Of Many Worlds in This World

Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623-15 December 1673) was an English aristocrat, a prolific writer, and a scientist. Born Margaret Lucas, she became the second wife of William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1645, when he was a marquess. Cavendish was a poet, philosopher, writer of prose romances, essayist, and playwright who published under her own name at a time when most women writers published anonymously. Her writing addressed a number of topics, including gender, power, manners, scientific method, and animal protection. Her romance, The Blazing World, is one of the earliest examples of science fiction. She has been claimed as an advocate for animals and as an early opponent of animal testing. Cavendish was the only known seventeenth century woman to publish numerous books on natural philosophy.