Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Chad Oliver, Frederick Pohl, and on and on. The overcoming was a given, but it was still thrilling. Science fiction and fantasy still fascinate me. I find a lot of good writing in many different styles.
All literature draws on archetypes, but fantasy most of all.
At its best, fantasy is a type of lucid dreaming, explaining us to ourselves by using metaphor and symbol. It can also be sheer play. H.P. Lovecraft was included in my father's collection, although a little of him went a long way for me personally. But I do enjoy the horror novels of writers like S.P. Somtow and Charles de Lint, who explore the Shadow in humanity. Asimov's SF homepage.