Natalya Gornopolskaya

Blog by Natalya Gornopolskaya
“Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius”

This was a very unique spin on how to go about creating an entirely different country with a new religion and new theologies which ultimately become an entire new world. The story being told here is all about the fictitious world of Tlon, in the country of Uqbar, on planet Orbis Tertius. This vast universe was masterminded by a couple of crafty historians who knew how to hide their works inside various encyclopedia volumes. The secrets of this society and its history are hidden well beneath “pirated” copies of Encyclopedia Britannica and contain infinite knowledge that is sought after by many. I can’t decide whether I was more impressed with Borges, who brought out this concept of creating a new world or the new ideas represented by the “Tlon” itself. My favorite part of the new “Tlon order” was the part about materialization. Those nine gold coins that were lost were still continuous in time and even came back to the original owner. I believe Borges was trying to make the point that nothing is lost forever, it simply rematerializes someplace else. I see this as the ideal type of world, with a Utopian foundation that I would enjoy being a part of.