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''The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World'', better known as ''The Blazing World'', is a 1666 work of prose fiction by the English writer
Margaret Cavendish Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (; 1623 er exact birth date is unknown– 16 December 1673) was an English philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction writer, and playwright. She was a prolific writer, publishing over 12 original ...
, the Duchess of Newcastle. Feminist critic
Dale Spender Dale Spender (22 September 1943 – 21 November 2023) was an Australian feminist scholar, teacher, writer and consultant. In 1983, Dale Spender was co-founder of and editorial advisor to Pandora Press, the first of the feminist imprints devo ...
calls it a forerunner of
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
. It can also be read as a piece of
utopian fiction Utopian and dystopian fiction are subgenres of speculative fiction that explore extreme forms of social and political structures. Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author's ethos, having various attributes of another reality ...
.Khanna, Lee Cullen. "The Subject of Utopia: Margaret Cavendish and Her Blazing-World." ''Utopian and Science Fiction by Women: World of Difference.'' Syracuse: Syracuse UP, 1994. 15–34. In the novel, a woman from the Kingdom of ESFI (a combined version of the kingdoms of
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
) is kidnapped by a spurned lover. The angry gods blow the boat transporting them to the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
, where its crew dies. The woman is the lone survivor, and she finds a portal into a parallel world. It is inhabited by
human–animal hybrid A human–animal hybrid and animal–human hybrid is an organism that incorporates elements from both humans and non-human animals. Technically, in a ''human–animal Hybrid (biology), hybrid'', each cell has both human and non-human genetic mate ...
s who mistake her for a
goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
and choose her as their new
empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
. She creates a new religion and decides to write down her own version of the
Kabbalah Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...
.


Story

As its full title suggests, ''Blazing World'' is a fanciful depiction of a
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
,
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
n kingdom in another world (with different stars in the sky) that can be reached via the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
. According to novelist Steven H. Propp, it is "the only known work of utopian fiction by a woman in the 17th century, as well as an example of what we now call 'proto-science fiction' — although it is also a
romance Romance may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings ** Romantic orientation, the classification of the sex or gender with which a pers ...
, an
adventure story Adventure fiction is a type of fiction that usually presents danger, or gives the reader a sense of excitement. Some adventure fiction also satisfies the literary definition of romance fiction. History In the introduction to the ''Encyclopedi ...
, and even
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
." ''The Blazing World'' opens with a
sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...
written by the author's husband,
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, KB, PC (25 December 1676), who after 1665 styled himself as Prince William Cavendish, was an English courtier and supporter of the arts. He was a renowned horse breeder, as well as being ...
, which celebrates her imaginative powers. The sonnet is followed by a letter to the reader written by Margaret Cavendish herself. In the letter to the reader, Cavendish divides ''Blazing World'' into three parts. The first part is "romancical", the second "philosophical", and the third "fancy" or "fantastical". She also explains the joint publishing of ''Blazing World'' with the more intellectual and non-fiction ''Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy''. The first "romancical" section describes a young woman from the Kingdom of ESFI (an acronym for
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
) being kidnapped onto a boat by a spurned lover. The gods, unsatisfied by the kidnapping, blow the boat to the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
, where all of the crew except the young woman die of
hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...
. The ship floats into a parallel world populated by talking animal-human hybrids, the "Blazing World". The young woman is worshipped as a
goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
, despite her pleas that she is mortal, and is made Empress of the Blazing World. The second "philosophical" section describes the Empress's knowledge and interest in the natural sciences and philosophy. She consults on these matters with a variety of human-animal hybrids, each group of which specializes in a specific field. She praises some of these
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
-like groups, and chastises others. She also imposes a new religion onto the Blazing World. Homesick, she consults immaterial spirits to tell her news from home, and enlists their assistance to write her own Cabbala. The spirits suggest the Duchess of Newcastle to be the best scribe for the project. The final "fantastical" section begins as the Empress and Duchess become close friends over the writing of the Cabbala. They visit England together, with the Empress's soul inhabiting the Duchess's body, and the Duchess solicits help from
Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
for her unlucky husband. In the Blazing World, the Duchess mounts an impassioned defense of her husband at a court hearing with the virtues, although the outcome of the legal process is inconclusive. The Duchess departs the Blazing World for her home, and advises the Empress to return the Blazing World to its original balance. When the spirits inform the Empress that ESFI has been destroyed in war, the Empress and the Duchess reunite to plan an invasion of ESFI. The Empress clothes herself in gemstones and invades with fantastical technologies. The armies of ESFI think her an
angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
, and the Empress compels them to return power to ESFI's righteous King. The Empress and the Duchess have one last extended conversation, and depart to their respective homes. The Empress returns the Blazing World to its original harmony, without her implemented religion. Cavendish ends ''Blazing World'' with an Epilogue to the Reader. In this Epilogue she describes her reasons for writing ''The Blazing World''. She compares creating The Blazing World to the conquests of
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
and
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
. The work was initially published as a companion piece to Cavendish's ''Observations upon Experimental Philosophy'' and thus functioned as an imaginative component to what was otherwise a reasoned endeavor in 17th-century
science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
. It was reprinted in 1668.


