her blazing world

I'm also dipping in and out of Margaret Cavendish's The Blazing-World and it is frequently hilarious. I love Virginia but she did "Mad Madge" a real disservice. Take just the opening of her book of "Atomic Poems":

I cannot say, I have not heard of Atomes, and Figures, and  
Motions and Matter; but not throughly reason'd on: but if I do erre,
it is no great matter; for my Discourse of them is not to be ac-
counted Authentick: so if there be any thing worthy of no-
ting, it is a good Chance; if not, there is no harm done, nor
time lost. For I had nothing to do when I wrot it, and I sup-
pose those have nothing, or little e'se to do, that read it. And
the Reason why I write it in Verse, is, because I thought Er-
rours might better passe there, then in Prose; since Poets write

most Fiction, and Fiction is not given for Truth, but Pastime;
and I feare my Atomes will be as small Pastime, as themselves:
for nothing can be lesse then an Atome. But my desire that
they should please the Readers, is as big as the World the
make; and my Feares are of the same bulk; yet my Hopes fall to
a single Atome agen: and so shall I remaine an unsettled Atome,
or a confus'd heape, till I heare my Censure. If I be prais'd, it
fixes them; but if I am condemn'd, I shall be Annihilated to
nothing: but my Ambition is such, as I would either be a
World, or nothing.