Flächenland (1884)

I think this book was meant to be a teaching essay and thought experiment in the old tradition, but now it reads mostly as a Victorian man's utopian/distopian cultural fantasy. Scientific discussion is a fairly small part of the book. ( )

Listened to as part of Craftlit podcast.

I hadn't read this thin mathematical dystopia for many years, and it was fun to come back to it. It weaves together ideas of strict pre-determined class systems, huge gender inequalities, a brutal state, and how to visualise extra dimensions. Enjoyed again. ( )

Die Idee dahinter ist hervorragend - der literarische Weg dagegen leider eher holprig. ( )

A satire of Victorian cultural norms, it's the story of a denizen of a two dimensional world, a square by the name A. Square. The first half skewers the class system and the deplorable condition of women. Going into this book, I thought it was only a satire of the class system, so I initially believed the misogyny was merely background noise. After a few pages though, it became so outrageous that I realized it was also satirical. Bravo, M Abbot. At the end there's some stuff about art, science, and individual expression, but I'm not sure how successful that was/is.
The second half concerns A Square's dream of a one dimensional world, and a forced journey to 3D world wherein he can see the nature of his own world. This forms the background into some pointed questions about political authority and religious veracity, especially when Square attempts to get a 3D Sphere to contemplate a 4th dimension. It's a bit forced, and is less satire and more questioning, but I think it still works.
4 stars oc, 3.5 for the book, and an extra .5 because my copy smells fantastic. ( )