With its celebration of violence and its ruthless opposition to democracy and any type of progressive politics, fascism is responsible for millions of dead during the 20th century. Moreover, despite the defeat of the axis nations during the II World War, fascist and fascist inspired movements survived and, in fact, currently are in the ascendancy throughout much of the word. This course studies this dark history and its representation in fiction from its beginnings in the first decades of the 20th century to the present. In addition to studying the texts of some of its key leaders and proponents, such as Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, or Leopoldo Lugones, as well as critics, such as Jose Carlos Mariategui or Hannah Arendt, this course also studies such major literary figures, as Jorge Luis Borges and Roberto Bolaño