The fact that so many gamers do know something about Da Vinci from the games, which incorporated real history and historical figures into its fiction, is a plus for Starz moving forward if they chose to go the Spartacus route with the second season and unleash interactive entertainment.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

Although I had met Mr. Unsworth and heard him speak at the 2009 Key West Literary Seminar, I had known him long before as a historical novelist who changed the way I thought about history and fiction.

WSJ: A Tribute to Barry Unsworth | Dear Book Lover

"It is historical fiction -- a noble genre going back to Shakespeare and well before -- not history, " he said.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS