Blazing World (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket) cover

Blazing World (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)

by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle

A young lady is abducted by sea and finds herself transported into a new world where the blazing stars make night as bright as day. She marries the world’s Emperor, becoming Empress, and through consultation with many creatures and immaterial spirits she elaborates on contemporary scientific and philosophical topics. The story presents the view that a society with a unified language and religion can be made orderly under the rule of a benevolent monarch. Margaret Cavendish , the Duchess of Newcastle, plays her own part in the story by providing advice and showing the Empress around her own world. The Blazing World was written in 1666, a few years after the restoration of the British monarchy. With its fantastic setting, the book is considered an early forerunner of the science fiction genre.

More by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?