Let's list some recommendations to help wade through all the crap out there. Tony Hillerman- writes contemporary detective fiction about two Navajo police officers on the Big Res in New Mexico/Arizona. Extremely subtle, and the character-development actually extends over the length of the series, so read the books in order. You need to read 4 or 5 before you really begin to appreciate it.
I've liked all but one of Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Fast-paced narratives, good comic timing, etc. I've read a few of Walter Mosley "Easy Rawlins" ones too, which are quite good, and which should be read in the order in which they are set, which I think my be different from the order in which they're published. For westerns, Ernest Haycox is vastly under-rated compared to the giants Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour.
Patrick O'Brian, Historical Fiction Years ago, I picked up one of these books in the library because it had good cover art and have never looked back. One NY Times reviewer called O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series (of which Master and Commander is the first) the best historical fiction ever written, and I agree. Like the Hillerman books, O'Brian's characters progress over time and across the boundaries of the books. His prose and in particular his sense of language is complex and really entertaining. Gene Wolfe, Science Fiction Especially his series beginning with The Shadow of the Torturer. His narrative style is elliptical and obscure, and I mean that in the best possible way. This works well with his main strength, which is that his books reveal a fully imagined world but one that you experience at the ground level, as if you're walking through it with the character and picking up information through his experiences only. His use of language is, if anything, more daring than O'Brian's.
Joe R. Lansdale - Most of his stuff is based in Texas and is of the pulp/noire/crime variety. His books starring Hap & Leonard (two good guys who always get caught up in strange crimes and deep shit), such as Mucho Mojo, Two Bear Mambo, Bad Chili and Captains Courageous are his best. The Bottoms is his most highly acclaimed novel, but I haven't read it yet.
On the mystery front, again, three more that I should've thought of: Lawrence Block, especially his Matthew Scudder novels. I've read 4 of the 12 or so, and they've all been excellent. He writes well about a guy dealing with his demons while doing his job. Speaking of which... James Lee Burke's Dave Robichaux novels have been fairly solid, though my wife disagrees with me on that one. Finally... K. C. Constantine: a shout-out to my Greensburg, Pennsylvania, homeboy. His Rocksburg novels about police chief Mario Balzic are quite good: well-plotted and solid character development.
George R. R. Martin (Fantasy) - For all of the fantasy readers out there who think that Terry Goodkind is awful and that Robert Jordan should have finished the Wheel of Time series in 6 books rather than the 13 we're heading for, this is your man. His Songs of Ice and Fire series is heavier on actual political intrigue and much lighter on magic (it's loosely based on the English War of the Roses); the definition of who's "bad" and who's "good" is blurred by the use of several "bad guys" as POV characters, and it's done exceptionally well. Heck, sometimes even good guys die. Each of the 3 books to date is over 800 pages, though, so allocate some time. Martin also has an excellent collection of short stories, called "Sandkings", including a stellar story of the same name which could well have been a Twilight Zone episode.
Reminds me of my favorite Science Fiction joke, the butt of which is a talented writer that should be on this list, but who will need someone who knows more about him than I do to do him justice. Anyway: Name three places no human being has ever gone: 1) The surface of the sun 2) The dark side of the moon 3) Beyond page 200 of Samuel Delany's Dhalgren
I have never read his detective novels but I have enjoyed Chester Himes' more autobiographical works.
Fritz Leiber, Fantasy Around the same time as Tolkein was coming out with LOTR, Leiber began developing the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, which became the other, more cynical pole of the sword and sorcery genre. Some of the purest adventures ever written.
Strong second to Gene Wolfe and Joe Lansdale. I like Leiber too. I've enjoyed Robert Crais recently, and I like Burke although his tics are showing in the more recent Robichaux novels. Dhalgren is a handful, that's for sure. I read it, but it's one of those books that needs a second reading, or third. Of Delany's other stuff, The Einstein Intersection is wonderful, as is his short fiction. Other SF/fantasy writers: Kim Stanley Robinson Sean Stewart Kelly Link Jeffrey Ford
Patrick O'Brian absolutely. And how bout props for the orginals? Poe: for both detective fiction and horror Conan Doyle: for mystery Christie: mystery (Murder of Roger Ackroyd is fantastic) Burroughs: for sci-fi. I'm not sure if they've aged well, but when I was in middle school, his John Carter of Mars series was absolute pulp brilliance. Never read the Tarzan stuff though. and Stephen King's early stuff was fantastic. I can't comment on anything he's done in the past 10-15 years. Douglas Adams: for sci-fi
Dick Francis - mystery - all his books revolve around horses and horse racing in one way or another. Good fun stuff usually
Anyone else ever seen the film/video footage of a horse race where the lead horse has a 10 or so length lead, but then suddenly has its front legs and back legs go out on him so he does a belly flop and winds up losing the race? The horse, IIRC was Devon Lock, and the jockey Dick Francis. Can't remember the race, though. I'll shut up now.
I've seen it. Usually it's accompanied by a "splat" sound effect. Espionage, Alan Furst I love all of this guy's books. I've mentioned him in other threads but this a good place for him--I'm surprised I've forgotten about him until now. His books are set in Europe during WWII, and they're written with an intelligence and depth of research that puts him in the same league as Le Carre. There's more action in Furst's books, though. My favorite by him is out of print, unfortunately. It's called Night Soldiers and follows the career of a young Bulgarian who's recruited into the NKVD (predecessor of the KGB) during the rise of Facism and then runs afoul of Stalin's purges.