The Blazing World

Although readers may come away from this book thinking Cavendish wants to be Empress of the world, Cavendish explains that the real purpose of the book was create from scratch a world built of rational thought. Not only did she do it faster than Alexander or Caesar could conquer the world, she also did it with less destruction and death. Her world is peaceful and harmonious. Rational people, not military or political figures, are at the forefront of her world, and she is its ultimate hero. She encourages her readers to imagine their own perfect worlds, as long as they don’t try to usurp her world or that of the Empress, to whom she pledges her Platonic loyalty.