Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions — Have you read it? (1 Viewer)

[Laron]

The book Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, written back in 1884, was recommended early on in Tom Campbell's My Big TOE Trilogy. (Click here to find out more about Tom based on a recent article on transients) Tom said that it was a good book to understand how dimensions work and would help his readers progress further within My Big TOE. I never read it while reading MBT, as I felt I had enough knowledge and direct experience to keep be going, but I did plan to read it at a later date.

I was wondering if anyone here has read it and what you thought about it?

The author is Edwin A. Abbott, an English schoolmaster and theologian, and is best known as the author of this book.

Edwin A. Abbott​

Here area couple of descriptions about this book:

Wikipedia: "Abbott's best-known work is his 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions which describes a two-dimensional world and explores the nature of dimensions. It has often been categorized as science fiction although it could more precisely be called "mathematical fiction". With the advent of modern science fiction from the 1950s to the present day, Flatland has seen a revival in popularity, especially among science fiction and cyberpunk fans. Many works have been inspired by the novella, including novel sequels and short films."

Amazon Review: "This masterpiece of science (and mathematical) fiction is a delightfully unique and highly entertaining satire that has charmed readers for more than 100 years. The work of English clergyman, educator and Shakespearean scholar Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926), it describes the journeys of A. Square, a mathematician and resident of the two-dimensional Flatland, where women-thin, straight lines-are the lowliest of shapes, and where men may have any number of sides, depending on their social status.

Through strange occurrences that bring him into contact with a host of geometric forms, Square has adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions) and ultimately entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions—a revolutionary idea for which he is returned to his two-dimensional world. Charmingly illustrated by the author, Flatland is not only fascinating reading, it is still a first-rate fictional introduction to the concept of the multiple dimensions of space. "Instructive, entertaining, and stimulating to the imagination." — Mathematics Teacher."
​

 

[Linda]

I've heard about it from a few people. I thought I'd read it, but when I found it online, I realized that I had not.
I may have confused it with Harry Nilsson's movie, The Point.

 

[Lila]

I liked it for its language and ideas on how to explain dimension or levels of complexity. I think it would be an excellent first text to introduce someone to these ideas. The author cleverly uses the idea of the protagonist going from the 2D to the 1D world as a backdrop for then taking the protagonist to the world of 3D (Spaceland). This allows for analogy of the concept of how one cannot readily conceive of a higher dimensional state without some experience of it... as well as how such 'heresy' is likely to be treated societally.

I can see why Tom Campbell recommended it where he did.