Iain M. Banks, as long as he was writing under that name. Not to say I dislike his non-Culture stuff but it's never grabbed me like the sci-fi does. RIP.

For music, definitely Perturbator, Futurecop!, and Lazerhawk.

Paradox Entertainment's developed games will pretty much always have my full attention. There was a time when I would have said the same about Maxis but... those days have passed.