The Fourth Dimension: A Guided Tour of the Higher Universes (Paperback)

~ Rudolf Rucker (Author), David Povilaitis (Illustrator) "IS THIS ALL THERE IS?..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A detailed description of what the fourth dimension would be like.

About the Author

David Povilaitis began his art and design career in Chicago, and has been a graphic artist and photographer for 35 years. His conceptual art has been used regularly in publications all over the world to visually illuminate editorial and educational articles and books. Distilling authors' intensions and creating art that engages the readers' wit and intelligence is an enjoyable challenge for him.

Rudolf von Bitter Rucker (born March 22, 1946 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American computer scientist and science fiction author, and is one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best known for the novels in the Ware Tetralogy, the first two of which (Software and Wetware) both won Philip K. Dick Awards. At present he edits the science fiction webzine Flurb

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (September 11, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395393884
• ISBN-13: 978-0395393888
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #486,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to 4D space., August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This is a nice well-written book about what a 4D Universe would be like, and delves a bit into Einsteinian spacetime. The problem with this book is that Rucker wrote another book "Geometry, Relativity, and the 4TH dimension" which has tons more information in it and is at least 1/10th the size of this book. So, in a way, this is just a wordy repeat of his older book.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fourth Dimension as Higher Reality, January 9, 2005

By	OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

When I first read this book some twenty years ago I found it to be absolutely mind-expanding. It made me begin to see reality in a new, larger, manner- it began to shake loose my preconceptions. Now, when I review it, I find the concepts to be commonplace. How could I have ever thought otherwise? That's a measure of the transforming process that it began in me. This book will start you on the climb to a new intellectual plateau. Even synchronicity, which I had the hardest time accepting, is now a "given" for me.

Rucker is a highly effective writer- for a mathematician. His prose is clear, readable, and humorous. Plus, he examines the subject from mathematical, scientific, philosophical, and spiritual perspectives. His use of relevant quotes throughout the work is excellent- plus there is a very good bibliography for further study.

If you do feel the need for further study (and you will) then try _Exploring the Fourth Dimension_ by Ralphs, or _Extra Dimensional Universe_ by Violette. Then perhaps you may feel up to eventually tackling _Tertium Organum_ by Ouspensky, and _The Multiple States of Being_ by Guenon.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It really makes you think..., May 2, 1999

By A Customer

Though we must accept that all of this is as speculative as ghosts and goblins, the subject matter is handled with the perfect meshing of tongue-in-cheek discussion and serious discourse about the higher dimensions. Rucker makes the reader think twice about what could be out there, both higher and lower than us; in this sense, the book is about humanity. Complete with funny illustrations, this is a perfect choice for finding out about scifi/scireality concepts of spacial dimensions. (A little tough to follow in the time travel section, but give it a try.)