I found this book browsing through a cousin's bookshelf as an early teenager, and thereafter it left a lasting impression on me. The idea of a bidirectional com

I found this book browsing through a cousin's bookshelf as an early teenager, and thereafter it left a lasting impression on me. The idea of a bidirectional communication link with a two-dimensional world and its strangely endearing inhabitants stuck with me ever since, and subconsciously I believe, influenced me to study computer science. I know previous authors have explored similar themes, but the idea and its execution are so carefully and creatively illustrated. What's fascinating is how many of those ideas are now being realized with cellular automata, computer games, and thinking machines.