/lit/ - Literature

so like what exactly was his deal with mirrors and labyrinths?

Where do I begin with Borges? I'm a little confused on which books have overlapping stories.

What's so good about this guy? "The Aleph" was silly, and he reads like a glorified version of Lovecraft.

Is there anything else out there like Borges?

I keep getting answers like 'other south american writers' or 'magic realism'. But so far I have found them unlike what I feel I enjoy most about Borges.

I am more looking for stories that weave what I can only describe as "intellectual fantasy", using concepts and references from mathematics, philosophy, history, etc... to explore ideas and go down rabbit holes.

My impression is that Borges does this in a way that is really warm, thoughtful, and expansive of the possibilities of life... rather than narrow, pretentious, and drunk/giddy with intertextuality or indecipherable (and ultimately boring) complexity- as well-read authors can sometimes be.

Any recommendations? (Should I just go pick up some textbooks instead?)