The Book of Imaginary Beings

Jorge Luis Borges is one of the most popular writers of the 20th century, having largely defined the shape of modern literature. His inclination toward all sorts of anthologies, encyclopedias, and bestiaries is well known. “It is the mysterious love for everything that exists without us,” he wrote in the poem “On the Purchase of an Encyclopedia.” In 1950, Borges, in collaboration with Margarita Guerrero, published Manual of Fantastic Zoology, which, after repeated additions, gained its final form under the title The Book of Imaginary Beings.