The unassuming Mary Brown discovers her great-uncle's secret letters about his ungodly creation, the nameless monster that he tracked to the arctic in regret at what he had created. Years later, Mary seizes the opportunity to pursue her own scientific ambitions, and comes to create a monster of her own...

Loved the ease with which the author pulls us into the story, the setting of the fiercely competitive male scientific world of the late nineteenth century, and Mary's totally believable progress as a woman in a male world.

As Mary claims her birthright she discovers many things about her world and herself that help her move forward and dare to forge a future where she can be truly herself.

This is one of the more original books I've read in many months It takes a wee while to really get going but I remember very clearly the point where I thought 'aha, here we go.'

Utterly absorbing…..this is the story of the niece of the Frankenstein’s…..it’s an excellent continuation of the story, set in the 1800’s when as we know, medical technology was just starting, and was for want of a better word…cutthroat.

Excellent story, excellent writing, loved every moment.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the 1850s Mary is desperate for herself and her husband to carve a career for themselves within the science world, but when one needs substantial wealth and good connections (both of which they lack), their aspirations begin to look unpromising. That is until Mary happens across a collection of secret family documents that link the mysterious life and disappearance of her great-uncle Victor Frankenstein with a monumentally life-changing scientific discovery that will bring about the solution to all of their problems.

A homage to Shelley and the greats of gothic fiction, C.E. McGill's novel stands strong amongst them combining the lure of science with the seedy atmosphere of the Victorian era and a heroine who is compelling and deeply interesting throughout.

The emphasis of how women were regarded as second rate citizens within society, never to be appreciated or taken seriously got their ambitions or intellectual pursuits, was portrayed by the author artfully.

The storytelling and language is subtle and respects the historical context and fiction it was inspired by, yet holds up well with the modern reader.

I imagine that Our Hideous Progeny will be a favourite among many for years to come.

I adore historical fiction especially if it features strong, defiant women so I couldn't wait to read this!
Inspired by Frankenstein and following on from the themes of it, Our Hideous Progeny was an intense, slow, atmospheric read that was full of interesting ideas and really carries the well known story of Frankenstein off on an unexpected journey.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the early copy!

This was ok but a bit slow for me personally, it just lacked some adventure or excitement. Those that enjoy the original Frankenstein May enjoy this retake of it though!

In 1799 Victor Frankenstein disappeared in the Arctic. In 1853 his great niece, Mary Brown, sets out to rediscover his technique; how to make “hideous progeny”. Being that its 1853 that is not an easy task. For a start Mary is married to Henry Sutherland, so will be addressed as Mrs Sutherland by all except close family and is essentially her husband’s chattel; i.e. has no rights to property or independent action. Mary is a keen Palaeontologist and Henry is a Geologist, but whereas he can publish research, give papers at learned societies, discuss the new discoveries about dinosaurs and the age of the earth, she must hover on the edge, unwelcomed by learned men because she is a woman. Henry, backed my Mary, has upset some of the eminent learned men by disagreeing with some of their ideas (Henry and Mary are right but that doesn’t help). They are also still getting over the neonatal death of their daughter. To cap their problems, Henry is in financial difficulties. The death of Henry’s father gives them an excuse to briefly decamp to Inverness, to the family home, where Mary meets Henry’s sickly sister, Margaret aka Maisie, for the first time. When Mary realises that she will never be accepted into scientific society, and that Henry will never be eminent, she sets in train a research project inspired by Victor’s work.
Mary Shelley published “Frankenstein” in 1818 and a revised version in 1831. Since then there have been dozens of books inspired, to some extent, by it. Many are retellings, basically the same story in a different setting, many others are sequels or spin-offs. This book is in that latter category but has an original twist in that the chief protagonist is a strong-willed woman, fighting a patriarchal society at a time when natural philosophy and natural history were becoming codified, rational, experimental and on the way to becoming Science, a word coined in 1833. A time when some women were starting to be recognised as members of that community (in fact the first use of “scientist” was in reference to, among others, Mary Somerville the first women elected as an Honorary fellow of the royal Astronomical Society.) Arguably, therefore, this book is less about artificial lifeforms than about misogyny and glass ceilings. I’m not saying that’s a problem, only that people coming to it as a Gothicesque mystery may be surprised. The writing style is very good, it definitely has a ring of the 19th Century, and the plot is good. The nature of the ending is predictable, but it comes from a surprising (at least to me) angle.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows only that her great uncle disappeared in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic. Having grown up without parents on the Isle of Wight with only her grandmother Mary soon escapes to London. She meets and marries Henry Sutherland who is a geologist but with limited funds how can they make their name in the world of science

