Oh yes. If I have the time and inclination, I really should write a review of Dan Simmons' latest novel, _Ilium_. For now, all I'll say is that it's an absolutely mindblowing piece of work, will win all kinds of awards, and has made me want to reread the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as give Shakespeare, particularly _The Tempest_ and the sonnets a try. More, I now need to carefully read Browning's poem _Caliban Upon Setebos_, Tennyson's _Ulysses_, and give Samuel Beckett a try. This book references all these and more, though the emphasis so far seems to be on the Iliad and the Tempest. Simmon's _Ilium_ is spellbinding in its own right, and it makes a broad tapestry of the Western Canon (classical literature) seem vital again, even to a philistine such as myself. Run to your nearest bookstore and grab yourself a copy.