such. Sure, it critiqued the classism and elitism of academia, but there are only so many "oh-this-is-so-unfair-I-don't-understand-why-it-can't-be-changed-and-made-fair" you can shove down my throat before I start feeling as if I'm treated like an idiot. "Subtlety" is something this book would truly benefit from.
As for its connection to Frankenstein... Oh, well. Our main character Mary was Victor Frankenstein's great niece who decided to "recreate" his work (with a turtle, not a human - at least she was smart enough to learn a lesson). And that's where the connection ends. Frankenstein is a beautiful exploration of humanity, morality, loneliness, and grief. Our Hideous Progeny was... A sum of boring men talking about their own importance and their ridiculous scientific theories.
My biggest problem with Our Hideous Progeny was just how bored I was. Nothing happened. Normally this wouldn't bother me (some of my favorite books are no-plot-just-vibes), but despite this book being marketed as gothic, the vibes, too, were nonexistent. We were left with no plot, no vibes, and some pretty bland characters. Oh, and pages and pages and pages of those characters having conversations about science. An occasional scientific debate would be fun and interesting, but this book consisted of nothing but those debates. Honestly, if I were that interested in early paleontology, I'd simply read a nonfiction book on the topic (there, at least, I wouldn't be expecting a plot).
Then there is the question of a sapphic romance. To that, I say: where? If I were looking for it with a magnifying glass, I'd still miss it. I mean, sure, the two women
Our Hideous Progeny also so desperately tried to be feminist and anti-racism that at some point, I stopped seriously taking it as such. Sure, it critiqued the classism and elitism of academia, but there are only so many "oh-this-is-so-unfair-I-don't-understand-why-it-can't-be-changed-and-made-fair" you can shove down my throat before I start feeling as if I'm treated like an idiot. "Subtlety" is something this book would truly benefit from.
As for its connection to Frankenstein... Oh, well. Our main character Mary was Victor Frankenstein's great niece who decided to "recreate" his work (with a turtle, not a human - at least she was smart enough to learn a lesson). And that's where the connection ends. Frankenstein is a beautiful exploration of humanity, morality, loneliness, and grief. Our Hideous Progeny was... A sum of boring men talking about their own importance and their ridiculous scientific theories.
June 30, 2023
I was intrigued by this one when I first found it Nd read the premise. Love reading retellings and been wanting to read more around, Frankenstein. The audiobook on thos one was great, well narrated and easy to get invested in it. I got very attached to Mary and the plot was very interesting. The story was both very much it's own and familiar enough to Frankenstein. Hope to read more by this author in the future.
March 19, 2023
*2.5 rounded down for Goodreads rating*
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for my arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
So. This is supposed to be a queer feminist retelling of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein". We follow Victor Frankenstein's great-niece, Mary, in 1853 London. Mary and her husband are struggling financially and professionally. But Mary believes that she has found something about her great-uncle's disappearance that can help them change the world of science.
Honestly, I didn't finish this book. I DNF'd it at 40-ish percent and have no desire to revisit it, For all the marketing and talk of this being a queer feminist retelling of "Frankenstein", it was indeed that. It was so cookie-cutter and predictable that I earnestly believe that Shelley would be offended at anybody calling this a retelling of her work. I found the pacing of this to be incredibly slow and just boring. Mary as a character isn't particularly engaging and nothing that was happening at the 40% mark gave me any reason to continue any further. I don't mean to speak so badly about this novel but I was just not a fan.
As someone who loves Mary Shelley and "Frankenstein" and someone who studied her and her work multiple times, I wouldn't recommend this to anybody who even barely likes Shelley and "Frankenstein". I think it was a commendable attempt by a first-time novelist but just because something works on paper doesn't mean that it'll be successful in execution.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for my arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
So. This is supposed to be a queer feminist retelling of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein". We follow Victor Frankenstein's great-niece, Mary, in 1853 London. Mary and her husband are struggling financially and professionally. But Mary believes that she has found something about her great-uncle's disappearance that can help them change the world of science.
Honestly, I didn't finish this book. I DNF'd it at 40-ish percent and have no desire to revisit it, For all the marketing and talk of this being a queer feminist retelling of "Frankenstein", it was indeed that. It was so cookie-cutter and predictable that I earnestly believe that Shelley would be offended at anybody calling this a retelling of her work. I found the pacing of this to be incredibly slow and just boring. Mary as a character isn't particularly engaging and nothing that was happening at the 40% mark gave me any reason to continue any further. I don't mean to speak so badly about this novel but I was just not a fan.
As someone who loves Mary Shelley and "Frankenstein" and someone who studied her and her work multiple times, I wouldn't recommend this to anybody who even barely likes Shelley and "Frankenstein". I think it was a commendable attempt by a first-time novelist but just because something works on paper doesn't mean that it'll be successful in execution.
April 30, 2023
I have three words for you: queer, feminist, Frankenstein. Let that sink in for a minute and then go run to grab a copy of this one. This is a multi genre book and manages to pull them off seamlessly. The author does a superb job of portraying the blood boiling way in which women were treated in 1850, especially while trying to work in a field that is dominated by men.
If you’re looking for a new take on Frankenstein, or just really enjoy gothic vibes (with some science and historical fiction thrown in) then this is definitely one for you!
Thank you to Doubleday UK for sending me a proof of this awesome book.
If you’re looking for a new take on Frankenstein, or just really enjoy gothic vibes (with some science and historical fiction thrown in) then this is definitely one for you!
Thank you to Doubleday UK for sending me a proof of this awesome book.
September 26, 2023
Beautifully crafted story that is a kind of sequel to Frankenstein, set in the mid-Victorian period featuring an angry woman scientist stifled by her husband and society's patriarchal notions about women's intelligence. Wonderful characters (including a villain very worthy of your hate!) as well as queer representation. I wished the character's queerness was a little more explicit at the end, and explored in a particular way that I was disappointed not to see. There is also content about grief here that was superbly done. In any case, a novel very much worth reading, especially the majestic audiobook format. (CW: infant death)
May 28, 2024
I won't deny it; it was a bit slow.
But the writing was beautiful, the main character complex and it was sort of a retelling of Frankenstein, or at least a spin off.
But the writing was beautiful, the main character complex and it was sort of a retelling of Frankenstein, or at least a spin off.
April 27, 2023
C.E. McGill's Our Hideous Progeny is a brilliant, necessary reworking of the Frankenstein trope. In it McGill explores and questions relationships across the gender binary and documents the ways that equivalent actions by men and women can be viewed in completely different (and damning) ways.
The novel's central character, Mary, is an aspiring scientist in the 1850s, a time of scientific breakthroughs, including the beginnings of the science of paleontology. She attends meetings of the Royal Society, but the male members (and only men can be members) treat her as an anomaly, an amusement, and an aggravation. To modify a line from Samuel Johnson, they find her scientific aspirations like a dog's walking on its hind legs: they are surprised to see Mary attempting it at all, and are incapable of seeing that she actually does it quite well.
Mary's husband Henry has been the one exception to this attitude toward Mary and her science. He takes her seriously, and engages with her in extensive discussions and research addressing the scientific questions of their day. But Mary begins to see the fractures within their relationship—particularly his extensive gambling debts, which he has kept hidden from her and which threaten to ruin them both. He assures her she needn't worry; he'll take care of all that. But as their situation grows more dire and as Mary hunts for a way to bring them both scientific recognition and a more reliable income, she finds herself digging through research notes and old family papers.
She knew she had a great-uncle who had been a scientist, went mad, and died in the arctic, but knew little else about him. When she uncovers the notebook kept by that great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, she proposes to Henry that they build on his work.
Like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Our Hideous Progeny is much more than an engaging bit of fiction. It probes and challenges the values of Mary's time in a way that makes readers ache for her and consider the limitations of our present world. The novel begins as a bit of a slow burn, but as it progresses it bursts into full flame—and I found myself racing through the final third of the novel, deeply invested in Mary's struggle and the arbitrary obstacles and disrespect that she encounters at every turn.
