Quintus Junius Silanus, born 90 a.d., goes from Rome at the suggestion of his old friend Marcus Æmilius Scaurus, to attend the lectures of Epictetus in Nicopolis about 118 a.d. Scaurus (like Silanus, an imaginary character) born about 50 a.d., is a disabled soldier, and has been for many years a student of miscellaneous Greek literature, including Christian writings. In reply to a letter from Silanus, extolling his new teacher, Scaurus expresses his belief that Epictetus has passed through a stage of infection with “the Christian superstition,” from which he has borrowed some parts of the superstructure while rejecting its foundation. Edwin Abbott Abbott, (20 December 1838 – 12 October 1926) was an English schoolmaster and theologian, best known as the author of the novella Flatland (1884).

Flatland is at the same time a science fiction and a mathematical fiction novella ; the author uses his descriptions of a two-dimensional universe to paint the Victorian society in a satirical way. Square, the main character, is a geometrical form who will encounter many adventures in three worlds, all defined by their number of dimensions : where Spaceland has three dimensions, Lineland consists of only one, and Pointland has absolutely none. But Square has a dream : visiting an unknown land which is rumored to have four dimensions. He will discover that all dreams are not tolerated in his world. What will he try to do to accomplish his dream ? This book contains all of the original illustrations. Go ahead and dive into the many dimensions of this timeless story about shapes and ideas.