Collected Fictions

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Undeniably one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Borges (1899-1986) is celebrated for his short stories, now compiled for the first time in a single volume translated and annotated by University of Puerto Rico professor Hurley. These stories revisit recurring images and themes characteristic of Borges's work, including the ethics of gauchos and outlaws, labyrinths, encounters with doppelgangers, and the discovery of artifacts from other realms—such as an encyclopedia from a mysterious region in Iraq, a peculiar disc that grants a king his power, and a menacing book that endlessly multiplies its pages. Additionally, the collection features narratives of the violent lives of pirates and outlaws like Billy the Kid, particularly from the early work A Universal History of Iniquity, as well as attempts to dramatize the consciousness of literary giants like Shakespeare and Homer. Borges's elusive, erudite, and melancholic fiction captivates both general readers and scholars alike. This volume is the first in a series of new translations, including the Collected Poems and Collected Nonfictions, coinciding with the centennial of the author's birth, providing an alternative to the controversial collaborations between Borges and Norman Thomas di Giovanni.