Executable Code: Borges and the Viral Invasion of Thought (Sci Phi Journal, Autumn 2026)

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One of my favorite sites is the Sci Phi Journal. Based in Belgium, the publication explores the intersection of speculative fiction and philosophy through short fiction, book reviews, essays and literary criticism.

Over the years, I’ve had a number of pieces published in its pages. My latest, Executable Code: Borges and the Viral Invasion of Thought, appears in the Autumn issue (September, 2026).

The essay looks specifically at how Jorge Luis Borges’ magnificent story, “Tlon, Uqbar and Orbis Tertius” (1940), anticipates the idea of  a viral computer code infecting a system and, in effect, overwriting its original programming and functions. In the story, of course, the virus is an anomalous encyclopedia entry about a place that doesn’t exist.

Enjoy the essay and the rest of the great stuff to be found on the site.


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