^_^ The epics! Endlessly engrossing and entertaining for me. I can't really find fault with them, since they are, in essence, the very beginning of a long and (quite literally) storied tradition. I've taken a great deal of inspiration from those old epics, and that's why I see term 'epic' as a compliment to be paid. Grand and beautiful stuff! It's a pity that their required reading status earns them a heaping helping of scorn.