Our Hideous Progeny: A thrilling Gothic Adventure

Product Information

Darkly brilliant and sumptuously gothic, this atmospheric debut left me reeling." — C. J. Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches

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!!) Oh, and did I mention it’s a double book deal?! Speaking of, I’d better get to work writing; more news on OHP and my as-of-yet-secret Book 2 to come! It’s been such an exciting week, and I’m thrilled I get to announce this at last! Innumerable thanks to my agent, Sue, for all her hard work (and for managing to negotiate this deal while BOTH she and Kirsty were on trains, no less!). When Sue first sent OHP out to editors, I settled myself in for what I’d heard could be a long and trying process, only to be absolutely blown away by the speed and enthusiasm of the responses — Kirsty’s first among them! I’m so grateful to Sue for her Agenty Expertise, and can’t wait to bear witness to Kirsty’s Editory Expertise as we work more on OHP over the next year. It’s always wonderful to meet someone who feels like they truly love and understand your work, and Kirsty Dunseath is just such a someone. OHP couldn’t be in better hands 🙂

Select a format:

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. 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... 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...

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... I think the main problem is that I went into this story expecting something that it was not. Frankenstein as a character is deeply unlikable, morally ambiguous and his descent into madness is fascinating to read about. Mary, however, is meant to be likable. She has a strong head on her shoulders and the reader is supposed to sympathize with the hardships she faces. And unfortunately that does not make her very interesting to me considering this is a gothic novel. I wanted to root for an unhinged female character who was difficult to defend. I wanted so much more gritty darkness than what we got.Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but she doesn’t know why or how. . . . The tender relationship between Mary and Maisie is a joy to behold; the two of them growing because of each other, and able to shed the dead weight in their lives. Where Mary is obsessed with bringing her uncle's work to life, Maisie is the foil who sees through the glitter and the gold, into the almost barbaric truth of it. But, in the end, both of them see the beauty in creating a life; in giving something a life that it might not have had, even for a small amount of time. Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein, who she knows disappeared under mysterious circumstances. But when she discovers some old family papers, she learns the reason for his disappearance but also sees a way for herself & Henry to get themselves known. Ha, great question! Even though it may feel a little bit like cheating, I find that one surefire way to push past my own doubts about a project and find motivation to write is to talk about my ideas with others. As you point out, when I first came up Nevertheless, the book is a superb debut. McGill sure has a sunny career ahead of them. I’m jealous of their talent.

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 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 over it (not just the outside world, but also her inner insecurities after a past so traumatic and saddening) 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 than that; and I salute McGill for narrating this so delicately and beautifully.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. 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. When Mary - a scientist struggling to make her mark in 1850s London - discovers journals belonging to her great-uncle, Victor Frankenstein, she embarks on what might be the greatest adventure of all....

NOTE TO READERS: This breathtaking special edition is only available for a limited time and while quantities last. Our Hideous Progeny is a masterpiece of literary writing. The style makes me want to compare CE McGill to Charlotte Bronte - the words just flow so easily as if CE McGill could write a story in their sleep. But after uncovering clues to her great uncle’s disappearance, Mary devises a plan to realize her ambitions. Like Victor Frankenstein did long ago, she and Henry will create life. No one will be able to ignore their achievement—the scientific community must accept them if they succeed. I love this type of story, where a woman is battling against society’s norms & expectations of her. Mary is a fierce character. I love the contrast between Henry & herself, with Mary clearly being the stronger in the partnership. Henry typically allows himself to be steered by wealth & notoriety, whereas Mary keeps them grounded by her sense of what is right.C.E. McGill Ha, great question! Even though it may feel a little bit like cheating, I find that one surefire way to push past my own doubts about a project and fi …more Ha, great question! Even though it may feel a little bit like cheating, I find that one surefire way to push past my own doubts about a project and find motivation to write is to talk about my ideas with others. As you point out, when I first came up with the idea for OHP, I thought it was ridiculous - but when I jokingly mentioned the idea at Thanksgiving dinner, my family loved it and demanded to see it played out. Given that little boost of self-confidence, I ended up considering the idea more seriously and realizing that there was actually far more depth and possibility in this "Frankenstein with dinosaurs" concept than I'd initially given it credit for. I find that having a trusted friend or family member or classmate or critique group to brainstorm with (and to demand to see that first chapter written out!) helps me realize, through their reaction to it, what actually drew me to the idea in the first place and why it's worth pursuing. In other words: if you haven't got any self-confidence at home yet, store bought is fine. The 1850s are 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 is keen to make her name in this world of science alongside her geologist husband, Henry—but despite her sharp mind and sharper tongue, without wealth and connections their options are limited. 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. Somehow, this book takes an enormous amount of elements (and three genres! This is a gothic victorian sci-fi!) and balances them perfectly. It's slow-moving, but deliciously so. Mary is a fabulously nuanced protagonist on a journey of grief, reflection, ambition and awakening, and the way McGill wrote her inner world had me scrambling for a highlighter. Maisie, Mary's sister-in-law and love interest is a really delightful character and, from my limited perspective, a refreshingly honest and sympathetic portrayal of someone who lives with chronic illness. Henry, Mary's husband, is one of the most frustrating characters I've come across in a while... but realistically so. I've met many a Henry and at no point did I question why Mary had been drawn to him in the first place, or why she's pulling away from him now.