Edwin Abbott Abbott | |
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| Born | (1838-12-20)20 December 1838 Marylebone, London, England |
| Died | 12 October 1926(1926-10-12) (aged 87) Hampstead, London, England |
| Education | City of London School St John's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, author |
| Known for | Flatland |
| Father | Edwin Abbott |
Edwin Abbott AbbottFBA (20 December 1838 – 12 October 1926)[1] was an Englishschoolmaster,theologian, andAnglican priest, best known as the author of thenovellaFlatland (1884).
Edwin Abbott Abbott was the eldest son ofEdwin Abbott (1808–1882), headmaster of the Philological School,Marylebone, and his wife, Jane Abbott (1806–1882). His parents were first cousins.
He was born in London and educated at theCity of London School and atSt John's College,Cambridge,[2] where he took the highest honours of his class inclassics,mathematics andtheology, and became afellow of his college. In particular, he was 1stSmith's prizeman in 1861.[3][a]
In 1862 he took orders. After holding masterships atKing Edward's School, Birmingham, he succeededG. F. Mortimer as headmaster of theCity of London School in 1865, at the early age of 26. There, he oversaw the education of future Prime MinisterH. H. Asquith. Abbott wasHulsean lecturer in 1876.[4]
He retired in 1889, and devoted himself to literary and theological pursuits. Abbott's open-minded inclinations in theology were prominent both in his educational views and in his books. HisShakespearian Grammar (1870) is a permanent contribution to Englishphilology. In 1885, he published a life ofFrancis Bacon. His theological writings include three anonymously published religious romances –Philochristus (1878), where he tried to raise interest inGospels reading,Onesimus (1882), andSilanus the Christian (1908).[4]
More weighty contributions are the anonymous theological discussionThe Kernel and the Husk (1886),Philomythus (1891), his bookThe Anglican Career ofCardinal Newman (1892), and his article "The Gospels" in the ninth edition of theEncyclopædia Britannica, embodying a critical view which caused considerable stir in the English theological world. He also wroteSt Thomas of Canterbury, His Death and Miracles (1898),Johannine Vocabulary (1905), andJohannine Grammar (1906).[4]
Abbott also wrote educational textbooks, one beingVia Latina: A First Latin Book which was published in 1880 and distributed around the world within the education system.
Abbott's best-known work is his 1884 novellaFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions which describes a two-dimensional world and explores the nature of dimensions. It has often been categorized asscience fiction although it could more precisely be called "mathematical fiction".
With the advent of modern science fiction from the 1950s to the present day,Flatland has seen a revival in popularity,[5] especially amongscience fiction andcyberpunk fans.[6] Many works have been inspired by the novella, including novel sequels and short films.[6]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abbott, Edwin Abbott".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 26. Cooper, Thompson (1884)."Abbott, The Rev. Edwin Abbott" .Men of the Time (eleventh ed.). London: George Routledge & Sons. pp. 1–2.
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