Readers of science fiction will find this title a "ripping good yarn," but readers looking for something more substantial than entertainment will find in Our Hideous Progeny a wealth of ideas—and it's those readers who will, I think, most appreciate this title.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
The novel's central character, Mary, is an aspiring scientist in the 1850s, a time of scientific breakthroughs, including the beginnings of the science of paleontology. She attends meetings of the Royal Society, but the male members (and only men can be members) treat her as an anomaly, an amusement, and an aggravation. To modify a line from Samuel Johnson, they find her scientific aspirations like a dog's walking on its hind legs: they are surprised to see Mary attempting it at all, and are incapable of seeing that she actually does it quite well.
Mary's husband Henry has been the one exception to this attitude toward Mary and her science. He takes her seriously, and engages with her in extensive discussions and research addressing the scientific questions of their day. But Mary begins to see the fractures within their relationship—particularly his extensive gambling debts, which he has kept hidden from her and which threaten to ruin them both. He assures her she needn't worry; he'll take care of all that. But as their situation grows more dire and as Mary hunts for a way to bring them both scientific recognition and a more reliable income, she finds herself digging through research notes and old family papers.
She knew she had a great-uncle who had been a scientist, went mad, and died in the arctic, but knew little else about him. When she uncovers the notebook kept by that great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, she proposes to Henry that they build on his work.
Like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Our Hideous Progeny is much more than an engaging bit of fiction. It probes and challenges the values of Mary's time in a way that makes readers ache for her and consider the limitations of our present world. The novel begins as a bit of a slow burn, but as it progresses it bursts into full flame—and I found myself racing through the final third of the novel, deeply invested in Mary's struggle and the arbitrary obstacles and disrespect that she encounters at every turn.
Readers of science fiction will find this title a "ripping good yarn," but readers looking for something more substantial than entertainment will find in Our Hideous Progeny a wealth of ideas—and it's those readers who will, I think, most appreciate this title.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
January 16, 2023
This is a lively reception of Frankenstein that takes inspiration from both Mary Shelley's life as well as her novel. McGill replays well-recognised themes of intellectual pride and over-reaching, as well as a more personal strand around female ambition in the face of patriarchy. The queer subtext to Frankenstein is made explicit, not just in Mary's relationship with Maisie, but in the wider sense of questioning maternity specifically and foregrounding a more generalised heterodoxy.
Nevertheless, I found this quite slow to get going and was never surprised by the narrative - it goes where we'd expect a modern, feminist-y re-writing of Frankenstein to go. I also felt the prose was more simple than I'd have liked - so more of a fun adventure-style romp than anything more thoughtful, but entertaining.
Nevertheless, I found this quite slow to get going and was never surprised by the narrative - it goes where we'd expect a modern, feminist-y re-writing of Frankenstein to go. I also felt the prose was more simple than I'd have liked - so more of a fun adventure-style romp than anything more thoughtful, but entertaining.
July 26, 2023
What a book this is. It's grand; it's sumptuous. It's horror and mystery, a literary thriller. Impeccably researched and elegantly written. I LOVED IT! One of my two fav. books so far this year...
The story of Mary Saville, a distant relative of Victor Frankenstein, who's working with her husband, Henry, to make ends meet. The year is 1853, and it's not easy getting work for a 'too-outspoken' young scientist (Henry) and the skilled young illustrator (Mary) so they just sort of coast along. The start of this book was fascinating for me! Lots of references to all the science which was just literally exploding at the time- through both trained academics and talented amateurs. So much work being done in physics, chemistry, geology, biology, medicine, paleontology - you name it. Pamphlets, books, magazine articles, lectures and debates, science was kind of everywhere...
