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Borges: Collected Fictions (https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Fictions-Jorge-Luis-Borges/...)

IMO you won't really understand the nature and limitations of fiction until you've read JLB. His work won't change your life, as such, but it will divide it into two parts: the part that took place before you read him, and the part that comes after. You'll always be conscious of that division.

Awesome! After reading this story years ago in college I coded something up in php to make a universal image generator as well. I love Borges literature; I really recommend it for anyone who loves math and short stories. Some of his other greats are "Funes, the Memorious" (about a boy with a perfect memory that drives him insane) and "The Lottery of Babylon" (about a town that uses a lottery to coordinate all activities).

You can read all of Borges' short stories in English in one volume: http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Fictions-Jorge-Luis-Borges/d...

I really recommend it.

This is the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140286802/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=3524...

ISBN: 0-14-028680-2

It's a complete collection of his short-story fiction, which is nice. I think the translation is pretty good, and I appreciate the footnotes which give deeper explanations of aspects of Argentinean history that he references. I haven't comprehensively reviewed translations, but I do feel this one captures more of his work than most freely-available translations I've seen on the interwebs.

I have no suggestions for his poetry, sorry.

⬐ walterbell

The only translator who worked directly with Borges was Norman Thomas de Giovanni. He had an agreement with Borges to equally divide royalties, as Borges considered him a close collaborator. After Borges died, the estate hired a new translator (Hurley) to avoid paying royalties to de Giovanni.

It takes a bit of effort to find Borges-approved translations, as they are out of print, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8310591

My current bedside reading is: Collected Fictions, by Jorge Luis Borges - http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Fictions-Jorge-Luis-Borges/d... (NOT an affinity link, just the link).

He was a genius. His writing is wonderful. As others have said his ideas are well suited to the kinds of folks who frequent HN. The other interesting thing is that never before have I had people approach me about my reading. But sit in a cafe in San Francisco with Borges and suddenly the world and her friend wants to spark up a conversation about my choice of book.

Cannot recommend this highly enough. If you are looking for reading material that takes you away from technology and work and the usual stuff we fill our heads with, explore the universe through the words of Borges. You won't regret it.

⬐ tubelite

When you're done with Fictions, do read the other book, "Selected Non-Fictions" http://www.amazon.com/Borges-Selected-Non-Fictions-Jorge-Lui... (not an affiliate link either)

Not only are they excellent pieces in their own right, you can catch occasional glimpses of the evolution of some of his best stories as well. The biography of Paul Valéry, for instance, foreshadows Pierre Menard.

If you're interested in reading it, you may as well just go for the whole collection of his amazing non-fictions:

http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Fictions-Jorge-Luis-Borges/d...

⬐ Umalu

Borges hacked fiction. Highly recommended.