What are your favorite series/who are your favorite authors?

[Adelante]

...and of course, explain why if you can.

I often find myself going back and re-reading books and series as I have difficulty connecting with authors that are 'new' to me - and I have to shamelessly admit that this thread is my attempt to be opened up to new/different authors by you unscrupulous lot.

I have not read the final book in the series yet, but I'm a huge fan of Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time".  Its fantasy setting on an epic scale without elves or dwarves... though there are giants, kinda.  While there are faults with the books, nothing is perfect and I feel that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. 

Tad Williams' "Otherland" series started slowly but built momentum and tension all throughout the magnificent series.  It's a modern sci-fi tale with some light fantasy elements.  The characters are the real drive behind the story and I think they all "fit".  I really don't have anything bad to say about the series.  This is the only series that I have hesitated to reread in fear that I won't enjoy it as much after a second read-through and it will somehow tarnish my memories of the story and characters.  It has one of the only scenes in a book that has made me actually cry.  Not tear up a little, actually cry.  It is a scene that is almost inevitable from the first time you meet the characters, and ... well, I don't want to spoil it.  This series had the most absolutely satisfying epilogue/wrap-up that I've ever encountered in print.  I can not recommend it enough.

Dennis McKiernan has become one of my go-to Fantasy authors with his take on the "Hobbit"/"Lord of the Rings" franchise as well as his endearing fairy tale-based books.  Give him a try, though much of it is cliche it still has a presence that reminds me a lot of Tolkien.  I'm rereading his "Iron Tower" trilogy now.

Of course, and this is in no particular order, Mercedes Lackey.  That's not just because she posts here.  I was first introduced to her books by a female friend who made me promise to read one of the books.  I can not remember the title off the top of my head but it was the first of the Herald Alberich titles.  Her description of the series did not really make me enthusiastic about reading it but once I got into it I was hooked.  I've read almost all of the Valdemar books (and I greatly look forward to a book that might never be written, the story of the founding) and enjoyed all of them.  However my absolute favorite is her Obsidian Trilogy which is an epic fantasy tale.  I can not recommend that trilogy enough.  I did not enjoy the follow-up trilogy to it, but I may give it another go some time.  I also want MOAR TECHNO-SHAMAN!  You know what I mean, Ms. Lackey.  All I have is that one short story and I loved it.  I'm also very, very fond of her Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms fantasy/fairy tale series.  The combination of adventure, action, humor, and fairy tales is addictive to read.

I know I'll come up with more once I think more about it... like the Gotrek & Felix series in the Warhammer Fantasy Universe.

[McCreed]

I haven't read any of the volumes published recently, but in the '80s and early '90s, I loved George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards anthology series.  That would make a great premise for a metahuman-themed MMO, in fact.

[pewlagon]

Let me list a bunch: Terry Pratchett (All hail the Luggage!), Christoher Moore (Stupidest Angel anyone?), Jim Butcher (Dresden FTW), Nick Harkaway, Doublas Addams, Richard Addams, Stephan R. Donaldson, Tolkein (of course), Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, Kat Richardson, Dean Koonz, and Mercedes Lackey. All people amongst whose ranks I hope to one day be counted.

[FatherXmas]

Let me list a bunch: Terry Pratchett (All hail the Luggage!), Christoher Moore (Stupidest Angel anyone?), Jim Butcher (Dresden FTW), Nick Harkaway, Doublas Addams, Richard Addams, Stephan R. Donaldson, Tolkein (of course), Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, Kat Richardson, Dean Koonz, and Mercedes Lackey. All people amongst whose ranks I hope to one day be counted.

Clive Cussler (and son), Eric Flint's 1632 mega saga (along with other writers including a short by VV), Jim Butcher's Dresden series, the late Robert Asprin Myth-adventurers and Phule series, David and Leigh Eddings, John Varley, Stephen Baxter, Greg Bear, Steve Perry's Matador series, Rick Cook's Wizardry series.

