@Katurine and @ Sindyr
I agree with all of those! Except Stephen King, but that's only because I haven't got around to reading his stuff beyond The Eyes of the Dragon.

I have to say though that my very favourite writer is Diana Wynne Jones. She just defies description, and she is definitely a source of great inspiration for me. She is endlessly inventive and hilarious. I would unquestionably reccomend ANY of her works without a second thought. (she is also a friend of Gaiman's :D)