But Mary, declared illegitimate by her family, and Henry, sort of disinherited from his, are in a continual struggle just to make ends meet. They're part of a great scientific circle of inventors and scientists - and yet they are not. However, things start to change when Mary learns who her distant great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, was and what he accomplished. So at this point the story delves from real history (and real science) into the world of horror and science fiction. But it's a beautiful evolution - or de-evolution - in the hands of CE McGill, the writer. There is SO MUCH going on in this book. Mary's fascination with what she learns about Great Uncle Victor. Her relationship with her husband and her husband's sister. (Gorgeously written.) There's a villain - of course there is! And the whole atmosphere and landscape of rural England in the mid-1800's, along with the poverty and squalor in the great cities. And through it all marches Mary...
Who suddenly has an epiphany one day. Who decides to look into Victor Frankenstein's work and research and when she discovers...
Well, read it and find out. It's a beautiful book. Absolutely sumptuous. I was completely mesmerized by it. I borrowed the copy I read - I want to own it.
Five stars and this is one I will read again.
The story of Mary Saville, a distant relative of Victor Frankenstein, who's working with her husband, Henry, to make ends meet. The year is 1853, and it's not easy getting work for a 'too-outspoken' young scientist (Henry) and the skilled young illustrator (Mary) so they just sort of coast along. The start of this book was fascinating for me! Lots of references to all the science which was just literally exploding at the time- through both trained academics and talented amateurs. So much work being done in physics, chemistry, geology, biology, medicine, paleontology - you name it. Pamphlets, books, magazine articles, lectures and debates, science was kind of everywhere...
But Mary, declared illegitimate by her family, and Henry, sort of disinherited from his, are in a continual struggle just to make ends meet. They're part of a great scientific circle of inventors and scientists - and yet they are not. However, things start to change when Mary learns who her distant great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, was and what he accomplished. So at this point the story delves from real history (and real science) into the world of horror and science fiction. But it's a beautiful evolution - or de-evolution - in the hands of CE McGill, the writer. There is SO MUCH going on in this book. Mary's fascination with what she learns about Great Uncle Victor. Her relationship with her husband and her husband's sister. (Gorgeously written.) There's a villain - of course there is! And the whole atmosphere and landscape of rural England in the mid-1800's, along with the poverty and squalor in the great cities. And through it all marches Mary...
Who suddenly has an epiphany one day. Who decides to look into Victor Frankenstein's work and research and when she discovers...
Well, read it and find out. It's a beautiful book. Absolutely sumptuous. I was completely mesmerized by it. I borrowed the copy I read - I want to own it.
Five stars and this is one I will read again.
July 7, 2023
Slow retelling of events by Mary at the police station. I did admire her enthusiasm to make a name for herself. Mary has fallen out of love with her husband after she finds out that he gambled their money away after their daughter was still born. And little by little Henry starts to show his true colors to Mary. He is spineless when it comes to sticking up for his wife and defending her honor especially when Clarke belittles and degrades her.
The story begins at the police station when she begins to recount her whereabouts when this person (Clarke) was murdered. Mary is telling the police a fake story, while the reader learns of the real story on how she was there at the beach.
Mary finds her great grand fathers old papers on how to bring a creature to life. Mary and Henry begin to work on this. About 1/2 through the book is where this happens. Henry and Mary then stay with his sister Maise to finish up their project when Clarke shows up because Henry owes him money. Mary reluctantly lets Clarke in on their project as repayment of the funds Henry borrowed. Well, Clarke turns on them and takes off with the creature they have created.
Maise, Mary and Henry find Clarke at the beach/salt baths with the creature. Clarke tries to kill the women but Mary gets Clarke’s gun and fires between his eyes killing him. Mary and Maise rush out of the baths and head out to the beach to release the creature.
Mary ends up leaving her husband, hence her maiden name Frankenstein. And as it turns out, Mary finds out that her mother did marry her father and that he was not born out of wedlock. Mary was and is a proper lady. Her grandmother treated her as a bastard child and declined to provide for her as befitting her rightful position.
Slow, slow read and it took too long to get the story moving forward. Back story focused on the deterioration of their marriage and little on the secret feelings Mary has for Maise. Overall, the story was just okay.
