[Dimturiel]

I agree with onewhitetree's mention of Byatt. I was really impressed by Possession and, as I remember, there was a story there that had a very Tolkien feel to it. And then there was another of her works, Babel Tower that actually mentions Tolkien. That was another great book.

Also, although she is not exactly contemporary, I would mention Rosemary Sutcliff. She is a British writer of historical fiction for young adults who specializes in Roman Britian. Her works are atmospheric and she describes places and people with great detail. Her characters are also rather Tolkienish and she can write friendship almost as well as Tolkien can.

Then there is, of course, Ray Bradbury, a writer I fell in love with when I started reading his works in English. He is, for me, the only writer - apart from Tokien, of course - who is able to move me only by the words and phrases he uses. It is not what he writes about that impresses me - although his stories are interesting and thought-provoking in themselves - it is how he writes them, the style he uses that is sometimes almost poetic.

That is all I can think of right now, although there might be others that do not come to my mind just yet.