The Lottery in Babylon
"The Lottery in Babylon" (original Spanish: "La lotería en Babilonia", "The Babylon Lottery") is a fantasy short story by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. It first appeared in 1941 in the literary magazine Sur, and was then included in the 1941 collection The Garden of Forking Paths (El jardín de los senderos que se bifurcan), which in turn became the part one of Ficciones (1944).
| "The Lottery in Babylon" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jorge Luis Borges |
| Original title | "La lotería en Babilonia" |
| Translator | John M. Fain, Anthony Kerrigan, Norman Thomas di Giovanni, Andrew Hurley |
| Country | Argentina |
| Language | Spanish |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, short story |
| Published in | Ficciones |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 1941 |
| Published in English | 1962 |
Plot summary
The story describes a mythical Babylon in which all activities are dictated by an all-encompassing lottery, a metaphor for the role of chance in one's life. Initially, the lottery was run as a lottery would be, with tickets purchased and the winner receiving a monetary reward. Later, punishments and larger monetary rewards were introduced. Further, participation became mandatory for all but the elite. Finally, it simultaneously became so all-encompassing and so secret some whispered "the Company has never existed, and never will."