Alice Munro is a nice answer but she lacks somewhere co.pared to these giants, especially Chekhov. Tolstoy can be predicatble with his attitude towards life. Chekhov doesn’t mind writing a child pointing a gun at a leper. Even the holiest rivers in his stories pull down swimmers to the depths. it’s fascinating. He’s an enigma, closest to a God for me
I’m a huge fan of Tolstoy in particular. In some ways, Kingsolver, Rushdie both come immediately to mind. Anne Patchett? China Miéville? It’s a big question.
Rushdie is too many words. He is a master but again, too many words. Chekhov might start off as boring to many, but becomes a familiar tune after a little persistence, sometimes even a favourite tune.