Flatland
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (1884) is a classic 19th century short story by Edwin Abbott Abbott, still popular among mathematics and computer science students, and considered useful reading for people studying topics such as the concept of other dimensions. As a piece of literature, Flatland is respected for its satire on the social heirarchy of Victorian society.
Illustration of a house in Flatland.
The story posits a world that exists only in two dimensions, and our narrator, a humble square, guides us through some of the implications of that. He is visited by a three-dimensional sphere, which he cannot comprehend until he sees the third dimension for himself. The role of women is explained, along with a class system, both of which are a satire of Victorian society at the time.
Sequels
Numerous companions to Flatland have been written by various authors, including:
