Planilandia

Flatland is not so much a novel, and not so much a short story, as it is a thought experiment exploring in anthropological detail (sometimes to its own detriment) the nature of a two-dimensionalworld and the transformation of one of its moderate citizens, A. Square, via a series of revelations about other dimensions, including the wondrous third. At times bitingly satirical, and at otherstedious, the story works best when A. Square undergoes his revelations and suffers penalties for trying to enlighten his two-dimensional brethren. A satisfying character study this is not, but rather aclever angle on dimension that should satisfy those willing to explore a science fiction classic from way back (1884!) that relies more upon speculative ideas and less upon the gee-whiz factor of morepopular fare.

Okay, so what does that mean? Approximately the first half of the little book is taken up with A. Square explaining to a three-dimensional readership what it is like to live inFlatland, and though the notes concerning social organization and cultural conduct are at times amusing, especially as related to the social hierarchy built upon the regularity of the sides and angles of thevarious solids that comprise the humanity of Flatland (from, for instance, the lowly isosceles triangles to the moderate squares to the superior circles), much of this simply goes on too long toremain compelling. Then there is the matter of the women of Flatland, sure to enrage feminist readers everywhere because of the low regard held for their social and intellectual development, a matterdirectly related to and in keeping with the nature of their shape, which is rather needle-like, thus necessitating the ever-vocalized peace cry so as to avert accidental disaster should an unwary travelercome into contact with one of their pointy ends. The rather phrenological rules regarding the nature of personality come out here in fullest force, no doubt due to the danger presented by women to...