[Rev. Bob]

I'm more into modern/urban "low fantasy" than the Tolkienesque/medieval "epic fantasy" stuff, but just in case there's any crossover for you or anyone who stumbles in here later...

If you liked Douglas Adams's style in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, run to your favorite ebook vendor and pick up some Tom Holt for about $6 each. His later work (since The Portable Door) has tended to define a loose series, but everything before that stands on its own. Flying Dutch is an excellent place to start, being the story of the Flying Dutchman and his critical importance to the global economy. (Yes, he writes that sort of inspired lunacy.) Note that he's written some historical fantasy as well as the comedy; the comedic ebooks are easily recognized by their "stick figure" covers - with the exception of his three most recent, which are still cartoony and/or named Doughnut.

I'm about to finish book seven out of nine in C.E. Murphy's "Walker Papers" series, about an Irish/Native American cop/mechanic who unexpectedly becomes a shaman. Book eight just came out, the conclusion's about a year away, and there's a tenth book of short stories called No Dominion that's already out; the short-book-length title story runs parallel to book seven, but there was no place in the main series to tell the story...

Speaking of magical mechanics, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "Mercy Thompson" series by Patricia Briggs, about a werecoyote among werewolves. Solid stuff, but a bit closer to paranormal romance than the Walker Papers.

Kim Harrison has a truly smashing series going with "The Hollows," about a present-day that diverged about forty years ago when a genetic tinkering accident brought the paranormals out of the shadows. Aside from the novels, there are two "prequel" graphic novels, a short story collection, and a "fact book" disguised as an outsider's story. Highly recommended.

Jim Butcher has a great thing going with his "Dresden Files" series, which I see has its own thread here. He also writes traditional fantasy, which I haven't read but feel confident recommending just on the strength of his Dresden books.

Simon R. Green has several series that wind up weaving together. "Hawk and Fisher" is part of the "Forest Kingdoms" (aka "Haven") world; that's traditional fantasy that stays pretty well off to the side, despite a couple of cameos elsewhere. However, "Nightside," "Secret Histories," "Ghostfinders," and even his SF "Deathstalker" series mingle quite a bit, especially in the most recent volumes. It doesn't hurt to read them independently, but you'll pick up on several references if you read them all. (Go with publication sequence and read 'em in parallel, though.)

Closer to "standard" fantasy, but with a strong comic/satiric bite, is Robert Asprin's "Myth Adventures" series. They tend to be short, quick reads, and even though Asprin died a few years ago, the series is in the capable hands of his eventual co-author, Jody Lynn Nye.

If you like urban fantasy with a decent sense of fun that doesn't go for comedy, try Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty the werewolf" series. She's a late-night talk-radio host who goes public about being a werewolf, whereupon fame and adventure ensue.

Lilith Saintcrow has written a couple of series for Orbit that are somewhere between urban fantasy and cyberpunk, and both are available as "complete series" omnibus volumes at a bargain price: Jill Kismet and Dante Valentine run about ten bucks each.

That's a solid chunk of material off the top of my head, enough to keep you busy for a while. If you like these, look me up on Goodreads and feel free to plunder my shelves for more stuff; there's a lot there.