Skip to content

Site Navigation

  • The Atlantic
  • PopularLatestNewsletters

    Sections

    • Ideas
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Global
    • National Security
    • Washington Week
    • Features
    • Technology
    • AI Watchdog
    • Science
    • Planet
    • Health
    • Philosophy
    • Education
    • Culture
    • Comedy
    • Family
    • Books
    • Fiction
    • Photography
    • Events
    • Explore The Atlantic Archive
    • games promo iconPlay The Atlantic Games
    • Listen to Podcasts and Articles

    The Print Edition

    View the current print edition
    Latest IssuePast Issues
    Give a Gift
  • Quick Links
    • Audio
    • Crossword Puzzle
    • Magazine Archive
    • Your Subscription
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Newsletters
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
December 1977 Issue
December 1977 Cover
This magazine has been fully digitized as a part of The Atlantic's archive. Each article originally printed in this magazine is available here, complete and unedited from the historical print. Read more from this magazine, or explore the full archive.
  • Trilobites
    Breece D'J Pancake
  • Gaia: The Harmony of Our Sphere
    Fred Hapgood
  • The Scrolls
    Daniel Menaker
  • Holy the Firm
    C. Michael Curtis
  • Clearing the Air
    Steven Reiner
  • The Ice Age
    E. S. Duvall
Fiction

The Scrolls

(A tale written after a late-night reading of The Book of Sand by Jorge Luis Borges)

By Daniel Menaker
December 1977 Issue

Popular Links

  • About

    • Our History
    • Careers

  • Contact

    • Help Center
    • Contact Us
    • Atlantic Brand Partners
    • Press
    • Reprints & Permissions

  • Podcasts

    • Radio Atlantic
    • The David Frum Show
    • Galaxy Brain
    • Autocracy in America
    • How to Age Up

  • Subscription

    • Purchase
    • Give a Gift
    • Manage Subscription
    • Group Subscriptions
    • Atlantic Editions
    • Newsletters

  • Follow

    • facebook
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • twitter
    • linkedin
    • flipboard

  • Our History
  • Careers

  • Help Center
  • Contact Us
  • Atlantic Brand Partners
  • Press
  • Reprints & Permissions

  • Radio Atlantic
  • The David Frum Show
  • Galaxy Brain
  • Autocracy in America
  • How to Age Up

  • Purchase
  • Give a Gift
  • Manage Subscription
  • Group Subscriptions
  • Atlantic Editions
  • Newsletters

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • flipboard

Site Information

  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Privacy Choicesprivacy-options
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Terms of Sale
  • Responsible Disclosure
  • Site Map

TheAtlantic.com © 2026 The Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply