[jeffnc]

[ QUOTE ]
Beowulf

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh brother.

Count of Monte Cristo is probably more appealing to men, if I understand your point correctly. Although it is pretty long.

Have you read any Tom Clancy? It's fiction, it's science, but it's not really science fiction - it comes pretty close to reality. Sum of All Fears or Hunt for Red October were both pretty good (the movies for those were bad and good, respectively).

Something I'd recommend you do is surf through Amazon for awhile. Go look up a book you like (Heinlein for example) and then start looking at the "Listmania" links. Customers list their favorite books. Also if you read through the reviews for some of your favorites, you'll read other recommendations.