Charles de Lint
Neil Gaiman
Midori Snyder
Emma Bull
China Mieville
Pamela Dean
Connie Willis
–check out her Doomsday Book
Mary Stewart
Her Arthurian series is not to be missed, though it is really closer to historical fiction
I like many of the authors already mentioned, but for me, Ray Bradbury is the master of fantasy.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Alessan *
*Guy Gavriel Kay is the greatest fantasy writer alive. Forget Fionavar - that’s only for fantasy geeks with a high tolerance for cliches. Tigana, Arbonne and Al-Rassan are as gook as they come. True, he’s been veering close to historical fiction lately, but he still produces are some of the best written genre books out there.
QUOTE] I enjoyed The Fionavar Tapestry and Tigana, but his latest stuff has bored the piss out of me. I agree with your comment that it is closer to historical fiction than to fantasy.
Currently my favorite would probably be David Gemmell
Tom Holt
After spending a couple of months in America, I’m pretty disappointed not to find any of his books on shelves out here. His fantasy usually revolves more around everyday life rather than swords and sourcery affairs, and his comedy is easily as good as Pratchett. Don’t let a few Britishisms here and there in the text put you off, it’s not like Terry doesn’t do that too, right?
I’ve got some Tom Holt on my bookshelf at home – Flying Dutch and Expecting Someone Taller, I think. What has he done recently, Legolamb?
GMRyujin, I recommend that you work your way through the Guardians of the Flame books. They’re not on par with Tolkien, Martin or Feist, but they are enjoyable reads, and I wish that Joel Rosenberg would continue with the main characters in that rather than write about the not-quite-three-musketeers (although those certainly were amusing).
For me, it’s becoming a tossup between J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin for my favorite author. As soon as a publication date is named for A Feast Of Crows, I’ll need to reread his first three books very carefully to refresh my memory on everything.
Ursula K. Le Guin, Tad Williams, George MacDonald, Tolkien of course, L. E. Modessit’s Recluce series (mostly for the food descriptions, I think). Robin McKinley (my username is from a McKinley novel) particularly Deerskin and Rose Daughter.
One friend of mine complained that Guy Gavriel Kay’s characters are too perfect, at least in Lions. They’re all amazing diplomats and soldiers and lovers and probably are training the world’s first talking banana or something.
Nobody mentioned Katherine Kurtz’s Deryini novels?
<mumbles>Can’t believe it! Darn kids…</mumbles>
Tad Williams
Robin Hobb
J.V. Jones
Charles DeLint
of course, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels (for some strange reason, I don’t really like his non-graphic novels nearly as much)
J.R.R. Tolkien
I loved John Marco’s Tyrants and Kings series, but I HATED the Eye of God.
J.K. Rowling
Madeline L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time series
Kate Elliot’s Crown of Stars series started out really good, but I lost interest in it after the fourth installment.
This is definitely a YMMV thing. I find R. A. Salvatore unreadable. I’ve tried a couple of different books, and I can’t get far enough past his writing style to find out if his stories are any good or not.
The fantasy writers I enjoy most are:
Terry Pratchett
Robin Hobb
Patricia McKillip
Jane Yolen
Guy Gavriel Kay (I think his stuff is getting better and better)
Peter S. Beagle
Tad Williams’ first trilogy (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn) was good, but I couldn’t stand his virtual reality series (don’t even remember the name of it. I HATE virtual reality stories.) I haven’t read his new volume yet – I’m waiting for the price to come down.)
I’ve liked a lot of Neil Gaiman, but I thought American Gods was only so-so.
I like Charles de Lint, but I get tired of him sometimes and have to take a long break from reading him. But when you’re in the mood for a good urban fantasy, he’s your man.
I usually think of Connie Willis as a science-fiction writer. Whatever she writes, she’s definitely one of my favorites.
And R.A. MacAvoy’s Tea with the Black Dragon and Twisting the Rope are available in electronic formathere is you don’t mind reading them on your computer or PDA.
I’ve read a lot of good fantasy just recently, especially (as mentioned above) Greg Keyes’s amazing The Briar King. Read this one.
I’m through the first three books of Kate Elliott’s “Crown of Stars” and have the fourth one at home. Mazikeen, I hope I don’t have the same experience you did! I find the world her characters inhabit to be very complex and intriguing, though I keep fearing she’s going to kill of my favorite character! I’m just amazed how well these enormous books are holding my interest.
