Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

Name: Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Author: Edwin Abbott Abbott

By Edwin Abbott Abbott

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

British Literature Novels Science-Fiction & Fantasy

About This Book

A square-shaped resident of a rigidly stratified two-dimensional society recounts life in a planar world governed by geometric caste, strict customs, and suppression of novelty. After encountering a three-dimensional visitor, he gains the ability to conceive of a higher spatial dimension and tries to convince his fellow citizens, provoking disbelief and punitive measures. The narrative mixes satirical portraits of social hierarchy and gender norms with clear-minded thought experiments and geometric explanation, using imagined cross-sections and dialogues to illuminate perception and the limits of accepted knowledge. It closes with the narrator's marginalization and a restrained appeal for openness to larger perspectives.

About the Author

Edwin Abbott Abbott

Edwin Abbott Abbott was an English schoolmaster, theologian, and author, best known for his satirical novella "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions." Published in 1884, this work cleverly explores the nature of dimensions and societal hierarchy through the eyes of a two-dimensional square. Abbott's writing often combined elements of mathematics and philosophy, reflecting his interests in both education and spirituality. In addition to "Flatland," he authored several other notable works, including "How to Write Clearly: Rules and Exercises on English Composition" and religious texts such as "Onesimus: Memoirs of a Disciple of St. Paul." His contributions to literature and thought continue to resonate in discussions of geometry and social commentary.