It’s weird, it’s queer, and it’s here in bookshops near you! OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY is my debut novel, a spiritual sequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and a love letter to women in science and the fascinating history of Victorian paleoart.
Are you a fan of Victorian mad science? Gothic gays? Women who are angry, and ambitious, and covered in blood? Then OHP may be for you!
Note: Our Hideous Progeny is a Gothic novel, and may contain content that is distressing to some. View the trigger warnings/content warnings here.
Praise for Our Hideous Progeny
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’.
the new yorker
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
Our Hideous Progeny is a worthy successor to Shelley’s ground-breaking science fiction masterpiece.
autostraddle, best queer books
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
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
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
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… 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
A wonderful book; dark, passionate, multilayered, and rich with enticing detail.
Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat and The Strawberry Thief
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
Darkly brilliant and sumptuously gothic, this atmospheric debut left me reeling.
C. J. Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches
Witty, dark and sharp as a scalpel… brilliantly captures what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world.
LIZZIE POOK, author of MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER’S DAUGHTER
Our Hideous Progeny opened its glorious mouth and swallowed me whole. I absolutely loved it.
Joanne Burn, author of the hemlock cure
Come join me on Fri, 6 Sep at 4pm for an interview/Q&A about OUR HIDEOUS PROGENY. 
Tickets are £12 each, £3 for under-18s. Book your seat now!
