Then there is the one who started it all. Anton Chekhov. Taking writing classes I always heard about how great Chekhov was and especially about "Chekhov's Gun"; the idea that if you introduce a gun into a story then by the story's end it better go off. It is a good lesson in how to build suspense and eventually climax. Chekhov's other famous quote has something to do about the entire story (and I am paraphrasing) being found in an ashtray. The idea is that mundane and ordinary objects or events can be the start of a great story. Of course I haven't read a lot of Chekhov, but the stories that I have read are all simple in their delivery but are also very intricate in how they play upon your emotions.
If you would like to read some Chekhov online, there is a great collection of his stories available online.