Edwin A. Abbott

'Upward, yet not Northward.' How would a creature limited to two dimensions be able to grasp the possibility of a third? Edwin A. Abbott's droll and delightful 'romance of many dimensions' explores this conundrum in the experiences of his protagonist, A Square, whose linear world is invaded by an emissary Sphere bringing the gospel of the third dimension on the eve of the new millennium. Part geometry lesson, part social satire, this classic work of science fiction brilliantly succeeds in enlarging all readers' imaginations beyond the limits of our 'respective dimensional prejudices'. In a world where class is determined by how many sides you possess, and women are straight lines, the prospects for enlightenment are boundless, and Abbott's hypotheses about a fourth and higher dimensions seem startlingly relevant today. This new edition of Flatland illuminates the social and intellectual context that produced the work as well as the timeless questions that it raises about the limits of our perception and knowledge. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

In this work about a land of two dimensions we have at once social satire, as pointed today as when it was written, and insights into theoretical science. The author, posing as a square inhabitant of Flatland, first describes his country. Then he tells of his visions of Lineland and Pointland, his trip to Spaceland, and his fate when he preaches the Third dimension in Flatland. Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926) was headmaster at City of London School. He was Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge in 1876 and Select Preacher at Oxford in the succeeding year. He retired in 1889, devoting himself to literary and theological pursuits. Dr. Abbott's liberal inclinations in theology were prominent both in his educational views and in his books. His 'Shakespearean Grammar' (1870) is a permanent contribution to English philology. In 1885 he published a life of Francis Bacon.

The primary content of this volume is a set of indexes to Abbott's six-volume work Diatesserica. Included in those indexes are English, Greek, and Hebrew terms, as well as New Testament citations. In addition to the indexes, Abott includes a 53-page Specimen of Research. This is a study of Josephus's treatment of the Old Testament narrative on the sweetening of the waters at Marah in the book of Numbers. Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926) took first class honors in classics, mathematics, and theology at St. John's College, University of Cambridge. The diversity of his academic interests was manifested in his publications. In addition to works in biblical studies, he also published works on Shakespeare, historical theology, a biography of Francis Bacon, and a satirical novel ('Flatland').He is also the author 'The Fourfold Gospel, ' 'Johannine Vocabulary, ' and 'Johannine Grammar.'

This highly original and entertaining short novel (which has been in print continually since its original publication in 1884) tells the story of A. Square, an inhabitant of the two-dimensional world Flatland. After an overview of Flatland society in all its aspects, A. Square recounts how he was led on a series of visions and travels to Pointland, Lineland, and Spaceland by A. Sphere on the last day of Flatland's year 1999. Through his encounters with these other lands, A. Square realizes that there is indeed more to the universe than the world he lives in. A. Sphere opens A. Square's mind to new possibilities, illuminating the path to knowledge through careful observation and commonsense experimentation. But when A. Square can be contented no longer with what he has already seen, he dreams of visiting a land of four dimensions, the so-called Thoughtland. As in real life, such desires are met with sometimes-violent opposition from society's leaders in the name of maintaining the status quo. Victorian clergyman and Shakespearean scholar Edwin Abbott penned this mathematical allegory about the dawn of reason seemingly in response to the puritanical environment of his era. Touching on themes of humanity's insatiable quest for truth, authority's tendency to squash radical ideas born from this quest, and the necessity of curiosity, Flatland is an odd and charming little book whose impact far surpasses its concise prose.

Den moderna klassikern tankeexperimentromanen Flatland av Edwin A Abbott tar oss med på en resa till det alldeles platta landet, världen med bara två dimensioner. Varelserna i Flatland är geometriska figurer - streck, trianglar, kvadrater osv, som rör sig på landets yta. Eftersom allting är alldeles platt och eftersom varelserna har sina ögon precis i nivå med denna platta yta och inte kan höja sig upp över ytan ens en liten aning för att betrakta någonting uppifrån ser allting i Flatland vid en första anblick likadant ut, som anonyma platta streck, som diskreta förtjockningar i själva horisontlinjen. Det är först när man kommer så nära en annan varelse att man kan känna om figuren har hörn som man kan avgöra vilken sorts varelse det är.

Through the eyes of its narrator A Square, this novel implicitly satirizes a Victorian society in the grips of extraordinarily rapid change.

Classic of science (and mathematical) fiction — charmingly illustrated by author — describes the journeys of A. Square and his adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions). A. Square also entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions — a revolutionary idea for which he is banished from Spaceland.

In the first work, A. Square meets a tragic fate when he dares to inform the inhabitants of his two-dimensional universe that there is a third and fourth dimension, and in the second work, an inhabitant of a two-dimensional world discovers curved surfaces.