I was glad to see someone mention Ernest Brahmah...I'd been thinking about him recently and had forgotton his name. His stories are classic, I'll have to go dig them out and re-read them. Another good fantasy writer is Robin McKinley, her updates of classic fairytales are wonderful, fleshing out the characters and letting the darkness and humanity of the tales come through. Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books. Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksennarion. Lois McMaster Bujold's Spirit Ring and Curse of Chalion...at last, someone drawing on non-Celtic sources. George McDonald, Peter S Beagle, and yes, I remember Fafnir and the Grey Mouser...are they even available these days? And while we're at it, Andrew Lang and the brothers Grimm. And of the making of books there is no end...THANK HEAVENS!