The story begins at the police station when she begins to recount her whereabouts when this person (Clarke) was murdered. Mary is telling the police a fake story, while the reader learns of the real story on how she was there at the beach.
Mary finds her great grand fathers old papers on how to bring a creature to life. Mary and Henry begin to work on this. About 1/2 through the book is where this happens. Henry and Mary then stay with his sister Maise to finish up their project when Clarke shows up because Henry owes him money. Mary reluctantly lets Clarke in on their project as repayment of the funds Henry borrowed. Well, Clarke turns on them and takes off with the creature they have created.
Maise, Mary and Henry find Clarke at the beach/salt baths with the creature. Clarke tries to kill the women but Mary gets Clarke’s gun and fires between his eyes killing him. Mary and Maise rush out of the baths and head out to the beach to release the creature.
Mary ends up leaving her husband, hence her maiden name Frankenstein. And as it turns out, Mary finds out that her mother did marry her father and that he was not born out of wedlock. Mary was and is a proper lady. Her grandmother treated her as a bastard child and declined to provide for her as befitting her rightful position.
Slow, slow read and it took too long to get the story moving forward. Back story focused on the deterioration of their marriage and little on the secret feelings Mary has for Maise. Overall, the story was just okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
REREAD REVIEW: December 2023
I do feel like the start is slow and you have to give the book time to get good. The first time I read this it took my several tries to really get engaged in the story. But it's so worth it.
I really love the main character!!! I love her narration and feminist perspective.
The authors note at the end is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL READING 💯💯💯 I love the audiobook. The narrator is phenomenal 👏
*favorite of the year
Original review: 10/18/2023
This wasn't a 10/10 reading experience the entire way through, however the impact the ending made on me and the potency of the images I was left with in my mind instantly bumped up this book to a 5 star for me. Probably one of my favorite reads of the year.
Thoughts along the way, may contain a few spoilers:...
I am OBSESSSED with this
Love her making friends with the girl over fossils
Also the audio narrator is awesome 👌
Some of the back story feels a bit excessive. Like I don't need to see her entire childhood. Or see her meeting her husband I was fine without getting that context. It just feels kind of redundant and unnecessary.
I'm 21% in and I don't know if I would say this really has Frankenstein vibes - if anything This reminds me more of Mary Shelley's life. It feels more inspired by her life than it Does the book Frankenstein?
I want to rate this book 5 stars just for the fantastic feminist commentary within.
Love the queer element. Although finding some of the story to be losing my interest/ quite drawn out.
Ohhhh yessss commentary on women's pain not being taken seriously!!!
I thought there would be more experiments similar to Frankenstein. And seeing them working on bringing something back to life. It's a very small part of this book. Also, sometimes it can get a bit nitty gritty with the science.
This story is making me so emotional 😢 ���� what a vivid ride!!!!
I do feel like the start is slow and you have to give the book time to get good. The first time I read this it took my several tries to really get engaged in the story. But it's so worth it.
I really love the main character!!! I love her narration and feminist perspective.
The authors note at the end is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL READING 💯💯💯 I love the audiobook. The narrator is phenomenal 👏
*favorite of the year
Original review: 10/18/2023
This wasn't a 10/10 reading experience the entire way through, however the impact the ending made on me and the potency of the images I was left with in my mind instantly bumped up this book to a 5 star for me. Probably one of my favorite reads of the year.
Thoughts along the way, may contain a few spoilers:...
I am OBSESSSED with this
Love her making friends with the girl over fossils
Also the audio narrator is awesome 👌
Some of the back story feels a bit excessive. Like I don't need to see her entire childhood. Or see her meeting her husband I was fine without getting that context. It just feels kind of redundant and unnecessary.
I'm 21% in and I don't know if I would say this really has Frankenstein vibes - if anything This reminds me more of Mary Shelley's life. It feels more inspired by her life than it Does the book Frankenstein?
I want to rate this book 5 stars just for the fantastic feminist commentary within.
Love the queer element. Although finding some of the story to be losing my interest/ quite drawn out.
