can't believe nobody has mentioned Penthouse Forums letters yet.
hahaha
But to me I don't know how I could create a list of "must read authors" because most of my "must reads" of years gone by are dead now or close enough that there is nothing new coming from their typewriters anymore. And of the modern era writers there are a number of authors I consider good but none who really captivate me on a consistent basis. Maybe it's the result of having read too much over the decades? All I know is I want to be entertained not preached to or for the author to try and convert me to their way of things. I've learned none of that matters at this point in life.
I think I should add that the commoditization of authors today is a total turn off for me. So when a story line reaches more than 5 or 6 novels I tend to quickly loose interest. Not because the stories might not still be fresh but because I feel the authors are not trying to extend beyond the nice easy to sell formula. I expect a good author to be able to write in more than one "universe".