Good evening and welcome to boring books for bedtime. I hope tonight's installment provides all the boredom your busy brain needs to quiet down and let you get some sleep for once. So lie back, adjust your

volume. Take a nice deep breath.

And off we go.

This evening we're reading one of the original works of science fiction and fantasy.

It's the description of a new world called the blazing world, written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle, printed by A Maxwell in the year 1668.

Let's begin. To the Duchess of Newcastle on her new blazing world, our elder world with all their skill and arts, could but divide the world into three parts.

Columbus, then for navigation famed, found a new world, America tis named. Now this new world America tis named now this new world was found it was not made only discovered lying in time's shade

Then what are you having no chaos found to make a world or any such

least ground? But your creating fancy thought it fit,

to make your world of nothing but pure wit.

Your blazing world beyond the stars mounts higher

enlightens all with with a Celestial Fire, William Newcastle.

To all noble and worthy ladies, this present description of a new world was made as an appendix to my observations

upon experimental philosophy, and having some sympathy and coherence with each other,

were joined together as two several worlds

at their two poles.

But, by reason most ladies take no delight in philosophical arguments.

I separated some from the mentioned observations and caused them to go out by themselves

that I might express my respects in presenting to them such fancies as my

contemplations did afford.

The first part is romancical, the second philosophical, and the third is merely fancy or as I may call it

fantastical and if noble ladies you should chance to take pleasure in reading these fancies, I shall account myself a happy

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