So far, the most intelligent fiction has kept a tight focus.
Both books may be special cases – and both hint at a widespread hunger for intelligent fiction that asks its readers to imagine the costs, and the risks, of personal courage and ethical responsibility.
The climate is mostly chilly in Toby Clement's novel, as his characters struggle to survive civil war in 15th-century England, but the heart warms to his skilful, intelligent fiction.
The result is "intelligent fiction, vigorous both in its observation of human foible and in its speculation on the role that memory plays in underwriting our sense of choice and direction in our lives," Michael Upchurch wrote in the Book Review last year.
We say: Intelligent teen fiction.
In any case, intelligent popular fiction is an exacting craft.
WHEN Raymond Chandler first despatched Philip Marlowe, his fictional private detective, to the grimy back streets of Los Angeles, he launched a model for intelligent crime fiction.
It began in the boffins' huts of early BBC TV, where a man called Nigel Kneale conceived a series of lurid yet intelligent science fiction stories in the early 50s, and passed through the fleapit studios of Hammer, which made three Quatermass movies among so many lesser screamers.
"People talk about a golden age in retrospect, but there's been very little intelligent science fiction on television, period," said Paul T. Riddell, a writer and columnist for Sci Fi magazine, pointing to the space-ranger exploits of Captain Video and Flash Gordon as evidence.
'BRIDE WARS' (PG, 1 34) Die, Bridezilla, die! (Manohla Dargis) 'THE CLASS' (No rating, 2 08, in French, with English subtitles) An artful, intelligent, heartfelt fiction film from the director Laurent Cantet about modern French identity and the attempt to transform young students of all sizes, shapes and colors into citizens through talk, talk, talk.
Not having seen the show, which is based on James S.A. Corey's books, I couldn't say, but there's no doubt that intelligent speculative fiction -- especially space opera -- is in short supply on TV these days.
