All time favorite author?

Who is your all time favorite author and why? What are your favorite books by that author? What genre does he/she write in?

Well, most of you may know this but my all time favorite author is Dean R. Koontz~The Master of Suspense~
He writes suspense thrillers, but that statement really isn't fair because he writes supernatural suspense, psychological suspense, suspense suspense, horror suspense, oh my the list goes on.
Koontz was introduced to me by my mother when I was about 10. "The Voice in the Night" was the first book of his that I ever read and I have been hooked since. I love his command of language and they way he brings his characters to life. I read in an interview that he even wrote entire passages of one of his novels in iambic pentameter, thinking no one would notice but a poet pointed it out to him. Don't ask me what book as I never picked up on that. I love that his books (most of them anyway, there are a couple duds) keep me on the edge of my seat and keep me guessing. There has been more than one occasion that I have changed my mind several times throughout the course of the novel as to what is REALLY happening, I finally make up my mind then 3 pages later BLAMMO! He yoinks the rug out from under me and I feel stunned and amazed. I love that feeling.
Some of my favorite Koontz books include

Strangers
Watchers
From the Corner of His Eye
One Door Away From Heaven
By The Light of the Moon
False Memory
Dark Rivers of the Heart

If I had to choose just ONE to be my favorite it would either be False Memory or Dark Rivers of the Heart. See, I say just ONE and STILL can't choose.

False Memory and Dark Rivers of the Heart are my favorites because, while there REALLY are people that sick in the world, they remind me that there is ALWAYS hope.

OH...Did i mention that his dog Trixie, now TOTOS (trixie on the other side, R.I.P.) is also an author. She has her third book coming out titled "bliss to you, Trixie's guide to a happy life" All royalties from Trixies enterprises are donated to Canine Companions for Independence.

I love Libba Bray. That hasn't changed much in four years. Until someone comes out with books just as good, Libba Bray will stay my main squeeze. I've read awesome books since the Gemma Doyle trilogy, but they haven't topped the series yet!

My favourite author has been Mercedes Lackey since I was... eleven? Since sometime around fourth grade, anyway. And anyone who's seen any of my answers on Books and Authors probably knows it. Her books just suck me in, every time. My favourites by her are The Mage Winds trilogy and The Dragon Jousters series (pfft, one, I can't pick one).

She writes almost entirely fantasy, and I've seriously loved everything I've ever read by her. I'm aiming to end up with a complete collection of every book she's ever written, collaborated on, or contributed to.

Mine is Stephen King! I have all his novels and read most more than once. I also like John Saul and Alan Titchmarsh and Mike Gayle too

I personally love Jane Austen. Her stories have basically everything I could want. Many are romantic stories that melt my heart, yet they have powerful and strong characters like the beloved Lizzy Bennet. There are many other themes present like honor and dignity. Besides, who doesn't like a timeless classic?

Charles Dickens. Some people find him to be melodramatic and overly descriptive, but I adore his novels. Sometimes they are hard to get through, but something about the way he writes, develops his story, and develops his characters leaves me feeling like an uplifted, better person when I finish one of his books.

Tolkien and Lewis (C.S. not Caroll, although his novels are really good as well)
Although the Chronicles of Narnia are aimed are children, I have seen a lot of character development and description in them. I enjoy everything about the novels, the fantasy, the plot, everything.
The Lord of the Rings have everything I could want in a novel. Magnification Prose, an epic and original storyline, characters that can be related to, and deep characters. I don't really think I need to stress the point any further. Middle-Earth is credited with being the most realistic fantasy world ever created, due to it's complicated geography, complete history etc.

My tastes change from year to year. I have found myself switching from Thriller to Mystery, even to non-fiction at times. Through it all, Thomas H. Cook has been a perrenial favorite of mine. I anticipate each new release, even now. I have never been disappointed in a book he's written, however I believe his last one, Master of the Delta, was his weakest effort to date.

It seems like I'm jumping into these topics two months after the fact. Oh well, here goes:

Not counting the classics, I would have to say that as of now my favorite author is Cormac McCarthy. "No Country for Old Men" was terrific, and "The Road" drew a strong visceral reaction out of me (maybe because I am the father of two sons, so the main character really connected with me). As soon as I am able I am going to find his earlier works and read them.

Hemingway. I'm not sure what drew me to his works, but I grew to love his writing style and themes.