I'm astounded at the number I've never even heard of... but on the other hand, I'm pleasantly surprised at the number I do know, considering how rarely I buy new books, and almost always on someone's personal recommendation.

I keep meaning to use the Hugo and Nebula award-winners lists as a to-do list... this sounds like another good one. Although I'd argue that the list is for *SF/F* writers, not just SF writers per se. (Cherryh? Sure. McCaffrey? If you squint hard at the Rowan series. Rowling? Really not so much with the "science" fiction, from what I know of her.)