Mary then discovers some old family papers that she thinks she may have found the answers securing their future. They move to Scotland, to live with Henry's reclusive sister Maisie but then and old foe of Mary’s comes knocking and are they about to steal and ruin the work that they have worked so hard on…..

I have recently found a love of historical books and this one did not disappoint. It was interesting but also quite educational without taking away from the fascinating storyline. You do not need to have a love of science, classics or of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to enjoy this book. It was beautifully written and kept me intrigued throughout. The ending was just perfect and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

This novel intrigued me because I have to rank Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as my number one book of all time. Therefore, to find a story that was drawing on that - well, I just had to. The novel itself is set in 1851 and we follow Mary who is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. Born out of wedlock, Mary is brought up, begrudgingly by her grandmother. She is fascinated by by science and palaeontology and finds that, as she is female, her opinion are always discounted. She is looked down upon by the male scientists. Even when she marries Henry and they strive to find recognition in the scientific world, their lack of wealth means that they will have very little hope of success, and for her, there will be none. Any success they might gain will be under his name only. When she finds letter about her great-uncle and his experiments, Mary decides that she and Henry should strive to bring an ancient creature back to life and take the scientific world by storm. As success seems to creep closer, Mary begins to ask the questions about the morality of the enterprise. The scientific details and descriptions are very well researched and there is a lot of it in here. Mary, herself is a young woman struggling with loss and grief, but also anger at the way that women, at that point in history, are not given recognition in scientific circles. She is a character who lets her emotions take the lead at times which gets her into trouble. As for her husband - Henry is a bit of a wimp in my opinion - there is no strength of character in him while his sister is the total opposite and seems to grow as the novel progresses. Sadly however, the book didn't really work for me. I found the pace too slow and while I understand why the author was spending so many pages building her characters, explaining the science, I wanted to meet the hideous progeny. For me I wanted more about the connection between the creature and Mary and the comparisons that could be drawn between this creature and Frankenstein's creature. Rounded up to 4*

I have read Frankenstein several times over the years, which is a book have enjoyed. When I saw this title on NetGalley it was the title that caught my eye, and then I read the synopsis. Rather than retelling the story, the author has decided to go on a slightly different path.

Mary had no idea who her grandfather was until she finally discovered a briefcase with some papers in it. It turns out that she is the niece of a certain Viktor Frankenstein, of course, we know the name from the Mary Shelly story, but in this story, he is someone who notes may just help Mary and her husband, James, make their mark in history.

Wanting to be recognised and acknowledged in scientific fields, Mary and Henry Sutherland are on the edge. They are not deemed important enough or, if I am being honest, rich enough to warrant being taken seriously. They have caused a few ructions and this has not helped their cause. They decide to travel to Scotland where they can continue their experiments based on her great uncle's notes, they need solitude and secrecy and this isolated house is one that can offer that. It is Henry's childhood home where his sister still lives.

This is a gothic horror novel as such, although not so much horror, then I didn't think Frankenstein was either. But, it does exude that gothic vibe and also being set in the 1850s fit in well with the society at the time, with The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace Gardens, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species and advances in electricity and research and discovery were happening at a fast rate. It is a great era to set a novel that mixes science, history and experimentation.

The characters of Mary and Henry are well done and the author does show the disparities between the different sexes in terms of academia. Women are and do attend scientific discussions, but they are merely seen as socials where they can gather with their male counterparts. Don't forget this is a time when women are seen to support their husbands by attending functions with them, but do not have the brainpower or the stamina to understand such topics completely. We do now, of course, know differently, but the author does a great job of showing how difficult it is to be seen.

Having a husband and wife team does help to alleviate this, but the underlying problem is always there. With this new experiment they attempt to undertake, they each have their own tasks, and their own strengths and only by working together do they stand a chance of succeeding. The inclusion of a sister adds to the appeal and for me she was a great character to add. She is prone to ailments, but she also has a very good part to play in her own right.

This is a really enjoyable read, it does show perspectives of the society of the time and makes it a very good historical fiction story, it does have mystery and a wonderful gothic feel to it. I would not say it is very fast-paced, but it suits the era. I really enjoyed this one, it is full of descriptions if you are a fan of novels that do have a more classical fiction feel to them then this is one I would definitely recommend.

This is a gothic historical horror novel, featuring an unconventional female protagonist. TW for animal cruelty, murder and implied sexual assault. Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. A brilliant scientist in her own right, she is married to Henry, a geologist. The story follows the two collaborating on papers together (with Mary credited only as an illustrator, not as an equal contributor) as they struggle to make a name for themselves within the scientific community. The story also deals with grief, primarily with Mary and Henry and the loss of their child. McGill’s observations about the patriarchal expectation that women have an innate desire for motherhood and childrearing are astute, cutting right to the core of the issue. To put it simply, I would describe this book as a dark academia sapphic historical romance crossing a female protagonist that challenges the status quo with the “mad scientist” trope (a la Promethean Horrors edited by Xavier Aldana Reyes). The character archetypes of the primary sapphic relationship reminded me of The Handmaiden (which makes sense considering that was adapted from a Victorian historical fiction novel, set around the same time).

The plot twists are another positive. I was genuinely surprised at the direction of the narrative climax (AKA the final battle) and preferred it to the alternative, as in how the characters originally planned to resolve the issue. I definitely underestimated McGill and I’m glad they committed to that ending because it feels a lot more cathartic. Getting justice any other way would have felt cheap.

This work is extremely intertextual, directly referencing the story of Frankenstein within the narrative. This worked for me, but it may not for those who are less keen on academia and the study of literature from this time period. McGill also inserts quotations before each chapter. These are either from Frankenstein or alternatively from Percy Shelley and Lord Byron’s poetry, as well as other contemporary writings, such as pertains to the science explored in the novel. These quotes have direct narrative significance and people may lose out on the novel’s intricacies without knowledge of these literary topics. Also, the quotes may take the reader out of the story as it breaks up the flow. It gets meta which can be confusing. It is also very slow paced. Again, not necessarily a negative but readers should keep in mind that it is a slow crawl before a singularly explosive moment releases the tension. It would definitely benefit from a reread after researching referenced material. This would lead the reader to be better equipped to understand the subversive and transformative value this novel creates through retelling AKA a form of ‘translation.’

Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A dark and compelling book, held together by the strong female characters.most of the men are weak or objectionable. Echoes of Frankenstein but strong enough to stand on its own as a novel.

Unusual but fascinating subject.
Mary and Henry are in mourning for their baby, who died at birth, they both handle their grief in different ways, Henry falls into gambling and drinking, Mary is sad and thoughtful. Their shared passion for geology reunites them as an exhibition featuring dinosaurs is staged at Crystal Palace.
Mary is banned as are all women from membership of certain societies, but rebels against this rule and manages to get involved in research and ideas. The couple struggle for money and end up living with Henry's invalid sister Maisie in Scotland, here they create a living being,made from dead creatures, their partner in this betrays them and steals the creature. there is a chase across the country to rescue it which ends in tragedy.
a novel which shows the mistreatment and degradation of women in Victorian times.
Thank you NetGalley and C.E.McGill

There are many things I liked about this book and roughly an equal amount of things I didn't like.
On the plus side we have a female character who's fighting to be recognised as a scientist on her own merit, and an author who's showing us how female scientists' work was hidden behind their husbands' names. We have a good story or a replication of an experiment (bringing a dead body back to life) and there's a lot of discussion of the science, the steps, etc. I really enjoyed all these bits.

