Ficciones is the most popular collection of
short stories by
Argentine writer and poet
Jorge Luis Borges, often considered the best introduction to his work.
Ficciones should not be confused with
Labyrinths, although they have much in common.
Labyrinths is a separate translation of Borges's material into English, by James E. Irby, that, like the translation into English of
Ficciones, appeared in 1962. Together, these two translations led to much of Borges's worldwide fame in the 1960s. Several stories appear in both volumes. "
The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim" appeared originally in
History of Eternity (1936).