Genre and implications

Scholar Nicole Pohl of
Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...
has argued that Cavendish was accurate in her categorisation of the work as "a '
hermaphroditic A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...
' text". Pohl points to Cavendish's confrontations of seventeenth century norms, with regard to such categories as science, politics, gender, and identity. Pohl argues that her willingness to question society's conceptions while discussing topics that were considered in her era best left to male minds, allows her to escape into an exceptional gender-neutral discussion of said topics, creating what Pohl labels "a truly emancipatory poetic space".
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
professor Marina Leslie remarks that readers have noted that ''The Blazing World'' serves as a departure from the habitually male-dominated field of utopian writing. While some readers and critics may interpret Cavendish's work as being restricted by these characteristics of the genre of utopia, Leslie suggests approaching interpretations of the work while remembering Cavendish as one of the first, more outspoken feminists in history, and especially in early writing. Leslie contends that in this sense, Cavendish utilised the utopian genre to discuss issues such as "female nature and authority" in a new light, while simultaneously expanding the utopian genre itself. Dr. Delilah Bermudez Brataas elaborates on utopias' impact on gender and sexuality in her thesis for
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
. She points out that initially, utopias were sexually fluid worlds. Therefore, they challenged gender conventions. Cavendish's ''Blazing World'' demonstrates how sexual and
gender-fluid Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person may ...
these spaces are, mainly when women write them. Brataas elaborates on this statement further and describes the genre's appeal in earlier times. This period, combined with gender conventions at the time, makes utopia an appealing genre for Cavendish. Utopias offer women a space that can be primarily feminine and makes them feel empowered. Writing a utopia offered Cavendish the opportunity to create a world of her own, one over which she has complete agency and no limits. In her epigraph, Cavendish even reminds the reader that she owns this world and suggests that they are unwelcome and should create their own if they dislike it. Brataas points out how her decisions when building this world reflect her gender ideals, such as spaces for women's education and women as independent figures and authorities. Leslie also believes that ''The Blazing World'' incorporates many different genres, "which include not only travel narrative and romance but also utopia, epic, biography, cabbala, Lucianic fable,
Menippean satire The genre of Menippean satire is a form of satire, usually in prose, that is characterized by attacking mental attitudes rather than specific individuals or entities. It has been broadly described as a mixture of allegory, picaresque narrative, an ...
, natural history, and
morality play The morality play is a genre of medieval and early Tudor drama. The term is used by scholars of literary and dramatic history to refer to a genre of play texts from the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries that feature personified concepts ( ...
, among others…" Oddvar Holmesland of University of Edinburgh agrees that ''The Blazing World'' is creative in its genres, writing that "the term 'hybridisation' aptly captures Cavendish's method of blending established genres and categories into a new order, and of presenting her fantasy empire as versimilar."
University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...
professor Sujata Iyengar points out the importance of the fact that ''The Blazing World'' is clearly fictional, a stark contrast to the scientific nature of the work it is attached to. Iyengar notes that writing a work of fiction allowed Cavendish to create a new world in which she could conceive of any possible reality. Such liberty, Iyengar argues, allows Cavendish to explore ideas of rank, gender, and race that directly clash with commonly held beliefs about servility in her era. Iyengar goes as far to say that Cavendish's newfound liberty within fictional worlds provides her an opportunity to explore ideas that directly conflict with those that Cavendish writes about in her nonfiction writing. Jason H. Pearl of Florida International University considers ''The Blazing World'' as one of the earliest examples of the novel, "adding the modifier 'early'...to indicate a period in the novel's history when experimentation was more common, when strange incidents conveyed in strange ways could be expected from prose fiction." Pearl also believes it to contain an "interaction and opposition between two tributary forms: the lunar voyage, a subgenre of utopian writing, and natural philosophy, which helped inform notions of possibility and plausibility in representations of the natural world." However, Pearl also considers it "a revision to the lunar voyage ... one of its revisions is to pull the destination earthward, literally and figuratively, making its various possibilities of difference somehow more accessible."
The University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...
professor Catherine Gimelli Martin compares ''The Blazing World'' to another early example of the genre:
Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VII ...
's ''Utopia''. She describes Cavendish's focus as knowledge, whereas More's is money. Unlike More, Cavendish uses gold in her world as a tool for decoration yet devalues it entirely otherwise. Additionally, she forbids commoners from using gold at all. Martin suggests that in ''The Blazing World'', this class system eliminates any competition for gold like that seen and discussed in More's ''Utopia''.


