In 1666, the same year that Newton graduated Cambridge, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, wrote &quot;<i>A Description of A New World, Called the Blazing-World</i>&quot;, better known as &quot;The Blazing World&quot;. An early work of science fiction, this short novel touches on alchemy, the occult, religion and philosophy, moving between topics &mdash; and accuracy, in the light of modern understanding &mdash; at a dizzying pace. Like her contemporary Newton&rsquo;s writings, which ranged from physics to alchemy, Cavendish&rsquo;s work showed the transition in thought from ancient philosophy to modern ideas that was the hallmark of the scientific revolution.<br /><br />In &quot;The Blazing World&quot;, a woman from our world is kidnapped by a suitor on a boat, his plan goes awry, the boat&rsquo;s crew dies, and the woman is transported to another world as she rounds the Earth&rsquo;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&rsquo;s worlds.<br /><br />&quot;The Blazing World&quot; 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.<br /><br />(<i>Source: medium.com</i>)