"When Professor Hess stumbles across an unusual letter to the editor in an art journal, he is surprised to have known so little about the brilliant and mysterious artist it describes, the late Harriet Burden. Intrigued by her story, and by the explosive scandal surrounding her legacy, he begins to interview those who knew her, hoping to separate fact from fiction, only to find himself tumbling down a rabbit's hole of personal and psychological intrigue"--
Flamboyant, theatrical and ambitious, Margaret Cavendish was one of the seventeenth century's most striking figures: a woman who ventured into the male spheres of politics, science, philosophy and literature. The Blazing World is a highly original work: part Utopian fiction, part feminist text, it tells of a lady shipwrecked on the Blazing World where she is made Empress and uses her power to ensure that it is free of war, religious division and unfair sexual discrimination. This volume also includes The Contract, a romance in which love and law work harmoniously together, and Assaulted and Pursued Chastity, which explores the power and freedom a woman can achieve in the disguise of a man.
1666 Dystopian Science Fiction, Woman Author The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World. A Merchant travelling into a foreign Country, fell extreamly in Love with a young Lady; but being a stranger in that Nation, and beneath her, both in Birth and Wealth, he could have but little hopes of obtaining his desire; however his Love growing more and more vehement upon him, even to the slighting of all difficulties, he resolved at last to Steal her away; which he had the better opportunity to do, because her Father's house was not far from the Sea, and she often using to gather shells upon the shore accompanied not with above two to three of her servants it encouraged him the more to execute his design. Thus coming one time with a little leight Vessel, not unlike a Packet-boat, mann'd with some few Sea-men, and well victualled, for fear of some accidents, which might perhaps retard their journey, to the place where she used to repair; he forced her away...
This collection contains nine works by early female science fiction authors, including The Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World, often considered the first piece of science fiction literature. Also included are works by Mary Shelley, Edith Nesbit, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Francis Stevens, and more.
First published in 1666, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle’s Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World is the first fictional portrayal of women and the new science. In Blazing World, Cavendish depicts her heroine, the Empress, in multiple roles. The Empress is leader of a dreamlike utopian world reachable through the North Pole, filled with talking animals and intelligent hybrid creatures. She establishes a royal society of scientists, initiates learned conferences, interrogates existing knowledge, and spends her days speculating on natural philosophy. She also forms a lively intellectual collaboration with the “Duchess of Newcastle,” a female character summoned from Earth. A companion volume to Cavendish’s important Observations upon Experimental Philosophy, Blazing World is the first science-fiction novel known to have been written and published by a woman, and represents a pioneering female scientific utopia. This Broadview Edition includes related historical materials on the new science and Cavendish’s role in the intellectual world of her time.
AN ECONOMIST AND NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A fresh, exciting, “readable and informative” history (The New York Times) of seventeenth-century England, a time of revolution when society was on fire and simultaneously forging the modern world. • “Recapture[s] a lost moment when a radically democratic commonwealth seemed possible.”—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker “[Healy] makes a convincing argument that the turbulent era qualifies as truly ‘revolutionary,’ not simply because of its cascading political upheavals, but in terms of far-reaching changes within society.... Wryly humorous and occasionally bawdy”— The Wall Street Journal The seventeenth century was a revolutionary age for the English. It started as they suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and it ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, England suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time—for the only time in history—England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and Parliament asserted itself like never before. There were no boundaries to politics. In fiery, plague-ridden London, in coffee shops and alehouses, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist, and almost impossible for monarchs to control. But the story of this century is less well known than it should be. Myths have grown around key figures. People may know about the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, but the Civil War is a half-remembered mystery to many. And yet the seventeenth century has never seemed more relevant. The British constitution is once again being bent and contorted, and there is a clash of ideologies reminiscent of when Roundhead fought Cavalier. The Blazing World is the story of this strange, twisting, fascinating century. It shows a society in sparkling detail. It was a new world of wealth, creativity, and daring curiosity, but also of greed, pugnacious arrogance, and colonial violence.
To what extent is a great comic writer the product of his time? How far is he (or she) influenced by factors of personal psychology upbringing and environment? To what is the writing actually part of a long continuum in which there is continuity within change and change within continuity? The Progress of Fun considers principally the last of these areas, focussing on the case of W.S. Gilbert and challenging the frequently held view that he is pre-eminently a typical Victorian. This it does by tracing his roots back to Ancient Greek comedy and to the various comedic developments that have dominated Western Europe thereafter. Also included is a careful examination of the constraints and limitations that in various forms have long affected comedy-writing, and an evaluation of Gilbert’s particular skills and legacy within the on-going process. The whole is a suitable prelude to a second volume (Pipes and Tabors) which will consider Genre in W.S. Gilbert, again relating it to comedic precedents and the universally timeless within the particular.
