Jorge Luis Borges: "The House of Asterion"

To quote Muriel Rukeyser, "The Universe is made of stories, not atoms".

"The House of Asterion", by Jorge Luis Borges, is a must-read classic. It is a short short-story and yet it comprises the Universe. Or the 14 universes that Asterion may have created in the loneliness of his labyrinth where he is both so human and inhuman.

Could his redemption have been any different?

This link takes you to the story (in Spanish) and a translation (in English). Do pay Asterion a visit. He waits there while playing, musing or running furiously within his confined space of open doors. As he claims, he isn't a prisoner for he has already been outside and seen the sea. And yet he is a prisoner in his uniqueness.

"The Universe is made of stories, not atoms", said Rukeyser. In "The House of Asterion", the Universe is both atoms and a story. One of the most beautiful stories ever written.

Here