Originally Published In: 1983 Barnes and Nobel Edition

Abstract of Foreword: Asimov briefly explains why Flatland remains today one of the best introductions to the 'manner of perceiving dimensions.' He then goes on to discuss the problem of limitations on the human mind, asserting that Flatland serves to question the limitations in relation to mathematical, physical, and social issues. Additionally, Asimov describes Abbott as a 'grave and serious Shakespearian scholar' and seems to overlook Flatland's satirical elements that question various aspects of Victorian society.

Excerpt: A little over a century ago, Flatland was published anonymously. It was a book written for amusement (his own, as well as that of his readers) by a grave and serious Shakespearian scholar, Edwin A. Abbott. So exuberant was its demonstration of imaginative power and so Swiftian its satirical description of an alien society that it achieved a popularity that has never diminished.

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