Explore Sanskrit literature, the classical language of India, representing a rich cultural tradition from the time of the Vedas in the second millennium BC until Late Antiquity. The leading works of Indian epic poetry are the ‘Ramayana’ and the ‘Mahabharata’, as well as The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature and Sangam literature. These texts are among some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature's finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents a comprehensive range of Sanskrit epics, including the complete ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’, with illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to the leading works of Sanskrit epic poetry * Concise introduction to the epic poems * Complete ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’, with scholarly footnotes * Excellent formatting of the poems * Rare other Sanskrit epics appearing for the first time in digital publishing - explore the rich heritage of Sanskrit literature * Easily locate the sections you want to read * Features a biography on the leading poet Kalidasa * Bonus text of Arthur Anthony Macdonell’s ‘A History of Sanskrit Literature’ * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to see our wide range of poet titles CONTENTS: The Hindu Itihasa Ramayana by Valmiki (Translated by Ralph Thomas Hotchkin) Mahabharata by Vyasa (Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli) Other Sanskrit Epics Buddhacharita by Asvaghosa (Translated by E. B. Cowell) Saundarananda by Asvaghosa (Translated by E. H. Johnston) Selections from ‘Raghuvamsha’ by Kalidasa (Translated by Arthur W. Ryder) Selections from ‘Kumarasambhava’ by Kalidasa (Translated by Arthur W. Ryder) Shishupala Vadha by Magha (Cantos I-IV) (Translated by M. S. Bhandare) Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi (Translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt) Bhattikavya by Bhatti (Canto I) (Anonymous translation 1867) The Biographies A History of Sanskrit Literature by Arthur Anthony Macdonell Kalidasa: His Life and Writings by Arthur W. Ryder Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of poetry titles or buy the entire Delphi Poets Series as a Super Set
The Complete Works of Rudyard Kipling (Illustrated) is a comprehensive collection of the renowned author's literary works, showcasing his diverse writing styles and deep understanding of the human experience. Kipling's masterful use of language and vivid imagery transports readers to the far-flung corners of the British Empire, where his stories are often set. From his iconic poem 'If' to his classic novel 'Kim', this collection offers a rich tapestry of Kipling's literary genius. The inclusion of illustrations adds an extra layer of richness to the reading experience, bringing Kipling's characters and settings to life. With themes of imperialism, identity, and morality woven throughout his works, Kipling's writing continues to captivate readers and scholars alike. Rudyard Kipling, a product of British colonialism in India, drew heavily from his own experiences in the Empire to craft his tales. His unique perspective as an outsider looking in offered insights into the complexities of power dynamics and cultural clashes. Kipling's work reflects the political and social climate of his time, offering a valuable lens through which to examine history and human nature. I highly recommend The Complete Works of Rudyard Kipling (Illustrated) to readers who appreciate rich storytelling, nuanced characters, and thought-provoking themes. This collection is a treasure trove of literary gems that will leave a lasting impact on anyone who delves into Kipling's world.
A study of the scientist in Western culture, from medieval images of alchemists to present-day depictions of cyberpunks and genetic engineers. They were mad, of course. Or evil. Or godless, amoral, arrogant, impersonal, and inhuman. At best, they were well intentioned but blind to the dangers of forces they barely controlled. They were Faust, Frankenstein, Jekyll, Moreau, Caligari, Strangelove—the scientists of film and fiction, cultural archetypes that reflected ancient fears of tampering with the unknown or unleashing the little-understood powers of nature. In From Madman to Crime Fighter, Roslynn D. Haynes analyzes stereotypical characters—including the mad scientist, the cold-blooded pursuer of knowledge, the intrepid pathbreaker, and the bumbling fool—that, from medieval times to the present day, have been used to depict the scientist in Western literature and film. She also describes more realistically drawn scientists, characters who are conscious of their public responsibility to expose dangers from pollution and climate change yet fearful of being accused of lacking evidence. Drawing on examples from Britain, America, Germany, France, Russia, and elsewhere, Haynes explores the persistent folklore of mad doctors of science and its relation to popular fears of a depersonalized, male-dominated, and socially irresponsible pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. She concludes that today’s public response to science and scientists—much of it negative—is best understood by recognizing the importance of such cultural archetypes and their significance as myth. From Madman to Crime Fighter is the most comprehensive study of the image of the scientist in Western literature and film.
