The Book of Imaginary Beings - Classic Text | Alexandria
The Book of Imaginary Beings (El Libro de los Seres Imaginarios), first published in 1957 as Manual de Zoología Fantástica and later expanded in 1967, stands as one of Jorge Luis Borges's most enigmatic works, serving as a comprehensive compendium of mythological creatures drawn from literature, folklore, and the author's boundless imagination. This remarkable bestiary, compiled in collaboration with Margarita Guerrero, represents a unique intersection of scholarship and fantastic literature, cataloging over 120 supernatural beings from various cultural traditions.
Originally conceived during Borges's tenure as director of the National Library of Argentina, the work emerged from his lifelong fascination with encyclopedias, mythologies, and the liminal space between fact and fiction. The 1957 version contained 82 entries, while the 1967 revision expanded to include creatures from additional sources, including Chinese mythology, Hindu scriptures, and European medieval bestiaries. Notable entries range from familiar beings like dragons and unicorns to more obscure entities such as the A Bao A Qu, a creature that lives on the steps of the Tower of Victory in Chitor.
The book's significance extends beyond its cataloging function, embodying Borges's characteristic themes of infinity, mirrors, and the nature of reality itself. Each entry combines meticulous scholarly research with poetic description, often blurring the distinction between historical documentation and literary invention. Borges's approach revolutionized the bestiary genre, introducing a modern, meta-literary dimension that influenced countless subsequent works in fantastic literature and magical realism.
The Book of Imaginary Beings continues to captivate readers and scholars alike, its influence evident in contemporary fantasy literature, art, and popular culture. Modern editions, including Norman Thomas di Giovanni's English translation, have introduced new generations to Borges's imaginative taxonomy. The work's enduring appeal lies in its ability to challenge conventional categories of reality and fiction, inviting readers to question the nature of imagination itself. As Borges himself suggested, these creatures, though imaginary, reveal profound truths about human consciousness and our perpetual desire to populate the unknown with wonders of our own creation.