In the pantheon of popular books about mathematics, one would be hard-pressed to name another that has lasted so long in popularity or had such a dramatic impact. Flatland helped to set the stage for many of the scientific advances to come. Abbott’s work provided a simple story that allowed lay audiences to grasp the idea of dimensions beyond the familiar three. At that time, there was substantial interest in the idea of higher dimensions, both within the scientific community and also in the more general population. It was both an introduction to the notion of higher dimensions and a satire of Victorian society and norms.
In 1884, the English minister, headmaster, and biblical and Shakespearean scholar Edwin Abbott Abbott produced a thin volume titled Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.
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