T Campbell's Blog
Writer of Penny and Aggie, Fans (also called Faans), Rip & Teri, Search Engine Funnies and A History of Webcomics. Experienced webcomics editor, currently seeking full-time work and working on strange and interesting new things...Friday, January 28, 2005
Well, That's Disappointing.
Done Today: I spent a lot of today taking a look at Flatland. An early science fantasy, it was mentioned in Michio Kaku's Hyperspace, and it appealed to me as a rare story that I could adapt and illustrate myself. I love my artists, but occasionally you get the itch. Its copyright had expired, so no issues there. It also concerned a subject I care passionately about: the perception of other worlds and the persecution of those who perceive them. Written just before Einstein's breakthrough into the fourth dimension! This Edwin A. Abbott sounded like a guy I wanted to know.
Unfortunately, you get a few chapters in and you find it's GOD-awfully misogynistic. I really thought I'd seen it all after Dave Sim's description of Women as Voids, but I think Abbott may have actually topped him. Since I'm sure that statement intrigues somebody, you can check out the really offensive chapter here. (What gets me is there's no REASON to call lines "women" and every other shape "men;" it's as stupid as naming the isosceles triangles "wogs" or "kikes.") There's also an utterly laughable attempt to spin it PC, post-production, in the preface to the second edition. I note that Abbott was a clergyman, which had to limit his contact with the fairer sex. Some people joined the clergy for that very reason. You gotta wonder. (Edit-- not so. See this post for corrections.)
That leaves me with three undesirable options: 1) give up, 2) present an adaptaion strongly unfaithful to its original subject matter, or 3) insult half of Planet Earth as viciously as possible. Option 3 is right out. I'm weighing option 2.
I just dunno right now. It is a great work of imagination, and the best parts don't really rely on the misogyny. I dunno.
Unfortunately, you get a few chapters in and you find it's GOD-awfully misogynistic. I really thought I'd seen it all after Dave Sim's description of Women as Voids, but I think Abbott may have actually topped him. Since I'm sure that statement intrigues somebody, you can check out the really offensive chapter here. (What gets me is there's no REASON to call lines "women" and every other shape "men;" it's as stupid as naming the isosceles triangles "wogs" or "kikes.") There's also an utterly laughable attempt to spin it PC, post-production, in the preface to the second edition. I note that Abbott was a clergyman, which had to limit his contact with the fairer sex. Some people joined the clergy for that very reason. You gotta wonder. (Edit-- not so. See this post for corrections.)
That leaves me with three undesirable options: 1) give up, 2) present an adaptaion strongly unfaithful to its original subject matter, or 3) insult half of Planet Earth as viciously as possible. Option 3 is right out. I'm weighing option 2.
I just dunno right now. It is a great work of imagination, and the best parts don't really rely on the misogyny. I dunno.
Comments:
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Given that there have been approximately 4,392 different {adaptations, parodies, pastiches, works inspired by} Abbott's immortal Flatland so far already, I'm not sure that there would be any real problem with any amount of re-writing which you might desire.
you could always look at it as if it was 'describing' a misogynist society, rather than actually being misogynist. y'know, in the way the ferengi are misogynist or the way many cultures on earth still are. i'll confess to not reading it all, but some of what he's describing about the 'invisibility' of women and the sanctions against them isn't too dissimilar from what millions of women still face every day.
i don't know if that makes for much of a difference in terms of what you want to do though.
xmung
i don't know if that makes for much of a difference in terms of what you want to do though.
xmung
You should read "Sphereland" It has a wonderful, wonderul take on "Flatland's" misogyny, including describing the long, slow, difficult social process of Line Liberation and their key role in the exploration of space.
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