A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle · 1962 · Novel
It introduced complex concepts like tessering (folding space-time) and multi-dimensional travel to a younger audience, bridging science fiction with allegorical fantasy.
What it is
A young girl travels through space and time using a tesseract to rescue her father from an evil cosmic entity. It introduced complex scientific concepts like higher dimensions to a young adult audience, blending fantasy with science fiction.
↑Inherited from(4)
Verne's work popularized the idea of space travel and scientific adventure, albeit in a different tone.
L'Engle explicitly drew inspiration from mathematical concepts of higher dimensions, directly echoing Abbott's pioneering work in 'Flatland' which made such ideas accessible through narrative, particularly for a younger audience.
L'Engle's work expands upon the foundational concept of time travel (established by Wells) by introducing new, more complex scientific mechanisms like tessering for a younger audience.
Clarke's story introduced cosmic entities and profound mystery, influencing the sense of wonder and scale.
↓Passed on to(4)
The idea of traversing or experiencing different realities, even if presented through a more grounded 'what if' scenario, can be seen as a secular evolution of L'Engle's fantastical dimension-hopping.
The film's use of complex, non-linear temporal and spatial mechanics to navigate between realities, including concepts of higher dimensions, finds a conceptual lineage in works like 'A Wrinkle in Time' which introduced such ideas to a broader audience.
The film brings complex space-time travel concepts, including higher dimensions and folding space, to a mass audience, echoing 'A Wrinkle in Time's' pioneering efforts for a younger audience.
The film's central mechanic of 'verse-jumping' or accessing alternate selves across the multiverse through specific actions draws a clear lineage from earlier narrative explorations of multi-dimensional travel and accessing other realities, notably 'A Wrinkle in Time'.