I've loved all things Arthurian and related to Celtic mythology since I was a teen. Anyone else into Arthurian fantasy/historical fiction or fantasy based on Celtic myths such as the Welsh Mabinogian or the various Celtic/Gaelic myth cycles? Who are some of your favorite authors in this genre? Some of mine are:

Mary Stewart

Stephen Lawhead

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Kenneth Flint

T.A. Barron's YA Merlin cycle

Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series

I have an entire Xerox box full of Arthurian paperbacks and even though I haven't read any of them in a long time, I can't imagine parting with them and I'm seriously considering delving into a few new-to-me authors if I get some interesting recommendations.

Bradley, Cooper, and Stewart - outstanding!

Love, love, love Mary Stewart!

Jack Whyte. Wrote "historical" novels about Legionnaires in Roman Britain who realize that the whole Empire is coming to an end, and gather together craftsmen and other handy folk to form a colony, Camulodunum. One of the sons I think is Caius Merlinus Brittanicus, whose narrative forms the third novel. At the end of that novel is born a child named Arthur...

Having LOVED all those authors you mentioned Bren I would definately suggest the Jack Whyte series. Its essentially Arthur as he may truly have been a descendant of Romans and native Britons very good story and a very interesting "historical" read.

If you like Arthurian stories and you can appreciate odd ball humor and a modern setting I would suggest Peter David's "Knight" series. Its Arthur in the U.S.

There is also a series by J. Robert King that I haven't read yet but is on my TBR pile. It starts with Mad Merlin.

I know there are others I've read but I can't seem to think of them at the moment.

And I'd love to compare notes on other authors just in case you are aware of some I've missed I absolutely ADORE Arthurian myth and legend. And since I have an anthropology minor I've even seen the Joseph Campbell lecture on it.

I'll guess I'll have to dig out my box so I can list some of the other authors. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure I only have my mass market books here - my trade PBs and hardcover fantasies are all in storage.

I seem to recall having a lot of books written from the point of view of the women.

Here's a few I absolutely loved:

The Pendragon: http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/132312-The+Pendragon

The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf: http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780451401380-The+Road+to+Avalon

The Dragon's Heirs series by Courtway Jones: http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780671734046-In+the+Shadow+of+the+Oak+King+Dragons+Heirs+vol+1

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey

The Coming of the King by Nikolai Tolstoi although he never finished the series

Hawk of May/Kingdom of Summer/In Winter's Shadow by Gillian Bradshaw - I read these a long time ago but I recall really enjoying them.

Jane Yolen's written some Arthurian novels -- I really enjoyed Sword of the Rightful King.

I happened across one of the Pendragon Cycle books by Stephen Lawhead a couple of years ago and found it to be surprisingly entertaining.  There was a lot of historical reference, more realistic than pure fantasy.  I liked that the names and places were spelled in that sort of old celtic/welsh kind of way.  I think I recall the Lady of the Lake being a druid high priestess instead of an ethereal being.  I just remember being less than capable of putting the book down.

Do you know Rosemary Sutcliff? Or Anya Seton's Mistletoe and the Sword?

Molly Cochran wrote a trilogy (Arthur returns in modern times) that isn't very well known.

The Forever King
The Broken Sword
The Third Magic

I picked up the entire Gillian Bradshaw trilogy and Anya Seton's Avalon at our FOL sale this weekend. Now the question is how high to put them on my TBR.

Stephen Lawhead has a new series out about Robin Hood only set in Wales instead of England. Kind of slow going though.

I love the Raven King series by Lawhead!  can't wait for the next book to come out summer of 2009!  They are a little slow at times, but if you get really into them (not too difficult to do) they're totally worth it!  I love Lawhead's work!  I haven't read the Pendragon Cycle yet, but I plan to pick it up soon.  Another great Celtic-based fantasy by him is the Song of Albion trilogy.  It has a mythological feel to it, and it is wonderful!

Some excellent authors have been named here, and I have them/love them all...except Courtway Jones...thanks Bren!  I need to check those out.

Parke Godwin wrote two excellent Arthurian novels: Beloved Exile and Firelord.  (He also did two Robin Hood ones).

I have tons of fiction and non-fiction concerning Arthur, Celtic mythology, and Irish history.  I don't think I could ever part with them!  They are my one collection that are not stored in boxes, but in my one (precious) bookshelf.  ;)