What are some examples of 'epic fiction'?

A lot of times I read reviews of films and tv series and they say that they have the stuff of epic fiction or serious novels and fiction. I've heard this particularly about say The Sopranos or The Wire, two shows I love. But I've read the classics and while the themes are the same I was wondering if they were talking about more modern fiction and if so if anyone could recommend some good modern novels that maybe the reviews are referring to. Or is it really just the classics?