#c.e. mcgill

[anasaurus-wreck]

Just finished a book about Victor Frankenstein‘s great niece bringing a dinosaur to life.

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Historical Fiction Book Bracket: Round 1B

Choose a book:

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery

Voting ended onJun 21, 2025

Book summaries below:

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

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.

Setting: London, 1850

Historical fiction, retelling, gothic, Victorian, 1850s, adult

The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery

The story of two women whose lives intersect in late-nineteenth-century Japan, The Teahouse Fire is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history—Japan as it opens its doors to the West. It was a period when wearing a different color kimono could make a political statement, when women stopped blackening their teeth to profess an allegiance to Western ideas, and when Japan’s most mysterious rite—the tea ceremony—became not just a sacramental meal, but a ritual battlefield.

We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia, an American orphan adopted by the Shin family, proprietors of a tea ceremony school, after their daughter, Yukako, finds her hiding on their grounds. Aurelia becomes Yukako’s closest companion, and they, the Shin family, and all of Japan face a time of great challenges and uncertainty. Told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.

Setting: Late 19th-century Japan

Historical fiction, literary fiction, turn-of-the-century, adult

[fullibooked]

Our Hideous Progeny by C. E. McGill is the story of Mary, a woman keen on the sciences of the world, no matter how badly they may smell.

Fascinated even as a child, Mary has been trying to make her way into the male-dominated world of scientific study. She's had to settle thus far only gaining credit for her specimen illustrations, but there is a fire in her belly and a determination in her brain.

When she discovers the notes of her great-uncle, she makes a decision to take the paleontology societies by storm, for her great-uncle was none other than Victor Frankenstein. But Victor's experiment had doomed him, and Mary is too ambitious to follow in flawed footsteps. Still, her own creation will push the limits of her marriage, her friendships, her restraint, and even her humanity. Success could make a future for her that she had never dared imagine. With science like this, anything is possible.

I was able to get my ink-stained fingers on an ARC copy of Our Hideous Progeny thanks to Penguin-Random House and had a weird and wonderful time with it. This book is the kind of spooky that all gothic tales should be, but with some righteous anger, and grimacing faces thrown in for good measure. I've never had a desire to draw crocodile skulls and snake necks before but here we are. McGill's writing is sharp, tightly woven, and neat, like stitches along a wound. (No specific reason for that comparison at all). I don't know if 'enjoyed' is the word, but I liked it so much, even when I was the one doing the grimacing. I promise they were good grimaces! I suggest you all get your hands on this creature in May!!

[livingfictionsystem]

-Xanthe 🪶

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Our Hideous Progeny | Author: C.E. McGill | Publisher: Doubleday (2023)

[readingoals]

I cannot convey to you how much I loved this book.

I don't even know where to start. Frankenstein but with dinosaurs!!!

McGill did a spectacular job with this interpretation of a classic. It was really in keeping with the tone and themes of Shelley's original but then built on them to explore themes of prejudice, gender, and queer identity. The characters were nuanced and realistic (but oh my god i could throttle a couple of them), the story was compelling, and the historical detail made my heart sing.

This is definitely in the running for my favourite read of the year. It had a slightly slow start but once I was in I was all the way in and couldn't put it down. The author's note made me cry! Absolutely amazing, I cannot wait to read more from McGill because they're a phenomenal writer.

[vehicularmotorcycle]

Not me sobbing at 12am while reading the author's note after finished Our Hideous Progeny.

This book was so, so good. If you like Frankenstein or dinosaurs, or women or sci-fi, or the 1850s; if you support women's rights AND women's wrongs, please read this book.

[b-oredzoi]

THEY'RE HERE!!!

THE LIBRARY COPIES HAVE ARRIVED !!!! 🥳