Ohhhh yessss commentary on women's pain not being taken seriously!!!
I thought there would be more experiments similar to Frankenstein. And seeing them working on bringing something back to life. It's a very small part of this book. Also, sometimes it can get a bit nitty gritty with the science.
This story is making me so emotional 😢 ���� what a vivid ride!!!!
June 10, 2024
The trend of retellings of famous stories through a feminist and/or queer lenses has been hugely popular over the past few years, and while I have greatly enjoyed some books that belong under that umbrella, a few also left me perplexed. Is it a feminist retelling if you just tell the same story again, but from a female character’s perspective? Arguably yes, because you give the character a voice, which is often something the original authors neglected to do. But sometimes, I find that a little too simple.
Now a work like ‘Our Hideous Progeny’ is not quite a retelling of (my beloved) ‘Frankenstein’ per se: this story concerns itself with Victor’s grand-niece Mary (obviously, wink wink) and her experience as a woman, a wife, an aspiring scientist, a grieving mother and as a woman who realizes she is attracted to other women – at the turn of the 20th century, in England.
Mary is married to a well-meaning but quite flawed naturalist named Henry. About a year before the beginning of the story, they lost a child, who only lived a few hours, and Mary can’t quite shake off the pain of this loss. But she is shaken out of her funk when an exhibit showing reproduction of dinosaurs opens at the Crystal Palace. From her own work, she knows the models to be inaccurate, but no one will truly listen to her, and her husband has done such a good job of antagonizing other people in their field that he has also lost a lot of credibility. That’s around the time she discovers documents, passed down to her family by her great uncle, a Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and based on his work, she and Henry begin to plan to bring to life a creation of their own.
I am not sure how this was done, but this book gutted me. I don’t want, and have never wanted, children, but everything about Mary’s grief, her attachment to her creation, her concern for it and heartbreak at it’s suffering made me so upset I had to curl up in bed with the book because all I wanted was squeeze my pillow. A visceral part of me understood her love, her care, and her pain. I did not see that coming. Middle-age hormones are a terrible thing, people.
But that was not the only thing that made this book such a successful use of the feminist retelling tend: it was also rich with Mary’s direct experience of the double-standards held against her, the frustrations she must constantly deal with having no money or resources of her own and being at the mercy of her generally inept husband and other members of his profession. Her confusion at her feelings towards a childhood friend and eventually towards her sister-in-law are also a very sensibly (not to mention historically realistically) expressed queer awakening and doesn’t slide into presentism or political statement: it just is. The whole thing with the creature was gutting, but Mary’s difficulties being an ambitious woman who is more intelligent than most of the men she is surrounded by and the restrictions imposed on her solely because of her gender are just as heartbreakingly rendered by McGill.
This is a fantastic work of speculative fiction, written with great skill, insight and sensitivity. I cannot recommend it enough, whether or not you love Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. I’d like to believe that if she had chosen to write her story with a female character front and center, this is what it would have been like. Superb.
Now a work like ‘Our Hideous Progeny’ is not quite a retelling of (my beloved) ‘Frankenstein’ per se: this story concerns itself with Victor’s grand-niece Mary (obviously, wink wink) and her experience as a woman, a wife, an aspiring scientist, a grieving mother and as a woman who realizes she is attracted to other women – at the turn of the 20th century, in England.
Mary is married to a well-meaning but quite flawed naturalist named Henry. About a year before the beginning of the story, they lost a child, who only lived a few hours, and Mary can’t quite shake off the pain of this loss. But she is shaken out of her funk when an exhibit showing reproduction of dinosaurs opens at the Crystal Palace. From her own work, she knows the models to be inaccurate, but no one will truly listen to her, and her husband has done such a good job of antagonizing other people in their field that he has also lost a lot of credibility. That’s around the time she discovers documents, passed down to her family by her great uncle, a Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and based on his work, she and Henry begin to plan to bring to life a creation of their own.
