Audio only
Length4h 16m
About this audiobook
In 1666, the same year that Newton graduated Cambridge, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, wrote "A Description of A New World, Called the Blazing-World", better known as "The Blazing World". An early work of science fiction, this short novel touches on alchemy, the occult, religion and philosophy, moving between topics — and accuracy, in the light of modern understanding — at a dizzying pace. Like her contemporary Newton’s writings, which ranged from physics to alchemy, Cavendish’s work showed the transition in thought from ancient philosophy to modern ideas that was the hallmark of the scientific revolution.
In "The Blazing World", a woman from our world is kidnapped by a suitor on a boat, his plan goes awry, the boat’s crew dies, and the woman is transported to another world as she rounds the Earth’s pole. The world she is transported to is the eponymous and fantastical Blazing World. There she becomes empress of the Blazing World through marriage. The core plot unfolds in a space scarcely larger than its summary. The empress and Cavendish herself later interact, mediated by spirits. The women become fast friends, platonic lovers, and travel to each other’s worlds.
"The Blazing World" is a feminist work. It was written by a female author in the 17th century under her own name, to an audience of women, about women characters discussing topics of natural philosophy in a fantastical setting. The work is subversive, exploring Platonic love in scenes which feature without judgement homosexuality, androgyny and polyamory.
(Source: medium.com)
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.4 (5.6K)
Includes Goodreads, StoryGraph, LibraryThing, Amazon
GenreScience Fiction, Literary Classics, Dystopia
Length4 hrs 16 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 12, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1To The Duchesse of Newcastle, On Her New Blazing-World
2To all Noble and Worthy Ladies
3The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World (pt. 1)
4The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World (pt. 2)
5The Second Part of the Description of the New Blazing-World
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6The Epilogue to the Reader
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