Aphra Behn (1640 1689) and Margaret Cavendish (1623 1673) were two of the boldest women authors of seventeenthcentury England. They made gestures toward a utopian future involving female emancipation and gender agreement, but depicted a world too complex for simple answers.

In the first book-length exploration of the two authors together, Holmesland reevaluates the nature of utopianism in the writings of both, considering a wide range of their literary output. Both writers try to avoid fixed positions, exploring areas in between, seeking mediating solutions through "utopian...