The parts I didn't enjoy of the book were mostly the flashbacks. I am not sure they were needed and they happened so early in the book that they put me off the story for a bit. The drama at the end of the story was also a bit much for me and felt very out of balance with the rest of the book.

On the whole, however, it was an overall good reading experience, and probably one I'll remember for a while. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I am not a huge fan of the Mary Shelley 'original' Frankenstein novel because of the layout of the plot but the writing is brilliant enough to engage our sympathies as a reader with Victor Frankenstein's 'Creature' and various reincarnations of the story have swerved from dire horror to superb theatre (Cumberbatch/Jonny Lee Miller double characterisation on stage)
So I welcomed a new gothic adaptation from a female protagonist - Mary - the niece of Victor. (fictional). The novel begins slowly setting the scene for the background of Mary and her husband Henry Sutherland. There are financial problems (Henry's character is immediately set as weak/gambling/arrogant whereas Mary's is ambitious, generous and tied by the strictures of Victorian society amongst women interested in science/geology/paleaontology as she is. There is also an early hint of sexual confusion for Mary with an early love/friendship for Catherine Levereaux which later bubbles with the meeting with Henry's sister Maisie.
Other stars of the novel are location - the turreted house in Scotland by the coast near Edinburgh where 'experiments' can develop and a tour de force of London's scientific and cultural society from the newly opened Crystal Palace (and its at the time dinosaur statues which inspire Mary's creation), through lectures at the Royal Society and dinners where real people of that world are placed - including Charles Darwin, Richard Owen, Charles Lyell and down in Lyme Regis Mary Anning (who seems the inspiration for the character Mary and now the subject of a richly deserved statue for her leading role in fossil hunting). So it's a roaring read, racing across country and exploring in huge detail new science and old clashes with religion and morals. I just felt it needed a bit of refinement rather than so much thrown at the reader. Once again the Creature was sympathetically described and the final drama left a hopeful conclusion. Overall though a bit like my chemistry experiments - too many ingredients - perhaps too much shaking and then an explosion! But still a good read.

I loved this gripping Gothic novel, which cleverly takes Mary Shelley's most famous novel, and reimagines the story of Victor Frankenstein's great-niece, Mary.
It's 1850, and Mary is a young woman newly married to an ambitious but flawed geologist, Henry. Both are keen to make their names in the world of science, but their situation makes this difficult. Until Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle's past. Together with Henry, and the odious Clarke, a creature is born that defies nature, death, and the boundaries of knowledge. Intriguing, thrilling, and beautifully written, 'Our Hideous Progeny' transported me to another age, and kept me enthralled to very last page.

After a very slow start it gets better. The plot does keep repeating itself so it was hard not to skim read. Unfortunately for me a book that I wanted to finish so I could read something else. Having said this, I'm sure many readers who like more literary books will enjoy it.

I absolutely loved this. Mary is a descendant of Victor Frankenstein. Interested in science but kept out of all of the big institutions as she's a woman. When she finds her great uncles papers she embarks on a project to create her own creature.
Loved Mary and her attitude. Her anger, her intelligence. Fighting against everything holding her back.
The creature itself is a pretty minor part of the book but that doesn't matter. The story is more about the people.

Being a massive fan of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", I immediately fell in love with "Our Hideous Progeny" by CE McGill. This novel just emulates the writing style of Shelley perfectly. I loved that the story had moved on and was preoccupied with the accuracy of the Crystal Palace dinosaur statues. A brilliant book and probably the best Frankenstein-inspired novel I've read.

An intriguing story set in the 1800’s when women were not recognised outside of the home. A different way of writing about Frankenstein and full of well researched scientific details. Unfortunately I found it hard to get completely into and having read over half way through I’m afraid I actually gave up- very unlike me! Other readers will I am sure enjoy it more than I.