It is not the monster you must fear, but the monster it makes of men. . . .

The great-niece of Victor Frankenstein, Mary Sutherland knows her great-uncle disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but doesn’t know why or how. . . .

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.

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 her and Henry’s professional and financial 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.

A queer, feminist masterpiece inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic, C. E. McGill’s Our Hideous Progeny is a sumptuous tale of ambition and obsession, of forbidden love and sabotage—and a twisty Gothic adventure that may forever change your view of human nature.