Argues that teaching fiction focusing on recent wars enables students to better understand the impact of war on history, foreign policy, and their own way of life. Offers synopses of three contemporary antiwar novels (Kurt Vonnegut's "Mother Night," Tim O'Brien's "Going after Cacciato," and Don Delillo's "End Zone"). Explores the various themes of these works, inherent obstacles, and applications in the classroom. (SR)