I like science fiction but it's felt for a while that I've read everything good. Recently, I've found myself reading a lot of historical fiction (anti-science fiction?). The two genres are quite similar in that they both examine how humans behave in weird or unfamiliar settings. For example, Russia in Tolstoy's time feels more different to me than an awful lot of science fiction.<p>Vargas Llosa's "The War of the End of the World" is set in the wilds of 19th century Brazil, and it's brilliant. It's one of my favourite novels. I found "The Time of the Hero" fascinating but I can't remember if I enjoyed it. It's about hazing rituals in Peruvian military school. I tried to read "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter," which is set in more modern times, but I didn't get very far.
The Nobel Prize in Literature is odd. Looking through the list of every prize they've ever given out,<p><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/10/07/List-of-Nobel-Prize-in-Literature-winners/UPI-87261286450156/" rel="nofollow">http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/10/07/List-of-Nobel...</a><p>I see a lot of names whom time has failed to vindicate.