Book : Ilium

Ilium is a science fiction novel by Dan Simmons. The main protagonist, Thomas Hockenberry, PhD., of twentieth century Indiana University, has been recreated from his ancient DNA by a race of post-humans turned Greek-gods to act as scholic witness to the gods' painstaking recreation of Homer's Iliad.

It is a unique blend of sci-fi and classic literature. It introduced me to Proust and even helped me to appreciate Shakespeare a bit more. He also milks the opportunity and manages to squeeze in more than several Helen of Troy lovemaking scenes. What the book does remarkably well, however, is bring the Iliad to life in a way which Homer's text never can. The author has taken ancient history and turned it into an engrossing story.