Book cover for Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott
2023 Released
160 Pages
2-3 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Audiobook Unavailable
Waking Lion PressISBN 9781434105196

Flatland is uniquely both a social critique and a primer on multi-dimensional geometry. Written in two parts in 1884 by Edwin A. Abbott, an English mathematician and theologian, it tells the story of a square living in Flatland: a two-dimensional realm. After a dream of a restrictive one-dimensional existence and the difficulties this poses, he is visited by a sphere from a three-dimensional space who wishes to enlighten him into the ways of "Upward, yet not Northward."

Edwin A. Abbott wrote other theological fiction and non-fiction (including several biographies), but he is best remembered for Flatland. While it was mostly forgotten after publication, it received a revived interest from the 1960s onwards, and has more recently had several sequels and film adaptations.

Complete and unabridged, with the original illustrations by the author. Newly designed and typeset. Printed on acid-free, archival-quality paper for durability and long life.

Edwin Abbott Abbott

Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838-1926) was an author, schoolmaster, Anglican priest, and theologian. Born in London, he excelled at both the City of London School and St. John's College, taking the highest honors in classics, mathematics, and theology. After retiring as the headmaster of the City of London School (a position he earned at the age of 26) in 1889, he dedicated his life to literary and theological pursuits. Beyond expounding on his open-minded approach to theology, he also wrote a Shakespearean Grammar that is still considered to be a central piece of English philology. He is best remembered for his 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, an evergreen piece of proto-Science Fiction that still inspires authors and readers to this day.

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