Pratchett
Tolkien
Alexander
Lewis
Pullman
Rowling
Diane Duane sometimes delights me and sometimes baffles me. I think her “Star Trek” books are really well done (since someone mentioned Hambly’s, which I will agree aren’t her best work).
I think Hambly is incredibly talented, though I haven’t found the right book yet. Maybe I have now; I’ve just started Sisters of the Raven, which is awfully compelling so far.
I’ll also plug Jasper Fforde, though I don’t know if his Thursday Next books are fantasy, exactly. SF? Dunno.
Got halfway through an Eddings series and lost interest. Afraid to start Jordan because of all of the things I’ve heard.
Another enjoyable author is Kristen Britain. Only two books so far, but well done.
I’ll be referring back to this thread often for ideas!
Julie
I do plan to read them, but I bought the hardback that’s all four books, and convincing myself to carry around a hardback in addition to the million pounds of books, etc. I carry for school is difficult.
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Diana Wynne Jones yet.
Exactly what I was going to say, Thudlow. I can’t believe no one has put her in yet, she’s the greatest ever. Ever, I tell you!
Two that have been left off so far:
Michael Stackpole. Definitly read the Dark Glory War and the 3 sequals. Then find Talion: Revnant if you can and read that one. Just don’t make any plans inbetween.
Julian May. I really Used to like her/his books and I just picked up the Adversary again to see if I’d enjoy it, and I do. Lots of psychic powers and intruige in the Pliestocene Epoch. 
Whew, I was worried for a while there that nobody was going to mention C. S. Lewis or Madeline L’Engle (although she’s sort of more SF than fantasy). And just to complete the trio of authors who made my childhood, I’ll also add Lloyd Alexander.
Tolkien, of course, goes without saying, as I think can Rowling.
Yeah, they tend to be larger than life, but so what? They’re still well-rounded, flawed human beings. Sometimes I want to read about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. Aragorn son of Arathorn, Roland of Gilead, Prince Corwin of Amber - those are the great fantasy characters, and none of them is exactly a slouch at what they do. The genre has far too many Callow Farmboys for its own good, anyway.
P.S. Snake - Julian May is a she (something I found out only after I read about nine of her books). I wa going to mention her myself, but I’m not sure whether to classify her writing as fantasy.
Since I don’t think I’ve seen him mentioned yet, Glen Cook. He has two main series, plus a few older stand alones. Of the two main series, one is more serious fantasy and the other is fantasy humor. He is worth checking out for his characters alone.
Anne McCaffery
Andre Norton
Piers Anthony
Douglas Adams
Guy Gavriel Kaye
Ursula K. LeGuin
Diane Duane
Terry Brooks
Terry Goodkind
Issac (and Janet) Asimov
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom)
Jody Lynn Nye
Robert Asprin
Jane Yolen
Niel Hancock
Margaret Weis (And all who worked on the Darksword series) Tracy Hickman
J. R. R. Tolkein
Patricia C. Wrede,
Madeleine L’Engle
Rand & Robyn Miller (Myst series)
Peter Morwood (Book of Years series),
Elaine Cunningham
R. A. Salvatore (Only been able to get ahold of his short stories so far)
Ed Greenwood
Robert Adams
Alan Dean Foster
Those are just a few of my “favorite” authors. Likely I’ll be back to add more later.
I agree that Kay’s characters tend to be a little too perfect, and his prose isn’t the best ever, but his stories are often completely gripping for me. Fionavar aside (I barely made it through that trilogy, and wish I hadn’t), his stuff is tremendous fun to read.
Robert Jordan bores the shit out of me. Everyone who’s read him seems to have strong opinions about him. I simply don’t get the appeal.
George R.R. Martin, on the other hand, is another very fun author to read. Well, “fun” might be overstating it – more than one person has thrown the most recent volume of A Song of Ice and Fire across the room on reaching a certain scene – but he’s a quite good author.
If I only get to recommend one book, however, it’ll be Perdido Street Station. It’s one of the most horrifyingly original books to come along in awhile, and the prose is beautiful, and the characters are compelling, and you’ll need to sleep with the lights on for about a month after finishing the book.
Daniel
RJ started off quite good. And has slid into tireless literary wanking lately, as has Terry Goodkind, I’ve quit reading them both.
I love Martin cause he’s not afraid to kill his characters, a trait Gemmell shares.