World

Jason Pearl has commented on the
surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
of the world, as well as (paradoxically) its similarity to our own. He writes, "The Lady's experience is described as 'so strange an adventure,' in 'so strange a place, and amongst such wonderful kind of creatures,' 'none like any of our world'...It seems anything is possible here," and that, "near as it is, the Blazing World boasts a multitude of otherworldly marvels," but also believes that "the interstitial passageway exists as a wrinkle in space, a connecting disconnection that permits the Blazing World's narrow reachability and legitimises its radical differences." By "interstitial passageway", Pearl is referring to the unseen, unexplained path the protagonist and her captors traverse in the beginning of the story to reach the Blazing World.


Political views

Throughout ''The Blazing World,'' the Empress asserts that a peaceful society can only be attained through the lack of societal divisions. To eliminate potential division and maintain social harmony in the society the text imagines, Cavendish constructs a
monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
government. Unlike a democratic government, Cavendish believes only an absolute
sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...
can maintain social unity and stability because the reliance on one authority eliminates separations of power. To further justify the monarchical government, Cavendish draws upon philosophical and religious arguments. She writes, "it was natural for one body to have one head, so it was also natural for a politic body to have but one governor … besides, said they, a monarchy is a divine form of government, and agrees most with our religion." Cavendish's political views are similar to those of English philosopher
Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) was an English philosopher, best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan (Hobbes book), Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered t ...
. In his 1651 book, ''
Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...
'', Hobbes famously upholds the notion that a monarchical government is a necessary force in preventing societal instability and "ruin", As a notable contemporary of Cavendish, Hobbes' influence on her political philosophy is apparent. In ''The Blazing World'', Cavendish even directly mentions his name while cataloguing famous writers: "
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...
, Gassendus, Descartes, Helmont, Hobbes, H. More, etc".