[blackjak]

Shared universe:
Battletech - Sci-fi. Giant robots (decidedly less mecha and more tank-ish, political intrigue, deep lore, samurai & mercenaries. 60+ books strong.
Wild Cards - Somewhat odd take on superheroes. The latest novels are arguably the best, actually.
Thieve's World - Fantasy. Pretty good stuff.

+1 on Williams' Otherland series.

Charlie Huston - Dark urban fantasy. Somewhat noir. Wrote Moon Knight's comeback series. Short, brutal novels. Very good.

[Tenzhi]

I used to really enjoy rereading Anne McCaffrey's various Pern series.  I love dragons and I found the characters and stories enjoyable.  I haven't done so in quite awhile, though, mainly due to no longer having the books on hand and finding the cost of reacquiring them to be daunting.

I love what I've read of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, but I only scratched the surface of that series with what little was available in the libraries I frequented ages ago.  I've looked into acquiring the complete series, but again the cost is daunting.

I enjoyed what I read of Terry Brooks' Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series.  The Shannara series grew beyond my ability to keep up with it (I blinked and suddenly there was a pile of books in the series I hadn't read).

I really liked Dianne Wynne Jones' Chronicles of Chrestomanci.  I own and occasionally reread those.

I could go on for a bit (Tolkien, Douglas Adams, Piers Anthony, Mickey Zucher-Reichert, Madeleine l'Engle, Weis & Hickman...), but I think I'll wrap up by saying that I cannot recommend Markus Heitz' Dwarves series enough.  The english version is translated from German, I believe, and I got the first rather thick book in the series at a half-price book store on a lark.  The book was plain-looking and it was simply titled "Dwarves" so I wasn't expecting much but after I read it I looked into it and discovered it was a series and picked up the other two books that had been translated (I think one more is on the way) from Amazon.

[houtex]

I read, until April 2004, *every stinkin' Star Trek book there was*.  Ever.  Yes, that one too.  Oh yeah, that one?  It was awesome, right?

Like Scotty, I even read the technical manuals.

Oh, did I mention I owned them too?  Yep.  All of them.  All first editions.  I was right proud of my collection.

But I moved... and carting *all those books*... well, I carted them all right... I took them to the public library and donated them.  Well, most of them.  About 1% of my collection I kept, because they are special books.  Imzadi, Triangle, the Q series, the Shatner books with Judith and Garfield... Uhura's Song...  Spocks world... Genesis Effects... Excalibur series... The two with Lieutenant Piper.  A few others.  The highly special, amazingly well done ones, they had to stay.  The rest?  Bye.

Best move I did.  I am really ok with the stoppage of readin' all those books.  I read intarwebs now.

---

Beyond my Trekkie love, there is anything Ender's Game, and of course, Douglas Adams.

Clancy I like but man... that is tough to read sometimes.  So much detail, as well as branches to nowhere...

Of course, Piers Anthony and both the Xanth and the Apprenice Adept were a lot of good times. 

Heinlien, lots of good stuff there too.

Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time was a favorite...

Oh, and the Tripod series.

Mmm... think that'll do for now.

[blackjak]

Forgot to mention William Gibson if you like cyberpunk sci-fi at all and Neil Gaiman (Sandman) if you like modern fantasy (American Gods and Neverwhere for strangely hero-ish characters).

[Peacemaker]

After recently reading Empire State and Seven Wonders, I have become a huge fan of author Adam Cristopher.  I highly recommend these 2 books for any superhero fan.  I am looking forward to reading his upcoming sequel to Empire State titled "The Age Atomic" due out in April 2013.

The thing I like most about Adam and his books is that it is like reading a comic book in the form of a novel. 

I really want to give Ex Heroes by Peter Clines a read but haven't gotten around to ordering it online as it is sold out in my area.  Superheroes and zombies should make for an interesting read.