I am not sure how this was done, but this book gutted me. I don’t want, and have never wanted, children, but everything about Mary’s grief, her attachment to her creation, her concern for it and heartbreak at it’s suffering made me so upset I had to curl up in bed with the book because all I wanted was squeeze my pillow. A visceral part of me understood her love, her care, and her pain. I did not see that coming. Middle-age hormones are a terrible thing, people.
But that was not the only thing that made this book such a successful use of the feminist retelling tend: it was also rich with Mary’s direct experience of the double-standards held against her, the frustrations she must constantly deal with having no money or resources of her own and being at the mercy of her generally inept husband and other members of his profession. Her confusion at her feelings towards a childhood friend and eventually towards her sister-in-law are also a very sensibly (not to mention historically realistically) expressed queer awakening and doesn’t slide into presentism or political statement: it just is. The whole thing with the creature was gutting, but Mary’s difficulties being an ambitious woman who is more intelligent than most of the men she is surrounded by and the restrictions imposed on her solely because of her gender are just as heartbreakingly rendered by McGill.
This is a fantastic work of speculative fiction, written with great skill, insight and sensitivity. I cannot recommend it enough, whether or not you love Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. I’d like to believe that if she had chosen to write her story with a female character front and center, this is what it would have been like. Superb.
March 28, 2024
5/5 stars, added to all-time favourite-list
“We had built here, in this half ruined boat house on the edge of the Moray Firth, a temple to our own strange gods - to chemistry and anatomy and electricity.”
I have a strange relationship with the classic novel of Frankenstein… I didn’t enjoy the original text in the slightest, but still consider it one of my favourite classics for the legacy it spawned, and the string of homages/retellings/discussion-pieces that followed it. Our Hideous Progeny is perhaps the best example of that. This debut(!) novel doesn’t so much reimagine, as continue the story of Frankenstein, from the perspective of his great-niece Mary Frankenstein. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of natural science alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited. That is until Mary stumbles across her great uncles letters, and the idea of recreating his experiment starts to take root in her mind. Not with a human body, mind you, but with an entirely new (or should I say “ancient”?) creature of her own...
I plan on writing a full review of this novel, which might take some time as there’s so much to unpack here. Suffice to say: Our Hideous Progeny is my favourite read of the year so far.
On the surface, a classic gothic tale of scientific ambition, hubris, and creation like the original. Just below, a feminist outcry for the unsung women in scientific history and an exploration of queerness, otherness and learning to embrace the hideous-side of oneself. Then in the depths; a narrative of illness, body, childlessness and legacy, that struck a personal chord in a way I didn’t anticipate.
“We had built here, in this half ruined boat house on the edge of the Moray Firth, a temple to our own strange gods - to chemistry and anatomy and electricity.”
I have a strange relationship with the classic novel of Frankenstein… I didn’t enjoy the original text in the slightest, but still consider it one of my favourite classics for the legacy it spawned, and the string of homages/retellings/discussion-pieces that followed it. Our Hideous Progeny is perhaps the best example of that. This debut(!) novel doesn’t so much reimagine, as continue the story of Frankenstein, from the perspective of his great-niece Mary Frankenstein. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of natural science alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited. That is until Mary stumbles across her great uncles letters, and the idea of recreating his experiment starts to take root in her mind. Not with a human body, mind you, but with an entirely new (or should I say “ancient”?) creature of her own...
I plan on writing a full review of this novel, which might take some time as there’s so much to unpack here. Suffice to say: Our Hideous Progeny is my favourite read of the year so far.
On the surface, a classic gothic tale of scientific ambition, hubris, and creation like the original. Just below, a feminist outcry for the unsung women in scientific history and an exploration of queerness, otherness and learning to embrace the hideous-side of oneself. Then in the depths; a narrative of illness, body, childlessness and legacy, that struck a personal chord in a way I didn’t anticipate.
April 24, 2023
Simply brilliant in many ways. Review to come.
I was given a review copy by the publisher.
I was given a review copy by the publisher.
February 29, 2024
as a certified frankenstein hoe, this book was written for me specifically
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