Influence

''Blazing World'' was originally published as a conjoined text along with Cavendish's ''Observations on Experimental Philosophy'', which was a direct response to scientist
Robert Hooke Robert Hooke (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath who was active as a physicist ("natural philosopher"), astronomer, geologist, meteorologist, and architect. He is credited as one of the first scientists to investigate living ...
's ''
Micrographia ''Micrographia: or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses. With Observations and Inquiries Thereupon'' is a historically significant book by Robert Hooke about his observations through various lenses. It wa ...
'' which was published only a year before. Advances in the field of science and philosophy in the early modern period had a huge influence on Cavendish and were a major component of ''The Descriptions of a New World, Called the Blazing World''. This influence can be seen directly in ''Blazing World'', with nearly half the book consisting of descriptions of the Blazing World, its people, philosophies, and inventions. One of these inventions is a microscope, which Cavendish critiques alongside the experimental method itself in the ''Blazing World''. This integration of scientific advances could be one of the reasons ''Blazing World'' is considered by some to be the first sci-fi novel. In
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
's graphic novels chronicling the adventures of ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a multi-genre, cross-over comic book series co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The comic book spans four volumes, an original graphic novel, and ...
'', the Blazing World was identified as the self-same idyllic realm from which the extra-dimensional traveller
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, a member of the first League led by Duke Prospero, had come in the late 1680s. The league disbanded when Christian returned to this realm, and it was to where Prospero,
Caliban Caliban ( ), the subhuman son of the sea witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Tempest''. His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own w ...
, and Ariel also departed many years later. In
China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( , born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and Literary criticism, literary critic. He often describes his work as "weird fiction", and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called ...
's '' Un Lun Dun'', a library book entitled ''A London Guide for the Blazing Worlders'' is mentioned, suggesting that travel between the two worlds is not all one-way. J.G. Ballard wrote a quartet of catastrophe novels, three of which echo the title of ''The Blazing World'': ''
The Drowned World ''The Drowned World'' (1962), by J. G. Ballard, is a British science fiction novel that depicts a post-apocalyptic future in which global warming, caused by increased solar radiation, has rendered uninhabitable much of the surface of planet ...
'' (1962), ''The Burning World'' (1964; republished as ''The Drought'' in 1965), and '' The Crystal World'' (1966). In 2014,
Siri Hustvedt Siri Hustvedt (born February 19, 1955) is an American novelist and essayist. Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, seven novels, two books of essays, and several works of non-fiction. Her books include ''The Blindfold'' (1992), ''The Encha ...
published the novel ''The Blazing World'', in which she describes Harriet Burden's brilliant but convoluted attempts at gaining recognition from the male-dominated
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
art scene. Hustvedt has Burden refer to Margaret Cavendish as a rich source of inspiration at many occasions. Nearing the end of her life, Burden is comforted by Cavendish's work: "I am back to my blazing mother Margaret" (p. 348), she writes in her notebook. In 2021,
Carlson Young Carlson Young is an American actress and director. She is known for directing ''The Blazing World (film), The Blazing World'' and ''Upgraded (film), Upgraded'', and for her acting roles in the American version of Disney Channel's ''As the Bell ...
released the film ''
The Blazing World ''The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World'', better known as ''The Blazing World'', is a 1666 work of prose fiction by the English writer Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle. Feminist critic Dale Spender calls it a f ...
'', which she directed, co-wrote, and starred in. The film's credits state that it is "inspired by Margaret Cavendish and other dreams". In 2023 the book was adapted for the stage at
Theater & Orchester Heidelberg Theater & Orchester Heidelberg is a theatre in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the so ...
, Germany. In 2024, Matt Dahan released an episode to his three part radio-musical series, ''Pulp Musicals'', that took inspiration from ''The Blazing World'', along with Margaret Cavendish as a main character.


Notes


References

*''Paper bodies: a Margaret Cavendish reader''. Ed. Sylvia Bowerbank and Sara Mendelson. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2000.


External links

* * * * A digitization of the British Library's copy of ''The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World'' (1668 edition) is available a
Google Books
and th
Internet Archive
both digital copies are indexed under the 1666 edition title ''Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy: To which is Added, the Description of a New Blazing World''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Blazing World, The 1666 novels 1666 in England 1660s science fiction novels 1660s fantasy novels 17th-century English novels Utopian novels British science fiction novels Novels about parallel universes Novels set in the Arctic Utopian fiction Literature by women English satirical novels Works set in North Pole Novels about kidnapping Fiction about deities Kabbalah