Margaret Cavendish, (Colchester, 1623 – Welbeck Abbey, 1673) was a 17th-century aristocrat. A Duchess from Newcastle, she took part in some of the most important scientific debates of her time. Despite not being admitted to the Royal Society, she was once allowed to attend a meeting. She wrote several scientific works and authored one of the first science fiction novels. She was especially critical of the belief that humans were the masters of nature.