Favorite fiction writers?

Just out of idle curiosity - who are your favorite fiction scribes? I really enjoy Dick Francis, Jonathan Kellermann (the Alex Delaware series), Henning Mankell (the Kurt Wallander series, translated from the original Swedish), James Patterson (the Alex Cross series), Ian Rankin (the Inspector John Rebus series), Kathy Reichs (has outdone Patricia Cornwell, IMO), and, of course, J.K. Rowling. I also read a lot of true crime books.

J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, et al)
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)
Joel Rosenberg (Guardians of the Flame series)
Gael Baudino (Strands series)
Mercedes Lackey (Valdemar series)
Barbara Hambly (Silent Tower et al)
Rosemary Edghill (The Bast novels)
Anne Logston (Shadow series)
Robert Jordan (the neverending Wheel of Time series)
Sarah Isidore (Daughters of Bast series)
Anne Rice (Vampire series)
Piers Anthony (Incarnations of Immortality series)
Nancy Springer (The Silver Sun et al)
Marion Zimmer Bardley (Mists of Avalon, Firebrand)

and that is just off the top of my head!

I am a voracious reader, especially of fantasy. I re-read books that are favorites over and over again.

Tolkien (for the sheer fantasy)
Kurt Vonnegut (for the sarcasm)
Tom Clancy (for the simple vacation read)
Stephen King (for his graphic descriptions)

I like a lot of the ones mentioned
Fav is Stephen King (movies could be better though)
Anne Rice
Dean R Koontz
love the horror weird stuff

Kathy Reichs is great!
Minette Walters
Bryce Courtenay
Irvine Welsh
Dean Koontz
Stephen King
JK Rowling
JR Friedman

Thats all I can think of right now, I know that there are lots more.

I would have to say one of favorites is Clive Cussler, but also like

Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series)
Tolkien
Tom Clancy
Alexander Kent (Bolithio series)

Ah, I read voraciously too. And like many of the authors already mentioned. But there are a few that I put in the "hardcover" category - that is, I will buy their books in hardcover, and not wait until the paperback is out.

Margaret Atwood - always at the top of my list.
Doris Lessing
Iris Murdoch (I am so sad that there will be no new books from her....)
John Irving
Anne Tyler

And in paperback, I love detective stories.

I am a hardcover nut too, if I really like a book/series, I will get it in hardcover even if I already own the paperback. Nothing quite like reading a hardcover, is there? Especially one just published, gotta love that "new book scent".

Anne Tyler, Barbara Kingsolver, Dorothy Allison and (strangely) Dean Koontz!!

I'd have to say, Dean Koontz, Stephan King, and Nora Roberts (when she writes as J.D. Robb)

Momof10, I loved Piers Anthony's Xanth books...my Mom brought me some when I was in the hospital as a teenager & got me hooked! Good fun.

I haven't read much for awhile, but Sheri S. Tepper is my most recent fav. I enjoy Margaret Atwood, Andre Norton, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz. My Mom is a bookworm & sends me her previously read mysteries that are great too, but I can't think of the authors' names now.

Recently read a book called "The Death of Vishnu" by Manil Suri that was really good, too...need to look & see if I can find more of his stuff.

Being into aviation, I read Dale Clancy,s novels in hard back.

I became addicted to Robin Cook - medical thriller writer when I picked up one of his paperbacks on a flight back from Toronto to the UK. I finished it on final approach into Manchester - stopped twice for the loo and something to eat and was hooked. Whilst most slept, I was buried in the book and never have put them down since.
Started his latest last night - seizure - am 98 pages in already - went to bed early to start it and read a bit more at 5am this morning when got up.

Carol reads katie Flynn and also some woman called Danielle Steel - she has everything she ever wrote inc a new one she started last night - very quiet here tonight in our house!

kev
good night

I've read a lot of Dean Koontz's books (I loved both the book and film version of "The Bone Collector", but some of his books cause me to have nightmares, so I didn't put him on my list). Ditto Stephan King. "Pet Sematary" haunted me for weeks, both in book and film version. There are certain authors I at some point decided to stop reading, as a form of self-protection, and Koontz, King, Grishom and Cornwell are definitely on that list. Do you like Edward Rutherford's books (Sarum, The Forest, London?"

Elizabeth George, the best writer of British serial detective mysteries around, who happens to be an American..

Jeffrey Deaver who wrote the "Bone Collector" among other fine novels..

John Sandford.. who writes the "Prey" series of murder mysteries

Lawrence Block, who writes off-beat detective stories which take place in New York..

Anne Perry, convicted murderess at around 16 (see the movie 'Heavenly Creatures) who has 2 series of Victorian detective mysteries..

Michael Connelly,who writes the Harry Bosch detective series.He also wrote the book that the recent Clint Eastwood movie "Blood Work" was based upon.

I've read books by all those you cited, except Michael Connelly, whom I'll check out.

There are so many!

~Jean Auel
~Stephen King
~Dean Koontz
~Walter Farley (The Black Stallion series which is what got me started reading as a kid in the first place - I'm currently trying to collect the entire series in 1st edition hardcovers!)
~Robin Cook (although this new one is a little slow getting into for me so far)
~John Steinbeck
~Richard Bach
~John Sandford
~John Ross

Just to name a few!

There's a relatively new writer I like named Keith Ablow, who writes
about a forensic psychiatrist, whom unlike Alex Delaware, isn't always a paragon of virtue!

I like Stephen White, who has a chracter similar to the Alex Delaware one as well, who lives in Colorado.

John Connolly is an excellent writer. He is an Irish journalist who writes a series abt an ex-NYPD detective now living in Maine.

I also like Lee Child, who writes the Jack Reacher series. (character is an ex-marine, who travels around the US getting people out of trouble, sort of..)

Then there is Andrew Vachss, whom I really like, but he is definitely an acquired taste. His books are in trade paperback.
I'd read up on him on Amazon before buying a book of his.

All of these writers write series, so you are better off reading them in order of publication.

I love J.K. Rowling, Tolkein, and Steven King. My other favorites are:

Charles De Lint
Phil Rickman
Laurell K. Hamilton
Clive Barker
Phillip Pullman
Julian May
Sherri S. Tepper
Poppy Z. Brite
John Saul

C.S.Friedman (Haven't read her other books, but "The Coldfire Trilogy" was amazing)

Stephen R. Lawhead (Amazing mix of Fantasy and History)

Stephen King (Still read him, though I am easily annoyed with his writing structure and style)

Robin Cook (Great Medical horror)

R. A. Salvatore (Yes, he's a Hack, but I love Drizzt)

Ann Rule (Great with her descriptions, pulls in you nicely)

On my current list of authors to check the shelves for whenever I'm in a bookstore...

Douglas Adams
David Baldacci
Lilian Jackson Braun
Patricia Cornwell
William Deverell
Nicholas Evans
Ken Follett
Sue Grafton
Martha Grimes
John Grisham
Iris Johansen
Laurie R King
Katherine Kurtz
Anne McCaffrey
Richard North Patterson
Rosamunde Pilcher
Lawrence Sanders
Carol Shields
Julia Spencer-Fleming

Lots of other goodies already mentioned in previous messages, too.