Introduction

The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World, better known as The Blazing World, was written by Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle. Published in 1666 and again in 1668, the text’s chronicles a woman’s adventure to and within a fantastical, utopian world—a world whose “blaze” marks enlightenment and progress. Cavendish was deeply interested in science, technology, and discovery: The Blazing World extensively discusses scientific advances and inventions, and both times it was published alongside Observations upon Experimental Philosophy, Cavendish’s scientific response to Micrographia, a work that Royal Society Curator of Experiments Robert Hooke published a year earlier. In both The Blazing World and Observations, Cavendish is critical of Hooke’s experimental method and his use of the microscope.

The Blazing World falls under many different genres. Feminist critic Dale Spender’s foundational 1986 study, Mothers of the Novel: 100 Good Women Writers Before Jane Austen, reclaimed historical women writers; in it, Spender calls The Blazing World a forerunner of science fiction. However, it also features elements of the utopia and travelogue genres popular at the time of writing, as well as philosophical discussions, satire, romance, and fantasy.

Cavendish wrote in many fields and modes, including science, fiction, plays, philosophy, and poetry. During a period when women typically wrote anonymously, Cavendish published under her own name. However, because women authors were often excluded from participating in scientific discussions and considered less serious authors, Cavendish’s work had limited influence on publication. Male contemporaries often dismissed her as eccentric and belittled her output. Recently, the rise of feminist theory and the growing interest in book history have lead to a wider consideration of her work.

The Blazing World has inspired pop culture. Alan Moor’s graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, features a character from The Blazing World. The 2021 film The Blazing World was also inspired by Cavendish’s work.

This study guide uses the 2016 edition, edited by Sara H. Mendelson.

Plot Summary

The prologue divides The Blazing World’s into three parts: a romance, a philosophical discussion, and a fantastical story.

The Romance opens with a merchant from the country of ESFI kidnapping the Lady he loves, even though she does not love him and will not marry him. The merchant’s actions upset the gods, who blow his ship to the North Pole, where his crew freezes to death. The Lady, ship, and dead bodies cross over to another world.

In this world, bear-men hybrids rescue the Lady and care for her in their underground city before bringing her to a warmer island of fox-men, who decide to take the Lady to the Emperor. Their journey takes her through the harmonious lands of many other hybrid animal-men, who all speak the same language, worship the same God, and follow the same king.

The Emperor, who thinks that the Lady is a goddess, marries her and makes her Empress. He gives her absolute power over the Blazing World, ending the Romance.

The Philosophical Treatise begins with discussions between the Empress and her many advisors about the social sciences, including law, religion. The Empress asks questions, offers suggestions, and criticizes some ideas. The Empress then moves onto the natural sciences like astronomy, geology, and medicine. She uses telescopes and microscopes, and engages her advisers in conversation. The discussions then move towards the fantastical, exploring the scientific possibilities of transmutation, immortality, and monsters. The final discussion topics are math, oration, and logic. While she admires the mathematicians, the Empress chastises the orators and banishes the logicians.

The Empress next evaluates the Blazing World’s religion. Deciding that its tenets are incorrect, she decides to impose her own religion. By preaching compellingly and building churches, she ultimately converts all without violence or force.

Homesick for ESFI, the Empress wonders if she can learn about what is happening in her old world, so she seeks information from immaterial spirits with extensive knowledge. She then asks them questions about religion, but when announces her intention to make a Jewish Kabbalah, the spirits immediately disappear. The Empress concludes that their disappearance must be a punishment for giving her answers. Feeling guilty, the Empress has worm-men and fly-men find the spirits. When the spirits return, they agree to help her write a Kabbalah, offering up the Duchess of Newcastle (thus, Cavendish herself) as a scribe, ending the Philosophical Treatise.

As the Fantastical Story begins, the Empress and the Duchess decide to write a poetic Kabbalah that goes past what is known. The two women become close friends. The Empress asks the immaterial spirits to make the Duchess a Blazing World empress, but the spirits explain suggest that the Duchess instead create an imagined celestial world to rule. The Duchess and the Empress create many worlds.

The Duchess describes her world’s government and laws to the Empress, painting a picture of a divided and violent place. The Empress asks the spirits to place her soul in the Duchess’s body so that the Empress can visit the Duchess’s world. The women then visit England, where they watch a play, meet the royal family, and reunite the Duchess with her husband. The Duchess asks the Empress to help the Duke get a fair deal with Fortune, which requires a hearing in the Blazing World. The Duke sends Prudence and Honesty to plead his case; however, in the Blazing World, Fortune refuses to listen, so the women convince Truth to be the judge. Despite many virtues speaking in the Duke defense, no decision is reached.

As the Duchess prepares to leave the Blazing World, the Empress asks for advice on ruling. The Duchess suggests reverting to the old unified system. The Empress somewhat reluctantly agrees. The Empress and Duchess pledge to remain Platonic friends. The first part of the text ends.

As the second part of the text opens, the Empress follows the Duchess’s advice: She returns the Blazing World’s laws and religions to their original peaceful state.

The spirits inform the Empress that ESFI has been destroyed by war. Upset, the Empress wishes she could send troops back to help, but this is impossible. Seeing her distress, the Emperor suggests sending spirits, but they do not participate in violence. The Emperor, out of ideas, suggests that she consult the Duchess. The Duchess and the Empress plan an invasion. They will use special Blazing World stones that burn when wet as weapons and torches. Using other fantastical technology, the Empress and her army leave for the old world.

The Empress, dressed in jewels and star-stone, arrives at the battlefront. ESFI’s army decides that she is an angel. The Empress promises ESFI’s king that she will help him become the world’s most powerful leader, then she uses fire stones to subdue the attackers until the king has complete control of the world. The Empress, her animal-men, and various princes celebrate all night. The Empress promises the king of ESFI her ongoing assistance.

The Duchess and the Empress depart for the Blazing World. During the trip back, they talk about both frivolous and serious matters. When they return to the palace, the Empress joyously reunites with the Emperor. This reunion causes the Duchess to want to return to the Duke, but the Emperor requests she remain a while. The Emperor and Empress praise the Duchess’s work and ask theatrical advice, so the Duchess offers to put on a play when she visits next.

The Duchess returns to her world. Lamenting the lack of passage between the worlds, she tells the Duke and her friends about her adventure in the Blazing World. She reflects on their discussions and the world itself, ending the Fantastical Story.

In an epilogue, Cavendish describes how she created a world built of rational thought and encourages readers to imagine their own perfect worlds, as long as they don’t try to usurp her world or that of the Empress.