I love fantasy, science fiction is good but I prefer a well written fantasy series. Pratchett is wonderful, CJ Cherryh rocks. I used to like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series until it just went on too long...I will likely try it again at some point and perhaps start at the beginning. Mercedes Lackey is indeed a very guilty pleasure, and indeed I am reading some of her works from the 80s that I hadn't read before.

I've read most of Game of Thrones and have enjoyed it, but yeah, I wouldn't give his books to a 15 year old. I really don't understand why they call him the "American Tolkien" while I have enjoyed what I've read so far I disagree.

I like "speculative fiction", whatever they are calling that genre these days. It is still fantasy (what if WW2 had been won by the other side sort of thing). I especially like Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove, though I haven't read either of them for some time. Stephen Hunt has also done some good writing, his books are a mixture of alternative history, steampunk and sorcery.