Well, if you're specifically into fantasy...
- Terry Pratchett is made of win on just about every level. I don't think I've ever read anything of his and regretted it (though some are better than others, even within the Discworld series. "Reaper Man" is one of my favorites, and is a pretty good standalone if you're not a Discworld fan.)
- Tad Williams. I loved "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn," which is a big ol' epic fantasy in the traditional mold. It starts with "The Dragonbone Chair." It's four books, but those books are pretty long. (If you want a shorter, lighter fantasy, "Tailchaser's Song" was one of my absolute favorite books growing up. Startlingly complete mythology and culture for feral cats.)
- Jim Butcher is pretty entertaining. The Dresden Files are heavy on the vampires (but he's generally setting them on fire with magic and shotguns). He also did a fantasy series that was pretty good for light entertainment. It's basically White Wolf's Dragonblood Exalted versus Starcraft's Zerg. Main character is a huge Mary Sue, but that doesn't get to be a problem until the third or fourth book, when he loses what few weaknesses he has remaining and becomes utterly dull. The first book is called "Furies of Calderon" and is a decent light'n'fluffy book to read.
- China Mieville (with a ` over the first "e") is an excellent writer with a very baroque style. He's definitely a go-to guy for twisty plots. So far, I've liked "King Rat" the best, but I haven't yet read "The City and The City."