Publishers Weekly
★ 03/20/2023
Described by debut author McGill as “Frankenstein, but, like, with dinosaurs,” this immersive blend of historical and science fiction brims with surprises and dark delights. In Victorian England, protagonist Mary discovers her great-uncle Victor Frankenstein’s life story in an old letter case. A scientist herself, she and her husband attempt to replicate and improve upon the first Frankenstein’s discoveries. Instead of revivifying a human corpse, however, they decide—in the interest of both safety and science—to reanimate a Plesiosaurus. McGill echoes Mary Shelley’s theme of the tension between morality and scientific discovery, which works well alongside a incisive exploration of women’s rights within the field of science and in Victorian society more broadly. Fiery Mary proves the perfect person to helm this tale: often full of rage, she begins to recognize her queerness as she becomes increasingly fed up with the limitations of her world. The setting, too, feels wholly authentic, making it easy to get sucked in. Readers will revel in Mary’s personal and scientific discoveries and root for her to succeed in an unfair world. (May)
From the Publisher
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,' as one character notes.” — The 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, multilayered, and rich with enticing detail.” — Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat and The Strawberry Thief
“This immersive blend of historical and science fiction brims with surprises and dark delights. . . . An incisive exploration of women’s rights within the field of science. . . . The setting, too, feels wholly authentic, making it easy to get sucked in. Readers will revel in Mary’s personal and scientific discoveries and root for her to succeed in an unfair world.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This is no typical revisiting of Shelley’s iconic tale...This is a post-Gothic treat, an enjoyably moody, fog-drenched fictional commemoration of women in science" — Booklist (starred review)
"Fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and historical horror with a queer feminist twist will not be disappointed. VERDICT In this immersive, richly detailed novel, Mary is an enthralling heroine with whom readers will empathize, and owing to assured, luscious prose, whose plight they will champion." — Library Journal (starred review)
"McGill’s beautifully crafted story set in the mid-Victorian period is a sequel of sorts to Mary Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein. It features an angry queer woman scientist stifled by her husband and society’s patriarchal notions about women’s intelligence. McGill’s characters — including a villain well worth hating — are wonderfully drawn, as are her explorations of the protagonist’s grief following her newborn’s death. Our Hideous Progeny is a worthy successor to Shelley’s ground-breaking science fiction masterpiece." — Autostraddle, Best Queer Books
“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
"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
"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
Booklist (starred review)
This is no typical revisiting of Shelley’s iconic tale…This is a post-Gothic treat, an enjoyably moody, fog-drenched fictional commemoration of women in science.”
Library Journal
★ 04/13/2023
DEBUT In 1850s London, Mary Sutherland, a brilliant and ambitious descendant of Victor Frankenstein, and her geologist husband, Henry, seek to reanimate a Plesiosaurus in this debut work of gothic monster horror. Mary is still grieving the loss of their daughter when Henry is summoned to the estate of his recently deceased father for the reading of the will. When it is revealed that his father left Henry nothing but the sum needed to pay off the considerable gambling debts that Henry accrued, the Sutherlands are left penniless. Their need for money, added to a desire for notoriety and recognition amongst their paleontological set, and Mary's chance upon papers belonging to her great-uncle Victor, set the pair on an elegantly rendered journey of discovery, obsession, and betrayal. Steady pacing includes brief flashbacks to Mary's childhood and fraught lineage and a childhood crush on her best friend. Fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and historical horror with a queer feminist twist will not be disappointed. VERDICT In this immersive, richly detailed novel, Mary is an enthralling heroine with whom readers will empathize, and owing to assured, luscious prose, whose plight they will champion.—Emily VInci
