Discussion Literature / Flatland

There are many adaptational tropes listed here that are not found in this work but in the various adaptations of Flatland. I am removing them, but keeping them here for reference.

• Adaptational Heroism: Abbot Square in Flatland: The Movie is far more accepting of the idea of 3D and assists his brother in helping spread the message.
• Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole:
  • Flatland: The Film has a setting update from Victorian England to modern day U.S. so why does the "President" still wear a crown?
  • Flatland: The Movie has objects that don't make sense in a 2D world, such as pink unicorn dolls, a fishtank, and skateboards.
• Adaptational Intelligence: In both 2007 adaptations, females are not nearly as braindead as they are in the book.
• Adaptation Name Change:
  • Flatland: The Film:
    • Pantocyclus to President Circle.
    • Lord Sphere to CEO A. Sphere.
  • Flatland: The Movie:
    • A. Square to Arthur Square.
    • B. Square to Abbot Square.
    • Lord Sphere to Spherius.
• Adaptation Species Change:
  • Chromatistes is changed from a pentagon to an "irregular" in Flatland: The Film. A. Square also only has one hexagonal child, with the other being changed to a pentagon.
  • In Flatland: The Movie females are the same shapes as the males.
• Adaptational Villainy:
  • B. Square in Flatland: The Film is the one responsible for planning the Chromatist massacre (and thus causing the ensuing riot) and later tries to kill his brother in prison.
  • Pantocyclus was originally mostly a Well-Intentioned Extremist, and had legitimate reasons to fear chromatism and 3D. Even in the Darker and Edgier Flatland: The Film he had the occasional Pet the Dog moment. In Flatland: The Movie on the other hand, he has the purely selfish motivation of keeping the circles on the top of the food chain and also has Arthur sentenced to death as opposed to imprisonment.
• Age Lift: Hex is A. Square's son as opposed to Grandson in Flatland: The Film. In this case the extra side is explained as the result of being born with a deformity.
• Animated Adaptation: Oddly, two were released in the same year (2007). Flatland: The Film was a feature-length indie film. Flatland: the Movie was a big-budgeted edutainment short with an All-Star Cast.
• Fan Sequel: Given that Abbott's book is now in the public domain, several authors have tried their hand at this:
  • "Sphereland: A Fantasy About Curved Spaces and an Expanding Universe" by Dionys Burger. It features A. Square's grandson and tries to explain curved spaces and expanding universes in the same way Flatland tried to explain dimensions.
  • "The Planiverse: Computer Contact with a Two-Dimensional World" by A. K. Dewdney. A Spiritual Sequel that focuses on creating a believable 2-D world with its own physics, biology and culture.
  • "Flatterland: Like Flatland, Only More So" by Ian Stewart. Follows another one of A Square's descendents and her ventures with an interdimensional Space Hopper. Sacrifices plot and social commentary for higher math theories and puns.
  • "Spaceland: A Novel of the Fourth Dimension" by Rudy Rucker. A Non-Linear Sequel / Spiritual Sequel with its focus on the plot of Silicon Valley hotshot Joe Cube and his encounter with Momo, a woman from the fourth dimension.
  • The iOS game A Noble Circle is based on the novella.
• Gainax Ending: Flatland: The Film starts to go off the rails in its third act: After hallucinating the King of Pointland, escaping prison and bumping into an Identical Stranger, A. Square's pursuers are slain by the North Kingdom army. One of the Northern officers begins to chase him, and then everything suddenly goes black. A. Square speaks a single line pleading to see his family, and is answered by an unknown voice. Roll Credits.
• Gender Flip: Hex is female in Flatland: The Movie.
• The Movie: You gotta believe them.
• Not His Sled: In Flatland: The Movie, Spherius rescues Arthur Square from his death sentence and reveals that he intended his granddaughter Hex to be his prophet.